You are not rambling. You are saying everything on so many of our minds. Thank you for sharing this. I wish I had more comforting words for you - except to say that so many people are working So hard to make things better ❤️
100% agree it’s the guns. I sent my youngest off to college this year. I have to admit I breathed a little easier, because while there have been shootings at colleges, it seems like more at high schools. But at the same time I’m entering school again, for the first time in years, as a teacher. Now my worry isn’t so much for my own children, but for myself and the students in my classroom. Will I be asked to close and lock the door, turn out the lights, rush my students into a corner and hope we are safe?
I don’t understand why our country is okay with this. It doesn’t happen elsewhere because elsewhere doesn’t allow guns like the United States does. I just can’t wrap my head around why we allow this.
I'm a parent who had to make that run. I was lucky it wasn't worse. Isn't that a statement? Hearing about Georgia stopped me in my tracks and brought back all the feelings. I spoke to my son who is a Junior this year, and a sensitive kid. He said he and his friends are numb to it. It is not how it is supposed to be. Thank you for this post, I feel less alone.
I just went to the grocery store and when I came home my husband had the TV on...as soon as I looked at the screen without reading the headline I knew it was a school shooting AGAIN! How is it our children grew up in this chaos and now our grandchildren are experiencing it...Can we get RID of the F-ing GUNS PLEASE! Kids should not be afraid to die just going to school!!
My husband got back from two weeks away last night, very late. Today he took a rare day off and when I announced some errands I was going to go run, he offered to come with and take me to lunch. We heard about Apalachee about 20 minutes after we left the house.
Apalachee is about 40 minutes from here.
Apalachee is the school my kids’ beloved, life-changing band teacher moved on to after my kids’ school.
And so I spent the entirety of this rare “date” time with my husband glued to my phone, reaching out to anyone and everyone who I thought might know if our friend was safe. And of course no one knew anything, and the rumors were flying, and meanwhile all I could think was “I have to make sure he’s okay before I let the kids know what’s happened.” (One kid is now out of state, and it was early enough that the news wasn’t yet national. The other kid was at work and unlikely to hear.)
After what felt like the longest hour of my life, we found out that our loved one was alive and uninjured. (I started to type “unharmed” but that can’t possibly be true, right?) And then I exhaled and texted the kids. But I’m still heartbroken and furious and SO DAMN TIRED of our governor and GOP legislators insisting it’s not the guns. IT’S THE GODDAMN GUNS, Y’ALL.
The shooter in custody is 14 years old. Maybe—hear me out—just MAYBE we should have a country where angry children can’t simply grab a weapon of mass destruction and pretend their school is Call of Duty. Maybe the rep for the district where this happened should stop bragging that he’ll never vote in favor of red flag laws. Maybe the party of “all life is sacred” should actually act like they believe it.
❤️💔 I’m so sorry that this was literally so close to home. We are all just 1 or 2° away from someone who has been impacted at this point. It’s an epidemic. It’s unconscionable.
I’m glad to hear the teacher you love was safe. I will keep him in my thoughts.
I'm so sorry you all have to live like this in the States. I have so many anxieties about my kids at school every day, but I don't worry that a classmate will shoot them. That shouldn't be a worry for any parent, anywhere.
You are not rambling. You are saying everything on so many of our minds. Thank you for sharing this. I wish I had more comforting words for you - except to say that so many people are working So hard to make things better ❤️
It's. The. Fucking. Guns.
100% agree it’s the guns. I sent my youngest off to college this year. I have to admit I breathed a little easier, because while there have been shootings at colleges, it seems like more at high schools. But at the same time I’m entering school again, for the first time in years, as a teacher. Now my worry isn’t so much for my own children, but for myself and the students in my classroom. Will I be asked to close and lock the door, turn out the lights, rush my students into a corner and hope we are safe?
I don’t understand why our country is okay with this. It doesn’t happen elsewhere because elsewhere doesn’t allow guns like the United States does. I just can’t wrap my head around why we allow this.
Enough with saying it is not guns , It is Guns and the gop
I'm a parent who had to make that run. I was lucky it wasn't worse. Isn't that a statement? Hearing about Georgia stopped me in my tracks and brought back all the feelings. I spoke to my son who is a Junior this year, and a sensitive kid. He said he and his friends are numb to it. It is not how it is supposed to be. Thank you for this post, I feel less alone.
Oh Heather. I’m sorry 💔
Once again you’ve shown me my deepest fears and thoughts and hopes through your words. I pray for the day this nightmare will be over
I just went to the grocery store and when I came home my husband had the TV on...as soon as I looked at the screen without reading the headline I knew it was a school shooting AGAIN! How is it our children grew up in this chaos and now our grandchildren are experiencing it...Can we get RID of the F-ing GUNS PLEASE! Kids should not be afraid to die just going to school!!
Yours is a very legitimate concern! As a retired school principal, I share your thoughts! Believe me!
My husband got back from two weeks away last night, very late. Today he took a rare day off and when I announced some errands I was going to go run, he offered to come with and take me to lunch. We heard about Apalachee about 20 minutes after we left the house.
Apalachee is about 40 minutes from here.
Apalachee is the school my kids’ beloved, life-changing band teacher moved on to after my kids’ school.
And so I spent the entirety of this rare “date” time with my husband glued to my phone, reaching out to anyone and everyone who I thought might know if our friend was safe. And of course no one knew anything, and the rumors were flying, and meanwhile all I could think was “I have to make sure he’s okay before I let the kids know what’s happened.” (One kid is now out of state, and it was early enough that the news wasn’t yet national. The other kid was at work and unlikely to hear.)
After what felt like the longest hour of my life, we found out that our loved one was alive and uninjured. (I started to type “unharmed” but that can’t possibly be true, right?) And then I exhaled and texted the kids. But I’m still heartbroken and furious and SO DAMN TIRED of our governor and GOP legislators insisting it’s not the guns. IT’S THE GODDAMN GUNS, Y’ALL.
The shooter in custody is 14 years old. Maybe—hear me out—just MAYBE we should have a country where angry children can’t simply grab a weapon of mass destruction and pretend their school is Call of Duty. Maybe the rep for the district where this happened should stop bragging that he’ll never vote in favor of red flag laws. Maybe the party of “all life is sacred” should actually act like they believe it.
❤️💔 I’m so sorry that this was literally so close to home. We are all just 1 or 2° away from someone who has been impacted at this point. It’s an epidemic. It’s unconscionable.
I’m glad to hear the teacher you love was safe. I will keep him in my thoughts.
Liz, unconscionable is very much the correct description!
When will we ever awaken to this reality?
When will it stop ! Thank you for your newsletters and your eloquent writing .
I'm so sorry you all have to live like this in the States. I have so many anxieties about my kids at school every day, but I don't worry that a classmate will shoot them. That shouldn't be a worry for any parent, anywhere.