Can you imagine losing your child to someone bent on creating chaos and fear? I can. And it scares the hell out of me. Today, my son's school was locked down and evacuated due to a bomb threat. We didn't know until his grandpa went to pick him up from school, and found they had been evacuated to a nearby city building. Below is the press release from the sheriffs department:
http://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/Sheriff/Media/PressReleaseArchiveDetails.asp?ID=149468
Knowing he was home safe was enough until I found out why his school was on lockdown. The man that was on the school ground had threatened to detonate explosives and weirdly told the office to evacuate the school.
So many things have gone through my head since finding out about this man and following the events that unfolded over the afternoon and evening. Fear, mostly, and hurt. Hurt for my son, who does not deserve to live in the fear I constantly live in, knowing we aren't safe anywhere at any time.
What if the man had not let the children go? What if he actually did have explosives and detonated them? My son's classroom was right in front where his alleged explosives would have decimated the front of the school. What if his child was not attending the school and what if it had been more than just him?? These are some of the things that have reverberated through my mind many times tonight.
We are safe at home. But my question has to do with the man's motive. It supposedly had to do with race. What does that have to do with an empty school? Why threaten a school filled with children, then let them go, to get something across to adults that hasn't gotten through before any way? And why threaten the school your child goes to? He had no weapons, no explosives, no leverage other than a threat.
My fear of sending my children to school was solidified today. With all the threats, attacks and craziness, why should we send our kids to be possible cannon fodder for nutjobs like these people?? Everyone tells me not to live in fear of what ifs but lately what ifs have become reality more than not.
Yet a ray of sunshine still burns bright. My children are safe. I am watching them sleep, happy and oblivious. We were blessed today. By who or what I don't know but we were blessed. My son came home safe, he has no fear because he was not told of what was actually going on, and we had a happy evening together with family. We are staying with his aunt and uncle just to be away for a bit for mommy to calm down and hopefully me go of some of that fear.
My family is still whole. I can't say that for everyone, especially those in other recent attacks, and my heart hurts for them. But my family was spared today. If that's not something to be thankful for I don't know what is. And I am extremely grateful to all the school faculty that took such wonderful care of our children and kept them safe.
Hug your family tonight. Tell them you love them. I know I did.
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