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Parkland Speaks: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share Their Stories
Featuring art and writing from the students of the Parkland tragedy, this is a raw look at the events of February 14, and a poignant representation of grief, healing, and hope.The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School share their emotional journeys that began on February 14, 2018, and continue today. This revealing and unfiltered look at teens living in the wake of tragedy is a poignant representation of grief, anger, determination, healing, and hope.The intimate collection includes poetry, eyewitness accounts, letters, speeches, journal entries, drawings, and photographs from the events of February 14 and its aftermath. Full of heartbreaking loss, a rally cry for change, and hope for a safe future, these artistic pieces will inspire readers to reflect on their own lives and the importance of valuing and protecting the ones you love.
208 pages, Paperback
Published January 22, 2019
47 people are currently reading
1948 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Lerner
2 books11 followersSarah Lerner is a teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
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January 29, 2019As you might expect, this is a hard book to read. We're seeing the worst day in these kids' lives, and it's fairly unflinching. It's not gratuitous but it feels like we are hiding with them, waiting for the gunman to come.
It's excruciating in parts, and it should be. Seventeen people were murdered for no reason. I'm in awe of their bravery, both for surviving and for continuing to speak out even though a lot of people wish they wouldn't.
These kids are changing the world.
Highly recommended.
It's excruciating in parts, and it should be. Seventeen people were murdered for no reason. I'm in awe of their bravery, both for surviving and for continuing to speak out even though a lot of people wish they wouldn't.
These kids are changing the world.
Highly recommended.
February 22, 2019
Five stars: A must read! This is an emotional, powerful and moving book about grief, loss, heartbreak, hope and healing.
February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School started out ordinary. The halls were bursting with balloons, stuffed animals, hearts and Valentines. Then during the final period of the day, tragedy struck when a former student opened fire in the Freshman building. Seventeen people lost their lives that day to another senseless act of gun violence. For three hours, students and teachers cowered in classrooms, texting, praying and wondering if they would be next. That day marked the end of innocence and safety. The survivors hugged, cried and wondered how they had been spared, while some their friends and teachers had not. How do you move forward after gun violence shatters your life?
*This is a book I urge everyone to read. This little book is a compilation of essays on survival, poetry, photos and real life accounts of what happened that day. It is an emotional and moving read. It made me sad, angry and hopeful. This is such a powerful read. I cried throughout as I read it.
I loved that this book incorporated so many different formats. I loved the unique voices and reading how differently everyone coped with the tragedy. This book put faces and voices to the victims of gun violence.
*What struck me the most as I read this book was how desensitized we have become to school shootings. Back in 1999, I was in my mid twenties graduated from college two years prior, when the first mass shooting occurred at Columbine. I was glued to the coverage, horrified at what had happened. Twenty years later, I can only name two other schools were school shootings have occurred: Sandy Hook Elementary and now Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Yet, in twenty years there have been countless shootings to the point where they are commonplace. When is it going to stop? As the students stated in the book, “When are people going to stop sending thoughts and prayers instead of doing something?” I am terrified at the thought of my kids one day being a victim of a school shooting. I applaud these kids and their teachers for fighting for change and not letting up. I only hope that this next generation will succeed where other generations have failed. I am in awe of these brave kids!
*One of the most chilling accounts comes from one of the teachers who came face to face with the gunman as she shoved as many students to safety as she could. She then locked the door and remained huddled with her students for three hours as they listened to the gunman and the cries of the wounded and dying. If this doesn’t get to you, I don’t know what will! I was also impressed at another teacher who threw herself over the students reassuring them that the gunman would have to go through her first. Wow!
*The book isn’t all sad, there are parts where students recount their experience of going back to school as they tried to move forward and heal. Several spoke of the therapy dogs that were all over the campus for the students for the rest of the year. These dogs brought smiles and comfort to the students as they tried to forget the violence and terror. The dogs made an enormous difference. One girl even certified her own dog to be a therapy dog.
