Monday, December 17, 2012

My 9 Year Old Is Afraid to Go to School

Given the exhaustive, nonstop press about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, I spent the weekend thinking there was no way I'd blog about it.  I didn't want to give it any more attention, because I think the endless focus on it makes it harder to get over, and more likely that someone else will do it.  And I don't believe mine and a bunch of other strangers' attention and support is helping those families and that town cope.

But my 9 year old is afraid to go to school today.  As I know millions of kids all over the country are.  She's afraid. To. Go. To. School.  In 4th grade.  She's scared that someone will get into her elementary school and hurt a bunch of the kids, including her.

Where do we live?  Afghanistan?  Nope.  Safe, secure, modern, civil - we live in the USA.

Not that it's acceptable that Afghan children might be afraid of very similar things.

If I heard about this happening in a middle eastern country, I'd be horrified and sad, but at the same time a little relieved to be living in a civilized, 1st world country where that could never happen.

Up until this morning I was just sad.  Horrified, disgusted, ashamed of us as a country, that we can't protect our children from violence.  Today though, I'm a little mad.

I'm mad that my daughter has to be afraid to go to school.

I'm mad that the media sensationalizes these things to the point that I've read that maybe these suicidal people see all the attention mass shooters get and think, why just take myself out when I can take a bunch of people with me and get famous?

I'm mad that it's legal for me to go get a huge assault rifle, if I want to.

I'm mad that some people think teachers should have guns in their classrooms.  Can you imagine sending your child to a school where every teacher has a loaded gun in a desk drawer?  Now THAT would make me scared to let her go to school.

This isn't Pakistan.  Do we need to arm ourselves like that to ensure we'll survive the day?  It's ridiculous that it's come to that.

I'm also grateful that this article written by a mom of a mentally ill child has gotten so many views over the past weekend.  People need to realize that there are parents out there today, right now, raising kids who could be the next shooters, and they know it, and they can't get any help stopping it.

I hope this is it.  I hope this is the one that sparks change.  We need to get weapons out of the hands of people with mental problems.  That's all I'm going to say.

No comments:

Labels

#youmightbeanautismparentif 2012 in review 9/11 memories ABA therapy Acceptance acronyms advocacy affection aggression AJ Aliza Aliza the playwright All I really need to know... Alphabitty Moments American Girl Ann Coulter antibullying anxiety anxiety in parents of children with special needs apple orchard apps for autism AppSmitten Arbaclofen Arbitrary Thoughts ARC autism autism brushing autism portrayed in TV shows Autism Shines awareness backyard band baseball bath toys beds behavior problems being tall Birthday Boys biting blog change blog hop blogging books bottles brushing bubbles Burnsville Fire Muster bus Cabin Fever in Minnesota candy Carly Fleischmann Carly's Voice cats cats and dogs chewys Chicago childcare for special needs children childhood Children's Museum chocolate Christmas Church circumin clinical trials Clonidine CNN Hero of 2011 coffee communication comparisons computer Conference cost of special education Courage Center Curcumin daddy dance dance competition dance moms Dental surgery dentist developmental milestones diagnosis diapers Diego Disability Day dogs Dolphin Tale Doomsday Preparation Dora Doritos drug trials DVD player early intervention earrings Easter ECSE Parent Retreat electronic gadgets electronics Everything I need to know... Evil Overlord fall falling asleep at school families family fashion fear Featured Feel Good Friday field trip fireworks first day of school Flash Gordon Food Chronicles food issues in Fragile X and autistic children forms forts Fragile Face of God Fragile X Fragile X advocate Fragile X and autism Fragile X Awareness Day Fragile X carriers Fragile X in the news Fragile X presentation Fragile X statistics Fragile X Writers friends fundraiser for Fragile X funniest Funny Gabrielle Giffords Galveston games getting carsick Girls' Night Out Giving Spirit glasses global warming going home Good Morning Great Quotes guest blogs guest post haircuts Halloween hearing test Heaven is for Real hippotherapy holidays Holland Holly home life homework hotel hugging human behavior hyperactivity IEP Meeting IEPs in the news inclusion inspiration integration iPad iPad apps iPad apps for autism IQ testing Jack Jablonski January First Joke journal entry kids with Fragile X and animals Kindergarten Kindle kisses language study learning to talk leaves lemonade stand Lily Little Einsteins losing teeth Mad Gab makeup mall Mall of America marcia braden McDonalds media sensationalization medications Melatonin Miami MIND Institute Minnesota Bloggers Conference minocycline Miracle League monkeys mosquito bites Mother's Day movies MVMOM Used Clothing and Equipment Sale nail trimming names naughtiness neighbors nicknames nightmares normal off topic one thing leads to another online dating Operation Beautiful oral sensory orphan drug act other bloggers Our Wedding outside overstimulation panic attacks parade parental stress Parenthood park Partners in Policymaking penicillin people with disabilities pets pharmacy fun photography Photoshop picnic Pictures pinching pink shirt Pinterest playing outside playing with toys poem politics poop potty training Presents protecting autistic children rash reading to kids research Retreat riding a bike Robin Williams Roger Ebert routine RSS feed RUSH University San Diego Sandy Hook Elementary Santa schedules school school bus school notes school pictures screaming self image self-checkouts sensory Seroquel siblings with developmental delays sick kids sippy cups sleep smile snow pictures Snowstorm social situations speaking of the unspeakable special education special education evaluation special needs kids special needs parents Special Needs Ryan Gosling Special Olympics spelling spoon feeding spring break staying positive stimming Strep STX209 Stylish Blog Award suicide summer Sunday School Sundays sunshine survival mode swimming talking talking to kindergarteners Target teacher's aides Teeth brushing Tegretol Temple Grandin Ten Commandments textbook case of Fragile X thankful thanksgiving that window/mirror thing The Autism Store The R Word the rapid passage of time The Right Things to say to parents of special needs children The Santa Experience the Shedd Aquarium The Twin Thing The Wiggles therapeutic horseback riding therapy This is Autism topless trampoline traveling with special needs children TV twins with special needs Twitter typical Fragile X characteristics typical kids typing vacation Vacation Bible School video games videos volunteering Waisman Center water play way-back-Wednesday What I've Learned What's your song? when a special needs parent dies Wiggles Wii games Winner Winner Chicken Dinner winter wonder Wonder Pets Wordful Wednesday Wordless Wednesday Words of Wisdom World Autism Awareness Day YMCA You Tube Zack Zoloft zoo animals

Fragile X Blogs