I posted this on Facebook on 2/16 - 2 days after the Parkland FL school shooting.
As my students took a quiz, I pondered how I could make my classroom safer, harder to penetrate.
As I graded papers, I considered who might target and who might be targeted.
As I watched these teenagers work, I questioned how on earth I'd be able to keep them quiet in a scary situation.
As I stood at the classroom door welcoming my students, I wondered how many I could fit inside in the middle of a spree of gunfire.
As I took precautions, I wondered if other people ever have to worry about these things.
Do the people who think anyone should be able to buy an assault rifle ever think about these things?
Do the people who own firearms and worry about government taking them away ever wonder how they'd keep 35 teenagers safe?
Do the parents of the shooters ever ask themselves what they could have done differently?
Do parents ever consider their actions and what reaction their kids might have?
(That last one, I'm guessing, from my friends anyway, are yes)
Know what? I'm not staying silent anymore.
It's not a gun issue. It's not a mental health issue. It's not a discipline issue.
IT'S AN ISSUE!!! It is ALL of the above!!! It's my issue and yours. And WE have to do something.
I'm starting here: https://gunsensevoter.org/
Thank you for reading.
