1. This is the address of Sandy Hook Elementary school:
Sandy Hook Elementary School
12 Dickenson Drive
Sandy Hook, CT 06482
Today you should write to them, and if your words help somebody feel better for even 5 seconds, then it will be worth it.
2. These are helpful links that you may wish to visit:
PBS: Strategies for Talking and Listening to Children about News
Babble: 5 Top Resources for Talking to Your Kids About School Shootings
To my friends and loved ones who do not believe in gun control: I ask you to search yourselves, to reconsider. When an amendment that gives one individual "the right to bear arms" clashes so horribly with 26 other people's "inalienable Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," then it is truly time for a reasonable discourse on the control of guns and ammunition.
Our forefathers never meant for it to happen this way.
The lawyer side of me acknowledges that due to the makeup of the Supreme Court at this time, real gun control is probably impossible. I do think that ammunition can be banned. Thus people can keep their weapons, they just will not be able to use them to hurt people.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you're right. But I was encouraged by conservative pundit David Brook's recent comments on gun control, and especially ammunition control. He also suggests curbing media coverage of killers.
DeleteGood idea to place some resource links, Kerry. I agree with you totally about tighter gun restrictions. We have some in place here in Canada, and though it can't completely end this sort of tragedy, it can reduce it drastically. I just don't get the resistance.
ReplyDeleteThank you Hilary. Many people just feel safer carrying concealed weapons, although the data does not support the idea that an increase in gun ownership also decreases violent crime. Quite the opposite.
DeleteAnd the 2nd Amendment was written at a time when the states wanted and needed militias, long before the National Guard was established to meet that need. The intent of the 2nd Amendment in 1791 was not for individuals to carry weapons to protect themselves from other individuals, but rather to establish militias to protect against invasion. Now we would call it vigilantism if private citizens rose up like that, but we still want our guns. It's a mess.
The most concise and reasonable paragraph I've read on the subject, so far.
ReplyDeleteThank you ER. In my mind there are a million inadequate words on this subject, but this is all that came out.
DeleteThank you, Kerry, for your words and for the address. I will write a note expressing my feelings concerning this horrible tragedy. I'm hoping Pres. Obama can get our government to make this huge change. And while they're at it, stop sending 8 million dollars A DAY to the Israeli army that is also killing innocent children! We aren't the only ones in the world grieving unnecessary deaths.
ReplyDeleteThanks Merry, for writing. Somebody will read your card & feel better. The death of innocents anywhere in the world is a black mark on humanity.
DeleteIf only we could understand our own manias.
ReplyDeleteWords are so inadequate - how do we comfort the parents of a slain child? Convince someone who reveres guns that they can cause irreparable damage even in the hands of sane people and that regulation can be a good thing? How do we make sense of civilization that is far from civil in its search for power and profit?
Thanks for your thoughtful post and that photo. We each need to search ourselves for the good that exists inside us and bring that to the fore.
Thank you Pauline. You are so good.
DeleteAll words of comfort are inadequate, but any word is better than none. And anything you say publicly to support regulation of automatic weapons is better than nothing.
thank you ... that was so perfectly expressed ..
ReplyDeleteThanks Daryl. There are signs of movement today towards gun regulation, & for that I'm happy.
DeleteUnfortunately, gun control or not, there will always be an individual who will find the means and way to be evil. It has happened too often but I am being realistic when I say that gun control will not stop those who want to committ horrific crimes. Sadly Where there is a "will" there is always "a way", unfortunately. Our family was devasted by a horrible herendous crime by a family member. He took the life of his beautiful 2 children ages 12 and 15 and my father-in-law then before his hearing in court took his own life by hanging himself in jail! We are ordinary people living ordinary lives. No one ever saw it coming. He just snapped one day and wanted to hurt his wife. 30 years have passed and it is like it was yesterday. My heart goes out to the families and their loss as well, but gun control will not help. Just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteLinda, what an awful awful thing to happen. There is no forgetting what happened to your family. And of course you are correct when you say that we can't prevent all bad things just by legislating. I get where you're coming from. I'm glad that you spoke up.
DeleteHowever.
I see no reason that private citizens should have such easy access to deadly semiautomatic weapons, such as the Bushmaster AR-15 assault-type weapon used against Sandy Hook's children and teachers. This weapon is produced not for hunting or even, really, for personal protection. It is an efficient killing machine more easily obtained than a driver's license. It should be regulated.
I just do not understand why gun owner proponents do not see the difference between a mentally ill person snapping and killing one or two people and a mentally ill person snapping and killing 30 people. The difference? Easy availability of semi-automatic weapons with 100 bullet cartridges. It's a no brainer folks. and it has nothing to do with taking prayer out of school.
ReplyDeleteWhat we need is a two pronged attack...easy availability of mental health clinics and restriction of most weapons.
What you suggest would certainly help.
DeleteGun control opponents see any kind of restriction as the beginning of an erosion of all of our freedoms. I hope they ease their stance. As Laoch points out, there's no real likelihood of far-reaching gun control legislation. Personally, I am just hoping for less carnage through the reasonable regulation of assault weapons & ammo. I see some hope in the possibility that this will happen.
Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteI know people love their guns, but assault weapons do not belong in the hands of civilians. That is all!
Thanks Reya. That's the way I feel, too. A ban on them will not eliminate the thousands that are already out there, but it's a start.
DeleteSorry I missed your post last week...well said.
ReplyDelete