Enough!

 

 

Pulseonparenting is not a political platform.  But it is about kids and their parents and and their friends and extended families.  I’ve spent the past four years blogging with the goal of making a difference, big or small, in the lives of children and their loved ones.  To say nothing of what happened last week, on a day reserved for celebrating love, would dishonor the passion that motivates me to get up at 5:30 in the morning.

Now, right now, while the nation is yet again in the throes of sadness and grief, the most glorious phoenix has risen.  We have young people, courageously and articulately, using their voices in protest. They will be heard.  They will stand for it no more.  Enough! they say.  We’ve had enough.  The speeches are empassioned. Emma Gonzalez leads the pack with her viral “We call BS” speech.  You can watch/read the transcript here.

Right now.  We need to listen.  We must act.  We need to pay attention and find a real way to leave no child behind; to channel the best we’ve got to help our troubled youth.  No leaving them behind.  These kids are assaulted by the fallacies of the mind and brain and we must find a way to pull them out of the warzone.  Our military does just that with the wounded.

Why can’t we accomplish this noble, heroic and humane act here at home?

It’s not enough to say our kids, our nation’s (and our families’) future, are worth it.  Because they are more than worth it.  Maybe we say we are too busy, there isn’t enough money, I’m not a psychologist…  But I’m here to say that anything worth doing (anyone worth saving, and they all are) takes time and effort and will disrupt our routine.  It will be hard.

But it must be done.

 

 

So here are some steps to get us moving in the right direction:

Our schools need money:  A funds drive for my son’s middle school is on right now.  My family’s contribution will be directed and specific.  We will pressure the school district to outline a specific (none of this “innovative enrichment” and “programs with a service” vague, administrative, ahem, BS) plan for providing counseling and support for our troubled youth.  And we will give money to be used toward executing this plan.  It will still take a significant amount of pro bono to accomplish this (thank you to my dear friend M.W., a pHd in psychology, for working with our 8th graders!) so our schools and communities need to get creative and simply donating time is the way to get started.***  Still, funds will be needed.  Tell your school where you want your money spent.

Enough!  National School Walkout:  Participate with your kids.  Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is sponsoring a school walkout Wednesday, March 14th, at 10:00 am your local time to protest lawmaker inaction regarding gun violence.  For 17 minutes, one minute for every person who died in the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, students, teachers, administrators and parents are encouraged to exit their schools and offices to send a powerful message to Washington and their state capitals.  I plan to participate with my homeschoolers, and my middle schooler, whether his school gets involved or not.  See the official website (link provided above) and FaceBook page.  #NationalSchool Walkout.

Personally reach out.  Troubled youth need to feel someone, anyone, cares.  They lash out for a reason.  The knee-jerk response is to punish, label and marginalize these kids.  That needs to end.  Something (or someone) has caused them great pain, whether it be organic (mental illness), living situation (think domestic abuse, bullying), socioeconomics, etc.  Go out of your way to offer yourself as an ally to one of these kids.  That small gesture can move mountains.

Open the floodgates on Washington.  Call your senators and representatives.  Stuff their voicemails.  Keep their assistants from their coffee breaks.  Call from every phone in your house so it doesn’t look like one person keeps calling repeatedly.  Need the phone numbers?  Go to  www.house.gov/representatives and  www.senate.gov/senators/index.htm (click on “contact” in the left-hand column for the directory)

Let’s turn this around.  It’s beyond time to get angry and get involved.  Let’s follow the example of the brave, articulate youth in Florida and say

Enough!

 

[A side note for our elected officials who we the people charge with the responsibility of making laws to help form a more perfect union:  don’t dismiss these vocal youth from Florida.  No, they have no money.  No, they have no vote.  Yet.  By 2020 many of them will be 18…]

 

***Community psychologists, social workers, counselors please consider donating time to your local schools!