Children die, worshippers bleed, office floors run red. We light candles and post prayers while nothing changes. How many more lives must shatter before America wakes?
Two of my kids and I survived a school shooting, one of my kids saw blood & bodies in the hall and a classmate next to her was shot- the trauma does NOT go away! I’ve had the chance to talk to a couple Columbine survivors- the trauma does NOT go away!
Those who offer their faith/prayers without action, their faith is dead, & so are a lot of innocent people whose deaths could have been prevented.
I'm so sorry that happened to you & your kids. Thankful you all survived the bullets, but sorry you all are scarred for life. I can't even begin to imagine going through something like that.
I know, from what I hearing Trump is a convicted felon Todd Blanche represented him for the Stormy Daniel’s Hush Money Case and Trump got 34 Counts against him
Donald Trump ordered his MAGA Gang to come to Washington D.C. On Jan,06.2021 to raid the USA Capital Building to take over and made Trump a Dictator. Donald is still a rapist.Child Molester.,Cheat,liar,and Trump doesn't pay his workers who work for Trump company's. Trump is Unfit to be president and Trump is trying now to become a Dictator on 08,, 28--2025.
Any intrusion of crypto currency into the blood of our economy needs to be eliminated. Nothing could do more damage than such an intrusion, as it might evaporate all money quickly...but what do I know? I'm only talking from a point of fear, which is not based on information. Still, it seems ponzi-ish in a Trumpian sort of illegal way.
What is 0828 2025 have to do with him becoming a dictator? I'm missing something somewhere so please help me out. It wouldn't surprise me I'm just wondering what special about that date. Thanks
It's today. He seems to be saying that he will send troops into all the cities that have Democratic mayors and that sort of thing. It is reminiscent of his call to the Nazis to come to DC on Jan 6, 2921.
Donald Trump ordered his MAGA Gang to come to Washington D.C. On Jan,06.2021 to raid the USA Capital Building to take over and made Trump a Dictator. Donald is still a rapist.Child Molester.,Cheat,liar,and Trump doesn't pay his workers who work for Trump company's. Trump is Unfit to be president and Trump is trying now to become a Dictator on 08,, 28--2025.
And to think, the full effect of the tarrifs haven't even kicked in yet. The US is in for a world of hurt, all thanks to Donalds regime. Yet people still coddle his junk. It's mind boggling!
Penny I agree with you. Here in Canada 🇨🇦 we have very strict gun control laws and as a result it is largely only licensed hunters who have the right to own guns, and they must always keep their guns locked in gun cabinets when they are not hunting. Minors and anyone with a criminal record or mental issues are NOT allowed to own or to use guns.
And as a result in Canada we have very few mass murders.
However in America the NRA is so powerful and there is so much Trump incited hatred and fear of “others”, that I wonder who would even dare to try to enact strict gun control laws.
GUN OWNERS U BETTER BE READY BECAUSE DICTATORS WILL COME FOR YOUR GUNS AND THIER WONT BE A DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN PARTY AND SINCE NO ONE IS RICH U WONT BE OBLIARCH EITHER
Now we have to deal with gun owners able to buy silencers for thier guns.which will be much harder to tell where the gun shots are coming from what direction.Might as well call them Snipers.
I just read yesterday that Australia, which outlawed guns for the masses some years ago, now finds itself dealing with gun ownership still. Ghost guns, made with 3D printers, are becoming common. Scarier though, is that those who have permits also mostly seem to have multiple weapons. Why?
Michael, your views are seen and heard, yet the congress (republican) don't give a shit about CHILDREN, WOMEN ,LAWS,OR ANYTHING THAT HELPS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!
The only way the GOP are going to change their minds about gun laws is when their children are affected. I'm not talking about just any Republicans it's going to take the people in Congress having something happen to their families before they pull their heads out of their asses stop accepting money and realize this is way past due. I'm not advocating for that I'm just saying that's the only way they're going to pay attention is when it hits home because they don't care about anybody else.
