Shootings affect children most

To the editor:Mommy, I'm lying here remembering my first days of school.

Remember how I thought those big kids were so cool?

I watched them on the swings, their legs pumping strong.

Mommy, you smiled and said, "That will be you in not too long."

The years ticked by, and I grew as children do.

I became not so different from those kids I looked up to.

And today it happened. I needed a book.

I stepped out of my classroom, barely giving it a look.

But as I was walking down the hall, something went wrong.

Remember those big kids, Mommy, with legs pumping strong?

Well, one of them was angry and stole a gun from his dad.

He brought it into school. That's where things got bad.

A chunk of brick went flying as a shot bounced off the wall.

Because that kid who was angry was coming down the hall.

My life is slowly fading. I'll soon be at rest.

Because that big kid I saw put a bullet through my chest.

I guess he didn't know that killing is so bad.

And now, many families will always be sad.

As we deal with our grief over Virginia Tech, we often forget who school shootings most affect: children. Though our instinct is to shield children from these tragedies, it is important to talk with them. As a student, I understand how difficult this is, but it is necessary nonetheless. Children are just as affected by this as we are.

LIZZIE NUSSBAUM, Cape Girardeau