TW @: Uvalde School Shooting 5/24/22

[momof2ms]

Maybe if we keep the president and vice president constantly flying around the country to go visit every mass shooting site it will finally become top of mind? Maybe because it finally happened in Texas and not all these other states who have to deal with Texas/Midwest problem spill over it will move something forward? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[breezy8407]

I'm so angry and sad all over again. It feels so helpless. My H is a teacher and all I can say is I'm sorry this is your life. So today, I will send him and my two 10 year olds to school again, never knowing when the next one will happen.

[TamiTaylor]

I could not sleep last night. I feel so helpless as a teacher and as a parent. I was 9m pregnant with my son when Sandy Hook happened and he is now the a similar age as some of these children. I am just so sad and broken that this is where we are as a nation.

[Deleted]

May 25, 2022 5:57:11 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

A friend posted that the only thing that changed since Sandy Hook is that kids are now formally trained to hide, barricade doors, fight or run for their lives. That was the solution. To literally put the responsibility on them to figure it out and wish them luck.

There are probably dozens of events leading up to a school shooting where it could be prevented — a strange comment to a friend or teacher, purchase of guns/ammo/body armor, access to the school, security of the classrooms….and their solution is to wait until the very last millisecond when bullets are already flying out of gun barrels, to protect kids by hiding under (non-bullet-proof) desks. Or by arming teachers?!? These people are fucking nuts.

[abs]

May 25, 2022 6:18:55 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am a coward. I don’t even know how to talk to my kids about this.

I am not looking for suggestions BTW. I am just paralyzed with the idea of taking just an ounce of their innocence away.

Same situation.  I couldn't tell DD last night so I'll have to tell her this morning.

I don't even know how to do it.  She knows that schools aren't necessarily safe.  She has been participating in lock down drills since Kindergarten.  I was there for the first one volunteering and crawled right under a desk with the babies.  Then I went home and sobbed because I couldn't believe this was real life.  Here we are years later and DD is in 5th grade and those drills are normal to her.  And those are still the only solution.  

That has to change.  I cannot stop thinking about those innocent kids and their teacher that died trying to protect them.  

[ssmjlm]

May 25, 2022 6:18:55 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am a coward. I don’t even know how to talk to my kids about this.

I am not looking for suggestions BTW. I am just paralyzed with the idea of taking just an ounce of their innocence away.

We did not tell our daughter yesterday.  She is in the middle of state standardized testing for the first year and has been so stressed about it, that I could not add one more thing to her plate.

So I dropped her off at before care, told her I love her, that she'll do amazing on the test today, and then cried the entire way to work realizing how close her classroom is to the front door/office and which direction a shooter may go from the front doors.


Guns should not be the leading cause of death for children.

[mbcdefg]

Politicians are literally up there saying, “Whelp, school shootings are inevitable, so the best you can do is learn CPR to try and save your friends, and maybe we can throw some more guns in there to see if that helps.” And people keep happily voting them into office. I don’t know how you reach these people.

[konapoppy]

It’s so awful. The worry sits in the back of my mind everyday. And it shouldn’t be this way.

[seeyalater52]

May 24, 2022 23:52:49 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

May 24, 2022 23:32:04 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

The world is too fucking much right now. I can’t bear it.

In case you mean it, and in case you need to hear it: Yes, this is fucking hard. But you can bear it. For your child. For your family. For yourself. For the world. It's a better place with you in it. 

Thank you, friend. I didn’t mean it like that, but being a person in this world is so incredibly exhausting right now. It is very hard and I’m sure I’m not the only person whose coping reserves have been severely depleted these past few years. How much can we be expected to absorb before something changes? We have to keep fighting and I will, but today I’m just so tired.

[lilafowler]

May 25, 2022 6:18:55 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am a coward. I don’t even know how to talk to my kids about this.

I am not looking for suggestions BTW. I am just paralyzed with the idea of taking just an ounce of their innocence away.

