It's always the worst possible time. Usually I have had to go to the bathroom for a while and I've been putting it off. Now, who knows when I'll get another chance. I pull myself from the project I've been concentrating on, lock my computer screen, and zip up my back pack - I'm not leaving the building without my back pack. Sorry if that's frowned upon. If this is a real emergency, I may never see my personal belongings again.
Hundreds of us slowly file down flights of stairs, masses merging calmly from each lower floor we pass. We are composed. We are pretty sure it's a drill. We don't hear shooting. We don't smell smoke.
That's right. In addition to sniffing for smoke, we listen for gun shots.
What used to be known as a fire drill is now a more general evacuation exercise. After all, it seems just as likely to be someone in the building with a gun as it is a fire.
It has come to this in 21st century America. Angry or crazy people brandishing guns in public are normal enough that companies have procedures in place for responding to it.
My job consists largely of designing computer based training for employees. A lot of it is very technical and dry. Once in a while, however, I get to do something more interesting, such as a presentation on how to handle inter-generational situations or the best way to conduct a job interview.
But when asked recently to create training for what to do if an active shooter enters the building, that was a little too exciting. Apparently Homeland Security and some police departments around the country have issued guidelines which we could draw on. And oh, I was instructed, don't make it scary.
Right.
Shootings in public places occur so regularly that we only hear about the really extreme ones now. Recently, a building in downtown Denver was evacuated because a woman was shot in her office. She was the only "victim," though I would argue that everyone nearby was also victimized. It was not even the top story on the local news that night.
It's so common to have a shooting at the office, school, movie, mall, church, or night club, that we aren't surprised to hear about it any more.
We are afraid maybe, but not surprised. I hope we are still horrified, that we haven't become numb.
Gun violence is normal in the United States. This doesn't happen to the same extent in other civilized countries. Sensible people already understand why. A vocal and organized minority controls and intimidates the majority of politicians in power so that nothing can change. Until the NRA is out-organized and defeated by the more lackluster majority of citizens, the insanity of our gun culture will continue.
I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said already. I guess I just feel like it has to be said again and again until something changes.
