By Phyllis Meshulam A morning dawns, barely, with fringes of rain along the well-worn path to the daily paper. She is regulated by her body’s clock, still on Eastern time, as Melissa listens to the drops dribble and splat. Being home from her trip, it’s necessary to re-enter the daily routine, to plan her lessons, … More Infringed
By Ann Gustavson At least it wasn’t in a school, I think as I stand up and Walk to the window in my classroom. But how is this an okay thought? At least. How many more “at least” thoughts will I have to have? I look out at the blue Connecticut sky Trying to settle … More The Day After Thousand Oaks
By Charles Rafferty 1. Children Could Become Maniacs (Columbine) That’s what I learned from the radio as my daughter drank her bottle. 2. Question (Sandy Hook) What kind of gun laws would we have if 26 senators died crouching in their offices while the sunlight was dazzling the pens upon their desks? 3. Why You Died on a … More Triptych
By John Roche I am an armed teacher. Armed with knowledge. Armed with experience. Armed with expertise. Armed with compassion. Armed with passion. Armed with innovation. Armed with creativity. Armed with professionalism. Armed with curiosity. Armed with collaborative spirit. Armed with encouragement. Armed with responsiveness. Armed with resourcefulness. Armed with academic rigor. Armed with leadership. … More I am an armed teacher.
By Albert Lee we are angry … More Our Park Our Land
When: Friday, November 2, 2018 at 7:30pm Where: Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 Poets Major Jackson, Brian Clements, Matthew Olzmann, and Kerrin McCadden, along with survivor and GunSense VT Executive Director Clai Lasher-Sommers, Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher Abbey Clements, and a representative of Moms Demand Action will read their work and selections from the anthology Bullets Into Bells: Poets … More Montpelier, VT Event in November 2018
By Lizbeth Hartz I shared the shock and pain of people violated by mass murder when thousands gathered together to grieve and protest on that spring day at the March for Our Lives Rally in Washington, D.C. High school student Emma Gonzales triggered tears among the massive crowd in her unwanted, newfound role as anti-gun … More Healing Violence Through Activism
By Leah Brennan I hold it in my hand like a baseball— the glass apple paperweight inscribed with my name. I am trained to scan for objects, to weaponize the room, to lock the door from the outside, dismantle the workspace, reassign it to the front line, a hedge of student-chairs, impossibly small desks attached … More Paperweight
By Hakim Bellamy Son, if you came up missing your hood would not be able to find you. Unable to pick you out in a crowd, or a police lineup. If you made it that far. If they even came looking at all. Don’t be anonymous, child. Make sure you stick out like a … More Don’t Be Anonymous, Son
By Anna Leigh Knowles Years after the shooting, the local high schools decided to merge our theaters together for a musical. Columbine wanted to rebuild its reputation. I stayed in the background, sang in the choir. After a late rehearsal, one of the Columbine boys gave a small group of the cast a tour of … More Stage Production
Bullets into Bells 