It’s been awhile since I have written, and for me life has
taken some strange turns. Not all for
the best, and someday those challenges might be in added to this catalog. I didn’t write
the family newsletter this year, but I will.
It’s a story that should be told.
I’m telling you all this for two reasons. First, if you got the
family holiday card and didn’t get my newsletter, you now know that no one did…you
were not singled out. Second, despite having
a truly epic few months of mind bending life; ample time to reflect, observe
and criticize, nothing has made me need to write more than what happened last
night at 1:35 am. Before you connect the dots between Valentine’s day, early
morning, and a mind-altering event. Let
me assure you, this story isn’t in the least romantic.
At 1:35 am February 14th, 2018 I realized that I
have become officially numb to the violence we as a society inflict on ourselves,
allow to continue, condone through inaction; the violence we tolerate. Perhaps
numb is the wrong word since I’m aware and I care. Maybe I’m disenfranchised, asleep, or lost. At
that moment, I became aware of my own hypocrisy and I remain angry with myself
for allowing whatever forces (media, fake news, exhaustion) to seep into my
sole and lull me into this stupor. Now
after a bit of sleep and a perusal of the news feed, I see that I’m not alone. We are all aware and have become apathetic.
Inexcusable! Unacceptable! Unforgivable!
What will it take for America to wake up and take some
action against this threat?
Four Americans died in Benghazi, a place most of us never
knew existed before the attack. 4….and the issue has been in the news for
years, debated, investigated, pulled apart and kept alive in the media, 4 adults
died, horrific… Who can we hold accountable? Who can we blame? Why did those in
charge not take the threat seriously and better defend those citizens? How can
the next Benghazi be stopped? All
questions asked by Congress, maintained by the news and broadcast on social
media…..4 adults died half a world away and America was angry.
Where is our anger now?
We were given fair warning with Columbine, tragically reminded again and
again since; Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Vegas, and now Parkland Florida. Why aren’t we angry? Why are we not making
this a huge issue? Hundreds of lives,
American lives, have been lost in the past few years, many of them children.
Where is the famous American rage, the sleeping dragon that has brought
airstrikes and invasions continents away?
You are numb too, this is no excuse. We are all accountable for
our inaction.
Often in life we become only fully aware of a situation when
it hits us close to home, and then the situation becomes and issue, and has
potential to become our “cause.”
Last night at 1:35 am I realized just how close to home this
situation has become, how little I have done, and how frustrating our societies collective lack of action is.
On Monday afternoon I received an email from my son’s
school. There had been an incident,
everyone was safe and the correct steps were taken…..I swept it away. That evening I learned a few more details….A
kid brought a loaded handgun to school and showed some kids, those kids didn’t think
it was a big deal! He then showed the gun
to some more kids (heroes), who this time thought to tell the teacher…..the
teacher informed the school leadership, who called the cops. The gun was taken
without further incident, the system worked as planned….. The kid claims that he didn’t want to hurt
anyone else, just himself. The gun came from
home and was owned by his father, a retired military man who kept his other
guns locked up, except for this one which he kept in a top cabinet for quick
access, just in case. (This is inexcusable, military man should have known
better, there is no reason to have a loaded gun accessible to children, lock up
your guns!)
The school had a debrief with the teachers, the message was “the
system worked” the offender is expelled (this is a whole other issue) and we
can go about teaching.
Anyone else see the problem here? I didn’t until I talked to my wife last
night. She reminded me as we talked
about the Florida shooting, that it could have happened at our school. The kid who was looking for attention, crying
out for help, and could have easily pulled the trigger in the school purposely or
accidentally with potentially tragic effect. It almost happened here. The school focused on response but nothing
about prevention or preparation. Nothing
is stopping the next kid.
All of this hit me last night, it was only after the Florida
incident that I became fully aware how close we as a community came to our own shooting
and this thought made me angry over how easily I disregarded the event. How quickly we forget, how easy it is to not
take action.
I don’t have the answers here. I do know that inaction is
not the answer. It is a complex problem and it will require a complex solution,
but there is some low hanging fruit.
Immediate steps to be safer.
I don’t want to engage you in a gun control discussion, our
collective inaction is bigger than any conversation. Talk is cheap. I want you
to wake up, be aware, and take action. We need to do something. I want this shooting and those that follow
(sad that I can say that) to be front page news forever. I want congress to do
something other than pray (yes congress now IS the time to discuss
gun control). I want money and focus on the issue. I want it to be debated,
discussed and dissected by CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC, ESPN, the Pope and everyone in
between. I want laws and accountability. I want school boards more worried about saving
lives than liability.
“Thoughts and Prayers”, are not an action, not here, not
now, not as our only resort.
I don’t want another “Me Too” movement, as unfortunately
shooting victims all too often lose everything.
I want a “Not Me” movement. Not my kid. Not my school. Not my gun. Not
my life.
I demand security for my kids and yours. They are our future!
Four adults were killed in Benghazi and the county was so
angry it became an election issue years later. 17 people (children) died in Florida
yesterday and NBC continued with the Olympic coverage….If these shootings get
only a fraction of the attention Benghazi did, we are on the right path…..we
should be mad, these are our children, our lives, and our love.
Be Angry, Be Aware, Take Action!
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