To Parents and others who care about kids' lives: enough is enough.  Let's show that we won't accept inaction this time.  If our government is unable to deal with the worsening gun violence problem over the next 4 weeks, let's show them that we don't feel our schools our safe, and keep our kids home for one day on March 14th, 2018.  

I've never done a petition - it's not my thing. But after 29 shootings in less then 2 months so far this year, it just seems impossible to do nothing.  I know that most people in the US feel the same, regardless of whether you've been personally touched by these and prior tragedies or you are just watching the news in horror.  

So, here is an idea.  Let's give our federal government, represented by the president and the leaders in congress 4 weeks to come up with and enact into law a sensible proposal to combat gun violence, and particularly school shootings in this country.  

If they do not, let's all collectively call in sick to work and keep our kids at home for a day.  If nothing happens over these four weeks, I will be calling in sick because:  
 - I am sick of being scared for my kids lives while they are at school
 - I am sick of feeling ashamed that the most powerful country in the world can't protect its own kids
 - I am sick of our government collectively acting against the interests and well being of its citizens, on this issue

So, if the majority of us take part in this action, our elected leaders will be forced to pay attention - the economic impact of a one day national shutdown will be too much of a cost.   And if they don't, we'll do it again and again.  Let's show that we are serious about this, once and for all!  

Below is a starting point, a solution for gun control that won’t infringe on 1st amendment rights ... Curtesy of a friend on FB who quoted Andrew Siegel.

“For starters. We need to register all firearms in this country. Every weapon needs to have its ballistic fingerprint on file with the current owner's name and address. Said owner will pay the expense of this registration. On the roll out The Federal Government will run a buy back program lasting one year. Everyone has one year to either register their guns or sell them. After that anyone who's gun is used in a crime will face felony charges for mismanagement of a firearm. People need to take responsibility for their weapons and no one should have the right to horde a secret armory.

Firearms should be licensed according to their function. Which as far as I can tell breaks down into four categories: Sport, Self Defense, Security, and Recreation.

Hunting rifles are sports weapons, so you should have to get a sporting license to own one, take classes and pass a basic safety test. Buy a proper gun-safe, ect. Pistols with an ammunition capacity of less than 10 rounds are Self Defense weapons. A slightly more rigorous qualification process but in the end a lady or gentlemen would be entitled to carry such a weapon concealed on their person so long as the proper paperwork is on hand. Security being an even more rigorous process but entitling people who display their licenses on their person like a badge can openly carry weapons with high magazine capacity. When it comes to recreation what matters is that the weapons are confined to a licensed facility and that the firearms are under the supervision of trained and licensed professionals. If people wish to own a weapon that they are not licensed for, they can keep them stored in one of these recreational facilities and practice with them for the unlikely (invasion, authoritarian seizure, etc). Should the unlikely happen people will know exactly where they can find the arms The Constitution guarantees them the right to bare and will have had plenty of opportunity to train with. 
For the sake of Federalism, states will have the authority to distribute licenses as well as The Federal Government. Each state can decide for itself what sort of requirements they wish to put for owning a fire arm in their state, as well as which states to accept comity with, but all 50 states and territories will have to recognize a federal license.”

Petition Text: To our Elected Representatives in Congress and to the President: In light of the continually increasing death toll in American schools and other public places due to gun violence, we ask that you urgently take radical steps to implement a gun control plan.  This plan must include gun registration mandated and managed at the federal level, a gun buyback program and other safeguards to discourage guns from falling into the hands of criminals and mentally unstable individuals.