On Oct. 15, 2026, Silver Rail Elementary in Oregon became the latest site of a mass school shooting. Though by the time this is published, it’s entirely possible another school will take the title of “latest,” bumping Silver Rail to the title of “recent,” then to “past,” then to the dumpster that houses this country’s collective memory.

Statistically, school shootings in the U.S. are a rare occurrence (though compared to other countries, we’re No. 1). Most U.S. students will never be in a school while people are being shot at and killed, let alone be shot and left to bleed to death in a hallway or under a desk.

But some will. And as a country we’ve chosen to accept this even though it should be completely unacceptable. We chalk it up to the cost of freedom to bear arms. As a country we’ve chosen, over and over, to protect guns over kids.