On Tuesday, there was a school shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, that left one student dead and seven others wounded. And with school shootings becoming such a common occurrence in the United States—there have been 15 so far in 2019—lockdowns and lockdown drills are becoming a way of life for American schoolchildren. According to The Washington Post, "in the 2017–2018 school year, more than 4.1 million students participated in a lockdown or lockdown drill." And:
These lockdowns can be scarring, causing some kids to cry and wet themselves. Others have written letters bidding their family goodbye or drafted wills that specify what to do with their belongings. And 57 percent of teens worry that a shooting will happen at their school … the pervasiveness of lockdowns and school-shooting drills in the U.S. has created a culture of fear that touches nearly every child across the country. In postwar America, have kids ever been so afraid and so regularly prompted to imagine their own suffering?
Thoughts and prayers.