@@@@@@@

I was telling/talking to E about it before she went to school. The superintendent sent out an email last night about how they’ll support kids and have extra school resource officers at schools(😖). She said “they’ll talk about it for a day and then forget until another one”. I must have made a face because then she said “Didn’t this happen when you and daddy were little?”

NO

[waverly]

I haven’t said anything to the kids. They haven’t heard about it yet.

And yes our superintendent sent out the how to talk to your kids. F- that. This shouldn’t be happening. I shouldn’t have to talk to my kids because Republicans refuse to do anything about it because they are being paid by the gun lobby.

What I’ve learned is that law enforcement doesn’t do anything to prevent events. And removing guns requires a court case that law enforcement won’t/ can’t file. Warning signs don’t matter. Nothing matters.

We are on our own here. We’ve been abandoned, especially our children. No one is coming to help us.

[isabel]

I haven’t told DS1. I don’t want to scare him. He’s done with school for the year, but he’s there most days for summer care.

I feel numb this morning. I don’t understand how we continue to do this.

Some idiot posted on a friend’s status last night and I engaged. She kept saying gun control isn’t the answer. When I directly asked what we should do, she said she didn’t know. Her profile picture is her with her husband and two kids. How does a mother put guns before her children? How does a mother throw up her hands and say the only solution anyone can come up with won’t work? How does a mother decide that all of this is inevitable and nothing can be done? I cannot make my brain understand.

[rubytue]

May 25, 2022 7:18:00 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

May 24, 2022 23:52:49 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

In case you mean it, and in case you need to hear it: Yes, this is fucking hard. But you can bear it. For your child. For your family. For yourself. For the world. It's a better place with you in it. 

Thank you, friend. I didn’t mean it like that, but being a person in this world is so incredibly exhausting right now. It is very hard and I’m sure I’m not the only person whose coping reserves have been severely depleted these past few years. How much can we be expected to absorb before something changes? We have to keep fighting and I will, but today I’m just so tired.

I’m with you. I don’t even have kids, so I don’t have that all consuming fear sending them school. But, you know, I’m human and fuck this. But anyway, my point was to say I basically shut down last night. Couldn’t talk, couldn’t feel, couldn’t even scream or cry. 

My job is basically about keeping people from dying unexpectedly, and focused on children until 5 months ago. But I just sit here and stare numbly because we can’t address this. 

[formerlyak]

May 25, 2022 6:18:55 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am a coward. I don’t even know how to talk to my kids about this.

I am not looking for suggestions BTW. I am just paralyzed with the idea of taking just an ounce of their innocence away.

You are not a coward. I tried to explain it to my 8 year old and I think I did ok.I wanted him to know why there will be extra police at school this week. But then I left to go to a school board meeting. I just took a job as head of a local nonprofit that supports our school district, and it was the meeting where our board president was going to introduce me. When I got up and started talking about having kids in the district, I got tears. I had to turn and look at my board president, who happens to be a good friend from high school, to regain composure and finish my speech. It was very hard. It’s all very hard. And we can still hug our babies. Those poor parents in Texas are living the unimaginable.

[rubytue]

May 25, 2022 5:57:11 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

A friend posted that the only thing that changed since Sandy Hook is that kids are now formally trained to hide, barricade doors, fight or run for their lives. That was the solution. To literally put the responsibility on them to figure it out and wish them luck.

WTF to your friend?! This is the most fucked up of any of the victim blaming I’ve ever heard. Putting the burden on tiny children to save themselves?! 

edit - apologies for the misreading. 

[af1212]

I spoke with my two oldest (12 and 9) and it was hard and awful. But I wanted them to hear it from me and not their peers at school. Also I didn’t want them to be confused by what I assume will be stressed out teachers and increased police presence.

I couldn’t tell my 6 year old though. I just can’t do it.

[af1212]

May 25, 2022 8:09:40 GMT -5 rubytue said:

May 25, 2022 5:57:11 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

A friend posted that the only thing that changed since Sandy Hook is that kids are now formally trained to hide, barricade doors, fight or run for their lives. That was the solution. To literally put the responsibility on them to figure it out and wish them luck.

