A six-year-old distributed lollipops with a poignant message during yesterday’s march. The stark truth facing schoolchildren in America is that they must learn to remain silent in the event of an active shooter situation. Children as young as six are engaged in active shooter or “lockdown” drills nationwide. A photo shared on Twitter during the ‘March For Our Lives’ event perfectly illustrates the troubling state of our society and highlights the necessity for stronger gun control.
While attending the march, a young boy handed a lollipop to Lisa Bennett, a librarian from Chicago. She recounted the moment, stating, “A six-year-old just gave me this.” The lollipop was accompanied by a note that read: “This is the prize I receive for staying quiet during active shooter drills.”
This scenario is chilling. The contrast between an innocent lollipop—often given to children for a variety of reasons—and the haunting image of young students huddled in silence, sucking on these treats while hiding from a potential shooter, is both disturbing and heartbreaking.
The concept of providing lollipops during lockdown drills has become so prevalent that there’s even a movement called #LollipopsForLockdown, which aims to supply teachers with these candies to help ease the tension during such drills. How did we arrive at this point? It is utterly shameful that lawmakers are aware of these circumstances and yet fail to advocate for stricter gun regulations.
Social media users reacted strongly to Bennett’s post, with individuals from around the globe expressing their outrage and sorrow.
We seem to be prioritizing funding to arm teachers instead of addressing the root cause of this crisis, while parents are left to “arm” educators with lollipops. It’s infuriating. My child is just two years old, but the thought of her in a classroom, using a lollipop as a comfort during a drill like this, makes me contemplate relocating our family to a more secure environment.
At a recent family gathering, there were numerous elementary school children present. At one point, my eight-year-old nephew turned off the lights in the basement to play video games “in the dark.” Although there was still some natural light, the room felt dim. A friend of his, around the same age, remarked, “Oh, this is just like a lockdown drill.”
The room fell silent—every adult froze. My family consists of educators who are more familiar with this grim reality, yet none of us were desensitized enough not to feel a deep sense of sadness after hearing that comment.
Bennett succinctly captured the collective sentiment of those present, reflecting the urgent need for change.
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In summary, the shocking reality of lockdown drills in schools, highlighted by a simple lollipop, underscores the critical need for a movement toward stricter gun control laws.