Poignant sculpture by father of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver:

[tblue37]

Link to tweet

Text

Joaquin Oliver’s life ended at 17 years old at his high school in Parkland, Florida.Text

His father, Manuel, sculpted this and my heart is shredded

[SunSeeker]

1. K & R & Retweeted!

[SergeStorms]

2. So sad, but a beautifully done sculpture....

to remind people of the senseless murders of our children in their schools.

I can't imagine the constant grief associated with losing your child. I hope sculpting gives Mr. Oliver some sort of cathartic release to deal with his grief.

[murielm99]

3. OMG

That is jaw-dropping. It is tragic. There are no words to convey how I feel when I see this.

[malaise]

4. The stark truth

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

6. Absolutely.

Going to school in the 1960s and 1970s, I never thought we would have to deal with guns in schools. A fist fight on school grounds was a big deal that would be talked about for a while afterward. I cannot imagine being a student today and dealing with the double threats of school shootings and COVID-19.

[Jedi Guy]

8. I graduated in 1998, and I'm right there with you.

There were a few school shootings in the 90s, yes, but nothing like the near-constant drumbeat we're hearing today. When I was in high school, my biggest worry was getting a good enough grade to be exempted from final exams. The only violence we saw on campus was the occasional fistfight, after which the loser would pick up his/her teeth and life would go on. It never entered my mind to be concerned about someone shooting up the school. Then came Columbine, and all the shootings after it.

Like you, I can't imagine being a student today. Every time they walk through the doors, you know at least a fair portion of them, if not a majority, are asking themselves, "Am I going to live to see my family after school today?" Between that, Covid, climate change, and the rest of our societal dysfunction... well, let's just say I do not envy the young. And that's saying something.

[malaise]

14. Indeed

School is now a place of fear for kids: meanwhile ReTHUGs are concerned with CRT

[2naSalit]

5. Image removed, I think.

[tblue37]

9. It's still there, both in the OP and at the source tweet.

[2naSalit]

11. I'll try to open it again.

Nope. Screen says,

"Hmm... This image doesn't exist, try searching for something else."

[tblue37]

12. I couldn't find another version that would embed, but this link will take you to an image of it:

https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.07e8bd200c843eda7fc3ddb02eb8250e?rik=FabfFIofuN7EqQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

[2naSalit]

13. Thanks, that worked.

Very telling, and very disturbing.

[hlthe2b]

7. My heart is in my throat choking down tears.

So many parents suffering from school shootings. I got to know some at Columbine years ago and always read any Denver Post articles that follow up on how the parents and classmates are doing. That said, the parents of Sandy Hook and Parkland are uppermost in my thoughts.

Beautiful, poignant, and heart-breaking sculpture. for all lost.

[smirkymonkey]

10. Heartbreaking.

i am choking back tears. i can't imagine what it must have been like for him to create that. Or what it was like for his dear son to experience it. Why must we be the only country where this happens on a regular basis?

It's just so sick and tragic.

[Irish_Dem]

15. This picture and another one of American children armed with guns

are the poster children for our violent culture.

[JudyM]

16. Park it outside McConnell's office.