Do you have everything? Homework? Lunch? Field trip money? I love you. I remember that one of the Sandy Hook parents said that they took comfort in the fact that they had seen their child off to school that morning — you know that morning — and said, “I love you.” So before their first grader was gunned down in her classroom, she knew that she was loved. I bet they all did though. But just in case, I love you. We’ve talked about all kinds of scary things, like I’ve told you never to get into a car with anyone you don’t know and don’t ever believe that an adult needs your help finding a puppy or a kitten. Also: no one will ever give you a free iPad or Legos from their car, that’s just not how the world works. But for some reason, amidst all the talk of stranger danger and pedophiles, cancer and dying, and me sheepishly asking your friends’ parents if they have a gun in the house, we haven’t really talked about one of the scariest things of all. Those lockdown drills you’re always having at school? No one’s being straight with you about those. They’re to prepare you in case someone decides to come into your school and murder you, your friends, your principal, the secretaries, and teachers before killing himself (it’s pretty much always a him). Sorry about that. I love you. I know that may sound scary, but what you need to remember is that this country was founded on freedom. And that includes the freedom of all people (sane, crazy, whatever) to have unchallenged access to guns that are capable of executing at least 20 first graders or 12 moviegoers or 9 of the faithful at a church service or even a baby asleep in her car seat. This is very, very important in terms of staying true to the principles and spirit upon which this country was founded. Just ask the Internet.
