I don't know about you, but I am not comfortable here. I don't want to be comfortable here. Something has to change.
Parkland.
Sandy Hook.
Umpqua Community College.
Columbine.
Thurston.
The list is TOO long for me to continue.
Let us not be comfortable here.
Though I heartily believe in the power of prayer, I also believe in doing the work.. in standing up for what is right.
Today, two of my sweet kiddos were herded into their school closets. Doors were quickly locked. They were instructed not to speak, for speaking would let the "bad guys" know where they were. In one of my boy's classroom, not only were he and the other students in the closet, silent....the blinds were drawn and the lights turned off. Silently, they waited in the dark.
My oldest is 8.
Eight years old and the reality that school may not be a safe place has already become something that he gets to process. It is his reality. It is not something I can wrap my head around. I cannot put myself in his shoes and as a parent it is a reality I do not wish to accept. I refuse to be comfortable with this.
Here in our tiny, bucolic hamlet, the "real world" has clawed its way in. Here in our tiny community, a threat was made and responded to. No longer can threats be ignored. No longer is it unthinkable that such a terrible tragedy occur....in a place we trust our children to be safe.
Now, before everyone's panties get totally twisted, yes...I COMPLETELY agree that we are blessed and lucky in this scenario. No shots were fired. No harm was even physically attempted at our boy's school and the threat was just that in this instance. That is a blessing.
And yet, it seems absurd to me. My sweet, innocent, anxious children were hiding from "bad guys" at school today.
I'm pissed.
For me, it is not a gun issue.
It is a culture issue.
It's a discipline issue.
It's a character issue.
It is a issue of morality.
It's a respect issue.
It is very basically an issue of right or wrong.
In my very humble opinion, I blame the "if it feels good, do it" mantra that I have had shoved down my throat for the past 20 years or longer. The world is your oyster. YOLO. There is no end to the self indulgence of this age. Everyone is out for themselves. Social Media only serves to further the notion. Say what you want when you want. There are no consequences. We have freedom and that includes freedom of speech. Yes, but just because you can say or do whatever you want, does not mean that you should.
We seem to be a culture proud of our "gray' area. Nothing is black and white any more. Everything is grey. Society has constantly challenged the ideas of right and wrong and left us with carte blanche.
No one is ever to deny themselves anything. Self discipline is an antiquated notion.
Responsibility? Culpability? Delayed Gratification?
And God?
We have kicked God out of our schools. We have made morality a nebulous concept that our concrete thinking children are left to figure out for themselves. We live in a society that places self and self gratification above all else. Our children see how we are living. They are drawing their conclusions.
And look where that has gotten us.
I am pissed. I am done. There is a right and there is a wrong. In this, there is no GREY area.
It is WRONG that our schools are not safe.
It is WRONG that we are accepting this as our new reality.
It is WRONG that these horrifically tragic acts receive SO much media attention.
It is wrong that children today are not being taught self discipline and delayed gratification.
It is a massive mistake that children are not being taught coping mechanisms to deal with the cruel nature of this world. Bullying is not a new concept, our children's inability to survive bullying is new.
It is wrong that today had me breathing a big sigh of relief that my kids were safe...this time.
Honestly, when will morality return and rule the day? When will we all be held to a moral standard with respect for life? Will the Golden Rule once again be our modus operandi? When will this insanity end?
