Another School Shooting

By Rachael Vandegrift

An armed, white man walks into a school,
kills 17 students and teachers with a tool
that can be bought at just about any store
by a 19 year old, insane, fool,
before being caught, on Valentine's day,
Marking the 30th mass shooting
And it's not time to talk about gun control?

If they had been black, you'd say "more police"
If they had been Mexican, you'd say "build a wall"
If they had been Middle-Eastern, you'd say "travel ban"
But they're not, they're white, they're mentally ill,
so "Report the disturbed" our president says
"It's about mental health!" our congress says
"But it's not time to talk about gun control"

You send your thoughts and prayers,
while we're pleading for your help
You want my thoughts and prayers?
I thought our country cared about us
I thought our country loved us more than guns
And I pray my school won't be next
That my friends will not be mourned on the internet
That we might be safe in our unsafe unchanging world
Because you won't talk about gun control

But now?

We're taking this into our own hands
We're organizing, rising up and wising up
Taking a stand, and taking a walk
Making our voices heard, better watch for that 10 o'clock
We will not be complacent in our friends' deaths
We've done it before and we will do it again
They say "when we're older"
I say why wait till then?
These laws are going to change right now
These deaths have got to be dwindling down

Everyone knows kids can be one loud crowd
And no, we won't calm down
Until no one ignores our outraged sound
We will make the politicians come around
And finally, gun control will bring peace to our towns.​