*This book brought forth such an array of emotion for me as I read. I had tears in my eyes throughout. I was shocked, horrified, sad and then impressed, hopeful and filled with love for the teachers and students of this horrendous tragedy. I think this is an important book for everyone as it a startling reality of the gun violence epidemic that is rampant in the U.S. I hope that people will read this book and that it will inspire them to help these young people push for change. Read it!
And The Not So Much:
*My only hesitation with this book is that it is not one I would recommend in ebook format. I read the Kindle version and there were several pieces that were almost impossible to read on the Kindle. The book utilizes photographs of the students actual written pieces. With the Kindle format, I wasn’t able to enlarge the pictures to read some of the writing. I found that if I fiddled with the lighting, I was eventually able to read almost all of the writings. If you are going to read this one, definitely grab a physical copy.
Parkland Speaks was an unforgettable read. This is a book that made me cry. It is sad, emotional, horrifying and yet so powerful. I hope that everyone will read this book and that it will be a conversation starter. I also hope that it will inspire change so hopefully this will not continue to happen again and again. A huge thanks to the students and teachers at MSD High for putting this out and making their voices heard, now let’s hope someone is listening!
I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School started out ordinary. The halls were bursting with balloons, stuffed animals, hearts and Valentines. Then during the final period of the day, tragedy struck when a former student opened fire in the Freshman building. Seventeen people lost their lives that day to another senseless act of gun violence. For three hours, students and teachers cowered in classrooms, texting, praying and wondering if they would be next. That day marked the end of innocence and safety. The survivors hugged, cried and wondered how they had been spared, while some their friends and teachers had not. How do you move forward after gun violence shatters your life?
*This is a book I urge everyone to read. This little book is a compilation of essays on survival, poetry, photos and real life accounts of what happened that day. It is an emotional and moving read. It made me sad, angry and hopeful. This is such a powerful read. I cried throughout as I read it.
I loved that this book incorporated so many different formats. I loved the unique voices and reading how differently everyone coped with the tragedy. This book put faces and voices to the victims of gun violence.
*What struck me the most as I read this book was how desensitized we have become to school shootings. Back in 1999, I was in my mid twenties graduated from college two years prior, when the first mass shooting occurred at Columbine. I was glued to the coverage, horrified at what had happened. Twenty years later, I can only name two other schools were school shootings have occurred: Sandy Hook Elementary and now Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Yet, in twenty years there have been countless shootings to the point where they are commonplace. When is it going to stop? As the students stated in the book, “When are people going to stop sending thoughts and prayers instead of doing something?” I am terrified at the thought of my kids one day being a victim of a school shooting. I applaud these kids and their teachers for fighting for change and not letting up. I only hope that this next generation will succeed where other generations have failed. I am in awe of these brave kids!
*One of the most chilling accounts comes from one of the teachers who came face to face with the gunman as she shoved as many students to safety as she could. She then locked the door and remained huddled with her students for three hours as they listened to the gunman and the cries of the wounded and dying. If this doesn’t get to you, I don’t know what will! I was also impressed at another teacher who threw herself over the students reassuring them that the gunman would have to go through her first. Wow!
*The book isn’t all sad, there are parts where students recount their experience of going back to school as they tried to move forward and heal. Several spoke of the therapy dogs that were all over the campus for the students for the rest of the year. These dogs brought smiles and comfort to the students as they tried to forget the violence and terror. The dogs made an enormous difference. One girl even certified her own dog to be a therapy dog.
*This book brought forth such an array of emotion for me as I read. I had tears in my eyes throughout. I was shocked, horrified, sad and then impressed, hopeful and filled with love for the teachers and students of this horrendous tragedy. I think this is an important book for everyone as it a startling reality of the gun violence epidemic that is rampant in the U.S. I hope that people will read this book and that it will inspire them to help these young people push for change. Read it!
