I Am A Pacifist, And A Parent

I am a pacifist, and a parent. 
I will not arm myself out of fear of who may harm my children;
I will instead strive to teach them the ways of peace. 
I will not take classes in concealed carry; 
instead, I took training in de-escalating situations with armed persons who may become violent. 
I have used that training in many situations where people had guns and were very angry--in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Israel and Palestine, on the U.S./Mexico border, and even in the inner city--and I am still here.
I even have several unlikely friends to show for it.
I will not keep guns in my home, because I know that my kids can get into anything, no matter how well hidden or locked away.
I also know the facts that a family member is more likely to be shot by the gun kept in the home, than any intruder.
For this reason, I do not allow my children to play in homes where guns are present, but my children's playmates are always welcome to come play here.
If we are in public (as we often are) and something should happen,
I will do everything in my power to move my children out of harm's way,
I would shield them with my own body, as any parent would,
but I am under no illusion that any gun I might carry,
as a parent whose arms and attention are filled with my children,
would likely protect them from a bomb's blast
or someone loaded up with their own personal arsenal,
or a car careening into a crowd,
or any other of the thousands of ways someone might invent to destroy others at any given moment.
Of course we could die.
I think about that every time I buckle their seatbelts and head out in our car.
But neither will I cower in my home, paranoid of what might happen,
and teach my children not to live life and love others.
I will teach my children to love all people and to treat them with respect, regardless of their religion, race, disability, appearance, occupation, or any other factor.
I will teach them to be proactive in their peacemaking and compassion.
I will teach them to be a friend to the lonely, and not to join in the bullying and exclusion of others.
I believe no weapon can protect us from everything.
I believe that educating ourselves and others to break down the walls of division and fear,
and to actively build bridges of peace and relationships that are strong in love,
and to invite the strangers we fear to become our neighbors and our friends,
is a far more effective way to move us past this very painful moment in our history.