Our hearts–and the hearts of every Packback team member–are breaking for the students and families reeling from the horrors at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas last night and for all those whose lives have been destroyed by gun violence.
19 children were murdered in what should have been a safe space; their classroom. It is unfortunately not a one-off tragedy; it is a repeated pattern of violence that leaves America’s children, teachers, and families in a state of constant high alert.
Many members of our own team are former educators who sit heavy with the knowledge that what happened in Uvalde could have happened in any school, anywhere in the country.
Children should feel safe in their classrooms. But right now, students all across the country are waking up and going to school after hearing the news that 19 students just like them were killed while sitting in their classes, and wondering if they could be next.
Faculty should feel safe in their classrooms. But right now, faculty across the country are trained in dealing with active shooter events. On any given day, their job may switch on a dime from being teachers and nurturers to being the one person who may stand between the children in their classroom and a gunman.
Yesterday’s attack is the 27th school shooting this year and comes on the heels of the mass shooting in Buffalo, NY, which marks over 200 shootings in 2022 alone. The most precious freedom is to be able to move through our lives safely and without a constant threat of violence. But that is not currently a freedom that we have in this country.
To our teachers and students in Texas, we are so sorry for the loss that your community suffered yesterday. And to all of our Packback professors, teachers, and students: our hearts are with you today and every day.
To a future where fear has no place in the classroom,
Mike, Jess, Kasey, Nick, and the rest of the Packback Team
