5/25/22, AGAIN?
Hi Everyone,
Serious times. Tragic Times. Columbine….Sandy Hook….and now Uvalde….so many other schools….so many children…..so many others, in grocery stores, in churches, in subways, in parks, on the streets….gunned down, because the weapons were available. It’s about inadequate mental health care, about greed and commerce, about a highly profitable lethal industry, and those who defend it. I don’t care about politics. I care about children and other humans, whatever their color or nationality. I ache for the grieving parents whose worst nightmare just happened. I have buried a son. I know their pain, I’ve lived it.
When did children become expendable, when did we stop protecting them, and why? Why wasn’t more done after Sandy Hook, as those parents live with a weight on their hearts forever. In Ukraine children are being bombed and mowed down, infants have been killed, and in schools all around this country. Children used to have fire drills, now they have drills about what to do when a gunman enters their school. They live with fear and survive trauma. Will they be the lucky ones who survive, or the tragedy of those who don’t. Why are the shooters not singled out and stopped sooner. Why are the weapons so readily available? The tragedies are too numerous now to remember…Las Vegas….the school shooting years ago in an Amish school, committed on peaceful unarmed people. Parents drop their children off at school now not knowing if their precious babies will be coming home. What world are they growing up in where violence is commonplace?. And some of our braver lawmakers have said “What are we doing? Why is this happening? Why is no one acting to stop it?” Questions we have to ask ourselves. High school students blame us for not doing more to protect them, and they’re right. These very young children at Uvalde, and at Sandy Hook had no voice to accuse us with, to ask the hard questions. It is OUR job to protect them, and we are failing abysmally. If we go to the grocery store, or the hardware store, or to church on Sunday, we don’t know if we will be gunned down while buying a loaf of bread.
We MUST protect the children and each other….We nurture our children and love them and teach them, and guard their health and get them vaccines against diseases…..and this scourge, this plague is far worse than any other and more destructive. And we will go to bed tonight, knowing that a mother’s heart is aching in Texas after the worst day of her life. Twenty one of them. We must do more than mourn them. We need to change things, to make a difference, to not just roll the dice every morning and hope that our kids will come home from school today. We need action and commitment and courage. When our children were born, we vowed to protect them. And then one deranged person changes everything….with a gun, and bullets. There aren’t enough tears in the world to wash our consciences clean, of all that we haven’t done to change it.
A tragedy like this cant happen again. Those children deserved to grow old, to have children and grandchildren one day. We are all responsible for their deaths, because we have done nothing to stop it. May all of the children who have died as victims of these tragedies live forever in our hearts, and it’s up to us to save their sisters and brothers, protect them, and make it a safe world.
with all my love, Danielle
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Dear Danielle,
You do something to stop this.
You write books about characters who do the necessary work to go through real struggles.
Us readers can find courage, motivation and strength through them.
Have a blessed day!
Beatrice
Hello Danielle,
With tears of sorrow I write this in a feeble attempt to comfort those in Uvalde who have lost a little child.
A video of a deceased little girl was played on a newscast, and it brought tears to my eyes. She said “This is what I want you to know, when you die you will be with Jesus in heaven. “When I heard this, it broke my heart—-so sweet.
There is a Bible verse to back up this truth. 2 Samuel 12:23 When King David’s little one died, he said, “Now he has died, why should I fast? Can I bring him back? I SHALL GO TO HIM,BUT HE WILL NOT RETURN TO ME”. So when David dies, he will meet his child in heaven. We can have this promise too, if we surrender our lives to the Lord .
I pray that this will give abit of comfort to those who are deeply grieving over the tragic loss of a dear little child.
God bless our nation in these uncertain times !!! And thank you for your heartfelt BLOG.
With love and thanksgiving for your tender heart, Bonnie
“And we will go to bed tonight, knowing that a mother’s heart is aching in Texas after the worst day of her life. Twenty one of them. We must do more than mourn them. We need to change things, to make a difference, to not just roll the dice every morning and hope that our kids will come home from school today. We need action and commitment and courage.” DS
Amen.
Thank you, Danielle.
Having been a teacher, I was profoundly saddened by the death of 19 students and 2 teachers.
I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child.
I wanted to pray for their community and I found some things from my faith and the news which brought me peace. I wanted to share them here because “what blesses one blesses all.”
First, a person from the Robb Elementary School said: “Please pray for us as that is what will help us get through this tragedy.”
Next, a father of a 10 year old who was killed stated:
“Thank you everyone for the prayers and help trying to find my baby. She’s been found. My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don’t take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. I love you Amerie jo. Watch over your baby brother for me,”.
I thought of one of my students back when I was a teacher in Mexico.
One time, she asked if she could erase my board after class. She then told me she was ready to give up on humanity with all this killing in the news. She was 12 years old. I really didn’t know how to respond at the time other than not to give up on hope (belief and expectation that we will get through it). Perhaps this is dedicated to her or anyone who feels overwhelmed and like giving up.
“So, what does all this mean when there’s a shooting in your city or your neighborhood? Or at your school?
It means you have choices to make. You can choose not to lose faith in God or humanity. You can choose not to get angry or vindictive.
And beyond that, you can choose to pray. You can take a stand for the basic redeemability of humanity.
And you can do something more. You can find a faith in God’s justice and mercy that assures you that good has to win out because God/Good is omnipotent.
Every thought like this helps. It helps save and heal the victims of crime. If helps you know what to do in a crisis. And it takes a modest step toward redeeming teenage violence.”
May God bless us all.
Rob Scott
I use to receive notice on your upcoming books. I no longer receive them and I am disappointed. I always read every book you publish and this past year I have not received any correspondence. What has happened? Are you no longer writing?