You hear about these horrific things on the news, in the papers, about another shooting at another school, this time, an elementary school and this time children in the 4th grade. You hear the news anchor say that there were fatalities and in this case 21. Your eyes may either be on the reporter on the television or you may have had the news on in the background or maybe listening on the radio. It certainly hits hard the moment you absorb the words of this tragic event, but it hits extremely deep, when you look at this photo enlarged, at the face of each of these children and adults. They are all happy in these photos. As I look into the eyes of each child, that's when it really hits the hardest, because I cannot imagine the look on their faces, as their lives were being taken in such a brutal and senseless way. I cannot imagine the screams, the tears, the begging for their mommies and daddies and being so confused and terrified as to why this was happening. I cannot imagine what goes through a 4th graders mind, as they may have had to watch their friends being killed, maybe their favorite teacher, all the blood and gore the screams, the hideous sound of death. The terrifying screams. The screams for mommy and daddy.

Please, I invite you to enlarge this photo and to take some time, to look deeply into the face and eyes of each of these beautiful children. It's very difficult to do. Then imagine it being your child or children in one of these photos, your wife, partner, sister or mother of your child or children. The truth is, it could have been or could be. It's a painful and harsh truth it seems, that we choose to tolerate, as well as many other truths. We tolerate it because there are drills, that schools now exercise in case something like this happens and in this case, 4th grade. Only specific doorways in and specific doorways out, how and where to take cover and exit strategies. The only drill I remember doing in the 4th grade was Fire Drills. Imagine being a parent and getting "that phone call". It's really bad. It's really bad that it has come this. It's really bad if children in the 4th grade have to prepare for something like this. Do they even fully understand what they are preparing and training for really? Do we? I know that no parent wishes to outlive their child or children, unfortunately, it seems that we are willing to take that chance.