Louisville…my hometown

 

After a quiet Easter, ham dinner, playing games outside, and just enjoying the sunny day, never could I have imagined that Monday, Louisville would become the center of national news.

Yes, just hours after the Easter candy was unwrapped and egg hunts were over, a 23-year-old walked into a meeting room at a downtown bank and opened fire on fellow employees, killing five people who had started their week normally, with their meeting.

Lives were changed forever in Louisville, once again. Although the news was on all day long, I felt like I was watching another city, not my Louisville.

We are just three weeks away from Derby when people from all over the world will descend upon our city for a dose of southern hospitality. Our city puts on a great week-long party and I’m always so proud to be a part of it!

On a day like Monday, I felt like there wasn’t a band aid big enough to fix this pain. We’ve been down this road before, all over the country. There are gun arguments left and right. We just witnessed another school shooting a couple of weeks ago.

My city is hurting, just like other cities have hurt. This is just closer to home. There have been prayer vigils and there have been counseling centers open for anyone who needs it. I think Monday we were in shock, but yesterday, it seemed to sink in and after all the posts on Facebook, and what one of the reporters had said, so many people had some kind of connection to one or more of the victims. We are a small, big city.

As more information comes out there are videos from body-cams and from cell phones. These videos are disturbing and brings the situation even closer to home. I am very proud of our Governor, our new Mayor, the Deputy Chief of Police and our new Police Chief. The police were amazing and a brave rookie was a big part of saving lives. Thank you to all of the first responders and the gifted medical staff that was prepared for those who arrived at the trauma center.

Besides the deaths of so many good people, I learned of something else that is gnawing at me…making me truly sick to my stomach. The gun that was used in this tragedy, as well as other guns, will soon be auctioned off by the police department and money will go to the Kentucky State Police and other law enforcement agencies. This means that the AR-15 used in Monday’s shooting, will soon be available to purchase by someone else.

This is actually a Kentucky law. HOW CAN THAT BE? I know you all know that I am not a fan of guns, and I truly believe that there is no reason for any civilian to have a rifle that is intended to kill multiple people in seconds. I also know that there will always be evil people, but it’s shocking to me. How would I feel if I had lost a friend or family member at the bank? How would I feel if the weapon used to kill my loved one would be back out on the street in no time? Disgusted and angry are the first two feelings that come to mind.

I’ve realized that we have to start with our local and state politicians. It starts there. Honestly, I don’t know what to do, but I’m going to start with letters and phone calls. This gun auction law needs to be overturned. It’s a start, but there is lots more to do.

Someone suggested we stand outside of our representative’s offices, but I’m terrified. Most of the offices are in buildings downtown and I’m thinking me, with my Change Gun Laws Now sign, will be taunting someone who wants more trouble. For now, I’ll try to start change from home.

I stayed away from the news as much as possible today, thankfully with my “day off” chores! Please don’t forget that Louisville is my hometown and I know it well. We are very hospitable and proud of our traditions. I hope to see you all sometime during the next month!

Now, for a little humor to end this blog post…I posted on Monday that although my office was not near the shooting, I was glad to be home for Easter Monday so I could let everyone know that I was safe. It was nice to have the extra day of spring break and I was grateful.

Yesterday (Tuesday) when I went to work, I asked my co-workers how their break was. They told me that they had talked about it on Monday…when they returned to work. I looked in shock and said, “What? We were off yesterday, right?” and I was told, “No…we worked!” I was so embarrassed that I had not realized we were off.

My boss said, “No worries, you weren’t the only one.” Turns out that one of my other co-workers didn’t work either. I then had to confess that she didn’t come in because I told her we were off!!! FACE PLANT!

Yep…I had misunderstood that our break ended Monday morning! No harm done except a little red-faced.

As I get ready to go to bed tonight, I’m glad to end this post with a smile. Love you all!! xoxoxox