Friend, I got a call yesterday from a school board director in the Erie School District that gave me a wave of dread: shots fired inside the Erie High School¹. I’m more used to this type of news than the average person, but the frustration I feel when I know kids are being put in harm’s way is unbearable. Kids have a right to feel safe in their school, no matter what, and this shouldn’t be a controversial or partisan issue. It is the bare minimum. Use your voice and demand that elected officials meet this basic need for students. This latest incident in Erie resulted in the injury of one, and the shooter is believed to be under fifteen years old. They remain at large, and the school has been closed to grapple with the trauma of this incident. School districts all over the Commonwealth have to brace for this violence to happen at any time. Speaker Cutler and Senate President Corman know that this is happening all over the Commonwealth, and their power over what bills get voted on is a central reason why we haven’t addressed this public health crisis. These two lawmakers are the key decision makers on what bills pass and what bills never see the light of day. They need to hear from us right now. All across Pennsylvania, kids are practicing active shooter drills, hiding under desks, silencing cell phones, and practicing the act of assuming a person knocking at the door isn’t an adult there to help them but rather a mass murderer. Small children are learning not to trust their surroundings, not to believe that their next birthday is guaranteed. They’re learning to accommodate for a culture of violence before they master reciting the alphabet or counting numbers or picking their favorite color. Speaker Cutler and Senate President Corman are allowing this to happen, every single day that they refuse to act. Make your voice heard. Josh Fleitman
CeaseFirePA - Western PA Manager | 
