I am doing something I have never have done before. But it is a bad day for news. I have to explain what I am feeling.

1. An American Jihadist got into a car bomb and was in the process of driving it into the Wichita Airport. A wonderful FBI agent somehow got suspicious. I didn’t hear anything about the FBI agent but I feel we owe him a debt of gratitude. Thank you for saving all of the lives that would have probably been killed. Thank you for your bravery.

2. We had another school shooting today. Another one in Colorado. A young man went into the school asking for a particular teacher. They got the teacher out. He shot two students and then shot himself to death. My heart breaks for the families and the teacher who must be feeling horrible. I feel terrible for the family of the shooter. How do you handle knowing that your child was able to plan and carry something like this out? It has been fourteen years since the first school shooting. Fourteen years of nightmares because we do not help people with mental health problems. Fourteen years because parents leave guns lying around. Fourteen years of kids not knowing how to handle their emotions, playing violent computer games and living with bullying, hatred and violence surrounding them.

3. My oldest daughter is a special education teacher in the South, in  one of the public schools, a kindergartner brought a high powered handgun to school today. If people have guns why do they not have gun safes? How could this child’s parents leave this gun around the house where the child could get this? I believe this is neglect and parents who leave guns lying around should be charged with neglect. It is neglect and they are responsible, not a five year old.

4. A sixteen year old boy was with his friends in his car, speeding and hit another car. His alcohol levels were three times the legal limit. He also had Valium in his system. He hit the other car and killed a whole family. Then, he fled the scene. Luckily there were witnesses. But a judge has determined that he was too rich to understand the consequences. No, I am not kidding. He will serve no jail time. His parents get to put him in a $450,000 rehab facility instead. Is this judge crazy? I think so. I don’t know how rich people raise their children but they have a responsibility to teach them right from wrong.

5. My three oldest grandchildren have been in a school lockdown multiple times. I am grateful that there was no shooting despite guns being present. Another of my grandsons who lives here in a suburb of Cleveland isin first grade and today was their first practice going into lockdown. I am glad they are practicing but it is a horror that it is necessary.

6. And the Republicans do not want to extend unemployment benefits. They are worried about a huge resurgence of the “Welfare Queen.” We just had the worst depression since 1929. These people aren’t lazy, our economy is still healing. Letting these families starve, loose cars and homes really shows how Compassionate Republicans are. Shame on you. Two weeks before the most important Christian holiday, a holiday full of love and kindness of spirit, and this is their response. I think hypocrisy is ugly and we need to be authentic instead of judgmental.

I grew up in the fifties and I am an old hippie. I never had to worry about anything when I was in school except for grades and tests. I walked a mile each way and was never in danger. So me and my arm full of books and my viola made the walk twice a day in perfect safety. I would never let a child do that today. It isn’t safe. School shootings, human trafficking and pedophiles have turned childhood into a possible horror show. I want young people to know life in America wasn’t always like this. There was a completely different energy in America when I grew up. It seems that no one cares anymore what kind of world we are making our children live in.

I do, and I believe my readers do, too.  We need to do something — write your Congressman or Senator, talk to your friends and neighbors, support responsibility.  And mostly, love the children.  All the children, of any race, creed, color, regardless of who their parents are, or if they have both parents, or one parent, traditional parents or otherwise.  All children deserve love, and we owe it to them to love them all.

This hate and intolerance is not the America that our Founding Fathers dreamt of and fought for