The cruel hypocrisy of 'thoughts and prayers' from the party that protects pedophiles and thinks guns have rights as opposed to children is typical of the GOPpers and MAGNUTS who love the NRA. There are not enough terms to describe the outrage sane people should feel.
Agreed. The second amendment was written when our forefathers were probably carrying single load muskets. They would have amended it if assault weapons were rampant like today, thanks to rich GOP(gross old pedophiles)and NRA (KKK). 🏴☠️💸🐍
Those claiming to be patriots are on LinkedIn calling for Gov Walz's head because a Archbishop says he went to state government for funds to provide security for Catholic schools. I don't know when the state became responsible for security at private schools
Instead of spending money to pay for security for schools, why not spend money on gun safety? There will never be full security from gun murders until there are no guns. And we all know that will never happen.
IMO it's not about no guns, it's about strict gun laws, like most other civilized countries. Canadians have guns, but only very rare instances of mass shootings. I don't need nor want a gun. Unless I become a hunter there simply is no need.
To add/correct myself: Nobody, I mean nobody needs a machine gun/weapons of war! Hunting rifles on the other hand, have a purpose. People need to be scrutinised before being sold a gun. It's just common sense!
✊ people are waking up more and more to the fact Drumpf lied to them to get a get out of jail free card. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were right last year and now those warnings are being heard and seen be validated.
Until we love and value our children more than we revere our right to own guns made for war, we will never resolve this issue. American children will continue to die so long as the gun lobby keeps its stranglehold on Congress and the government continues to slash funding for mental health programs. How sad.
It sounds like a grotesque suggestion, but if they showed the dead children and teachers where they laid dying in the aftermath of a mass shooting, maybe it would no longer be dealt with in the abstract. They should follow the anti-choice lunatics who display fetuses, but make it actual photos/video. Get some pf the dems to have their aids hold up pictures on the house and senate floors.
The only way to fix the gun violence problem is to get rid of the guns. At least the guns that are designed solely to kill people. That's handguns and assault rifles.
The countries that don't have these weapons are the countries with a small fraction of the gun violence we have. This is an objective, scientific fact. It cannot be spun.
But having said that, it's also a fact that Americans, overall, love guns. We love them more than we love our children, obviously. So this constant parade of death and mourning is just fodder to stick on the TV so the rest of us will be sure to tune in to get all the morbid details and to buy the shit they advertise during the commercial breaks.
I'm sick of all the sanctimony and hypocrisy, frankly. We need to just admit that as a society, guns are more important than human life, even the innocent lives of our children. Then maybe we can focus on things that really could make a difference, such as reclaiming our democracy from the fascists. If that could ever happen, then maybe there would also be hope that we could change the gun laws in a meaningful way.
As a public school teacher in SoCal, I can't tell you how many times I've been in lockdown with students. The trauma, the wasted instruction time, the money spent on curriculum to deal with active shooter situations - it's truly insane. High school students are taught, yes, TAUGHT using expensive curriculum, the steps to take in an active shooting situation. One of the acronyms is HERO: Hide, Escape, Run, Overcome. When we go into lockdodwn, students go into action. One group barricades the door. Others shut all window coverings, students grab staplers, backpacks, fire extinguishers, anything that can be used to "overcome" a shooter. We choose strategic seating that is out of the line of fire from doors or windows. And then we wait in silence. Students are told they must not text parents unless they hear gunfire. We can't risk phone lines being tied up.
It is just as awful for elementary students who are also taught a version of the HERO program. 5 and 6 year olds are forced to sit in silence, some for hours, waiting for the all clear, or .... the unimaginable. Children wet themselves because they can't leave their classrooms to go to the bathroom. Lunch is postponed-often for an hour or more.
I had a fifth grader with a full leg cast. She sat silently on the floor, scratching inside her cast with a pencil. The kids are so good. They are strong and brave. I'm ashamed that our country is this way, that we put our children in this situation... again and again. Sometimes we will have a lockdown situation once a month, sometimes more.
I taught 4 years in Taipei, Taiwan. Children there don't waste instruction time on such things. Even the banks do not bother with bullet proof glass. Guns aren't a problem and students can focus on curriculum instead of what to do in the event of an Active Shooter.
