School shootings have become tragically routine in America, and so have the responses.
Republicans send "thoughts and prayers," insisting that it's "too soon" to talk about gun laws. Conspiracy theorists and conservative media talking heads call the survivors "crisis actors" and try to smear the victims. The conversation moves on to whatever Kardashian is naked on Instagram. And then another shooting happens.
Lawmakers insist that they know what's best for the victims when they reject the conversation about gun reform, but children are no longer accepting the status quo.
I'm gonna try and get a hashtag trending called #IfIdieInASchoolShooting. If you wanna join, feel free. #IfIdieInASchoolShooting I will never be able to finish my animated TV series, I'll never be able to see my sister again, and I will have to become a martyr. #NeverAgain
— Andrew Schneidawind (@SoldierSchnyd) May 20, 2018
Survivors of the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School shared on Twitter what they feel is the best way to honor the victims, using their cutting, bleak-as-hell comedic voice and the hashtag #IfIDieInASchoolShooting.
#IfIDieInASchoolShooting deliver my heart to dana loesch on a silver platter because she’s a heartless woman and clearly needs a new one.
— jordyn #NEVERAGAIN (@jordynzoe_) May 20, 2018
#IfIdieInASchoolShooting politicize my death. It’s not too soon to talk about guns. It’s too late.
— Sofie Whitney (@sofiewhitney) May 20, 2018
#IfIDieInASchoolShooting I can only pray that people will stand up and give me a voice the way that @manueloliver00 valiantly has his son making noise all around the country.
— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) May 20, 2018
every day I wish I could be lucky enough to trade my life for one of those taken at my school.
#IfIDieInASchoolShooting plaster my face outside of every politician Who accepts money from the NRA’s office so every day as they walk into work they have to look into the eyes of someone who died because of their inaction and think of their own children or someone they know.
— Lauren Hogg (@lauren_hoggs) May 20, 2018
#IfIdieInASchoolShooting don’t say “it’s too soon to talk about it” because it would be too late to save me. #fixit
— Jose Iglesias (@Joseforchange) May 20, 2018
#IfIDieInASchoolShooting dump my body in front of the White House.
— john barnitt (@John_Barnitt) May 20, 2018
Young adults all over the country are writing their wills, when they should be writing their finals.
Put my bullet addled body in a glass casket and tour me through every government building in DC. #IfIDieInASchoolShooting
— Bryson Reid (@bryt_as_the_son) May 21, 2018
The hashtag #IfIdieinASchoolShooting just made me #cry. It is just awful that healthy kids are effectively writing their wills on #socialmedia because they don't know if they'll come home if a #schoolShooting occurs. #GunControlNow #GunControl #guns
— Audrey Charowa (@Miss_Audreey) May 21, 2018
I went to the doctors office today. One of the questions my Dr. asked is if, now that I'm 18, I had made a will.#IfIDieInASchoolShooting is a public record of students' wills. Their final message en mass because who knows if they will reach 18
— Meredith Keppel 🏳️🌈 (@gingerkeppel) May 21, 2018
Some kids used the hashtag to muse about the afterlife.
#IfIDieInASchoolShooting I’d get to see Carmen again
— Emma González (@Emma4Change) May 20, 2018
#IfIDieInASchoolShooting I could finally bring Feis the Starbucks he never took me up on.
— Ryan Deitsch (@Ryan_Deitsch) May 20, 2018
Others are emphasizing the momentous ocassions in life that the kids shot in their schools are robbed of when they're taken so young.
#IfIdieInASchoolShooting then I’ll never get to publish my book, celebrate my sweet 16, get married, or see my children grow to be wonderful people.
— Caspen (Cas) Becher // #NEVERAGAIN (@casforachange) May 20, 2018
#IfIDieInASchoolShooting My 8 younger siblings will have to grow up without their oldest sister, i’ll never graduate high school or college, i’ll never get to work in dc like i’ve wanted to since i was young, i’ll never get to create change
— jaxon // #NEVERAGAIN (@jaxonomara) May 20, 2018
#IfIdieInASchoolShooting
— jenna (@idioticjenna) May 20, 2018
i will never
- get married
- have children
- go to college
- graduate
- buy a car
- live
This is what teens are thinking about these days.
They're not spending their weekends eating Tide Pods, and they may still be getting *lit* with the *fam*, but they're also thinking about what they'd like to happen in case they are murdered at school.
