“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work, reporting or approval of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com.

The Echo of 20 Seconds

A perspective from Faith West

On Tuesday, everything changed for the Carrboro High School community. While the news cycle moves on and people outside our walls look for the next headline, those of us who live this reality don’t have that luxury. We are still living in the echo of that afternoon. 15 gunshots. 20 seconds. In that tiny window of time, a place where we are supposed to learn became a place where we just had to survive. Everyone ran.

In those seconds, students weren’t thinking about their grades or their futures; they were wondering if they were about to die. We keep hearing that “no one was physically hurt,” and people use that as a reason to move on. We are grateful no one was hit, but we have to stop pretending that “unhurt” means “fine.” There is a deep, lasting trauma that comes with this.

It’s a heavy fear that follows students, teachers, and parents into every room. It changes how you walk down a hallway. it changes how you look for the exits in every building you enter. When the community moves on too fast, it feels like our fear is being ignored. I am writing this because we can’t let ourselves get used to this.

We can’t let the sound of gunfire or school lockdowns become “normal.” Advocacy isn’t a hobby for us, it’s how we survive. To our elected leaders and school officials: We aren’t just “recovering.” We are waiting. We are watching. We still feel every single one of those 15 shots, and we are waiting for you to do something that actually prioritizes our lives over the status quo. We don’t need another “statement” or “thoughts and prayers.”

We need real policy. We need to feel safe. To the Carrboro and Chapel Hill community: Please don’t let this fade away by next week. Don’t let the silence of the aftermath swallow the urgency of what happened. We have to keep talking about this, even when it’s uncomfortable.  Silence is the only thing that allows this to keep happening. 20 seconds changed us forever. Now, we need to use every second we have to make sure it never happens again.

“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.

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Viewpoints: The Echo of 20 Seconds
Faith West writes that on Tuesday, everything changed for the Carrboro High School community after hearing gunfire outside.
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