WTF to your friend?! This is the most fucked up of any of the victim blaming I’ve ever heard. Putting the burden on tiny children to save themselves?! 

I may me misunderstanding but it sounds to me like the post is pointing out the horror that given 10 years since Sandy hook we as a society have done nothing meaningful to stop this. That the only thing that has changed is that children are forced to do lockdown drills.

[wawa]

May 25, 2022 8:09:40 GMT -5 rubytue said:

May 25, 2022 5:57:11 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

A friend posted that the only thing that changed since Sandy Hook is that kids are now formally trained to hide, barricade doors, fight or run for their lives. That was the solution. To literally put the responsibility on them to figure it out and wish them luck.

WTF to your friend?! This is the most fucked up of any of the victim blaming I’ve ever heard. Putting the burden on tiny children to save themselves?! 

What? no. assuming her friend was reposting the same thing I've seen half a dozen times this morning, it was calling that fact out as a BAD THING.
That the only concrete action we've taken is training 6 year olds to hide from a shooter. It's a true statement. A fucked up true statement, not an endorsement.

[onomatopoeia]

May 25, 2022 8:09:40 GMT -5 rubytue said:

May 25, 2022 5:57:11 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

A friend posted that the only thing that changed since Sandy Hook is that kids are now formally trained to hide, barricade doors, fight or run for their lives. That was the solution. To literally put the responsibility on them to figure it out and wish them luck.

WTF to your friend?! This is the most fucked up of any of the victim blaming I’ve ever heard. Putting the burden on tiny children to save themselves?! 

I read it as the friend was pointing out that the only thing that has changed is that we (as a society) started putting the onus on kids.  Not that we should do so, but that is what has happened. Which is true.

[maudefindlay]

May 25, 2022 8:09:40 GMT -5 rubytue said:

May 25, 2022 5:57:11 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

A friend posted that the only thing that changed since Sandy Hook is that kids are now formally trained to hide, barricade doors, fight or run for their lives. That was the solution. To literally put the responsibility on them to figure it out and wish them luck.

WTF to your friend?! This is the most fucked up of any of the victim blaming I’ve ever heard. Putting the burden on tiny children to save themselves?! 

What? No, the opposite. She is saying that is the only thing we have done, just tell the kids when this happens do this and hope it goes well. She is calling out the ridiculousness that we aren't doing more.

[maudefindlay]

May 25, 2022 8:12:07 GMT -5 af1212 said:

May 25, 2022 8:09:40 GMT -5 rubytue said:

WTF to your friend?! This is the most fucked up of any of the victim blaming I’ve ever heard. Putting the burden on tiny children to save themselves?! 

I may me misunderstanding but it sounds to me like the post is pointing out the horror that given 10 years since Sandy hook we as a society have done nothing meaningful to stop this. That the only thing that has changed is that children are forced to do lockdown drills.

Yes, this.

[ECB]

And, to add, there were actually "good guys with guns" there this time, and it still didn't stop anything! 21 people are still dead. And 2 of those good guys were shot themselves.

How the FUCK do people still think more guns is the answer?? If someone wants to kill and harm, they will be able to do so - even if eventually stopped - they will be able to do so. All the "good guys" can do right now is to limit the number that die. But they can't stop the killing entirely.

Pieces of steel have become more important to these idiots than actual life. Oh, yes, except if that life is a fetus- then they'll fight to preserve life.

Hypocritical, idiotic assholes, and they are the MINORITY in this country, but yet have unfortunately gained the right kind of power.

[abs]

I told DD this morning. And I lied to her. She needed me to reassure she is safe at school and I told her her building is very secure and that she shouldn't worry. She didn't buy it but needed me to say that. She was in tears over the kids going to school and not coming back home. NO kid should have to worry about this but yet the burden is on them and not gun owners.

I resent every person that places more importance on the second amendment than they do on people's right to live.

