Shame on Us! (The Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting)

Like everyone else, I'm aware of what happened in CT yesterday. Unlike everyone else, I haven't been watching 24 hour coverage of it. Nor have I been engaging in any discussion regarding it. In fact, I've kept quiet about the CT school shooting simply because I didn't want to get involved in the "politics" of it—which, sadly, is exactly what this is turning into. But I can't keep my mouth shut any longer. I'm appalled by some of the things I've been reading.

 

First of all, I'm totally disgusted and heartbroken over what has happened. I'd feel this way regardless if I had children of my own or not. If one more person says, "As a mom I'm heartbroken" or some variation thereof I might just snap. So, if you weren't a mom, you wouldn't be heartbroken?

Secondly, now that the tragedy is over (as some people have said) it's time to start playing the blame game. Thus far I've read people blaming guns, gun control law, autism, mental retardation, bullying, the loss of a girlfriend, and emotional nstability. Hmm, to my knowledge there's only one person/thing to blame: Adam Lanza: the man who pulled the trigger.

Apparently that isn't good enough though because now people are demanding to know why. Does it matter? Honestly, in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter? Knowing isn't going to change what happened. And history has shown us that even if we do figure out why it won't prevent future events like this from happening. I know that may seem harsh, but it's the sad, cold reality of the world we live in.

Furthermore, has anyone stopped to consider what the constant media coverage of this, the constant theories and speculation, is doing to these families? Do you think these families want to constantly relive this horrible event? I'm sure they're going to be doing that for the rest of their lives. They don't need the entire country doing it for them. Nor do we need to be giving this heartless killer any more of our time and attention than we've already given him. Hasn't he stolen enough from us?

We, as a society, as fellow compassionate human beings, need to stop sensationalizing this tragedy and allow these families to grieve for their lost loved ones. We need to let these families know that we support them, that we love them and that they are in our thoughts and prayers. Anything else is simply disrespectful to them.