Where do we go from here?
And how do we explain to them the world they have inherited means their teachers also have to learn how to protect them from shooters in their classroom...that when we kiss goodbye in the carpool line, it might be the last time we see each other...that she + her best friends are not safe in the place they go to learn + grow together.
The only direction we can move is forward, where thoughts + prayers can’t take the place of the hard reality that our children need not worry about the latest fashion trends, rather whether or not to wear a bullet proof vest to school tomorrow.
In the United States, we lose one person every 15 minutes to gun violence. Since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, there have been 438 people shot in 239 school shootings... do the math + feel what it feels like to be a parent in 2018.
Friends, it begins with you + me...in our communities, in our homes, in the mirror. It begins with the choices we make about supporting + glorifying violence. It originates in the way we talk to ourselves and our children. It’s born in the way we talk about others...it begins with you + me.
Every single one of those shooters was some one’s child, neighbor, family member, classmate.
The way we treat each other matters.
Yes, gun laws have got to change, but what about creating a culture + a society of people that don’t have buying assault weapons + planning mass shootings as the solution to their suffering?
We have to make a change and it begins with us...our judgments against one another + our desire to look away from what is too painful to feel.
Our children need us to step up now more than ever. ♥️
Call your representatives 844-241-1141. Ask your kids about their classmates and who needs help. Be involved in their world + what’s happening on their devices. Stop buying (and playing) violent video games. Get help for your own pain + suffering so you are better equipped to help others get help with theirs.
Start here...and share this message if you’re having a hard time finding the words tonight.