I cannot verify whether these words were "written by one of the Uvalde victims Moms," but it is a searing indictment of our inability to protect our children. All of the impotent, flaccid "leaders" who are cowering behind their tired, lame excuses and posturing behind their microphones need to sit directly in front of the victim's families while this is read to them.
"The chicken soup in her thermos stayed hot all day long while her body grew cold.
She never had a chance to eat the baloney and cheese sandwich. I got up 10 minutes early to remove the crust off a sandwich that will never be eaten.
Should I call and cancel her dental appointment next Wednesday? Will the Dentists office automatically know?
Should I still take her brother to the dental appointment since I already took the day of from work? Last time Carlos had 1 cavity and Amerie asked him what having a cavity feels like.
She will never experience having a cavity.
She will never experience having a cavity filled.
The cavities in her body now are filled from bullets, and they can never be filled.
What if she had asked to use the bathroom in the hall a few minutes prior to the gunman entering the room, locking the door, and slaughtering all inside?
Was she one of the first kids to die or one of the last?
These are the things they dont tell us.
Which of her friends did she see die before her?
Hannah? Emily?
Did their brains and blood splatter across her Girl scout uniform?
She just earned a fire safety patch.
What if it got ruined?
There are no patches for school shootings.
Was she practicing writing GIRAFFE the moment he walked in the class room, barricaded the door and opened fire?
She keeps forgetting the silent "E" at the end.
We studied this past weekend, and now she doesnt have to take the spelling test on Friday.
None of them will take the spelling test on Friday.
There will be no spelling test on Friday.
Because there is no one to give it.
And no one to take it.
These are the things I will never know:
I will never know at what age she wouldve started her period.
I will never know if she had wisdom teeth. (Or if they would come in crooked)
I will never know who she last spoke to. Was nit the teacher? Was it her table partner, George? She says George is always talking, even during silent reading.
Did she even scream?
She screamed to the lyrics to WE Dont Talk About Bruno at 7:58AM as she hopped out of my car in the circle drive.
She always sings the Dolores part, her sister sings Mirabel and Im Bruno.
"And I want you to know that your Bro loves you so
Let it in, let it out, let it rain, let it snow, let it gooooo............
Did the killer ever see Encanto?
Could we have sat in the same row of seats, on the same day, munching on Popcorn?
What if Amerie brushed past him in the aisle? Did she politely say "excuse me", to the boy who someday blow her eye sockets apart?
Was he chomping away on bubble gum as he destroyed them all? If so, what flavor?
Wintergreen?
Cinnamon?
Was the radio on as drove to the school to massacre the students? Or did he drive in silence?
Was the sun in his eyes as he got out of the car in the parking lot?
Did his pockets hold sunglasses or just ammunition?
These are the things I will never know.
There is laundry in the dryer that is Amerie's.
Clothes that I will no longer fold again.
Clothes that are right now warmer than her body.
How will I ever be able to take them out of the dryer and where will I put them if not back in her dresser?
I can never put clothes in that dryer again.
It will stand silent; a tomb for her pajamas and knee socks.
Her cousin's graduation party is next month, and I already signed her name on the card. Should I cross it out?
That will be the last card I will sign her name to.
The dog will live longer than she will.
The dog will be 12 next month and she will be eternally 10 years old.
What will the school do with her backpack?
It was brand new this year and she attached her collection of keychains like cherished trophies on the zippers.
A beaded 4 leaf clover she made on St. Paddys day.
A red heart from a walk a thon.
A neon ice cream cone from a friends birthday party.
Now there will be no more keychains to attach.
No more trophies.
Surely they cant throw it out?
Would they throw them all out?
19 backpacks, full of stickered assignments and rainboots, all taken to the dumpster behind the school?
Is there even a dumpster big enough to contain all that life?
These are the things some else knows:
The moment the semi automatic rifle was put into his hands---Was "Bring me a Higher Love" playing in the gunstore? "Get Off Of My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones? Maybe it was "Rocket Man" by Elton John.
Did the Outback Oasis salesperson hesitate as they slid him 375 rounds of ammo?
Are there folks thinking "not my problem, my kids are out of school."
Or "I dont have kids so I dont have to worry about them getting their heads blown off across the naptime mats".
Or "fingers crossed there is a good guy nearby with a equally powerful gun that will stop this if needed.
Did they sense any danger or were they more focused on picking that mornings raisin bran out of their teeth?
As a kid I remember a baysitter telling me "Pay attention to what whispers, and you wnot have to when it starts screaming."
But now i know there is a more deafening sound than children screaming.
