I went to high school in Colorado.
I went to high school mere miles away from Jefferson County.
I went to high school at a school just like Columbine.
You were probably shocked when it happened. Then it left you, fading into the distance, as just another tragic news story. That is because it didn't happen to you.
There were bumper stickers everywhere that said "We are all Columbine." As BQ put it today in her blog (which I will not link, sorry): "Those "We are ALL Columbine" stickers made me want to scream. We are not all Columbine. They are Columbine, but we were their community. It's like ripples in a pond.... Or maybe a big fucking whale breeching." Its true, I think that's how we all felt after, like: "NO WE WEREN'T COLUMBINE, THERE AREN'T OVER A DOZEN KIDS MISSING FROM OUR SCHOOL NOW." But there were metal detectors, and guards, and threats on our school. We went to school terrified for weeks after. Halls were quieter. Glances were thrown every which way, wondering eyes pondered if the kid at the locker next to them could be a killer. As time moved on and I went to college I found that people from other states would joke about it, in classes, or in the dorms, and I wondered; how could they think it was funny? Then inevitably my eyes would meet with another in-state kid with that same sad look on their face, saying: "You weren't there. You didn't sit in a classroom that day and watch the breaking news. You didn't know someone who died. You didn't go to Prom with one of those kids, or play against them in sports. You didn't go to school the day after, hoping your school wouldn't experience the same tragedy."
So today, I sit in my safe apartment, getting ready to go to class, and I feel all choked up, I remember the moment it happened. The moment I found out. For us, for my class, it is like when Kennedy was shot, or the World Trade Center was attacked. We will all remember exactly where we were when somebody told us there were snipers killing people at a school exactly like our own, suburban, wholesome, and apparently deadly.
For us, today is a day of remembrance.
I went to high school mere miles away from Jefferson County.
I went to high school at a school just like Columbine.
You were probably shocked when it happened. Then it left you, fading into the distance, as just another tragic news story. That is because it didn't happen to you.
There were bumper stickers everywhere that said "We are all Columbine." As BQ put it today in her blog (which I will not link, sorry): "Those "We are ALL Columbine" stickers made me want to scream. We are not all Columbine. They are Columbine, but we were their community. It's like ripples in a pond.... Or maybe a big fucking whale breeching." Its true, I think that's how we all felt after, like: "NO WE WEREN'T COLUMBINE, THERE AREN'T OVER A DOZEN KIDS MISSING FROM OUR SCHOOL NOW." But there were metal detectors, and guards, and threats on our school. We went to school terrified for weeks after. Halls were quieter. Glances were thrown every which way, wondering eyes pondered if the kid at the locker next to them could be a killer. As time moved on and I went to college I found that people from other states would joke about it, in classes, or in the dorms, and I wondered; how could they think it was funny? Then inevitably my eyes would meet with another in-state kid with that same sad look on their face, saying: "You weren't there. You didn't sit in a classroom that day and watch the breaking news. You didn't know someone who died. You didn't go to Prom with one of those kids, or play against them in sports. You didn't go to school the day after, hoping your school wouldn't experience the same tragedy."
So today, I sit in my safe apartment, getting ready to go to class, and I feel all choked up, I remember the moment it happened. The moment I found out. For us, for my class, it is like when Kennedy was shot, or the World Trade Center was attacked. We will all remember exactly where we were when somebody told us there were snipers killing people at a school exactly like our own, suburban, wholesome, and apparently deadly.
For us, today is a day of remembrance.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home