There are some words that aren’t just read—they cut deep.
And there are some words that take on new meaning with every child’s death.
Just like these lines by Aziz Nesin:
“If only I could die that way”
If only I could die like that, kids
”May you never have to face death"
But it's not working.
None of us took responsibility for that death.
None of us really carried that burden.
A child who entered the gate of a school in Şanlıurfa,
He finds fear, not a lesson.
A classroom in Kahramanmaraş,
It’s no longer just a place where education is provided—
a place of loss, a place of belated conscience.
And we’re still saying “we’re sorry.”.
What does being sad change?
Which child is he bringing back?
Which unfinished notebook is he finishing?
A child dies while working—
because “he has to.”.
A child is dying in the hospital—
because of “negligence”.
A child is dying at school—
because “there are no precautions.”.
And then everyone says the same thing:
“It’s so painful.”
“Our condolences.”
Is it enough?
It is not enough.
Because this is no longer just pain,
This is a clear cause for anger.
This is a darkness that is clearly looming.
Imagine a country:
Children are dying while working,
or in a place that needs to be protected,
or in the hands of those believed to protect it.
And yet we are still able to remain silent.
Perhaps the real problem isn’t death—
The real problem is that these deaths have become routine.
One more piece of news,
one more name,
Another life that’s talked about for a few days and then forgotten…
No, no, no.
This is not something to be forgotten.
The death of a child cannot be “news.”.
The death of a child cannot be “fate.”.
The death of a child can never be “something one gets used to.”.
Those words by Aziz Nesin
It’s not like a wish anymore—
It stands before us like a source of shame.
Because death still looms over children.
And then some.
That’s why this piece isn’t just an elegy.
This is an objection.
This is a rejection.
Because if there’s still a shred of humanity left in us,
We have to say this:
If one more child goes missing
This isn't just a loss,
It is a crime that has been laid at all of our feet.
And none of us
We are not entirely innocent of that crime.