Today’s Wonders
Michigan State Students Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner, three beautiful people who have brought wonder to our world.
Excerpts from Wonderworld, Episode 2
February 17, 2023
Dear Reader,
It is after a difficult week in Michigan that I write to you these words. If you are not from Michigan or the United States, I hope you will read on anyway and find something of value here that you can bring into your own community.
On Monday night on the campus where I attended college, Michigan State University, a 43 year-old man carried a gun into two different campus buildings and shot eight young men and women. Terrorized students, staff workers and faculty barricaded themselves in classrooms, hiding behind podiums and furniture in absolute silence, hoping they would not be found and killed. Those who could fled the buildings, running to safety. For five long hours, students sheltered in place, feeling utterly helpless, until they received word the gunman had fatally shot himself.
Three beautiful students known for their kindness were killed, and five others were critically wounded. Thousands of other Michigan State students and campus employees were psychologically traumatized. Tens of thousands of parents, concerned friends and loved ones anxiously awaited texts from their Spartans verifying their safety. We all watched the news and checked social media for updates, many sleeping fitfully if at all that night. Throughout the week we have been connecting with others to support them, to learn what happened, and to process it.
I can only take so many TV news reports, so I limited my intake to just get the facts. What has interested me more is the stories and accounts of the students. Whether or not you like social media, it is the place where Generation Z communicates about and responds to what’s happening in their lives.
Here is what I’ve witnessed from my armchair: videos of students in tears recounting their experience hiding, fleeing, watching through windows across the street as police swarmed the buildings and streets in search of the gunman. Emotionally overwhelmed young adults described what it feels like to have their sense of safety assaulted.
Gradually throughout the following days, “Spartan Strong” school mascot images appeared on social media profiles near and far. Support has flowed in from the far corners of the state, across the country, and even from our rival school, the University of Michigan. Their Burton Tower was even lit in Spartan green and white as U of M crowds gathered at the Diag for a vigil mourning the deaths of fellow university students just an hour’s drive away.
One of my loved ones who was present during the shootings described the rollercoaster of horrible emotions felt this week. They are finding comfort in the midst of panic and grief as the community has “come together to support us.”
Survivors are getting through this nightmare by gathering for vigils and putting arms around each other as they weep together. They are laying flowers in memory of Arielle, Brian and Alexandria, and in honor of the five (unnamed as of today) students hospitalized. They are expressing themselves on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok (etc.) to process their overwhelming emotions.
“The Rock” at Michigan State was repainted with this message “To those we lost, to those healing, Brian, Arielle, Alexandria.” The night before, it read “Allow us to defend ourselves, carry on campus.” Carrying on campus wrought this tragedy, but now hundreds of students are gathering at the Michigan Capitol Building to protest gun violence. All survivors of yet another mass shooting at an American school.
Student organizer Maya Manuel had legislators stand and sit in directly in front of them to see the students’ faces.“Before you act like you understand us,” she said, “please take a moment to sit with us and to listen to us and to be with us, because you won’t be us, you haven’t been us, and hopefully soon you’ll never be us.”*
Survivors of school shootings are begging for anything to change to stop the epidemic of mass murders in the United States. Anything.
So how do we, dear reader, respond to this event, these deaths, their cries? “Please help us!” is their message. How do we help?
The community and state have jumped into action in so many ways. Businesses are collecting donations to help victims’ families and the survivors. Flags are flying at half mast. Even the local zoo is offering free passes for students. There are vigils throughout the state, including in downtown Detroit at the famous Spirit of Detroit statue.
So many generous offerings. Yet one expression of support is garnering an unexpected reaction from some Gen X and Gen Z-ers. It is “Thoughts and Prayers.”
I set up a little poll directed to “young people” on my social media story yesterday. I asked: Do offers of “thoughts and prayers” feel helpful?
Answer options included A: Yes, it’s comforting, B. No, it rings hollow, or C. Other.
The overwhelming response by my “young people” friends, mostly the Gen Z-ers, was B, it rings hollow. Not one person chose B.
Why? Why are thoughts and prayers no longer a comfort?
The answer surely differs from one person to another, but from what I am gathering, it can come across as a brush off. And, too many offers of “thoughts and prayers” have come without action.
Just as faith without works is dead, ‘thoughts and prayers’ without works is dead.
American’s children are scared. Our promises of protecting them ring hollow. Though we (I’m including myself as a parent because I am in spirit) have tried, whatever actions we have taken to protect them have clearly not been enough. We have not made America SAFE for them. The numbers of mass shootings are not only rising; they are skyrocketing. Whether we are directly responsible or not, what we are collectively doing, not doing or allowing now is somehow causing violence.
So, what do we DO?
Your answer will be different than mine. The path to a safer nation will require an millions of non-violent stepping stones and bridges, from more effective legislation to stricter law enforcement to more peaceful communication with and in front of our children, to loving one another better. It will require implementing that idea that you have.
Whatever it is, we must each “do something,” something intentional, to pedal back the proliferation of gun violence and end these insane massacres.
What will I do? What will you do? Become involved somehow in a trauma recovery program for victims of violence in your community? Donate your resources to one of the children shot and in critical condition, facing insurmountable hospital bills? Join a public protest aimed at creating better laws to protect children? Call an MSU (or other survivor of school shootings) student and just LISTEN to them, really trying to hear their needs and requests?
These are just ideas from my limited mind after a week of reading, listening, researching, and standing in solidarity as a Spartan alumni. I have listed below some practical ways we can help with the crisis in Michigan.
Click on the following:
How you can help the MSU community
Go Fund Me campaign for hospitalized student
Mental Health Services for Survivors
And finally,
Wondrous Music
Another of the most tender, delicate and masterfully produced songs I’ve ever heard, this is Death with Dignity by the inimitable Sufjan Stevens. I hope you will take time to listen — it is from his Carrie and Lowell album, a reflection about the passing of his mother. It is a song that has given me great comfort at times of loss and I’m so happy to share it with you.
On that note, I’ll close my second post of Excerpts from Wonderworld. Thank you for taking time to read this important letter.
Feel free to comment below—your words are an encouragement to me and I do appreciate them. Please share my new Substack with your people. And keep your eyes open for a new post on Fridays.
Even in the midst of troubles, I wish you fresh joy and eyes to see that wonderworld is around you. Don’t miss it.
With lots of love,
Linda
Such a strong piece of writing Linda on such a heartbreaking story...a nightmare of a reality for so many families. Thank you so much for taking on such a heavy topic and trying to find a light out of the darkness into a place where no more lives should be taken.......It's hell to think this is allowed to happen in 2023. Sending love to all the grieving families and all those hurt and scarred from this trauma and nightmare and really hope change comes soon before we lose anyone else x
Linda,
I am taking my time going through your lists on my daily jaunts in the woods here.
Such a sad story I listened through, although beautifully stated.
I hate to say almost a year later I barely remembered this tragedy as it is so sadly happening all the time here.
My son is a special Ed teacher in a high school here in Mass and I have to shelve thinking about these things as he has already had a false alarm at his school in a lockdown that was terrifying to him and the kids.
God bless and thank you for opening my eyes a bit more.
Chris