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!