Texas Senate Bill 2158 is a law that allows the Texas government to distribute DNA and fingerprint test kits in order to help identify and locate missing children. However, after the massacre that took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas government’s distribution of DNA test kits is highly insensitive and a complete abandonment of the true problem plaguing our children and the responsibility to protect the people.
At least one mother’s group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, sees the DNA kits as a means to identify not missing children, but victims of school shootings. Shannon Watts, founder of the group, tweeted about Gov. Abbott:
“Texas Gov Greg Abbott is choosing to send DNA kits to schools that parents can use to identify their children’s bodies AFTER they’ve been murdered rather than pass gun safety laws to proactively protect their lives.”
We agree.
Parents should not have to rely on DNA and fingerprint test kits when their kids are at school but instead should have the reassurance that their kids are safe. Our public school system has become a dangerous and anxious environment with the lives of children being at risk each day. Our government is focusing on hardening the security of campuses but not acknowledging the real problem: the easy access to guns.
Along with Arizona and Arkansas, Texas is one of the states that has the least amount of gun regulations. With a zero-day waiting period and no universal background check required, obtaining firearms is excessively easy for anyone over the age of 18. After the school shooting that took place in Uvalde, many eyes began to look towards our government for not only answers, but prevention.
It is inexcusable for our government to have to rely on DNA test kits, rather than acting against guns to prevent gun violence and school shootings. Vote like your kids’ lives depend on it on election day, Nov. 8, because that is the only way we can protect them in school.