And The Not So Much:
*My only hesitation with this book is that it is not one I would recommend in ebook format. I read the Kindle version and there were several pieces that were almost impossible to read on the Kindle. The book utilizes photographs of the students actual written pieces. With the Kindle format, I wasn’t able to enlarge the pictures to read some of the writing. I found that if I fiddled with the lighting, I was eventually able to read almost all of the writings. If you are going to read this one, definitely grab a physical copy.
Parkland Speaks was an unforgettable read. This is a book that made me cry. It is sad, emotional, horrifying and yet so powerful. I hope that everyone will read this book and that it will be a conversation starter. I also hope that it will inspire change so hopefully this will not continue to happen again and again. A huge thanks to the students and teachers at MSD High for putting this out and making their voices heard, now let’s hope someone is listening!
I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
March 14, 2021
Powerful. Heartbreaking. Thought-provoking.
This is a hard read, but so important. I am so proud of these students (and teachers) for telling their stories. Their bravery is remarkable. And, I was so impressed by the talent of these students. There are short stories, poems, letters and excerpts from speeches and they are all so well done. I am so sorry for what these students (and too many of our country's students) have had to endure. It truly is heart-breaking.
As a side note, I read a physical copy of this book- which I highly recommend. There are lots of photographs and copies of hand-written pages which I am not sure how well translates with an ebook edition.
This is a hard read, but so important. I am so proud of these students (and teachers) for telling their stories. Their bravery is remarkable. And, I was so impressed by the talent of these students. There are short stories, poems, letters and excerpts from speeches and they are all so well done. I am so sorry for what these students (and too many of our country's students) have had to endure. It truly is heart-breaking.
As a side note, I read a physical copy of this book- which I highly recommend. There are lots of photographs and copies of hand-written pages which I am not sure how well translates with an ebook edition.
March 28, 2019
This was both tragic and inspiring to read. It's so easy to add your two cents to the gun control argument when you have no personal experience with it- ANYONE that wants to participate in the conversation should really take a moment to hear from those that were directly affected by gun violence, whether it's those that are moving forward and coping as best as they can or those that aren't coping well and continue to suffer immensely. I read this collection in one sitting; it's the least anyone can do.
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February 25, 2019It doesn’t feel right to rate this book; this collection of essays and poems, these first hand accounts of the terror survived in Parkland, FL on Valentine’s Day one year ago. It’s hard to read.
A main takeaway for me in these essays and poems is the abundance of PTSD documented by these kids and teachers. Their survival comes at a life long price; so many express guilt and rage and fear and immeasurable, profound sadness that won’t fade - it will just change.
A main takeaway for me in these essays and poems is the abundance of PTSD documented by these kids and teachers. Their survival comes at a life long price; so many express guilt and rage and fear and immeasurable, profound sadness that won’t fade - it will just change.
December 27, 2019
Very thought provoking and moving read. Reading these personal accounts really put events like this in perspective from a humanistic viewpoint as opposed to just hearing the facts repeated on the news. These kinds of stories need to be shared for other readers to learn from.
February 13, 2019
This book is really tough to read. Aside from a few entries written by teachers and what they remember about that day, it's all from different students' points of view. It's heartbreaking.
Read
March 6, 2019Heartbreaking. Poignant. Brave. Necessary. This is definitely going to be a book I recommend to friends and family.
May 16, 2020
What a powerful project. I’ll definitely be pulling some mentor texts from this book for student writing.
February 1, 2019
PARKLAND SPEAKS: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share Their Stories is an anthology edited by MSD English and journalism teacher Sarah Lerner. In the book, the students and faculty share their own experiences from the February 14, 2018, shooting and the weeks following the tragic event, weaving a narrative of a community that was so utterly destroyed, but that somehow managed to pick itself up and become stronger as one people, determined to bring about change. PARKLAND SPEAKS is a powerful, emotionally challenging read, but it is full of important truths and stories that must be shared with the world.
This was the hardest book I have ever had to read. The anthology is a collection of poems, short stories, photographs and artwork that is raw and real. The students discuss their terror during the incident, the shock that they had to endure and the symptoms of PTSD that they exhibited after the shooting. In a way that perhaps only high school students can, these young men and women don’t hold back. They share every piece of their agony, angst and confusion. And yet, even in the midst of all the fear and anger, the structure of the anthology is such that readers get to see a gradual turn towards hope.