More horrific even, than automatic rifles on a Tuesday morning.
I beg the world:
Pay attention to what is screaming today, or be forced to endure the silence that follows."
"The chicken soup in her thermos stayed hot all day long while her body grew cold.
She never had a chance to eat the baloney and cheese sandwich. I got up 10 minutes early to remove the crust off a sandwich that will never be eaten.
Should I call and cancel her dental appointment next Wednesday? Will the Dentists office automatically know?
Should I still take her brother to the dental appointment since I already took the day of from work? Last time Carlos had 1 cavity and Amerie asked him what having a cavity feels like.
She will never experience having a cavity.
She will never experience having a cavity filled.
The cavities in her body now are filled from bullets, and they can never be filled.
What if she had asked to use the bathroom in the hall a few minutes prior to the gunman entering the room, locking the door, and slaughtering all inside?
Was she one of the first kids to die or one of the last?
These are the things they dont tell us.
Which of her friends did she see die before her?
Hannah? Emily?
Did their brains and blood splatter across her Girl scout uniform?
She just earned a fire safety patch.
What if it got ruined?
There are no patches for school shootings.
Was she practicing writing GIRAFFE the moment he walked in the class room, barricaded the door and opened fire?
She keeps forgetting the silent "E" at the end.
We studied this past weekend, and now she doesnt have to take the spelling test on Friday.
None of them will take the spelling test on Friday.
There will be no spelling test on Friday.
Because there is no one to give it.
And no one to take it.
These are the things I will never know:
I will never know at what age she wouldve started her period.
I will never know if she had wisdom teeth. (Or if they would come in crooked)
I will never know who she last spoke to. Was nit the teacher? Was it her table partner, George? She says George is always talking, even during silent reading.
Did she even scream?
She screamed to the lyrics to WE Dont Talk About Bruno at 7:58AM as she hopped out of my car in the circle drive.
She always sings the Dolores part, her sister sings Mirabel and Im Bruno.
"And I want you to know that your Bro loves you so
Let it in, let it out, let it rain, let it snow, let it gooooo............
Did the killer ever see Encanto?
Could we have sat in the same row of seats, on the same day, munching on Popcorn?
What if Amerie brushed past him in the aisle? Did she politely say "excuse me", to the boy who someday blow her eye sockets apart?
Was he chomping away on bubble gum as he destroyed them all? If so, what flavor?
Wintergreen?
Cinnamon?
Was the radio on as drove to the school to massacre the students? Or did he drive in silence?
Was the sun in his eyes as he got out of the car in the parking lot?
Did his pockets hold sunglasses or just ammunition?
These are the things I will never know.
There is laundry in the dryer that is Amerie's.
Clothes that I will no longer fold again.
Clothes that are right now warmer than her body.
How will I ever be able to take them out of the dryer and where will I put them if not back in her dresser?
I can never put clothes in that dryer again.
It will stand silent; a tomb for her pajamas and knee socks.
Her cousin's graduation party is next month, and I already signed her name on the card. Should I cross it out?
That will be the last card I will sign her name to.
The dog will live longer than she will.
The dog will be 12 next month and she will be eternally 10 years old.
What will the school do with her backpack?
It was brand new this year and she attached her collection of keychains like cherished trophies on the zippers.
A beaded 4 leaf clover she made on St. Paddys day.
A red heart from a walk a thon.
A neon ice cream cone from a friends birthday party.
Now there will be no more keychains to attach.
No more trophies.
Surely they cant throw it out?
Would they throw them all out?
19 backpacks, full of stickered assignments and rainboots, all taken to the dumpster behind the school?
Is there even a dumpster big enough to contain all that life?
These are the things some else knows:
The moment the semi automatic rifle was put into his hands---Was "Bring me a Higher Love" playing in the gunstore? "Get Off Of My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones? Maybe it was "Rocket Man" by Elton John.
Did the Outback Oasis salesperson hesitate as they slid him 375 rounds of ammo?
Are there folks thinking "not my problem, my kids are out of school."
Or "I dont have kids so I dont have to worry about them getting their heads blown off across the naptime mats".
Or "fingers crossed there is a good guy nearby with a equally powerful gun that will stop this if needed.
Did they sense any danger or were they more focused on picking that mornings raisin bran out of their teeth?
As a kid I remember a baysitter telling me "Pay attention to what whispers, and you wnot have to when it starts screaming."
But now i know there is a more deafening sound than children screaming.
More horrific even, than automatic rifles on a Tuesday morning.
I beg the world:
Pay attention to what is screaming today, or be forced to endure the silence that follows."
