I’m an alumni of Virginia Tech. I was sitting in my senior World Lit class in high school on April 16, 2007. I had friends at Tech. I remember the silence over the room and then the tears. I hate crying in front of people but that day I laid my head on the desk and sobbed. I’d been accepted early decision in December 2006. I was a friend of Hokies and I too was a Hokie. I felt like my heart was breaking. It was the most terrifying moment of my life–even more than September 11. That was far away in New York, Virginia Tech was going to be my home in a few short months.
My friends were safe, changed but safe. Everyone changed. My boyfriend’s brother was a sophomore that year. He was rushing to his way to class in Norris (where the shootings were) but heard shots and ran back to his dorm. He was late for class so he got to live. He now carries his pistol everywhere. He doesn’t feel safe without it. And I can’t say I blame him.
The Aurora shootings were a nightmare too. Children were hurt but not like last Friday. Last Friday I heard about the shootings and tuned it out. I worked 12 hours and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t think about children full of bullet holes. I pushed through Friday and then waited until the end of the weekend to jump into the gun debate.
But then today someone posted an article about how it might have been a conspiracy theory and I considered it. It’s strange how few survivors there were but then Brendan looked it up and told me that the shooter “double tapped” the kids. He shot one boy 8 times…8 times…8 bullet holes in his little body…
And I lost it. It’s been about an hour so I’m not sobbing anymore, just covered in tears and my heart is broken all over again. I want to have children. I want to bring a life into this fucked up world and I’m terrified. I don’t know that I can do it. A school should be a safe place and it’s not anymore. Now it’s not a safe haven.
What now? What do we do now? Do we ban guns? Do we label all Autistic people as murderers and don’t let them buy guns? Do we make mental health a priority? Do we start teaching our kids responsibility and the value of a life?
Let’s talk about guns for starters. Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. Once a person has sat down and decided they are going to kill people, they’ll do it. You can take away guns but look at the Oklahoma City Bombings. He used fertilizer and wood. He found a way. look at September 11. They used planes and small make-shift weapons. These are two great tragedies we lived through and there were no guns. Friday’s tragedy involves guns, yes, but guns are not the common denominator in these three tragedies–evil, sick, mentally ill people are. Or in the case of September 11, religiously brainwashed people (also a mental illness, I think).
There are evil people in this world. There are people that decide there life is worth nothing and that their sole purpose in life is to murder innocent people. We cannot stop them by banning guns, knives, baseball bats, or fertilizer. We can try to stop them by being responsible.
The most important step starts at home. Raise your damn kids right. Stop trying to tell them nothing is their fault. Don’t tell them it’s McDonald’s fault they’re fat asses. Don’t tell them it’s the teacher’s fault they fail math. Stop it. Stop all of that. Your kid is fat because you feed them shit food and they’re failing because they’re stupid, lazy brats that you continue to enable. You’re enabling your kids to be worthless. Good job.
Now we have a generation of kids that think they’re worthless and that they are worthless because of everyone in the world but them. Then your kid walks into an elementary school and murders 27 people. This is what’s wrong with the world. This, this, this, and this again.
I’ll keep my guns, thanks. And you be a fucking parent.
This somber post turned into a rant. I’d apologize but that would mean I was sorry for how it ended and I’m not. It needs to be said. It’s needs to be screamed from the rooftops. I don’t want my children to die like the poor babies in Connecticut. I want them to live in a world of mature adults that know that there is no one responsible for you but you. That’s my Christmas wish–that people take responsibility and teach their children to do the same. We can all wish for peace on Earth but if this shit keeps going on, we’ll never come close.