The first part of the collection is front-loaded with accounts of the shooting, the pieces often lacking a positive resolution. The short stories, for example “The Day That Changed My Life” by Nadia Murillo and “Behind ‘Protected’ Doors” by Madalyn Snyder, were especially detailed in their accounts, discussing the last hours of normalcy in the day, then the moment when the fire alarm went off and the terrifying hours that followed.
The middle of the book focuses on the mourning of the 17 members of the community lost, and then, with a few exceptions, the last part of the book discusses the seemingly miraculous genesis of healing throughout the community. One of the later stories is written by a young woman named Grace Briden, who was comforted by the therapy dogs that the school had brought in to help the kids get through the days back in school after the shooting. Briden, inspired by the positive impact the dogs had on her, took training classes with her own dog, Duncan, so that he could become a therapy dog. Now, together, they help others through their own traumas and anxieties.
The last essay in the collection was written by Amy Kenny, the yoga instructor at MSD. She talked about how students begged her to have yoga classes right after the shooting, how hundreds of people from the community showed up to the classes in the park and how being together became therapeutic to all of them. These moments of healing and hope lift the spirit when reading this difficult anthology. We can all learn something from the community of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Reading these stories, one theme that emerges is the way in which these students and teachers learned the importance of not taking life for granted and doing everything one can to make the world a better place than it was when one found it. In one of the stories towards the end, student Madalyn Snyder remarks on her hope coming away from the shooting, only two weeks after it happened: “You never realize how easily the life you’ve been given can be torn away from you...I want to believe that people will walk away from this catastrophe stronger than before. That maybe we won’t be so careless with our lives.”
I admire Sarah Lerner and the other faculty and students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas for having the courage to share their stories and become so vulnerable in this way. It is not without purpose, and readers would do well to remember that. These students and teachers are driven and want to make sure this doesn’t happen again. After everything they went through, the MSD community deserves to have their voices heard and their stories told. This was a very important anthology to be published, and one that everyone should read. And I hope everyone understands me when I say that I hope nothing like this book ever has to be made again.
This was the hardest book I have ever had to read. The anthology is a collection of poems, short stories, photographs and artwork that is raw and real. The students discuss their terror during the incident, the shock that they had to endure and the symptoms of PTSD that they exhibited after the shooting. In a way that perhaps only high school students can, these young men and women don’t hold back. They share every piece of their agony, angst and confusion. And yet, even in the midst of all the fear and anger, the structure of the anthology is such that readers get to see a gradual turn towards hope.
The first part of the collection is front-loaded with accounts of the shooting, the pieces often lacking a positive resolution. The short stories, for example “The Day That Changed My Life” by Nadia Murillo and “Behind ‘Protected’ Doors” by Madalyn Snyder, were especially detailed in their accounts, discussing the last hours of normalcy in the day, then the moment when the fire alarm went off and the terrifying hours that followed.
The middle of the book focuses on the mourning of the 17 members of the community lost, and then, with a few exceptions, the last part of the book discusses the seemingly miraculous genesis of healing throughout the community. One of the later stories is written by a young woman named Grace Briden, who was comforted by the therapy dogs that the school had brought in to help the kids get through the days back in school after the shooting. Briden, inspired by the positive impact the dogs had on her, took training classes with her own dog, Duncan, so that he could become a therapy dog. Now, together, they help others through their own traumas and anxieties.
The last essay in the collection was written by Amy Kenny, the yoga instructor at MSD. She talked about how students begged her to have yoga classes right after the shooting, how hundreds of people from the community showed up to the classes in the park and how being together became therapeutic to all of them. These moments of healing and hope lift the spirit when reading this difficult anthology. We can all learn something from the community of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Reading these stories, one theme that emerges is the way in which these students and teachers learned the importance of not taking life for granted and doing everything one can to make the world a better place than it was when one found it. In one of the stories towards the end, student Madalyn Snyder remarks on her hope coming away from the shooting, only two weeks after it happened: “You never realize how easily the life you’ve been given can be torn away from you...I want to believe that people will walk away from this catastrophe stronger than before. That maybe we won’t be so careless with our lives.”
