The Susan Sequel

It’s been over a week, and there is absolutely nothing left to write about the Parkland tragedy. Of course, that has never stopped me from opening my mouth before, so why should this be any different. Most people I’ve spoken with are still vacillating between anger and sadness, fury and grief. Their emotions are still too raw, too real, too close to home. However, despite this, I still feel a sense of hope in those that I speak to and listen to on the news and elsewhere. And, this cannot be said nearly enough… the Douglas High School students are absolutely incredible. Like many others, I have been glued to the TV and watched the CNN Town Hall in disbelief; in awe that these kids, the victims of a horrific tragedy, have the courage, poise and tenacity to stand up for themselves and the other kids in this nation. This week, I was particularly moved by the following quote from John F. Kennedy that Rabbi Jessica Brockman, of Temple Beth El in Boca Raton, posted on Facebook: “Ever since David slew Goliath, the Jewish people have never considered youth a barrier to leadership.” In watching the Douglas kids and all the other children protesting across America, this quote hit home, regardless of anyone’s particular religious affiliation. In this tragedy, we have seen it all: hope, pain, morality, determination, animosity, eloquence, sadness and unity. And yet, there is so much more to be said and done. Just a few of my random thoughts from this week:

• Everyone has to stop saying it is “too soon” to discuss gun reform after a gun related shooting! To quote Douglas student Emma Gonzales… this is BS. Immediately following a mass shooting is precisely the time to discuss gun reform (“Too soon” should only apply to someone going on a date the night of their spouse’s funeral);
• The CNN Town Hall was literally the MOST amazing night of television I have seen in a long time. We were riveted in my house; the major networks should hire the Douglas kids to attend the daily press briefings with Sarah Sanders (they would cause her to twitch and roll her eyes more than normal);
• Where are Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell? It was bad enough that neither Governor Rick Scott or Donald Trump could muster the energy to attend the CNN Town Hall but the Republican leadership has been virtually silent since the shooting (I am going to assume their silence condones Trump’s statement that the NRA are “good people” and “patriots”);
• The NRA is evil, pure & simple. To be clear, they have one agenda; that is, to operate as a powerful, wealthy, pro-gun lobbying group, representing the manufacturers of weapons. Their motives are clear: to sell more guns and make more money. They do not, for one second, actually care about the safety or security of our children or schools (I won’t even address Dana Loesch or Wayne LaPierre in this post because they are both complete liars who absolutely disgust me). However, I am incredibly encouraged by the companies that have dropped the NRA in the week since the shooting and look forward to supporting those who join in the movement (I am suddenly inspired to go this weekend and rent cars from Enterprise, Alamo and National);
• I do not subscribe to the theory that Marco Rubio should be commended for showing up to the CNN Town Hall. As one of 2 state Senators, it is his JOB to speak to his constituents, the age of those constituents not with-standing (these accolades are eerily similar of those given to a father who “babysits” his own child). Simply because Florida’s Governor is a coward does not mean that Rubio’s actions are either heroic or commendable;
• Did anyone else think Donald Trump was asleep during his “listening session”? I personally found his incoherent nodding very distracting and disingenuous; how much listening could have actually been going on if he needed a cheat sheet to remind him to say, “I hear you” (and why was it only #5… what were 3 & 4 that we couldn’t see) and
• I stand firm in my belief that the 2^nd Amendment does not extend to weapons of war and that semi-automatic weapons, high-capacity magazine style weapons and bump stocks should be banned. Military grade weapons were created for the purpose of causing death and have no place in our society, regardless of the NRA or its money (let us not forget that this strategy worked fairly well from 1994-2004).

Finally, and most importantly, I believe that the concept of arming teachers is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard (and Donald Trump has said a lot of stupid things). I cannot imagine that this is what we have come to, that we refuse to try something that has been proven to work in numerous other countries (I had some pretty bad teachers in my day and would not have wanted them to be “packing” at school). If it weren’t so frightening, the idea would be the epitome of irony; the US Government can’t even afford to purchase books, staplers or paper towels but suddenly have the funds to purchase glocks for 20-40% of teachers (I’ve donated more than my fair share of supplies to my kids’ various classrooms through the years). My parents were graduates of Florida’s public school system, my husband and I both graduated from Florida’s public school system and my daughter is a graduate of a Florida public school (my son is still enrolled as a Junior). We’ve weathered many a storm in the public school system (ad nauseum testing, departmentalization, poor administrations and/or superintendents, lack of funding, etc.) yet I’ve never felt that, for me, these things were public school deal breakers. Arming teachers is a whole different ball of wax; I am 100%, firmly opposed to any such proposals (there are hundreds of arguments as to why, should you want to hear them). Sadly, and for the very first time, I am actually relieved that my tenure in the public school system is almost at an end (as an active PTA mom for the last 15 years, this is a harder statement for me to make than you would imagine).

I would love to hear some of your feedback about the last week and your experiences and/or emotions. I know I am all over the place, but so are my feelings about everything orbiting the Douglas tragedy. The only thing I know, for sure, is that I am beyond proud of the Douglas kids and all the other kids out there doing their part to support them. As President Obama tweeted to the kids just this week “we’ve been waiting for you. And we’ve got your backs”. #DouglasStrong