I was in 10th grade when Columbine happened.

The day after, my high school gathered in the music room to talk about it. I'll never forget my English teacher breaking down into sobs. Most of the students were too stunned to say anything at all.

The kids who had died were like us. They were our age.

I remember walking the hallways imagining what it would be like to hear gunshots. To have to run. It was so far beyond comprehension and yet, suddenly, very real.

24 years later, my 1st grader completes active shooter drills at his elementary school. I barely have the words to talk to him about it. He tells me they have to "go into the corner and be very quiet."

The Nashville shooting was the 376th school shooting since Columbine.

I feel simultaneously enraged and helpless.

The only way I can claw myself onto a tiny tightrope of hope is to do something.

To filter my rage and heartbreak into action.

Below, I've collected a few ideas for how you can help. I've pulled these from the source I go to most, Emily Amick (@emilyinyourphone). I used to get sucked down the doom scroll rabbit hole, and the only thing it did was make me paralyzed with anxiety.

If you're as enraged and anxious as I am, please take a few minutes to do at least one of the things listed below.

• Ask Congress to create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This post has all of the instructions how to get in touch with your rep and sample scripts to use.
• Call your rep and ask them to support an assault weapons ban (HR. 698 and S.25). There's a script within this post.
• Talk about this in the 'public square'. That means starting conversations in your community settings (churches, mom groups, texts, etc) and post about it on social media. Yes, social media. Its reach and efficacy is unmatched.

Change is possible, but we have to keep working together.

x

Catherine

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