Parkland father blasts government for sending $40B to Ukraine but failing to keep students safe

The father of a teenage victim of the Parkland, Florida high school shooting on Wednesday said the Uvalde, Texas school shooting was “avoidable,” blasting the Biden administration for sending aid abroad while neglecting to protect the nation’s students.  

Ever since Andrew Pollack’s 18-year-old daughter, Meadow, was killed in the 2018 shooting, Pollack has been a vocal advocate for gun reform and school security – working to empower parents to push for improved safety measures at their local schools.

In an interview with Fox & Friends, Pollack slammed the federal government for failing to keep students safe while in the classroom.

"There's no reason why we could give 40 billion away to Ukraine, and we can't protect our children in this country," he said, adding that parents should take steps to get involved in their children’s schools.

"They need to go to their local school districts, get involved, see who's on their school boards, and see if they're taking school safety seriously, he told host Ainsley Earhardt.

"Get involved with your communities, get involved with your local school board, and stay busy. Stay with your family. You've got to stay strong for the rest of your family, your kids. And that's all I can tell them. I'm not going to be able to say to them what's going to make them feel better, because there's nothing I can do to make them feel better,” he added. 

The grieving father said that he still struggles with his daughter’s death, but finds comfort in talking to other parents and working to make a change.  

"I get a wave of emotion every time I think of my princess Meadow, it just comes over you. And it's very overwhelming constantly to feel it. But I do things like now. I try and talk to parents and tell them to get involved and try and make a difference," he said.

Pollack, however, does not believe there is any reason for schools to be unsafe in 2022, adding that all schools should have a resource officer, a single point of entry, perimeter fencing and trained teachers.

"There's no reason in 2022 to send your child to a school that doesn't take this school safety serious. … I pray, I hope to one day see my daughter again."