To the Editor:

I watched the new PSA released by Sandy Hook Promise in shock and disbelief. What in the world were they thinking? And I wondered, am I the only one feeling outraged?

I received an e-mail from the Superintendent on September 17 warning of sweatshirts that are being sold with the names of schools that have faced gun violence on them and are purposely designed to look distressed, resembling bullet holes. There was immediate outrage and commentary from adults and teens alike. However, the following day the PSA was released and there were no e-mails about it before or since the airing of it, and I wonder why? Where is the outrage?

I have supported this organization in the past, and I appreciate the efforts of any organization that is working to keep our kids safe. When I saw the PSA aired on the news at noon on September 18, I couldn’t believe what I was watching. My teenager had seen it before she got home from school that day and it was already making the rounds on Instagram, several news outlets, and later on the evening national news.

The point of the PSA is to teach students to “know the signs” to help prevent school shootings. However, that is not what I saw. I saw children running for their lives, screaming, breaking windows and jumping out, holding scissors and colored pencils to defend themselves, bleeding, and texting their mom as a shooter approached. The video is disturbing, and how does it help kids know the signs? It doesn’t! There is no teaching moment or example of what kids should do, and in fact, I think it does the opposite of what was intended. It gives kids ideas of how to defend themselves amidst the terror of a school shooting.

My biggest concern is for the children of this community and everywhere. I worry that the vivid scenes depicted in the PSA may trigger and re-traumatize children who have experienced gun violence and scare all children. I would do anything to keep my kids safe and I know that the PSA was made with good intentions, but I know there are other ways to disseminate the message. I think we need to be sensitive to the impact that these disturbing images and sounds can have on all of us. One thing I have learned since 12/14 is that we cannot underestimate the impact of that trauma on the children of Newtown. I urge Sandy Hook Promise to stop airing this PSA.

Respectfully,

Julie Dunn

7 Far Horizon Lane, Sandy Hook September 25, 2019