I admire Sarah Lerner and the other faculty and students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas for having the courage to share their stories and become so vulnerable in this way. It is not without purpose, and readers would do well to remember that. These students and teachers are driven and want to make sure this doesn’t happen again. After everything they went through, the MSD community deserves to have their voices heard and their stories told. This was a very important anthology to be published, and one that everyone should read. And I hope everyone understands me when I say that I hope nothing like this book ever has to be made again.
February 15, 2019
A powerful compilation of all those who went to MSD on the day of this tragedy. The different experiences and outcomes from each individual is so strong. While obviously this is not a happy subject nor would I call it enjoyable, I did enjoy being able to hear from so many of these students in different ways. You read what you read on social media and that’s all you mostly get from these types of tragedies however I was able to read more into what happened that day. Understanding more about each individual and how they dealt with the aftermath affects on their lives, if they were able to leave that day with that. For someone who constantly regrets making one decision in my life that led to tragedy, I have been able to relate to those who said they regret not doing what they really wanted to do.
Always praying that this will end here but I know that won’t happen. Thank you students for sharing your words with all of us.
Always praying that this will end here but I know that won’t happen. Thank you students for sharing your words with all of us.
September 28, 2020
This book is a collection of poems and short stories from the kids who survived the school shooting in Parkland Florida, February 14, 2018. Their stories are raw and tragic. 17 kids and teachers were killed that day by a guy with an AR-15 - a gun that no one needs for hunting or keeping themselves safe - though politicians still won’t make them illegal. Their votes are bought by the lobbyists and NRA who love their guns more than humanity. Many people think Democrats want to take all guns away. We don’t. We just want common sense gun reform. And we want law abiding gun owners to help write gun reform laws. I hope people consider the inaction and selfishness of Republicans and vote them out this 2020 election.
August 30, 2022
This book was a hard, but good, read. Hard, as in real and raw of one nationwide current tragedy. Good, as in it gives you a perspective into the lives that were shaken and trauma filled during a school shooting.
My heart and prayers go out to any and all families that are or have had gone through a school shooting tragedy. I cannot even fathom that pain. After reading this book, it shook me to my core to read the excerpts from the CHILDREN, the babies, these young individuals.
Continue with caution, but try to read this book if you can.
My heart and prayers go out to any and all families that are or have had gone through a school shooting tragedy. I cannot even fathom that pain. After reading this book, it shook me to my core to read the excerpts from the CHILDREN, the babies, these young individuals.
Continue with caution, but try to read this book if you can.
February 27, 2019
Emotional, important, and timely, this collection should be read by anyone interested in social justice. I legitimately think I made people near me on the train uncomfortable because I couldn't stop sniffling while reading this. The e-book could be better-formatted, but I'm sure this is not an issue in the print version. Featuring lyrical poetry, haunting prose, and excerpts from speeches that will move you to action, this could not be a more moving work.
December 29, 2022
This collection of poetry, prose, art, and more details what happened February 14th, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School. Each student and teacher written piece outlined the fear of the day but also the different healing processes people can take.
Definitely one to add to your bookshelf, and it is a good way to start the conversation regarding better gun policies.
Definitely one to add to your bookshelf, and it is a good way to start the conversation regarding better gun policies.
August 30, 2019
This is a very powerful book. The authors have done a wonderful job in conveying the emotions they felt during this expierence. After reading their stories, I understand so much more about what happened than when I was watching the live news. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who was and still is affected. I highly recommend this book to everyone because we cannot let this happen again. #NeverAgain
September 22, 2019
School shootings have always seemed so far away, hard to imagine. This book really brings you into the tragic experience of what these kids and teachers went through and what they will forever have to work through. Tough read, yes, but their stories are so important.
