My granddaughter posted the following on Facebook.
She is currently 15 years old. I know this is not a bot, or 'fake news'. Believe me, I know her writing style. (Note: I debated with myself and decided to leave her post exactly as she wrote it, so didn't correct any spelling or grammatical errors.):
How is it possible to go to school and feel safe anymore? The number of school shootings that have happened so far this year is unbelievable. To know that most of them could have been stopped is frustrating. My mom got a call from the school today say that a student that I attend school with, had posted pictures on his social media holding up guns and posing treats. Just in the last week or so a student also made a hit list in class of all the people he was planning on killing if he ever shot up the school. 32 students heard him say it and saw the paper with the names listed and so did the teacher. He was reported but I never heard of any punishment against him. I found out about that from multiple students. But never once did a teacher or any of the schools staff say anything to our parents and any of the students. Instead, they kept it a secret. There have been multiple treats to my school this year. How am I supost to know if its real or all just some messed up sick joke that someone created to act "funny"?How should anyone feel safe knowing stuff like this is going around and nothing is being done and/or is being hidden away from us? This has got to stop. School is supposed to be a safe learning environment but with everything that has happened, I find it very hard to feel safe..
How do you respond to something like this?
= new reply since forum marked as read
What has happened to our country? I know there has been violence in the past, even in schools but this is different. I'm old enough to remember 'duck and cover' and how afraid that made me feel when we had those drills in grade school. But this has to be a whole lot worse because it's actually happening...a lot. And the enemy could be the kid you sit next to in math.
post from FB, Stonepounder. I can feel her heartfelt plea for something to be done that works, and no more kids and teachers will be slaughtered.
It's really good getting all this out here and learning how those in these potentially dangerous, crises situations, feel about it.
We are up against such an evil, powerful force known as the NRA, and it's millions of brainwashed lackeys, including their doormats in congress. We need everyone speaking out and doing everything possible to overpower them.
Last edited Wed Feb 21, 2018, 01:07 PM - Edit history (1)
I sorry you have discovered that the world is not a safe place. Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts once said that the best time of his life was when he would sleep in the back seat of the car when his family went somewhere. During the car ride he was safe and secure with no worries in the world. As an adult, he had to worry about the car, bills, problems in the world, etc. As an adult it was impossible for him to go back to his innocent feelings of safety. You have arrived at the same point.
Adults in this world have largely failed you and your generation. Things that were once perfectly safe are now not. Elected leaders (mainly from one political party, but not always) are in the pay of a lobbyist group that values your life as less than the rights of gun owners. You must take up the mantle of fixing the problems in this society and reshape the world to be more just and more safe. You must keep guns out of the unstable and violent. You must repair and replace the safety net. You must fix the failing infrastructure and protect the environment. You must start by registering people to vote and informing them of the issues. Make sure they vote in every election, no matte how minor. You must ignore pointless rhetoric, fake news, people who are trying to manipulate you, and those who are the enemy of all that is fair and good. Look for people who get results, not for people who speak the loudest. Look for people who are willing to do the hard work, not for those who are brightest when the camera is on them.
Don't get discouraged if it is hard or takes a long time. Be glad of small changes and don't be afraid of taking baby steps when necessary. Good luck. I know you and your generation can do it.