We can change this. We just need good governance- a government that is for the people instead of for the oligarchs.
What a poignant and honest comment. Putting profit above everything else has made this country poorer in so many ways. This is not freedom. This is pain and suffering so that a few greedy guts can buy more stuff. Disgusting.
Wow! Beautiful and extremely sad because of its truth. There are rights, but then there are responsibilities. There aren’t any of the former if the latter is not being followed. Dead and injured children and adults is not an individual’s right, but it is all of our responsibility.
Pretty insane how people are offering prayers for families whose children died while praying.
Doesn't make a lick of sense. These same parents will call for protection of assault weapons under the Second Amendment
Which amendment protects children? They should support that one.
Children are afforded the same protections as adults by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments
Are those both amendments that tell people to value children over gun accessibility or something?
No not at all. There are no such Constitutional amendments
Exactly my point.
total hypocrisy, as usual.
It’s horrible.
TIME FOR ACTION AS WE PRAY MARCHING FORWARD TO DEFEND OUR FREEDOM AND WE THE PEOPLES COUNTRY AND OUR CAPITOL.
You want us to pray to a god that killed the children that were already praying to him?
DEVIL WHORSHIPPERS KILL PEOPLE.
The only people that believe in devils are Christians and Catholics.
And that certainly wasn’t a devil that shot those kids, that was a person.
God is this powerless now? I’m asking as an ordained minister.
Also please press the caps lock key on your keyboard. There’s no need to yell here.
A PERSON POSSED LIKE THE DEVIL WHORSHIPPERS BY ,THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
A person possed by a demon is stronger than God huh? Fascinating.
Two of my kids and I survived a school shooting, one of my kids saw blood & bodies in the hall and a classmate next to her was shot- the trauma does NOT go away! I’ve had the chance to talk to a couple Columbine survivors- the trauma does NOT go away!
Those who offer their faith/prayers without action, their faith is dead, & so are a lot of innocent people whose deaths could have been prevented.
😔💔 the trauma will NEVER disappear.
I'm so sorry that happened to you & your kids. Thankful you all survived the bullets, but sorry you all are scarred for life. I can't even begin to imagine going through something like that.
I know, from what I hearing Trump is a convicted felon Todd Blanche represented him for the Stormy Daniel’s Hush Money Case and Trump got 34 Counts against him
Donald Trump ordered his MAGA Gang to come to Washington D.C. On Jan,06.2021 to raid the USA Capital Building to take over and made Trump a Dictator. Donald is still a rapist.Child Molester.,Cheat,liar,and Trump doesn't pay his workers who work for Trump company's. Trump is Unfit to be president and Trump is trying now to become a Dictator on 08,, 28--2025.
Any intrusion of crypto currency into the blood of our economy needs to be eliminated. Nothing could do more damage than such an intrusion, as it might evaporate all money quickly...but what do I know? I'm only talking from a point of fear, which is not based on information. Still, it seems ponzi-ish in a Trumpian sort of illegal way.
What is 0828 2025 have to do with him becoming a dictator? I'm missing something somewhere so please help me out. It wouldn't surprise me I'm just wondering what special about that date. Thanks
It's today. He seems to be saying that he will send troops into all the cities that have Democratic mayors and that sort of thing. It is reminiscent of his call to the Nazis to come to DC on Jan 6, 2921.
Donald Trump ordered his MAGA Gang to come to Washington D.C. On Jan,06.2021 to raid the USA Capital Building to take over and made Trump a Dictator. Donald is still a rapist.Child Molester.,Cheat,liar,and Trump doesn't pay his workers who work for Trump company's. Trump is Unfit to be president and Trump is trying now to become a Dictator on 08,, 28--2025.
Trump is Killing the USA Economy and everything else,Trump wants to become a dictator Only
https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker/economy
Read what educated Economist say about Trump and it is not GOOD !!
