Dear Editor,
My family moved to Dublin in late May of 2022. The day before we began the 1,615 mile drive from Pennsylvania, tragedy unraveled in my hometown of Uvalde, Texas. A post on social medial caught my attention: a mention of being heartbroken. A quick search of the internet was all I needed. The heartbreak of a random city being ripped apart struck like a knife to my stomach. It was not just a random city. It was my town.
My people. My school. Where my sister sends her 5-year-old daughter to an elementary school. My children, too young to be in school, but nonetheless, were currently living in Uvalde with their grandparents while we moved across the country. My world fell apart in an instant.
Overnight my hometown had become a statistic. There were trending hashtags and everyone was talking about it. As I drove cross-country, I counted flags lowered to half-mass and somewhere around fifty I stopped counting. I refused to turn on the radio, listen to the news, or be present on social media. I called my family for updates. Now, one year later, I still find myself angry and heartbroken. I find myself hesitating to tell people where I am from, because it inevitably provokes a reaction ranging from sympathy to anger. People rarely recognized my hometown before, and now Uvalde is known and is synonymous with tragedy.
I visited Dublin the same week I dropped my children off with my parents in early May 2022. I wanted an opportunity to visit the town and to go by the Elementary school where my daughter would start PreK in the fall.
When I walked up to the school I was pleased to see the sign on their entrance announcing they would take every measure to ensure the safety of the students. It gave me peace of mind, to know they took children’s safety seriously. After the shooting in Uvalde, I was even more grateful for these protocols and the upgraded security measures DISD was putting in place at every school.
I would like to say thank you to the DISD police officers whose presence at the school each day makes it a tiny bit easier for me to say good-bye to my 4-yearold as she walks into school excited to play with her friends and see her teacher. When I tell my little girl that the police officers are here to keep her safe, I know that it’s true, even as I hold back tears that statement causes.
Thank you to every teacher and assistant, who love, care for, teach, and protect every child in their school. Being a teacher is hard, but we see you and we are grateful for you. I appreciate the school staff who check my ID even though they recognize me, the first line of defense and protectors to every child in your building.
Thank you for greeting our children with smiles and high-fives. I can see the love and compassion each time I visit.
Thank you to the DISD school board for supporting Uvalde, Texas on their first day back to school on September 6, 2022. Thank you for caring for our children and their safety. Overall, I am grateful this community is filled with friendly and hospitable people. I am pleased to call this town home and look forward to meeting more of you.
Finally, I implore that our community does not give in to complacency. And continuously strive to do better with threats coming our way. Informing families should not be delayed, and all families of DISD should be made aware of issues, regardless of the campus. Uvalde was just another small-town in Texas before May 24, 2022.
It only took one person, one decision, to change their path. Keep your eyes and ears open, and do not ignore the words or actions of anyone if they are a threat to our community. We are the first line of defense, and we must stand strong together.