Friday, December 14, 2012

Tears are Falling

Heartbreak in Connecticut

I heard the news of the school shooting in Connecticut this morning, shortly after it happened.  There wasn't much information then, so after following the story for a bit, I went about my daily chores. It was not until this afternoon that I finally heard the horrible details--20 children dead, 6 adults dead, one more dead at another related location, and finally the shooter himself dead.

Why?

No answers yet, and even when we do get the answers we can uncover they will never fully explain away the horror.

I am crying and praying as each part of the story unfolds, but beneath it all is a sure and certain anger.

I keep seeing those little kids huddled in their classrooms, hiding from the gunman who had invade their school. Those who survived knew the drill, and that is the sad part of it all. After the Columbine shootings, schools throughout the nation developed emergency procedures should their school be attacked. Here in New Jersey, schools regularly conduct drills so students and teachers will know exactly what to do in case of such an emergency. I have supervised numerous such drills in my classrooms over the years, and each time, I am chilled to think of what might happen if it were real.

When I was an elementary school student myself, we used to conduct air raid drills. We'd go out into the halls of the school and huddle on the floor with our heads covered so we would be protected in case of a nuclear attack.  Of course, it really made no sense then, for if a bomb did hit, the building would afford no protection, nor would our folded arms. But somehow, it made us feel we were doing something in the face of horrendous danger.

I'm not sure the emergency drills we run today would actually do anything to stop a determined gunman, either, but at least it gives you something to do instead of sitting around, waiting to be a target.

But why should we have to hide in the darkness in the first place? Why should mass murderers be able to so easily obtain assault weapons to use against us? Why should the gun be such an icon of worship and power? Why should we delight in video games where we shoot guns with merciless intent? Why do we allow people to buy guns freely and openly without regard to their intent? Why do we live in a culture where the gun seems to be the ultimate answer to every problem?

I don't know.

All I know is that my heart is broken for all those families who lost a loved one today for no reason.

6 comments:

  1. As well as addressing how easily unbalanced people can acquire firearms, I hope more resources will be devoted to mental health care...

    Senseless - and so sad.

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  2. Jean, we must wait for the story to unfold. I've been hearing that the mother of the gunman purchased the firearms. So many questions follow...
    I was driving and hearing our regular hourly newscaster on the radio this morning. Her emotions were palpable as she reported the ever increasing toll of victims. Every few minutes the numbers grew and she barely maintained her professionalism, kept catching her breath, and continued. That alone was moving. For sure there are presents under many Christmas trees that will never be opened.

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  3. Unfortunately, this tragedy happened in a neighboring town to where I live. I can't get past it. Newtown is one of the towns I shop in. My seven year old granddaughter who goes to school a few towns away doesn't want to go back to school. Her music teacher's six year old son was one of the victims of the shooting.

    I can't come to grips with how this could happen in our community. We are rural and quiet. There has to be a stop put to how easy it is to obtain weapons. There is no need for anyone to have automatic weapons unless you're in the military or law enforcement. The video games where you get points for shooting people seem over the top to me.

    I feel that the worst thing the media can do is make this evil coward famous/infamous. (I call him a coward because he killed little innocent babies). It could encourage copy cats. They should just tell his name and be done with it. That's my thoughts, right or wrong on the subject. Some will agree some will not.

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  4. GHM, there's a quote from Morgan Freedman doing the rounds on Facebook ATM saying exactly that - the media big up the shooter so the next one thinks he has to do more....

    and have you noticed, it's always HE....

    we had one in Scotland in 1996, and immediately thereafter the law was changed to prevent people owning private small guns...not many people over here have guns at all, and those that do have to be licenced by the police.. doesn't stop the odd person going off the rails

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  5. Everything in the comments is true and I feel that we would be hard pressed to find someone who disagrees with us. Yet why are these insane laws not changed? Who is behind the resistance to change? Is it really the NRA? Why are no republicans speaking up for gun control? I don't understand why this is a political issue. And I am very disappointed that Obama is not taking a stronger stand on gun control Therefore, if change can't come from the top it has to come from the bottom, from everyday people like us. There must be enough of us to make this change happen.

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