Jeannine and I, along with Gary, Jim, Mike and Rob, went to see "The Hobbit" today, and I was planning to write about that for this blog entry. I probably will write something about "The Hobbit", maybe tomorrow… in the meantime, here's a short review: I enjoyed it.
But I feel compelled by enormous sadness and disgust to write about something else, and that is the shooting at the school in Connecticut today. I saw the initial report online before going to the movie, but at that point they didn't have news of whether there were fatalities.
About half an hour ago, I was driving down to the supermarket to pick up a few things for supper, with the radio on, and heard the updated news: Twenty-six people dead in that shooting… and twenty of them were kids.
Kids.
Little kids.
Shot and killed, along with some of their teachers, in their grammar school.
What is it going to take to get some serious -- REALLY serious -- gun control in this country? Yes, I know it is very likely impossible to completely keep these kinds of things from happening… some number of those desperate/crazy/depressed/mean/stupid people who kill other people in this manner will find a way to get their hands on the kind of weapons -- in almost all such cases, guns -- which let these mass killings happen. Maybe serious gun control of the type I am thinking about would only keep guns out of the hands of a fraction of the total number of people who go off the deep end and commit crimes like this… but damn it, wouldn't THAT be worth it? To maybe save SOME significant number of innocent lives who might otherwise perish at the hands (or more accurately, trigger fingers) of these wretched souls?
Maybe this will be the tipping point. Maybe people will finally say "Enough!"
My cynical side says "Not likely." But my hopeful side sees the possibility.
I'm not a religious person, so it would be wrong of me to say I am praying for the victims of this horrific crime and their surviving family members and friends. But it is completely accurate to say that they have my most sincere and deep sympathy. -- PL
3 comments:
Sadly some people are just mentally unstable in the world, and this is why they go on killing sprees for no reason.
Its saddening to hear the majority of kids killed were around 6 and 7 years old. Absolutely depressing and I can't imagine the grief the parents are going through. Young children having their entire lives gone in an instant of madness.
On top of that, imagine how traumatized the kids who actually survived this will be now that they'll remember it for the rest of their lives.
And as sad as this is, you know this won't be the last school/college/mall shooting we hear about. They'll be another one, and another one, about some random sicko who decides to just let loss killing people and children for no reason.
There really are mentally unstable people in this world, because it defies all logic and makes no sense.
If there is a "Hell," let us hope the murderer is rotting in eternal torment until the end of time.
-Scott
In Paris right now... and the news just paints the picture about how the US is far behind on gun control compared to the UK. Maybe there will be change.
BTW - I came to this blog to let you know that I saw something amazing on my way to the Musee L'Orangerie from the Louvre... Nickelodeon had setup a big christmas tree on the street (Concorde) outside the entrance to L'Orangerie... at the base is a giant TV and a huge pibg poster of cartoon characters for the Holidays. On top? TMNT! So they are right amongst the artists they were named after... but there is no Monet!
These kids were all in the age group of my story hours here in the library. I was listening to NPR on my way to work, and just pulled over and cried and cried. I kept seeing my kids, and imagining what I would do if someone burst into my library, and I just couldn’t help it. I’ve been trying to go out and do things for other people, both friends and strangers, since this happened, because I feel like its all I can do.
And I’ve written some emails with the very issues you talk about here to our reps. I feel the same way you do about the likelihood of action, but I also feel like I have to try.
In the meantime, I’m trying to make our kids feel as safe as I can.
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