Op-Ed: As A People We Must Stop The Carnage

Ed Day is Rockland County Executive.

I am beyond sickened to hear of another senseless shooting this time at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Schools are meant to be a safe haven for our children but instead this twisted individual, on the last day of class, unleashed a horrific attack inside this elementary school killing 14 innocent children and a teacher.

On behalf of the people of Rockland, I offer my sincerest condolences to the friends and family of the victims, the State of Texas, and our nation, seemingly plagued by an uptick in violence.

There is no greater tragedy than seeing young and promising lives taken from us so abruptly. These deaths are a loss to our entire country, and I ask that we all keep these families in our thoughts and prayers.

As a father and grandfather who can feel the pain of these families all I can offer is that we as a nation must do better and as a people we must find solutions to ensure the carnage of innocents stops now.

Our federal elected officials are failing us in so many ways and I say this as a County Executive, a parent, youth coach, and former NYPD Police commander; our federal electeds must find common ground on a comprehensive plan to immediately address this crisis rather than attempt to score cheap political points during an election year.

The lives of our young people ... our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighbors ... are at stake.

We must recognize the urgency because these violent tirades are on the rise and will continue to grow unabated if we, as a nation, do nothing.