Winter on Maine Street, Newtown, Connecticut.
I am leading Community Meeting in the
Day Treatment Intensive Program. There are five children ranging in ages from five to nine sitting around me. They are here because they have been diagnosed with emotional and behavioral problems that interfere with their development, their relationships, and their ability to learn and function in their classrooms. These children are a joy to be with, they seek my praise and comfort, and settle into their surroundings with ease.
I am listening to a five year old tell me about her day at school. She describes some good and bad parts to it. She puts her teenage attitude on and then crumbles in her seat. She begins to describe how she was crying in the bathroom, that the teacher was trying to coax her inside and encourage her to be quiet because there is an intruder at the school. The principle is saying something over the loud speaker but she doesn’t know what because she is losing what control she had. I realize then they were doing a lock down drill, which has the potential to traumatize and retraumatize these children - and in my own thoughts beyond my therapist voice is the face of my daughter.
I ask if the children who go to other elementary schools in the district also had a lock down drill today and they nodded that they did. One girl stated that because she has experienced a few now, she is more used to it but the sound of the alarm is frightening and she has trouble calming down from the whole experience. These children are young enough that they do not understand what they are doing is not real, that there really is no intruder on campus. So, why then, are they being put through this?
I do my best to provide comfort and reassure their safety. I tell them there was no intruder on campus today. I tell them they were being asked to practice in the unlikely event there were someone on campus that is not supposed to be there. I reinforce their safety. I tell them their teachers will keep them safe, as if they were their own children. For those minutes, they are their children. I tell them they must follow directions and practice the drill so their teachers and the other adults can do what they need to do for everyone’s safety. I tell them that on most days, nothing happens and most likely nothing will happen to elicit a real lock down. I reinforce that this is practice but that they will most likely not experience a real lockdown.
I am flashing to the images of SandyHook, Aurora and Oak Creek, WI - to the families who will celebrate birthdays and holidays without their loved one present. I am not sure if what I am saying is true because twenty children and six educators were killed at an elementary school a year ago this Saturday. I know we are close to the day, December 14, 12/14, the day my husband cried and left early to pick up our daughter at school. I do not lie to these children, so how can I assure their safety to provide them the comfort and reassurance they need? Later on, a colleague tells me she heard this discussion at the door and felt the children were reassured. I am relieved but I cannot stop wondering how the children and teachers of Newtown are dealing with lock down drills. What is the balance of reinforcing safety standards with one’s mental heath? Am I OK with my daughter having a panic attack while under her desk because the adults are playing “let’s keep the kids safe” from an intruder who does not exist, who may never exist at her school, but who will somewhere, some time, unpredictably, and who may injure or kill another child or educator because our current laws do not adequately provide for our safety under most circumstances. What are we willing to sacrifice?
My Beautiful Town
Through the long winter night
we shall lift up this light
lift our hearts with every voice
through the dark and moving forth
there’s a path to be found
holy ground
There are signs along the way
there is music to be played
and the air we breathe in
this is where we begin
there’s no map but we are bound
on holy ground
My Beautiful town
My Beautiful Town
Let the snow fall again
I’ll be with you my friend
and though slowly comes the spring
time with turn and time will bring
bring us all, all around,
holy ground
My Beautiful Town
My Beautiful Town
Music & Lyrics by Jim Allyn, Newtown Youth Voices. All proceeds benefit the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation's Community Fund.
Today is December 14. A year ago today we lost 20 children and 6 educators because we have an epidemic of gun violence in our country taking the lives of our loved ones. We must keep these loved ones in our memories for their courage outlives their lives; their memories are the driving force for action.
Their memories are hope, peace and love.
Love and persistence outweighs and outlives.
This is the video made to honor victims of #gunviolence from submissions of photographs by their loved ones for the National Vigil for Victims of Gun Rights held on Thursday in Washington, DC at the Washington National Cathedral.
From the Newtown Action Alliance:
Brady Campaign Petition: please consider signing an on-line petition put forth by one of the members of the Brady Campaign. This petition is to restore liability to gun makers and to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) … in other words, to make it possible to sue a gun manufacturer. The petition can be found at here.
Please Call the House of Representatives in DC regarding BILL HR-1565. The background check bill that failed in the Senate is going to be introduced in the House as HR-1565. All of the CT Reps are co-sponsors. Click here to contact the House of Representatives. The bill can be found here.
We are all #Newtown and we are all #Hartford. And #Baltimore, #Chicago, #Detroit, #Aurora, #Tucson, #VirginiaTech, and #Columbine. We all stand united in our quest to end the parade of pain. We all seek peace. PEACE." #HonorWithAction
A memorial sign in Newtown, Connecticut.
We Are All Newtown
Newtown Memorial Garden
“I have HOPE, hope that because of this new coalition of Americans, "change is gonna come". Newtown is no longer just a place, but a movement.”
“We are all Newtown and we are all Hartford. And Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Aurora, Tucson, Virginia Tech, and Columbine. We all stand united in our quest to end the parade of pain. We all seek peace. PEACE.”
“We are all Newtown. We choose love. LOVE! Honor with action.”
~Monte Frank
Americans from very different communities are locking arms and honoring the memories of the more than 30,000 victims of gun violence since 12/14 by performing acts of kindness. In this way, those lost to gun violence will be honored with action.
http://newtownaction.org
#HonorWithAction
#ActsOfKindness
#Newtown
We Are All Newtown Blogathon posts from 9AM Eastern to 8PM Eastern, Saturday, December 14, every couple hours throughout the day. Featuring Monte Frank who is in Washington DC for the National Vigil For Victims of Gun Violence.
|
"We Are All Newtown" Diaries
We Are All Newtown: 12/14 Blogathon by Glen The Plumber
Why No Action Was Taken by Dave in Northridge
The Price of Inaction is hard to Count by jamess
Shots Felt Around the World by koNko
Baby Teeth by VetGrl
The Newtown Movement by MonteFrank
Silence is not what we need now. Can we get this on TV? 88kathy