“Gargoyle bookends.” “Pencils.” “Erlenmeyer flasks.” “Jugs of paint.” “Cello cases.” “Building blocks.” “Nothing but my words.” I'm a teacher who asked other U.S. teachers what ordinary classroom objects they would use to defend their students in a school shooting. Their answers varied by grade level and the subject they teach. Shaped like a door, the quilt celebrates the good work these school supplies do each day to teach our kids about life and the world, while also acknowledging that teachers sometimes see these things in a different way. The quilting represents the shooter on the front and the teacher on the back, with the applique pieces aimed at them. Imagine bringing a stapler to a gunfight. But I never want to see a gun on the front of this quilt. What I want is the AR-15 taken off the other side. Our children deserve better than the nightmare we tolerate.
