David Perdue: “Nelson Mandela once said: ``Education is the best weapon with which to change the world.'' Today, this morning, 51…”

“Nelson Mandela once said: ``Education is the best weapon with which to change the world.'' Today, this morning, 51 million students woke up and went to a public school in the United States. Each student carried a spark with which to light up the world in their futures. Unfortunately, today, given the realities that we have seen over the last few years, some of these students are at risk. Last week was designated as America's Safe Schools Week. It was meant as a time to reflect on the steps we are taking to protect our children every day. Upon reflection, however, one thing has become very clear: In many cases, considering the current realities, our public schools have not been designed physically to deal with the student safety issue. The consequences of this are heartbreaking. We have heard this story too many times: Parkland, FL, 17 lives; Newtown, CT, 27 lives; Columbine, CO, 13 lives. These were some of the darkest days in our country's history. None of us will ever forget the terror, the tears, and the devastation that these and other communities have felt. For the parents and the relatives of those affected, it is a nightmare from which many will never wake up. This can't be allowed to continue. There is an implicit agreement that when we drop our children off at a school, we know they are going to be kept safe. In many cases today, we are not fulfilling that agreement. There are a lot of steps we must take in order to face this crisis.…”