FreeFall

I'm in complete shock over today's news. I grew up very near Newtown. My friends' children attended that school up until last June. I also used to teach young children so the whole thing hits way too close to home. What a senseless and horrific tragedy. WTF is up with this world when there are people crazy enough to want to shoot young children, and they can easily get the tools to do so? This thing has me anxious and rattled and I'm not even a parent.
I've been pretty useless since I heard the news. Drinking to escape my thoughts seems really attractive right now but I'm not going to. Just sad

ebshot

I can say this horrible tragedy has affected our entire state. We are all in a state of horror and shock. I am just sickened by it and my children are also very shaken up. As they left school today they were escorted to their buses by the state police but the younger kids had no idea why. My older daughter and I were able to talk and try to process the events but neither one of us can really wrap our heads around it. So incredibly sad and tragic.

Dee74

I think some horrors are too massive to escape from FF.
Better we just try and comfort each other through this.

D

EternalQ

All I have tonight to offer them is prayer and meditation and love.
So helpless.

pattyj

I am a preschool teacher and have known my boyfriend's 9yearold daughter for 6 years. It is such a horrific tragedy. 5-10yearolds killed? This has got to stop. Crazy people need to leave others out of their crazy world.
I don't think that drinking will help the situation. Cry, get upset, be useless. Don't drink. You will thank yourself later.

FreeFall

Erica, I'm so sorry you're so close to the situation. Unimaginable to have to find words to help a child process this.

pattyj

I can't imagine living in Connecticut with children at this moment in time... Sometimes there are no words.

MIRecovery

This type of horrible and senseless act I choose to put in the God box. I will never understand how the death of innocent children can somehow be what was intended.

I do know that I was ment to stay alive and to stay sober. I will be praying for all those in grief and pain even though I do not understand.

Pondlady

Patty,
I'm a pre-school director and am sick about this. We're required to conduct lock down drills....but how do you protect against evil insanity? I've already received messages from parents and board members asking if we have procedures, they are afraid.

I'm glad for the week end. Next week is our last week of school before Christmas break, to be filled with fun and joy.....and it will be, the children deserve it.

Fandy

who in their right mind would murder 20 kindergarten children?

my heart goes to their families...i cannot imagine the depth of their pain

Delilah1

As a mom and an elementary school principal I can't stop crying thinking about the senseless events that happened in Connecticut today. I am watching my daughter at ballet right now and my heart breaks for parents who will. Ever be able to watch their child play in a game, perform in a recital or hug them goodnight again. I will definitely be hugging all of my children a little tighter tonight, and will be praying for the families that have lost loved ones.

exauhsted

20 Angels in Heaven...........

God Bless these people in their time of need.

I am sikened by this world we live in, and am glad that I know there is a better one awaiting.

FreeFall

It would be hard to be a director, teacher, or principal in these times. So many people relying on you to keep their children safe when it is completely out of your control. Scary that you have to conduct drills to practice for lunacy just in case. Sad that you have to try to help children make sense of insanity.

I am now reading some of the kids left notes to their parents while in lock down during the tragedy. Heartbreaking.

Hevyn

What a long and painful road these families will have to travel - and they'll never be the same. They've been on my mind all day, and I doubt I'll sleep. It just didn't seem right to go about my daily routine. At least we can all come together here with them in mind, and pray that somehow they will make it through this.

sugarbear1

We of all people should understand he wasn't in a right state of mind.

He wasn't taking his prescribed meds properly and we don't know if he had drunk alcohol or had taken other drugs.

Sick people do sick things.

My deepest condolences to the families.

soberlicious

We have routine lockdowns at our school too, but that doesn't guarantee safety. In this case, the perpetrator was a staff member's son. It is not unusual for families members to be at our school. How could it have been prevented? As I said on the other thread, there just are no words. Having a hard time wrapping my head around this tragedy.

Pondlady

So true Soberlicious. After our last drill I was talking with the police officer and he said the latest research shows people can be lulled into a false sense of security by "scripted drills" - people do what they're supposed to do, when sometimes the situation calls for a different action. I tell our staff, do the drill....UNLESS something else makes more sense.

renaldo

There was just an incident in Oregon, and now this. Michael Moore was right when he made the film "Bowling for Columbine." America is a violent society.

I remember the Polly Klaas abduction/rape/murder here in Northern California. That tore people apart. I would kill myself before I hurt another person. It's just not in me to be violent.

When I see people getting tanked on booze at sporting events and getting into fist fights, I just know that's not for me. Never was. Although I will confess to attending a few Ozzy concerts where the bedlam outnumbered the police force. Youthful whimsy I suppose.

The irony is that most of the advice my parents gave me was spot on. I just had to go out and explore to figure out that what they said made sense. Good practical, down to earth sense... like don't run on your credit card, don't talk negatively of others behind their backs, etc.

Oh yeah, they also warned me about drinking and drugs and sex. Never had much of the sex, but the D&D... more than one should be expected to be alive after. Holy moley!

jennikate

I live in Connecticut and work in the kindergarten of an elementary school. It hits way too close to home. I can't help but see the little faces of the kids I work with. Can't even imagine if I couldn't look forward to seeing them on Monday. I can't imagine what it's going to be like for those families, the other students, and school staff. It will be a hard road ahead.

Mafalda

Having a preschooler and knowing people that suffered during the shootings at Virginia Tech i too was horrified when i first heard the news. Unfortunately horrific things happen everyday. Today a man in China attacked 22 children with a knife. I too look at my 5 year old and think about all the things that could happen but at the end of the day i am somewhat comforted by the fact that we do live in one of the safest countries in the world. You just have to read the paper and the violence that occurs all over the world is truly mind boggling. We are clearly not immune to those that want to hurt innocent people. It's human nature.