Stacy Wehrnam Feeley was surprised when she saw her three-year-old standing on top of a toilet seat. She thought the little girl was up to some mischief and found it funny. But when the little girl told her that she was doing it as practice for a lockdown drill at her preschool, “and what you should do if you are stuck in a bathroom” it broke her heart.
Feeley shared a picture of her daughter practising the lockdown drill along with a Facebook post. The photograph quickly went viral on social media.
In the moving post, Feeley beseeches politicians to take a look. She asks them if this is the future they want for their children, and reminds them that the children will grow up in a world based on their decisions.
They are barely three and they will hide in bathroom stalls, standing on top of toilet seats. I do not know what will be harder for them? Trying to remain quiet for an extended amount of time or trying to keep their balance without letting a foot slip below the stall door?
Feeley talks about gun control and asks politicians to at least give it a try:
No one thinks gun control will be 100% crime control. But maybe, just maybe, it helps 1% or 2% or 50%? Who knows unless we try?
She asks them why there are no universal background checks, no universal database and why high-capacity magazines are permitted to be sold to anyone other than the military.
She goes on to ask politicians, entrepreneurs, innovators, if she can be of any help.
Politicians, I ask you... how can I help?... Entrepreneurs, innovators, are you there? Can I help? Can I help you make a difference? I want to offer support. I cannot give you techie advice, expertise in healthcare, or financial backing, BUT maybe I can point you in the right direction?
In an interview with ABC News, Feeley said that when she asked her daughter what she was doing, the child replied:
Lockdown. You have to be really quiet.
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