[eddy]

4th graders just like my youngest. Fourth graders are SO EXCITED about life. Truly just filled with joy. They are old enough to start to show off their individualism. But not too old to still not love a good snuggle.

I can't even begin to absorb the tragedy that has happened just this week with mass shootings. Grocery shoppers, worshippers, children at school

[estrellita]

I haven't talked to my kids about it and I don't think I plan to unless E asks. A is 4, she won't really understand, although I think they've done drills at daycare (which, why the fuck does that need to be a thing). I know E somewhat recently did a drill. He's 7 and a pretty sensitive kid. I know if I tell him, he's going to absolutely fear going to school. He has become a huge germaphobe since the pandemic. He loves school, and I don't want to take that away from him if I can help it. I'll of course talk to him if he brings it up, but I just don't know how to explain to him that there are people in this world that will not only kill several children like him, but there are a TON of people in power that will do absolutely nothing about it.

[erbear]

Narratives we can say are categorically false:
1. This came out of nowhere (false: the gunman had posted photos of two rifles on his social media two days ago, and had texted them to friends)

2. Good guys with a gun could have saved everyone (false: three armed police officers engaged him outside the building and still he was able to get inside and kill 21 people)

3. He was mentally ill (maybe true: common sense gun control laws might have kept guns out of his hands. Also, if mental health is the issue, then stop taking money out of the organizations that are trying to combat the problem. You don't get to blame mental health, yet impede its solutions at every turn.)

4. These crimes are committed by people who obtain guns illegally (false: he bought these guns legally. At 18. Before he could legally buy beer).

The House has passed common sense gun control. 90% of the American people support background checks. Republicans in the Senate, who represent far fewer than 50% of the country, refuse to even bring it to a vote. This nation continues to be held hostage by a minority of shitty (largely white men) lawmakers whose thirst for power is more important than children's lives.

I have my classroom door closed and locked today. I never do either of those things.

[rubytue]

May 25, 2022 8:13:04 GMT -5 maudefindlay said:

May 25, 2022 8:09:40 GMT -5 rubytue said:

WTF to your friend?! This is the most fucked up of any of the victim blaming I’ve ever heard. Putting the burden on tiny children to save themselves?! 

What? No, the opposite. She is saying that is the only thing we have done, just tell the kids when this happens do this and hope it goes well. She is calling out the ridiculousness that we aren't doing more.

Oh…. Apologies to your friend. I guess I’m so enraged I can think straight. 

[dancingirl21]

I haven’t told my kids and I don’t plan to really say anything unless it comes up at school. My 8 year old (2nd grader) is already an anxious person and the 5 year old probably won’t understand enough. I don’t want to scare them more.

I’m a mess today, though. I keep walking away from them with tears in my eyes. They might catch on and then I’ll need to have a conversation about why I’m so sad.

And today is USA day at my older son’s school. I’m not even really sure what that means. His class is having theme days for the last weeks of school and they talk on a topic. Yesterday was sea creature day, for example. His teacher is very liberal so I’m kind of curious what she is going to say about the USA.

[starburst604]

I also couldn't sleep last night and feel so heavy today. I can't stop thinking about what those children/teachers went through, and now their families. About why the FUCK our kids have to be robbed of their innocence like this. And why the NRA owns our government. In talking with other 1st grade moms last night, all said they didn't plan to talk to their kids about it and wanted to keep them in the dark, yet experts seem to be recommending the opposite. Now I kind of wish we'd talked to her before she went to school because she may hear about it and feel scared.

[neverfstop]

The details are even more heart wrenching....

TW ----



-They had their school awards ceremony that morning & some parents took kids home, other kids had their photos taken that morning with their awards and those are their last photos
-Reports say it was as single classroom that he barricaded himself in and killed almost all the kids and of the 2 teachers
-The teacher had been there something like 23 years, had her own kids
-The shooter bought 2 guns on his 18th birthday and apparently had made threatening posts, his mother had drug issues