“Pen is mightier than the gun”! In the western primary education system, we find a lot of relaxation, openness for the growth of the mind, and a broad scope to nurture reasoning skills. This system paved the way to reduce child labour and to bring everyone to schools. The West has always inspired the world. Their innovation, their R&D, their democracy! What’s wrong with the US, more so now? Are teachers meant to spend their time learning to shoot and using guns instead of pens? Can we guarantee teachers will remain stable all the time? Can we promise a good night’s sleep to our teachers with the possibility of using a gun the next day at school?

Once in his/her childhood, every child wants to become a teacher- that’s how much teachers inspire. We want children to be encouraged towards automatic guns and magazines now? India has taught the world the importance of non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi ruled out any other beliefs but non-violence, and India became independent. This thought process was nearly a hundred years old yet works. Nelson Mandela repeated it in South Africa as late as the 1990s.

Why do citizens need guns, that too assault rifles, in this modern world? Are our laws so loose? Or, is our police force and defense system so weakly woven? Are we failing our democracy? Gun to the gun, eye to eye, violence to violence – the modern US mantra? I am baffled between “TOY GUNS ” and “GUNS as TOYS” with no age limit.  I had to witness a chat in our local neighbourhood group where supporters of ‘carrying-guns-openly in Texas-legal’ advised us to move back if we were petrified! How and when can one determine, one is in a sane state of mind or otherwise? I may be a happy person but feel disturbed when I see someone or something! ‘Get a taste of your own medicine’ is what’s happening. Do we like the taste? Can we change it for a  sweeter, happier society? Can we change it to a hopeful community where parents don’t have to kiss their scholarship-winning, ready-for-university high-school kids for one last time but many, many more times just as they expected to do!

But our future is hopeful. These children of Stoneman Douglas are highly determined. They are composed and articulated; they believe in love, not in war. They want their senators not to accept funds from the NRA. They want their teachers to give them subject knowledge and imbibe them with morals; they want this incident to last. No more schools, no more parents should go through this. I believe in their beliefs.

Mr. President, time to learn from these future citizens what progressive thinking is!  What you think and propose is DATED.