This school shooting today is right near where my MIL and my husband's brother live. I lived in Connecticut as a little child myself. (To age 5.) And I lived there as an adult with a little kid that age. They are in a different town, but not too far away. The state is small. You can drive across it in a few hours.
The photos with that slanted winter light look like home to me. I know those trees, those cops. I know how those people sound. I know how those classrooms smell. I have volunteered in Connecticut classrooms. (Not how they smell today-- but on an ordinary day. They smell of peanut butter, and mittens, and markers, and grubby little boys.)
I once saw a little boy that age in the back of the class, unnoticed by the teacher, slowly and thoughtfully licking all the dust off a TV set. I know those kids.
I was reading the footage. Nobody knows much yet. Even when we know what we can, It won't make any sense. And then I thought, these parents have already done holiday shopping. They have trees up. They have gifts purchased for boys and girls who are dead-- dead. What will those people do now?
Isn't that a small and stupid thought to make the tears come?
The photos with that slanted winter light look like home to me. I know those trees, those cops. I know how those people sound. I know how those classrooms smell. I have volunteered in Connecticut classrooms. (Not how they smell today-- but on an ordinary day. They smell of peanut butter, and mittens, and markers, and grubby little boys.)
I once saw a little boy that age in the back of the class, unnoticed by the teacher, slowly and thoughtfully licking all the dust off a TV set. I know those kids.
I was reading the footage. Nobody knows much yet. Even when we know what we can, It won't make any sense. And then I thought, these parents have already done holiday shopping. They have trees up. They have gifts purchased for boys and girls who are dead-- dead. What will those people do now?
Isn't that a small and stupid thought to make the tears come?
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eglantine_br- eglantine_br
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I'm praying for them.
Dave
I worked for a national news paper once, in 1996, the year that sixteen small children and one teacher were shot by a gunman in Dunblane in the Highlands. I will never forget the news reports filtering into the newsroom. The result of that tragedy was that handguns were banned in the UK.
I went out for Christmas lunch with my work colleagues today, on my way home I got a call from partner saying that he was taking daughter to casualty as she had a splitting headache, a ferocious temperature and a sudden rash. She reacts like this from time to time, it's not usually serious but we sometimes get her checked out. She came home several hours later doped up to the eyeballs with ibuprofen and complaining she was hungry. I can't help thinking about those families whose kids won't be coming home tonight, or any night. They are so precious. It doesn't bear thinking about.
What will it take? What else could it possibly take?
The fact that this person killed six adults means that adults came running to the classroom when the trouble started.
And they would not have hesitated for a second. You're right, what ever your age, or the age of your children, that never changes.
I'm sure toots will be fine tomorrow. She will get a lot of hugs and no doubt will get annoyed at me for pestering her.
Sleep safe and well, all of you.
We will, and all of you too.
Guns shouldn't be in the hands of people who can't be trusted.
Give toots a big hug from me - say I got it off Richie Gray to pass on.
Will anybody in your country be brave enough to stand up and make a change to gun laws?
It is as if the rest of the world is having a cookout, and a decent good time, and when the USA comes we have the NRA, and they are like a crazy drunk racist uncle, and we are ashamed and we cringe whenever he says anything.
They argue for concealed carry handguns, in schools and sports events. They think the problem is not enough people are armed! How can anyone reason with that?