There are 63 days until the November 3 election. Sixty-three days. And I keep thinking about what we are supposed to be doing with those 63 days.

In less than a month of school being in session, students across our region have already had to confront things no child should have to consider when they walk through a schoolhouse door. Yesterday, students at Albemarle High School and Millingport Elementary School were evacuated following bomb threats. Two weeks ago, Albemarle High School students were placed under a secure hold for a full day, after threats involving violent acts at the school. And in neighboring Montgomery County, Montgomery Central High School has been dealing with its own safety concerns.

We are barely a month into the school year. Think about that for a moment. Our children should be worrying about homework, football games, school dances, making friends and whether they remembered to bring their lunch. Parents should be worrying about whether their kids finished their projects or got enough sleep. Instead, we are wondering whether the school is safe. Whether the threat is real. Whether our children will come home.

This is happening while our national political conversation is consumed by manufactured outrage, symbolic battles and distractions. We are arguing about the names of lakes. We are obsessing over the ridiculousness of a reflecting pool. We are watching politicians spend their time and political capital on things that have absolutely nothing to do with the fears families are facing every single day.

Meanwhile, the right continues to tell us that its priority is “protecting life.” They want to control women’s bodies and reproductive decisions in the name of saving babies. But where is that urgency when those babies become children? Where is the same determination to protect them when they are sitting in a classroom and a bomb threat forces them out of the building? Where is the outrage when parents get a notification that their child’s school has been evacuated? Where is the political will to make sure children can learn without wondering whether someone is going to hurt them?

If we are going to talk about protecting life, then let’s talk about all of it. Let’s talk about children who are afraid to go to school. Let’s talk about parents who hold their breath every time their phone rings during the school day. Let’s talk about teachers and school employees who are being asked to respond to threats while trying to educate our children. Let’s talk about communities that are being forced to confront the possibility of violence before we’ve even made it through the first month of the school year. And let’s talk about what our elected leaders are actually doing about it.

Because 63 days from now, we get to make a choice. Not just about Democrats or Republicans. Not just about personalities or party labels. We get to decide what we expect from the people who want our votes. Do we want leaders who spend their time fighting over symbolic distractions while our communities face real problems? Or do we want leaders who understand that protecting our children means more than using the phrase “pro-life” in a campaign speech?

We have 63 days.

63 days to pay attention.

63 days to ask questions.

63 days to look beyond the noise and decide who is actually willing to do the work.

And in 11 days, we will mark the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. A day when an entire generation learned, in the most devastating way possible, that the feeling of safety we take for granted can disappear in an instant. Twenty-five years later, our children shouldn’t have to learn the same lesson sitting in their classrooms. They deserve better. Our teachers deserve better. Our parents deserve better. And frankly, our communities deserve better than political theater while the people we love are left to deal with the consequences.

63 days. Let’s make every one of them count.

Consider Gary Weart, who has dedicated his adult life to the safety and education of our kids. Look to Jocelyn Torres, who works in the schools and deals with these fears on a daily basis. These two leaders have made it their business to care for our kids and their safety every day. Can our current elected officials say the same?

What about the two who have been in Raleigh? What have they done to ensure that our public schools have the resources they need to function at the highest level? What have they done to support public education as more and more state funding is directed toward private school vouchers? These are questions worth asking.

Gary and Jocelyn have spent their careers working directly with our children and our schools. They understand the challenges our communities are facing because they encounter them every day. And whether we are talking about school safety, public education, resources, or the future of our children, those are the issues that deserve our attention over the next 63 days. It is not simply about whether someone has a “D” or an “R” beside their name. It is about what they have done, what they are doing now, and what they intend to do when they have the opportunity to serve. Because our children deserve leaders who will show up for them every single day. And with 63 days left, it is our job to make sure every voter is paying attention.