Lock downs, gangs, and other nonsense

We had a shooting here in town last weekend. (This shooting happened right in front of my mother's house.) Two young people were killed (ages 16 and 24) and two others were injured. The victims were members of one gang and the shooters were members of another gang. Four people (under 22) were arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. The two victims were buried today in a neighboring county. Evidently, there were some substantial, credible threats that some retaliation was going to occur today in our county's two big high schools.

Our state's version of the FBI took charge of one high school. Our highway patrol was in charge at Beth's school. Seriously, IN CHARGE. They landed two helicopters on the football field. There were literally dozens of marked patrol cars there and numerous unmarked cars. Officers patrolled both schools, inside and out. My school (a primary school a couple of miles from Beth's high school) was kept on a modified lock down. That meant we could move around inside the building for necessities (lunch, fine arts classes) but other than the walking time through the halls, all adults and children were to be in the correct classroom with all doors shut and locked. (Nothing says fun like being trapped in a classroom with 19 small children in 80 degree temperatures with the darn heat still on! We usually open both classroom doors to get a little air moving.)

Our county spends the bucks to have an officer stationed full-time at every school. (Ours is well past retirement age but I guess they don't expect much action at a school with only grades K-2.) Our little officer spent the afternoon walking the perimeter of the building pulling on every door handle every time he passed. I have to say I'm glad they took the actions they did. Much better to approach the situation head on than to wonder if something could have been prevented. As nervous as I was knowing those officers were swarming all over Beth's school, I was comforted by the fact that they were there.

I drop her off every morning and watch her walk into the school. I then pray as I drive to my school. I pray that she is kept safe and that she stays out of trouble. I pray that she makes the best choices she can. I pray that the people in charge really do put the best interest of the kids on top of their list. Some days it is so hard to watch her walk into that big building, knowing that gangs, and drugs, and not-so-nice people are waiting for her. I wish so much I could do something else. All I can do is pray.

Now that we've gotten through the school day without incident, we're being warned to stay in tonight. The officers say that NO public places are considered safe this weekend and into next week, even. Beth is spending the night with a friend and I've already touched bases with that friend's family. The girls are staying in. I'm going to stay home and try to lose myself in a trashy movie I Netflixed. I'm so sad that my county has come to this. The normal (if you call me normal - LOL) people are having to hole up at home to avoid the drama of others.

I know it's so cliche, but what is this world coming to? Is really the direction we want to be moving? Is it good that our kids are armed? Is it okay that so many are sexually active at such young ages? What can we do?

I'd love to hold my kids tight and lock them in the house. I can't, though. I have to send them out in the big, bad world. I'm just thankful that, for the most part, they are good, decent kids who know right from wrong. They aren't part of a gang (that I know of, anyway). They aren't the ones terrorizing the city. However, they attend school with the scary people. They know who they are. Beth likely sits next to a gang member in each of her classes. All I can do is pray that Beth doesn't get caught in the crossfire. What a wish for my daughter.

What is this world coming to?