Some of you may remember

[Tom Dyer]

New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl shortly after Sandy Hook happened.
The NFL invited the families to attend. Many did. They had a list of activities that they wanted to do while In the city.
One was to tour our Aquarium.
I was selected to lead the group of 70.
No leaks. No press. Let them pet a fucking penguin.
One little boy wouldn’t let go of my hand. His sister was blown away. I loved him.
The parents got to focus on somehow their surviving kids got to have joy while doing kid stuff. They, of course, did not share that joy, but nobody has ever been that brave.
If memory serves, flags were flown at half staff.
Today makes me bawl.

[Tom Dyer]

1. I let the kids feed

the animals in our biggest exhibit - sharks and very large tarpon.
When a shark grabbed a mackerel, that kid WON.
They had a joy, and their parents pretended they did.too.

The most humbling moment I will ever experience. I loved watching the flags at half staff.
The country did.

Just thinking out loud…

[Tom Dyer]

2. The country had empathy. Seemed nice.

But what do I know?

[progressoid]

5. And we didn't have a cowardly and complicit media.

[TheRickles]

6. The mother of one of those kids was able to find empathy for the shooter.

She tells the amazing story in her TEDx talk, and her Foundation continues to show America how to have empathy:

&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

[Fla Dem]

3. I remember... December 14, 2012.

The mass shooting resulted in the deaths of 20 first-grade students and six adult staff.

Had they lived, they would have graduated from high school in June. 2024.

[Permanut]

4. Great post, Tom Dyer, thank you.