Today There Was a School Shooting at my University.

It finally happened here. Again.

Late this morning I was composing an entirely different newsletter, but now I am composing this one. A newsletter in which I tell you that several of my peers and students, along with hundreds (thousands) of others, are still under a shelter in place order, waiting for the police to clear them out of their offices and classrooms.

Today at 12:02 pm I received this:

I had been waiting for this. I knew it was coming. We all did.

Anyone who lives in the United States, and especially those of us who work in education– we all wait for this. The active shooter notification. I wasn’t on campus, but many of my peers and students were. And are, on campus. In an interview, an Florida State University undergraduate student said it was good he’d trained for this his whole life. He urged people to take the trainings seriously.

In Florida, I can get a gun more easily than I can vote.

I can get a gun more easily than I can access affordable healthcare, or resources to support my mental health.

I can g…