5/25/22 – A Note to Readers: This was a draft of a blog post I wrote back in March 2018 after hearing the news about the Parkland school shooting. I just found it tonight as I was dusting off the blog after several years. It made my stomach flip. I am composing a new post as well. Stay tuned.
School Shootings in America. Seriously. How is this even a thing?
I have been silent on this matter up until now. It’s so easy to remain silent. To look the other way. To pretend that because it didn’t happen to me, it couldn’t happen to me. But not anymore. There have been countless articles, stories, and videos posted on FaceBook over the past few weeks that I easily could have shared. But I didn’t. Partly in fear, but mostly because I wanted to listen, watch, observe, and actually hear what all the sides are saying, or at least trying to say. This has been no easy feat. Especially since my emotions tend to speak louder than my logic most days. Here’s the thing…the moment I heard about the school shooting in Parkland, another school shooting in America, I was infuriated. Maybe you don’t know this, but I am a teacher. I am married to a teacher. I am a mama to school-aged children (3 to be exact). My entire life flashes before my eyes when I hear “school shooting”. I am not stupid. Parkland is any school, any community. It’s all of us. So, yes, I picture my husband’s name scrolling across the screen on national television. Yes, #enoughisenough This is most definitely about guns. This most definitely is about lack of mental health resources/education/support. This is most definitely about a trauma-filled society that doesn’t acknowledge the mess and chaos that many citizens live within daily. This is most definitely about greed and power and money.
