Newtown

So many people have written heartfelt, eloquent comments about the abomination that occurred Friday in Newtown, Conneticut.  Although I do not consider myself "writerly" at all, those people are clearly better writers than I am because I do not have any words for this atrocity.

We all saw the same news bulletins, and we have seen the same coverage.  We know that this very disturbed person lived with his mother, an alleged gun collector, who purchased an assault rifle and encouraged her son to learn to shoot. We know that six- and seven-year-old children - 20 of them - were sitting in their classrooms at school when this absolute coward charged into their rooms and shot them multiple times. 

My heart breaks for the children and adults who had the great misfortune of being at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday when the unthinkable occurred.  My deepest sympathies and prayers are with the families of the slain children and adults. 

Other than sympathy and heartache, my overwhelming emotion is anger.  I am outraged that these evil shootings are occurring, and I do not accept that they are unpreventable.  Yes, the causes are complex, but I cannot and will not accept that these mass shootings are statistical improbabilities that we simply have to endure... because we cannot infringe on medical privacy... and we cannot restrict our right to possess and carry military grade weaponry capable of firing hundreds of rounds.

If given the opportunity to present a fact scenario like Columbine, Aurora or Newtown to James Madison, I would bet our home that he would tighten the language in the Second Amendment.  I cannot believe that our founding fathers would have intended for automatic or semi-automatic weapons to be in the hands of the average citizen. 

We are maintaining business as usual here, of course, with the added presence of two armed police personnel at our elementary school this week.  The duo are unaware of the shooting, but we will likely have the what-to-do-if-you-see-a-gun-at-school talk after the holidays.  We will resume our lighthearted chitchat later in the week, but know that our hearts are heavy, as are yours.