Making Kids Safe

By Katie Kirkpatrick (originally published as a Letter to the Editor in the Greensboro News and Record)

Picture courtesy of Public Health Agency website

On April 20th, Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly introduced a bill that would ban drag shows in public places, and they have do so in the name of “keeping children safe.”

To date, ZERO children have been harmed or killed by drag queens. However, in 2022 alone, more than 6,000 children and youth were killed or injured by guns, and Republicans refuse to make changes to existing gun laws that would make kids safer.

If Republicans truly cared about the safety and the well-being of people, ages birth-18, they would ensure that:

·         All people able to bear children have access to reproductive health care.

·         There are no food deserts.

·         There is enough affordable public housing for families.

·         Public schools are fully funded.

·         Every family has access to quality universal Pre-K programs.

·         There is quality, affordable child care for every family.

·         Schools are physically, emotionally and mentally safe for all students, including members of the LGBTQ+ community.

·         Every person has affordable health care.

·         Every working adult earns a living wage.

These are the things that truly make children and youth safe, not banning drag shows. Pardon me, Republicans, but you hypocrisy is showing.