Jeff always liked to quote Mike Tyson: Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
And we didn’t even have a plan. How could we, for something like that?
It was so unreal that I couldn’t admit it was really happening until I saw Dolly lying there, blood soaking the bright yellow dress. She wasn’t moving. The wall above her, where the kids had tacked their drawings of the Easter Bunny, was pocked with holes.
That’s all I remember. That and the ungovernable rage that has consumed me ever since.
Who would do such a thing?
Why?
a frightening statement about the times we live in. I appreciate the feeling of anger
Senseless violence. The world has never been safe.
Horror is becoming commonplace. And along with it, rage.
Someone with an ungovernable rage, perhaps?
Dear Josh,
You put me right back at places like Sandy Hook. Senseless violence. Well written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
The reality lived by some children I know. And some families who never get to hold theirs again. The rage for not-a-thing-done and the lives of the children worth naught at all to those who prefer to coddle the powerful than protect the helpless.
Uh… uh… speechless here. Wow! That is a “rocking” write. Too bad that it rings so very true for far too many of our young ones these days.
I do like the Tyson quote, if not the man. An unsettling and terrifying story. Hard to fathom that when I was starting school in the 80s and early 90s, school shootings were unheard of.
As Iain said above, an unsettling story. But a reality for more people than we dream of.
Who indeed? A tale of our times, sadly.
Here’s mine!
I was only thinking today how dreadful it is that the words ‘School shooting’ have entered the language together.
That is visceral writing, Josh, dreadfully powerful. It should be required reading for all who have anything to do with making or amending gun laws.
The sad reality is, in these times we’ve created, there should be a plan in place. I assume school’s still have fire drills. School shootings are more common than school fires.
Wow, that knocked me over. School shootings have faded into the background since Covid-19 took over. It only shows how easily the public gets distracted. Thanks for the grim reminder.
Who and why are poignant questions. Perhaps a sign of our times. So well written.