Schools around the country were ordered or recommended closed in mid-March, leading to no school shootings. (Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Apr 13, 2020
The nationwide lockdown to stem the rise of the coronavirus has had one silver lining--March 2020 was the first March since 2002 without a school shooting.
"Depressing on mulitple levels," saidNew York Times reporter Annie Karni.
Washington Post reporter Robert Klemko made the observation Monday morning on Twitter.
"Heartbreaking statistic," tweeted the Wall Street Journal's Robbie Whelan in reply.
\u201cHeartbreaking statistic\u201d— Robbie Whelan (@Robbie Whelan) 1586792983
Schools around the country were ordered or recommended closed in mid-March to attempt to stem the spread of the disease, which has already infected a reported 576,695 Americans so far and killed 23,068.
"All it took was a pandemic and closing all the schools," tweetedBloomberg editor Mark Gongloff.
Shelter in place orders have been issued in some states and cities, including New York City. Author and activist Naomi Klein on Monday drew a connection between the language of both the national pandemic lockdown and the school shooting drills children around the country take part in.
"So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to," said Klein.
When my 7-year-old heard talk that our state was going into "lockdown" he looked stricken. I realized that was a word he had learned at school at shootings drills. I had to explain that we weren't under fire. So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to. https://t.co/5W3ojW5z10
-- Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) April 13, 2020
Despite the absence of school shootings in March, gun sales in the month were the second highest on record, leading gun control advocates to fear that there may be a spike in killings once the lockdowns end.
"When this pandemic ends and we emerge from this physical distancing reality, the guns will remain," said Guns Down America executive director Igor Volsky. "Will there be increased mass shootings, school shootings, shootings at home, at work, at concerts?"
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The nationwide lockdown to stem the rise of the coronavirus has had one silver lining--March 2020 was the first March since 2002 without a school shooting.
"Depressing on mulitple levels," saidNew York Times reporter Annie Karni.
Washington Post reporter Robert Klemko made the observation Monday morning on Twitter.
"Heartbreaking statistic," tweeted the Wall Street Journal's Robbie Whelan in reply.
\u201cHeartbreaking statistic\u201d— Robbie Whelan (@Robbie Whelan) 1586792983
Schools around the country were ordered or recommended closed in mid-March to attempt to stem the spread of the disease, which has already infected a reported 576,695 Americans so far and killed 23,068.
"All it took was a pandemic and closing all the schools," tweetedBloomberg editor Mark Gongloff.
Shelter in place orders have been issued in some states and cities, including New York City. Author and activist Naomi Klein on Monday drew a connection between the language of both the national pandemic lockdown and the school shooting drills children around the country take part in.
"So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to," said Klein.
When my 7-year-old heard talk that our state was going into "lockdown" he looked stricken. I realized that was a word he had learned at school at shootings drills. I had to explain that we weren't under fire. So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to. https://t.co/5W3ojW5z10
-- Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) April 13, 2020
Despite the absence of school shootings in March, gun sales in the month were the second highest on record, leading gun control advocates to fear that there may be a spike in killings once the lockdowns end.
"When this pandemic ends and we emerge from this physical distancing reality, the guns will remain," said Guns Down America executive director Igor Volsky. "Will there be increased mass shootings, school shootings, shootings at home, at work, at concerts?"
The nationwide lockdown to stem the rise of the coronavirus has had one silver lining--March 2020 was the first March since 2002 without a school shooting.
"Depressing on mulitple levels," saidNew York Times reporter Annie Karni.
Washington Post reporter Robert Klemko made the observation Monday morning on Twitter.
"Heartbreaking statistic," tweeted the Wall Street Journal's Robbie Whelan in reply.
\u201cHeartbreaking statistic\u201d— Robbie Whelan (@Robbie Whelan) 1586792983
Schools around the country were ordered or recommended closed in mid-March to attempt to stem the spread of the disease, which has already infected a reported 576,695 Americans so far and killed 23,068.
"All it took was a pandemic and closing all the schools," tweetedBloomberg editor Mark Gongloff.
Shelter in place orders have been issued in some states and cities, including New York City. Author and activist Naomi Klein on Monday drew a connection between the language of both the national pandemic lockdown and the school shooting drills children around the country take part in.
"So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to," said Klein.
When my 7-year-old heard talk that our state was going into "lockdown" he looked stricken. I realized that was a word he had learned at school at shootings drills. I had to explain that we weren't under fire. So many abnormal normals these kids are expected to adapt to. https://t.co/5W3ojW5z10
-- Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) April 13, 2020
Despite the absence of school shootings in March, gun sales in the month were the second highest on record, leading gun control advocates to fear that there may be a spike in killings once the lockdowns end.
"When this pandemic ends and we emerge from this physical distancing reality, the guns will remain," said Guns Down America executive director Igor Volsky. "Will there be increased mass shootings, school shootings, shootings at home, at work, at concerts?"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.