Monday, December 17, 2012

Sandy Hook...

I am truly at a loss for words. Everyone is. The same words keep being repeated. HorribleUnbelievableTragicHeartbreakingBut none of these words really seem to work. There's no word that truly fits the feeling. Shock HorrorSadnessHelplessnessWe are all these things, and more. And we are a nation in grief. Even though most didn't know these children and these families, it's impossible not to look at our own beloved children and see their faces in the faces of the Sandy Hook children.

It's too hard to fathom. Working in an elementary school myself, I can't help but imagine it happening there. I know what could and would happen. I know myself and the people I work with. I don't think there is one who would not get between a shooter and their students. I don't think there is one who, like the principal and counselor at Sandy Hook, wouldn't have run towards the sound of gunfire.

It's a cliche, but our children are a precious resource. They are far more precious than the right to own a combat weapon. Nobody needs a Bushmaster rifle to protect their home or their property.
Some people, including myself, like to joke about "the coming zombie apocalypse", but it's not going to happen, and in reality, nobody needs to be able to fire 30+ rounds. If you want to disagree, fine. But you will not change my mind on this. If it comes to a choice between saving lives and having combat weapons, I'm going with lives every time. Some like to say "He could have done it anyway, even if that gun was illegal.", as if a crime must be 100% prevented for a preventative law to be passed.

I don't know the answer. But I do know that it's multifaceted. There is more than one problem that needs to be treated. The fact that agree this happened, people ran out to buy up Bushmaster rifles points to what our true problem is. The worship of violence has to stop. It HAS to!


No comments: