5
 
 
 
1:45 AM, Saturday, December 15th, 2012:
 
Dear Vienna,
 
Yesterday, 20 five-year-olds and 6 teachers didn't die the week before Christmas.
 
They didn't go to school on a Friday excited about their coming vacation and then get executed, one by one, in their classroom.
 
You'll be fine.
 
I would never let anything happen to you.
 
You're safe.
 
Go to school.
 
Love,
Papa.
 
Because I live in a country that thinks weapons of mass destruction are a "right", I get to lie to my child in a few years. When is there going to be perspective? If 250 years ago we told the founding fathers that there would be a magical weapon that was the power of a cannon, that automatically reloaded instantly and could kill hundreds of people in seconds does anyone honestly believe they would feel that was a "right" to any citizen? If that's not the line, what is? Lasers? Nuclear hand rockets? Are we not allowed to determine what is necessary to protect and hunt because of the NRA? The National RIFLE Association? Are we really captive to this organization who, even in their TITLE is a walking contradiction?
 
The most frustrating thing is that there is precedent for all of this, and most other civilized countries there are common sense gun laws and about 60 gun-related incidents a year. Here, we have over 200 a WEEK. It's our "right" to have 200 per week. It's our "right" to lie to our children and let go of their hands as they walk into Kindergarten.
 
Jesus, can I even handle this? I was already a bit of an empath. I already cried at the sweet commercials and wrote sappy love songs. I already took things to heart to such a degree I had a difficult time functioning. As a new father fighting the urge to cry every time I see her face is a skill I'm finally beginning to master and now this? I was videotaping the construction I was doing today and of course turned on the camera as I cried at the reports. Obama's pause? Fuuuuuuck. I just wept. As if I was holding it together before that, right? 5-year olds? FIVE YEAR OLDS? As I said last month, SHOOT ME.
 
This feels like 9/11. Like a parental 9/11. Not that you have to be a parent by ANY means to be devastated by this, but we're the ones that let go of our babies when they walk into that school and assure them that these news reports won't happen to them. And will they stop interviewing the kids? For the love of fucking fuck stop, interviewing the KIDS. Fuck these news networks, man. Andrea Mitchell is the only broadcaster who said "We shouldn't be showing that", and the network CONTINUED to play it all day. Isn't this media-ethics 101? Don't show their faces, don't fucking ask them "HOW IT FELT", and not to judge parents on this day (except I'm about to) - how on earth are you allowing your kids to be interviewed? My hands ache at the THOUGHT of how I would strangle a fucking reporter who dared to speak to my child after an experience like this. Papa Bear would choke you. A lot.
 
Man this really does feel like 9/11. 12/14/12 will be seared in my brain forever. What a devastating year for this. Let's go to the movies! Let's go to the mall! Let's go to school!
 
(sigh)