It’s been four days since our country first got news of the deadly Santa Fe High School shooting, an incredibly tragic event that claimed the lives of ten people, including eight minors, and injured thirteen others.

The shooting came just three months after the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, a massacre which inspired passionate calls for reform the world over.

Now, whatever your personal political beliefs may be, there’s no denying that these fatal shootings are a serious problem in the United States. According to Scientific American, 66% of the world’s mass shootings in the developed world take place in our country. As time goes on, it’s becoming more and more clear that these massacres aren’t just isolated incidents— they are part of a trend that has become “the new normal” for today’s young people.

After the Parkland, Florida shooting in February of this year, many folks, especially those with prominent roles in the media, began using their influence to take a stand against these horrific mass shootings. These high-profile celebrities and politicians joined the teenaged survivors on public platforms to make emblazoned calls for change.

Though American politics has remained as tempestuous as ever, it at least felt like a collective stand was being taken, which is why this latest tragedy in Texas is all the more heartbreaking for both the ones who call Santa Fe home and the rest of the concerned citizens in our country.

How Kelly Clarkson used her celebrity to condemn school violence

Singing superstar Kelly Clarkson is no stranger to controversy, especially when it comes to sharing her child-rearing techniques, so it came as no surprise to us that the star shined a light on the Santa Fe High School shooting in her opening monologue at this weekend’s Billboard Music Awards.

The singer, who just so happened to be the host of the star-studded event, tearfully addressed the crowd during the first moments of the show. Clarkson explained that the show’s producers wanted her to open with a moment of silence for the fallen students and teachers of Santa Fe High, but she didn’t feel that it was the right tactic.

“I’m so sick of ‘moment of silence’,” Clarkson announced, exasperated. “It’s not working. Why do we not do a moment of silence? Why don’t we do a moment of action?”

The Texas native did a fantastic job of giving viewers a raw TV moment that emphasized the palpable frustration that we have all been feeling since hearing the news. As we mentioned, no matter what your personal beliefs may be on gun control, there’s no question that a cultural shift must happen so that we can help prevent similar tragedies from occurring at our nation’s schools!

To see Kelly Clarkson deliver this powerful moment at the Billboard Music Awards, be sure to watch the video below. Powerful stuff!

Let’s start some productive–and respectful!–conversation here, people! What are your thoughts on Clarkson’s call for action? Do you think celebrities should have a role in influencing the public politically? What do we need to do as a society to stop these shootings from occurring?