And to think, the full effect of the tarrifs haven't even kicked in yet. The US is in for a world of hurt, all thanks to Donalds regime. Yet people still coddle his junk. It's mind boggling!
Guess what? Nearly every other country has already solved this horrendous problem!!! It’s easy- we can just copy them- won’t take any time at all—
IMPLEMENT STRICT GUN CONTROL LAWS!!!
Penny I agree with you. Here in Canada 🇨🇦 we have very strict gun control laws and as a result it is largely only licensed hunters who have the right to own guns, and they must always keep their guns locked in gun cabinets when they are not hunting. Minors and anyone with a criminal record or mental issues are NOT allowed to own or to use guns.
And as a result in Canada we have very few mass murders.
However in America the NRA is so powerful and there is so much Trump incited hatred and fear of “others”, that I wonder who would even dare to try to enact strict gun control laws.
Exactly. That's a point that Jim Jeffries makes with great humour in his stand-up show.
https://youtu.be/0rR9IaXH1M0?si=jCKfl2_vy49yxoJx
Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!!!!!!!11
GUN OWNERS U BETTER BE READY BECAUSE DICTATORS WILL COME FOR YOUR GUNS AND THIER WONT BE A DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN PARTY AND SINCE NO ONE IS RICH U WONT BE OBLIARCH EITHER
All the other developed countries survive perfectly well- or better, with strict gun laws. They allow hunting rifles. What’s wrong with the USA?
Now we have to deal with gun owners able to buy silencers for thier guns.which will be much harder to tell where the gun shots are coming from what direction.Might as well call them Snipers.
It’s not dictators that should implement strict gun laws, it’s the people who care about dead children.
I just read yesterday that Australia, which outlawed guns for the masses some years ago, now finds itself dealing with gun ownership still. Ghost guns, made with 3D printers, are becoming common. Scarier though, is that those who have permits also mostly seem to have multiple weapons. Why?
Michael, your views are seen and heard, yet the congress (republican) don't give a shit about CHILDREN, WOMEN ,LAWS,OR ANYTHING THAT HELPS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!
The Republican Party is on their way to erasing gains afforded by the US Constitution Fourteenth and Nineteenth Amendments.
Erasing not just the gains, but the entire country and democracy.
The only way the GOP are going to change their minds about gun laws is when their children are affected. I'm not talking about just any Republicans it's going to take the people in Congress having something happen to their families before they pull their heads out of their asses stop accepting money and realize this is way past due. I'm not advocating for that I'm just saying that's the only way they're going to pay attention is when it hits home because they don't care about anybody else.
The cruel hypocrisy of 'thoughts and prayers' from the party that protects pedophiles and thinks guns have rights as opposed to children is typical of the GOPpers and MAGNUTS who love the NRA. There are not enough terms to describe the outrage sane people should feel.
Agreed. The second amendment was written when our forefathers were probably carrying single load muskets. They would have amended it if assault weapons were rampant like today, thanks to rich GOP(gross old pedophiles)and NRA (KKK). 🏴☠️💸🐍
Yes, Rose. When we still hunted for meat.
Those claiming to be patriots are on LinkedIn calling for Gov Walz's head because a Archbishop says he went to state government for funds to provide security for Catholic schools. I don't know when the state became responsible for security at private schools
Instead of spending money to pay for security for schools, why not spend money on gun safety? There will never be full security from gun murders until there are no guns. And we all know that will never happen.
IMO it's not about no guns, it's about strict gun laws, like most other civilized countries. Canadians have guns, but only very rare instances of mass shootings. I don't need nor want a gun. Unless I become a hunter there simply is no need.
To add/correct myself: Nobody, I mean nobody needs a machine gun/weapons of war! Hunting rifles on the other hand, have a purpose. People need to be scrutinised before being sold a gun. It's just common sense!
✊ people are waking up more and more to the fact Drumpf lied to them to get a get out of jail free card. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were right last year and now those warnings are being heard and seen be validated.
Until we love and value our children more than we revere our right to own guns made for war, we will never resolve this issue. American children will continue to die so long as the gun lobby keeps its stranglehold on Congress and the government continues to slash funding for mental health programs. How sad.
