Although I didn’t write this letter to the editor (received it as an email from a friend)—— I wish I had, because it says everything I believe — but she did leave out the Pledge and Prayer in class.
If you can print this — that would be awesome.
( Kelly Guthrie Raley:
“Okay, I’ll be the bad guy and say what no one else is
brave enough to say, but wants to say. I’ll take all the
criticism and attacks from everyone because you know
what? I’m a TEACHER. I live this life daily. And I
wouldn’t do anything else! But I also know daily I could
end up in an active shooter situation.
Until we, as a country, are willing to get serious and
talk about mental health issues, lack of available care
for the mental health issues, lack of discipline in the
home, horrendous lack of parental support when the
schools are trying to control horrible behavior at
school (oh no! Not MY KID. What did YOU do to cause my
kid to react that way?), lack of moral values, and yes,
I’ll say it-violent video games that take away all
sensitivity to ANY compassion for others’ lives, as well
as reality TV that makes it commonplace for people to
constantly scream up in each others’ faces and not value
any other person but themselves, we will have a gun
problem in school. Our kids don’t understand the
permanency of death anymore!!!
I grew up with guns. Everyone knows that. But you know
what? My parents NEVER supported any bad behavior from
me. I was terrified of doing something bad at school, as
I would have not had a life until I corrected the
problem and straightened my ass out. My parents invaded
my life. They knew where I was ALL the time. They made
me have a curfew. They made me wake them up when I got
home. They made me respect their rules. They had full
control of their house, and at any time could and would
go through every inch of my bedroom, backpack, pockets,
anything! Parents: it’s time to STEP UP! Be the parent
that actually gives a crap! Be the annoying mom that
pries and knows what your kid is doing. STOP being their
friend. They have enough “friends” at school. Be their
parent. Being the “cool mom” means not a damn thing when
either your kid is dead or your kid kills other people
because they were allowed to have their space and
privacy in YOUR HOME. I’ll say it again. My home was
filled with guns growing up. For God’s sake, my daddy
was an 82nd Airborne Ranger who lost half his face
serving our country. But you know what? I never dreamed
of shooting anyone with his guns. I never dreamed of
taking one! I was taught respect for human life,
compassion, rules, common decency, and most of all, I
was taught that until I moved out, my life and bedroom
wasn’t mine…it was theirs. And they were going to know
what was happening because they loved me and wanted the
best for me.
There. Say that I’m a horrible person. I didn’t bring
up gun control, and I will refuse to debate it with
anyone. This post wasn’t about gun control. This was me,
loving the crap out of people and wanting the best for
them. This was about my school babies and knowing that
God created each one for greatness, and just wanting
them to reach their futures. It’s about 20 years ago
this year I started my teaching career. Violence was not
this bad 20 years ago. Lack of compassion wasn’t this
bad 20 years ago. And God knows 20 years ago that I
wasn’t afraid daily to call a parent because I KNEW that
9 out of 10 would cuss me out, tell me to go to Hell,
call the news on me, call the school board on me, or
post all over FaceBook about me because I called to let
them know what their child chose to do at
school…because they are a NORMAL kid!!!!!
Those 17 lives mattered. When are we going to take our
own responsibility seriously?”)
Thank you,
Kris Briody
Carefree
