We are Columbine

It is sixteen years now since the school shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.

There was very little in the news and on social media sites.  Channel 9 news posted this on their site today and I thought it was perfect, quiet, dignified.  No mention of the two gunmen. 

With love, remembering all that we lost and all that was lost on that day in spring sixteen years ago. 

Cassie Bernall, Stephen Curnow, Corey DePooter, 
Kelly Fleming, Matt Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel Rohrbough.
Coach Dave Sanders, Rachel Scott, Isiah Shoels,
 Lauren Townsend, John Tomlin, Kyle Velasquez

We are Columbine. 

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There are no words for this

Claire Davis passed away this afternoon after being shot at point blank range last Friday.

Life is short, love accordingly

As a community, once again we are left with the unthinkable, the unknowable grief of losing another precious life to an act of gun violence.

My heart goes out to Claire's family and all that knew and loved her and whose hearts are shattered tonight.

Statement from the Davis Family:

It is with unspeakable sadness that we write and say that Claire has passed away from the gunshot wound she received at Arapahoe High School on December 13, 2013. Although we have lost our precious daughter, we will always be grateful for the indelible journey she took us on over the last 17 years—we were truly blessed to be Claire’s parents. The grace, laughter and light she brought to this world will not be extinguished by her death; to the contrary, it will only get stronger.

Last week was truly a paradox in that we lost our daughter, yet we witnessed the wonderful love that exists in the world through the tremendous outpouring of support we received. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the first responders, the school resource officer, security guard and vice principal at Arapahoe High School, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s office, and the physicians, nurses and staff at Littleton Adventist Hospital. Each played a significant role in giving Claire a chance to live, and demonstrated extreme amounts of professionalism, courage and love. Please know that we will never forget the extraordinary work you did on Claire’s behalf.

We ask that you give us time to grieve the death of our daughter by respecting our wishes for privacy.

With much loving-kindness,
The Davis Family

I never knew Claire and I know that our world is far worse now without her.

As the days turn into weeks and months and into years, we must never forget Claire.

I have to keep moving forward with doing what I can to honor Claire.

I can't tolerate another school shooting.

School violence ends with me.

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What are you tolerating?

"What are you tolerating in your life?"

I was stopped in my tracks when trying to answer this question today. 

What are you tolerating? 

To my shock and shame, the answer that leapt to mind, was "I am tolerating school shootings."  

I live in Colorado and I have witnessed the terror and horror of the shootings at Columbine High School in April, 1999.   Columbine is 15 miles from where I live. 

In September of 2007, our community was rocked once again by the shooting of Emily Keyes.  In the aftermath of her shooting, the I Love you guys foundation was born. 

We wept again for Emily. 

July 20, 2012, less than a mile from my house 12 people were killed at the Century 16 theatre only because they sat in Theatre 9 in Aurora, Colorado. 

A classmate from my son's high school bought a ticket in theatre 9 and didn't make it home to her family that night.  Adam went to a different theater that night.  

Again as a community, we wept for those lives cut short.  One of those killed that night was 6 years old. 

Then there was Sandy Hook, 26 lives. 

We went through the motions of rattling the sword.  The liberal's blamed the NRA and the right wing extremists.  The right wing blamed the liberals.  The President and Congress said nothing could be done.    I blamed and scorned our elected officials for their lack of courage, their inaction. 

I don't pretend to have the answer nor to comprehend the complexities of the right to bear arms versus protecting the lives of children and adults who are massacred for going shopping, for choosing to attend a midnight showing of a movie or going to school. 

There are some that celebrate that only one student was shot on Friday.  This is viewed as a victory after Columbine.  I can't celebrate that an innocent girl, that loves horses was shot in the head because she was sitting in the cafeteria of her high school having lunch with a friend. 

To do nothing again in light of the most recent school shooting makes me a co-conspirator to the madness.   My lack of action borders on the criminal. 

I don't pretend to think that I alone can change what happened to Claire Davis last Friday.  All I know is that I have to do something.  I have to try.  

I can't tolerate another shooting in my community and expect Congress, the President to do what I won't do. 

So today, I commit to honor Claire Davis with action. 

Tomorrow, I am calling my Colorado State representative(Su Ryden), I am calling my Colorado State Senator(Caroll Morgan).  I am going to call my congressman(Mike Coffman), my Senators(Michael Bennet and Mark Udall).  I am calling Governor John Hickenlooper. 

Friday when I fly home from Austin, I am going to draft a letter to everyone of these people and ask them to stand with Claire and honor her with action.  It is past time for them to issue empty press releases.  It is time for action.  There is too much at stake for me, for them, for us to wait for another shooting.   What will it take?  We can't afford another Sandy Hook.  We can't lose another Emily.  We can't lose Claire.  Our world is worse without Emily.  It will be far worse without Claire. 

I can't tolerate this anymore.  I just can't. 

I am giving up my co-conspirator status.  I renounce my complicity in these shootings. 

I invite you to join me and honor with action for Claire Davis. 

Claire Davis

This has to stop. Gun violence and school shootings ends with me. 

If you are inspired to action, please retweet, like on Facebook and most importantly.

Please send a letter of support to Claire and her family, you can mail them to: 

Claire Davis

c/o Littleton Adventist Hospital
7700 S. Broadway
Littleton, CO 80122

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Letters to Juliet

I watched the movie Letters to Juliet tonight and I really liked this message from the movie.

You need only the courage to


follow your heart..."

"I don't know what a love like that

feels like... a love to leave loved

ones for, a love to cross oceans

for... but I'd like to believe if I

ever felt it. I'd have the courage

to seize it. I hope you had the

courage to seize it, Claire. And if

you didn't, I hope one day that you

will."

Here is to finding the courage to follow our hearts, to cross oceans if necessary and run towards our lives!

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