Been thinking about this on and on since yesterday.

When I pulled up to Nettleton to go to Girl Scouts there were police cars all around, and police officers on every corner. I parked two houses away from the school and didn't know if I should even get out of my car. I counted 13 police cars from the seat in my car and called Jamie, who couldn't answer cause she was in the school. She sent a text message saying she was in the Art Room, the school was in lock down, and she didn't know what was going on. After deciding it was probably okay to get out of my car, a reading assistant from the school and I asked the group of officers on the corner what was going on and they said there had been a bogus call and they were checking kids cellphone numbers, but it would be a while before we could get back in the school. Well a while was only like 45 seconds, and they let us in after a few stops on the way to the door and and questions of "Who are you?". We could see 20 total police vehicles, including a few unmarked on the way in.

Story in the News Tribune

Jamie was telling me about what went on in the art room, which faces the circle and main door of the school. She said some of the kids saw the police pull up and get out of their cars with big machine like guns. She also said the Art teacher was really good and answered a few questions telling the kids the police were there to keep the school safe, and then continued with the art lesson.

Jamie and I waited for our next GS time and talked about the happenings, like how did they know it was a bogus call...though this is when we thought it was a threat call. We both felt a little shaky.

I've been feeling pretty angry about it. Nettleton is such a good school, with all it's emphasis on peace. It just bothers me that because a kid fucked up that safe space may not feel as safe for some of the kids. I know some of those kids have icky home situations and I just hate to think that a place they think of as safe, now seems less so. Maybe kids don't see it that way though. The school seemed to be handling it really well, Of course they are, Steph Heilig is the principal.

One of the after school GS was telling me about how she was on the playground when it happened and a police officer was on the other side of the fence with a big gun telling the kids to move to one end. Also, big guns, scare me. I know it was the police and they were doing their job and doing it very well, but what a way to be scary.

I guess I am just feeling very anti-violence and anti-gun right now. More than usual, even though no one was hurt, to a new extreme. Maybe I am still a little shaken.


On a good note for yesterday between the morning events and afternoon Girl Scouts I found The Reader Weekly and one of the after school GS was on the cover. I felt like the picture fit with how I was feeling about the day.