The Depressing Reason This Seemingly Innocuous Photo of a 3-Year-Old Is Going Viral

Impact

A mother's Facebook photo of her 3-year-old daughter is going viral because, though it may seem adorable and innocent at first glance, it ends up serving as a painful reminder that our government's inaction on gun control has consequences on our way of life — even for our most innocent.

Stacey Wehrman Feeley took a photo of her daughter standing on their toilet to send to her husband to show him how "mischievous" their 3-year-old was being. Feeley said her heart dropped when she realized the preschooler was practicing lockdown protocol for what to do if you're trapped in the school bathroom.

"At that moment all innocence of what I thought my 3-year-old possessed was gone," wrote Feeley in her post

Feeley urged politicians to think about children like her daughter when making decisions for the country. "They are barely three and they will hide in bathroom stalls standing on top of toilet seats," wrote Feeley. "I do not know what will be harder for them? Trying to remain quiet for an extended amount of time or trying to keep their balance without letting a foot slip below the stall door?"

Though she acknowledged that gun control will never be 100% effective in preventing crime and gun deaths, Americans will never know how helpful these measures will be until we try. And, echoing others' criticism of the futility of "thoughts and prayers," Feeley called for change in no uncertain terms.

"Banning together, signing petitions, rallying to get your voice heard is good, but is it actually doing anything or just making us feel better about the current situation?" wondered Feeley. "We need action."

The photo comes as a sobering reminder that the stakes are higher than ever. Following last week's mass shooting in Orlando and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy's 15-hour filibuster calling for action on gun control, on Monday, the United States Senate voted down four pieces of legislation regulating background checks and gun sales.

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