January 5, 2020
Incredibly moving, first-hand accounts from students and staff at MSD High School. While incredibly hard to read, their stories are ones that need to be heard, and I'm so happy I bought this for my teen collection.
November 5, 2020
This would be a good companion text to Dave Cullen's book Parkland. These are almost entirely first-person accounts in the form of short narratives, photos, drawings, and handwritten poetry, and the pain is palpable.
February 7, 2019
Very good compilation of short stories and poems from survivors of the the Parkland shooting that killed 17 people last year on Valentine's Day. I was living in Las Vegas then, and I remember hearing about it happening and thinking "Seriously when are these mass shootings ever going to end?" It's sooooo sad and hard to even wrap my head around it fully that it even happens.
You can just hear in the voices of the poems and stories of the students how changed their life is from this tragedy. They lost best friends, teachers, coaches, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. They had to hide in fear until they were told it was safe to leave the building, and while leaving, they saw their classmates and teachers lying dead on the floor of the hallway. Some teachers even contributed to this compilation and reading the horror they had to endure while trying to protect these kids and stay strong is just heartbreaking.
You can just hear in the voices of the poems and stories of the students how changed their life is from this tragedy. They lost best friends, teachers, coaches, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. They had to hide in fear until they were told it was safe to leave the building, and while leaving, they saw their classmates and teachers lying dead on the floor of the hallway. Some teachers even contributed to this compilation and reading the horror they had to endure while trying to protect these kids and stay strong is just heartbreaking.
January 31, 2019
This book holds so many first hand accounts and feelings from the students who witnessed the horrors of the MSD shooting on Valentine’s Day last year. Full five stars and everyone should read this book out of respect for the MSD community.
February 17, 2019
Powerful and heartbreaking.
January 12, 2020
Powerful, compelling collection of poems, essays, art, photographs written by survivors of the Majorie Stoneman Douglass School Shooting. A must read. Beautiful and heartbreaking.
Read
March 11, 2022Heartbreaking collection. An important document of the impact school shootings have on the survivors and their families.
February 12, 2019
Powerful
June 26, 2019
I found this book in the YA section of my public library but adults should be reading this book too.
October 30, 2018
Really powerful, especially in that the majority of the book was coming from the students themselves. They wrote, drew, and shared their stories so beautifully and poignantly. I’ll be going back to this book many times in the future.
August 7, 2019
That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever read.
December 20, 2019
I see you. I hear you. I will never forget.
February 16, 2019
Here is my question to you: What are you and the rest of the government doing to prevent this from happening again? What are you doing to heal the pain that I am feeling? What are you going to do next? Please, I beg of you, never let this happen again.
Sincerely,
Leni Steinhardt
I went to the bookstore today mostly because I had an hour between appointments and had some time to kill. Of course, I bought a couple books for fun cause I always do when I end up at my local used bookstore. And then I spotted this book sitting on the "new books" rack and went to pick it up. I sat there for twenty minutes reading the first few entries and cried right there in the store. I just had to buy this book and hear the rest of the voices included in this book.
Because you honestly can't fathom the horror or the tragedy unless you experienced it. The things these kids saw are on par with the things soldiers experience during a tour served. But, the key difference is soldiers sign up and train for their situation, these kids just went to school like any other day.
Kids die, mothers cry
Blood covers the school floor.
Politicians lie, school boards deny
And then it happens once more.
Expect some change
Tired of asking not to die.
by Alyson Sheehy
I quote that poem above, partly because it's short and a good snap shot of what a lot of this book encompasses. Not all of the entries are outraged or angry. Many are sad and grief filled and others are just glimpses at their attempts at recovery. But, a lot of these entries do have some form of disbelief or outrage that nothing is being done. There is demands and pleading in here from teachers and students alike. They want change, we need change.
