I do not know how recently bereaved parents...

[3catwoman3]

...find the strength to appear in public. If either of my sons had died last week, I would probably not have picked myself up off the floor yet.

I am watching the father of one of the victims from MSD on Lawrence O'Donnell. Lawrence just said the same thing to that dad I have been thinking - I wouldn't be able to do what you are doing.

No one should have to do this.

Fuck the NRA. Fuck the damn second amendment. Fuck guns in general, and weapons of war in particular.

[Skittles]

1. you might if you were angry enough

[JI7]

2. yup, that's what the dad said. they keep pissing him off .

[Skittles]

3. we've known for a long time massacres keep happening and nothing is done

imagine knowing that and then your child is blown away

[True Blue American]

9. Those who have suffered know

The first stage of grief is denial. The second is anger. This parents have found the strength to do this and have a real focus for their anger.

Honestly, you are almost robotic during the first period. You just do what has to be done.

I am so proud of those parents and students. So sick of Trump, the unfeeling leaders of the NRA and Republicans in Congress. They are all greedy cowards.

[Phoenix61]

4. Shock is a wonderful thing

It allows you to function and do what you need to do. It doles out the reality of what has happened bit by bit. The reality won't hit them for weeks or even months. But yes, the parents are amazing.

[SergeStorms]

10. Exactly what I was thinking.

When the outrage softens (I hope it never does, but it will) he'll have more time for the full enormity of the situation to set in. That "alone time" will set in, where there's nothing but himself and his thoughts, and he's really going to suffer. I wish him, and every other parent and child who went through this, the strength to battle the inner demons that will most assuredly come.

[True Blue American]

11. Thank you.

The body can not absorb what happened. Totally goes into shock, but then those parents and survivors will deal with this the rest of their lives. The hurt will never go away!

[world wide wally]

5. Second Amendment abuse is a REAL THING

No better way to lose your holy scripture

[Leghorn21]

6. Yes, shock. It will carry you through, until it starts melting away and the grief and despair

can kick in to unimaginable depths. I so hope these destroyed parents can continue to work together and hang together and console one another. It’s going to be bad.

My husband died a peaceful, expected death years back, and even then, my shock lasted for eleven days...and then I went, oh, holy shit - and my agonizing grief slog began.

These dear people lost their babies a mere nine days ago...it hasn’t really sunk in yet...

But their babies’ deaths will NOT be in vain, and working towards that goal will give them a mega-strength they never knew they had. I hope. Hope mightily.

babies

[Guilded Lilly]

7. I think they run on shock adrenaline....

Something I hope I never have to find out about first hand.
But grief summons out some super human qualities in people. As others have stated, anger helps.

But I have sat watching some of the courage in these parents with tears streaming down my face.
These victims were all our children.
This outrage is all our outrage.

But, almighty whatever, these are agonizing times.

[Cha]

8. I admire their strength immeasurably..

I couldn't do it.. I would be too way beyond a puddle of sorrow.

[easttexaslefty]

12. Shock