Five years after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, Americans are less safe because of gun lobby interests, asserts Carlee Soto in NBC News. The murder of six educators and 20 first graders by a former student's gun hasn’t swayed Congress to adopt common-sense gun laws. Instead, gun lobby-backed members of the House prefer to vote on legislation that will force each state to accept the concealed carry standards of every other state, potentially letting anyone carry concealed, loaded handguns across the country regardless of training, background and permit. If the Senate passes this bill, Congress is, still, putting the NRA ahead of Americans’ safety.
Though people say that nothing has changed in America since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School five years ago, this is not true. While gun laws are under debate, what’s really changed since then is the focus on mental health services and awareness of and prevention for bullying and emotional issues. A nationwide movement is building among educators, administrators, students and parents to work toward preventing gun violence from being the new normal. In schools across America, new programs are addressing issues of anxiety, frustration, disengagement in families and communities by developing new ways to teach and practice social and emotional skills. They are also helping those who are at rise or in danger.