And I could sympathize so much with the stories told here, because their stories could have been mine. Only six years ago back when I was in high school, a girl I knew brought a gun to my school. I don't know if she actually planned to shoot anyone, though from the rumors I heard it sounded like she did have a list and did intend to hurt people. And I knew her well enough to know that she was a troubled kid and I wouldn't have been surprised if she had genuine intentions to shoot up our school. It was a real enough threat that it weighed on me for years after, marveling at the fact that maybe I could have died in high school because of one girl. We'll never know if she would have gone through with it if she hadn't been caught by staff. A friend of her's had told faculty that she had plans of bringing a gun to school and thank god they believed the kid. It could have been very likely that they wouldn't have taken the threat seriously. Just four months prior to this incident, my school district had been drowned in bomb threats. For three weeks straight, the entire school district stayed home out of fear because there was genuine concern that someone had planted a bomb on the three campuses in our town. It had been discovered to be an elaborate hoax to get out of school, and eventually we went back to school with an added three weeks added on to our school semester because of the prank, but the fear from us students had been genuine.
I experienced all of this in the span of two years in high school. I eventually dropped out and switched to an online school that allowed me to work from home. But, the fact that as an American student that you could ask just about anyone and come up with any variety of horror stories across our country from kids who had near misses like me is genuinely distressing. We all live in a state of fear, and sadly, Parkland suffered the tragedy that the rest of us had feared would happen to us. We as a country made this mess by not doing more to change our laws. The least these brave students deserve is for us to listen to what they have to say.
Sincerely,
Leni Steinhardt
I went to the bookstore today mostly because I had an hour between appointments and had some time to kill. Of course, I bought a couple books for fun cause I always do when I end up at my local used bookstore. And then I spotted this book sitting on the "new books" rack and went to pick it up. I sat there for twenty minutes reading the first few entries and cried right there in the store. I just had to buy this book and hear the rest of the voices included in this book.
Because you honestly can't fathom the horror or the tragedy unless you experienced it. The things these kids saw are on par with the things soldiers experience during a tour served. But, the key difference is soldiers sign up and train for their situation, these kids just went to school like any other day.
Kids die, mothers cry
Blood covers the school floor.
Politicians lie, school boards deny
And then it happens once more.
Expect some change
Tired of asking not to die.
by Alyson Sheehy
I quote that poem above, partly because it's short and a good snap shot of what a lot of this book encompasses. Not all of the entries are outraged or angry. Many are sad and grief filled and others are just glimpses at their attempts at recovery. But, a lot of these entries do have some form of disbelief or outrage that nothing is being done. There is demands and pleading in here from teachers and students alike. They want change, we need change.
And I could sympathize so much with the stories told here, because their stories could have been mine. Only six years ago back when I was in high school, a girl I knew brought a gun to my school. I don't know if she actually planned to shoot anyone, though from the rumors I heard it sounded like she did have a list and did intend to hurt people. And I knew her well enough to know that she was a troubled kid and I wouldn't have been surprised if she had genuine intentions to shoot up our school. It was a real enough threat that it weighed on me for years after, marveling at the fact that maybe I could have died in high school because of one girl. We'll never know if she would have gone through with it if she hadn't been caught by staff. A friend of her's had told faculty that she had plans of bringing a gun to school and thank god they believed the kid. It could have been very likely that they wouldn't have taken the threat seriously. Just four months prior to this incident, my school district had been drowned in bomb threats. For three weeks straight, the entire school district stayed home out of fear because there was genuine concern that someone had planted a bomb on the three campuses in our town. It had been discovered to be an elaborate hoax to get out of school, and eventually we went back to school with an added three weeks added on to our school semester because of the prank, but the fear from us students had been genuine.
I experienced all of this in the span of two years in high school. I eventually dropped out and switched to an online school that allowed me to work from home. But, the fact that as an American student that you could ask just about anyone and come up with any variety of horror stories across our country from kids who had near misses like me is genuinely distressing. We all live in a state of fear, and sadly, Parkland suffered the tragedy that the rest of us had feared would happen to us. We as a country made this mess by not doing more to change our laws. The least these brave students deserve is for us to listen to what they have to say.
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