You could start by allowing victims to sue gun manufacturers for compensation
It sounds like a grotesque suggestion, but if they showed the dead children and teachers where they laid dying in the aftermath of a mass shooting, maybe it would no longer be dealt with in the abstract. They should follow the anti-choice lunatics who display fetuses, but make it actual photos/video. Get some pf the dems to have their aids hold up pictures on the house and senate floors.
That may be the only way to get through to some of these numb people!
The only way to fix the gun violence problem is to get rid of the guns. At least the guns that are designed solely to kill people. That's handguns and assault rifles.
The countries that don't have these weapons are the countries with a small fraction of the gun violence we have. This is an objective, scientific fact. It cannot be spun.
But having said that, it's also a fact that Americans, overall, love guns. We love them more than we love our children, obviously. So this constant parade of death and mourning is just fodder to stick on the TV so the rest of us will be sure to tune in to get all the morbid details and to buy the shit they advertise during the commercial breaks.
I'm sick of all the sanctimony and hypocrisy, frankly. We need to just admit that as a society, guns are more important than human life, even the innocent lives of our children. Then maybe we can focus on things that really could make a difference, such as reclaiming our democracy from the fascists. If that could ever happen, then maybe there would also be hope that we could change the gun laws in a meaningful way.
Very well said!!
As a public school teacher in SoCal, I can't tell you how many times I've been in lockdown with students. The trauma, the wasted instruction time, the money spent on curriculum to deal with active shooter situations - it's truly insane. High school students are taught, yes, TAUGHT using expensive curriculum, the steps to take in an active shooting situation. One of the acronyms is HERO: Hide, Escape, Run, Overcome. When we go into lockdodwn, students go into action. One group barricades the door. Others shut all window coverings, students grab staplers, backpacks, fire extinguishers, anything that can be used to "overcome" a shooter. We choose strategic seating that is out of the line of fire from doors or windows. And then we wait in silence. Students are told they must not text parents unless they hear gunfire. We can't risk phone lines being tied up.
It is just as awful for elementary students who are also taught a version of the HERO program. 5 and 6 year olds are forced to sit in silence, some for hours, waiting for the all clear, or .... the unimaginable. Children wet themselves because they can't leave their classrooms to go to the bathroom. Lunch is postponed-often for an hour or more.
I had a fifth grader with a full leg cast. She sat silently on the floor, scratching inside her cast with a pencil. The kids are so good. They are strong and brave. I'm ashamed that our country is this way, that we put our children in this situation... again and again. Sometimes we will have a lockdown situation once a month, sometimes more.
I taught 4 years in Taipei, Taiwan. Children there don't waste instruction time on such things. Even the banks do not bother with bullet proof glass. Guns aren't a problem and students can focus on curriculum instead of what to do in the event of an Active Shooter.
We can change this. We just need good governance- a government that is for the people instead of for the oligarchs.
What a poignant and honest comment. Putting profit above everything else has made this country poorer in so many ways. This is not freedom. This is pain and suffering so that a few greedy guts can buy more stuff. Disgusting.
Thank you for your well-stated letter. I believe it could change some people's minds if they would read it.
Thanks Stacy! Appreciate the experiences you’ve shared.. I’m sure there are many more. 😔💔. Policy changes are desperately needed.
The Massacre of the Innocents
By William Jay Smith (August 1946)
Because I believe in the community of little children,
Because I have suffered such little children to be slain;
I have gazed upon the sunlight, dazed, bewildered,
As is a child by nothing more than rain.
Not until I can no longer climb,
Until my life becomes the tallest tree,
And every limb of it a lint of shame,
Shall I look out in time, in time to see
Again those who were so small they could but die,
Who had only their vast innocence to give:
That I may tell them, pointing down the sky,
How very beautiful it was to live.
Wow! Beautiful and extremely sad because of its truth. There are rights, but then there are responsibilities. There aren’t any of the former if the latter is not being followed. Dead and injured children and adults is not an individual’s right, but it is all of our responsibility.