I woke up very angry this morning. I was angry when I washed my hair. I was angry when I washed my face. I have been so enraged over the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh. I am still angry. I am angry that there are so many people on the wrong side of history. I am angry that 45 gets to mock a sexual assault victim & the GOP are too chicken shit to stand up to him. I am angry that the FBI investigation was a façade. I am angry that the GOP allowed it to get to this point. I tried to let it go, but couldn’t. I was angry most of the morning.
I went through my day, giving a Beowulf test to my seniors.
During lunch, two students came to stop by and say hello. They showed me a trailer of a documentary coming out about the events of 2/14, called “Parkland: Inside Building 12.” There was footage from inside one of the classrooms, which I’ve seen once or twice before. One of the students asked me if I wanted to see the whole video from the classroom. I hesitantly said yes. I watched it and my breath left my body. So many of those student were mine last year and are still mine this year. I saw, through this cell phone video, what they all saw that day. I heard the screams. I saw the bodies. I saw their fear. It just made me so sad and left me speechless. It also energized me to continue to fight for a change.
I took all of my energy and anger, and harnessed it for an event I attended in the evening. I was invited to attend a gun prevention event sponsored by Everytown for Gun Safety, Orange Ribbons for Jaime and Change the Ref.
It was an amazing night. I got to meet the former Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg. I got to listen to Fred Guttenberg (Jaime’s father) and Manuel Oliver (Joaquin’s father). I got to hear their love of their children. I got to see the fire in their souls. I got to speak to people who are working toward gun safety around the country. I cried when Fred showed a video of Jaime dancing. I got choked up when Manuel shows a video of Joaquin singing and being silly in the car. I felt for them as a mother, and also as a teacher who was at MSD that day. I have a unique perspective, because I see it from both sides.
Today was also Meadow’s birthday. I tweeted that she should have turned 19. I will always remember her as the beautiful girl in my freshman English class.
For more information about the organizations mentioned, visit: