I don’t put a lot out about political beliefs or ideals here because it’s not really what this space is about.

But being an educator, all of these school shootings and school safety as a whole is a big concern for me.  And not just for my safety, for Devon’s safety, for all of my friends’ safety that are also educators, for my friends with children that have to go to school scared/wondering if something will happen, for all of the children that have had to deal with this first hand, especially all of the Parkland community that is dealing with a tragedy I can’t even begin to imagine.

It’s become such a “normal” way of life here and it’s horrible.  Our kids deserve better. Our educators deserve better.

I know people are scared and a lot of people are acting out of fear.  There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed; mental health and gun accessibility are just a couple of the bigger ones.  I don’t have answers to them and I’m not sure our current administration does either.  Some of their ideas are terrifying, though.

I am an educator.  I come in to work everyday to care for, educate, and protect our students.  I don’t need a gun in my office to do that.  The day I do, is the day I don’t do this job anymore.

I found this quote/meme last night that sums a lot of the thoughts I have floating around in my head right now that I can’t seem to formulate on my own:

Like I said, I don’t have answers; there isn’t anyone who has all the answers.  There isn’t even one big blanket answer to all of this.

I just know that arming teachers isn’t the answer.  Between the fact that you would lose half of the educators in this country, because most of us feel as I do and refuse to be armed in class, to the fact that you’re putting a weapon in every room.  Sure it may be “locked up” but if someone wants it; they’re going to get it by any means necessary.

This system is broken; this country is broken and I don’t know how to fix it.  But I will keep trying to protect my students every day with what I have – but I will never do it with a weapon.