Here we are again, America.

At the crossroads of good and evil, we have to once again take a good hard look at what we are and where we stand.

On Wednesday, a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, entered the school and began firing indiscriminately. By the time he was done, 17 people were dead.

Along with the rifle, he was equipped with a gas mask and smoke grenades indicating he had a plan. The 19-year-old suspect was apprehended and has since been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

We don’t know why he did it, but what we do know is that several families are without their loved ones after they suddenly and violently had their lives stolen from them.

Almost immediately, “thoughts and prayers” were issued by people from around the nation, the politicians among them.

But now it’s time to ask the tough question: Where have thoughts and prayers gotten us?

Of course America stands with the victims of this horrific attack, but now it’s time, as a collective people, to stand up and recognize that thoughts and prayers will not get the job done.

There is a serious gun problem in America. This is fact. We are only halfway into February and already we are left wondering why. Again.

AGAIN.

Let that sink in. Over and over we use the word “again,” because of how regularly this is happening without any lasting remedy being applied to the sickness. How many times do we have to hear from our government leaders, “Now is not the time to talk about this.”

So, when is the time?

Frankly, it’s disgusting and shameful that we’ve let it get to this point; that we are forced to watch the scenes of horrified parents searching for their children AGAIN, who are left stunned, afraid and traumatized.

And yet, we run the risk of falling into the same routine, the same pattern of neglect in the face of things that are spiraling out of control. We’ll watch those images play across the TV. We will be horrified, but then in a week we will continue on with our lives as the Second Amendment is AGAIN used as a rallying cry to keep guns in the hands of the public.

AGAIN, we will hear that guns don’t kill people, only people kill people. And yet those guns continue getting in the hands of children killing children as we watch images of parents crying and holding each other as they await word on the fate of their children.

Why? Why did we as a country suddenly put the gun before a child? When did we become so desensitized to students escorted through the guard of police in SWAT gear — their hands in the air?

We could lay out the other end of this. That all amendments should be protected for they define our country, but somebody needs to come up with a convincing reason why people outside the military and police need weapons like AR-15s.

There will come a reckoning in this country, as more of our children are gunned down. That reckoning will come upon the heads of those that can make real and lasting change, yet do nothing about it, hiding behind those hauntingly familiar words, “Now is not the time to talk about this.”

Our government. Congress. The President of the United States of America.

All of these people can work to fix this. It is not only possible, it is their obligation to begin to find some sort of solution to a situation that has become far too common.

And then there is us. We now own this problem. It is becoming the face of what it means to live in the U.S.  We have a responsibility, too. The distance between where we live and where we vote isn’t far. If you don’t agree with our legislators on the issues related to school violence, you have the power to make a change at election time.

Many of you will become angry after reading these words So, in case you need grounding, we invite you to go back and watch the videos streaming out of Florida.

Take a good hard look at the faces of those children, those teens who are coping with the onslaught that took their classmates, friends and teachers — AGAIN.

Then ask yourself whether or not you want to continue standing at this crosswords AGAIN.

Or maybe — just maybe — you want to be part of the growing voice that says: No more.

Minnesota Congressional delegation

Rep. Tim Walz – walzforms.house.gov/contact/

Rep. Jason Lewis – jasonlewis.house.gov/contact/

Rep. Erik Paulsen – paulsen.house.gov/contact-me/

Rep. Betty McCollum – mccollum.house.gov/contact

Rep. Keith Ellison – ellison.house.gov/contact

Rep. Tom Emmer – emmer.house.gov/contact/email

Rep. Collin C. Peterson – collinpeterson.house.gov/contact-me

Rep. Rick Nolan – nolan.house.gov/contact

Sen. Tina Smith – 1-202-224-5641

Sen. Amy Klobuchar – www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-amy