This Has Been a Tough Week

Heads up: This email talks about the recent shooting in Uvalde, TX.

Tuesday afternoon in Uvalde, TX, an 18-year-old shot his grandmother, then went into a school and shot at the students and teachers inside. He killed 19 kids and two teachers who were trying to protect their students.

I live less than 150 miles from Uvalde and it’s been heartbreaking, terrifying, and frustrating to watch this story unfold.

One teacher said she recognized the gunshots and knew what to do because they had practiced so many times. When I was in school, we practiced what to do during a tornado. We never once ran through our game plan for when a gunman went on a rampage because it didn’t seem like a real thing that could happen.

I’ve seen Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is really doing his best to be the dumbest person in the world, say, “It could have been worse” during a press conference. I’ve seen Texas Senator Ted Cruz blame the school for having too many doors.

Countless people have said the shooter was mentally ill. While that may turn out to be true, to immediately jump to such a conclusion stigmatizes the many people with mental illnesses who don’t feel compelled to murder anyone.

Police apparently waited about an hour between arriving on school grounds and actually entering the school. The shooter reportedly shot outside the school for 12 minutes before going in.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr gave an impassioned plea during his pregame press conference on Tuesday. You should really watch the whole thing — he calls out Mitch McConnell and the Senators who continue to sit and do nothing after multiple mass murders across the country.

It’s been a tough week. I want to thank you for being a reader of this newsletter, and I always try to emphasize kindness when I can. Over the weekend, give someone you love a hug. Reach out to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Compliment a stranger’s shoes.

Just do something to brighten someone’s day. Because we all need it.

If you’d like to take action, Texas Tribune has compiled some ways to help.

Did you enjoy this article? Sign up for the Crisp Bounce Pass newsletter to get more stories like this in your inbox once a week!