To do nothing is unacceptable

May 25, 2022

By Kaylee Peterson
Candidate for U.S. Representative

I spent last night, like many of us in Idaho and across the nation, poring over the information coming out of Uvalde, holding my children with a greater intensity than I had that morning, and reflecting on how ... how in the United States of America, we could be dealing with another horrific school shooting ... how more families, more students, more first responders and more teachers could be experiencing a pain that I cannot begin to fathom ... and how to account for our leaders’ failures.

There are no words that can make this better. This should not be our reality. 311,000 children have experienced a school shooting since Columbine and our leaders have done absolutely nothing. It is difficult to look at our representatives’ and senators’ lack of action and find any reasonable explanation.

We may not agree on how exactly to solve this problem, but apathy is unacceptable. To do nothing is unacceptable.

Idaho leaders like Russ Fulcher must be held accountable for their inability to sit at the table, reach across the aisle, and find a solution that saves the lives of our children.

In Congress, I will work tirelessly alongside organizations that have been fighting for answers, organizations that offer us peer-reviewed, data-driven solutions and legislation that helps prevent this uniquely American nightmare.

I will fight with the ferocity of a mother, the civility of a leader, and the perseverance of an Idahoan, to find actionable solutions and legislation that prevents the senseless slaughter of American school children.