Violence is a global issue, and America is no exception, especially with its controversial gun laws. According to the Small Arms Survey, there are over 390 million guns in U.S. homes—outnumbering the population of roughly 334 million. These statistics are often cited when discussing the tragic school shootings that claim the lives of children across the country. Recently, a student sent a postcard to PostSecret, sharing their heartbreaking thoughts on school shootings.
PostSecret shared his postcard on their Facebook page, where people were shocked to read the short “goodbye letter” penned by the student, who keeps the letter in their email drafts. PostSecret is a service through which anyone can anonymously contribute their stories or views to their group art project. On October 3, they posted the screenshot of a postcard that contained a dumbfounding message penned down in blue ink, in a child’s handwriting. “I spent the night writing goodbye letters to everyone I love,” the child wrote. Expressing his fright in the postcard, the student wrote that they were about to copy and paste them into email drafts when it hit them two ways. “One, how sick it is that this is a part of my back-to-school prep. Two, other students might find comfort in doing the same thing, so I want to spread the idea.” The child who seemed to exhale before getting back to the letter, further wrote, “I am much less terrified now. When the shooting starts, it will take me just a few seconds to pull out my phone and say my goodbyes.”
The final line devastated readers on social media, with over 12,000 reactions and 1,600 comments. “That’s horrific that kids have to think about that,” wrote a user named Katie Backa. Echoing the emotion, Joe Dee Bee described the letter as heartbreaking, he added, “This is not normal and my heart hurts for those it has become normal for. I hope the US does something about their gun lust. I hope students can feel safe at school again soon.”
Cassidy Hewitt wrote, “What a very real fear that only Americans have to grapple with. This is horrific and honestly one of the most depressing secrets I’ve read on this page, we need to enact change, this should not be our reality.” Whereas, Sherri Allen mentioned how this filled her heart with rage. Reflecting on the gun violence in America, Julia Vargas commented, “This is such an important example of where we are as a country. That this has become a normal part of our daily existence. It’s not a good thing, but an important narrative.” According to CNN, there have been at least 50 school shootings in the United States in the year 2024 by the month of September, leaving 24 people dead and 66 badly injured.
