I really wasn't. This whole thing is just heartbreaking...absolutely crushing.
20 innocent, sweet babies.
I made the mistake of re-posting "Morgan Freeman's" statement about the tragedy in Connecticut, only to find out later that it was not, afterall, Morgan Freeman who wrote the piece. Regardless, the words in that statement were poignant, well said, and spot on.
First, let's stop "celebritizing" these awful people. Stop plastering their names and faces all over every media outlet. It's exactly what they want, and we are feeding right into it. Giving them exactly what they wanted, when they made the God awful decision to shoot innocent people in malls, movie theaters, and, most horrifically, kindergarten classrooms.
They want to be known, even if it means being known as a monster.
Second, I truly don't feel that strict gun control laws are going to help because guess what? Criminals don't obey the laws. If they want to do something, they will, EVEN IF IT IS ILLEGAL. Like obtaining a gun to kill people.
Case in point: Prescription pain meds? Regulated. Law abiding citizens who need them for their back surgery, neck injury, broken leg, abscessed tooth, etc. obtain them legally, through their doctor. Criminals? They get them too...ILLEGALLY, on the street or stolen from a neighbor/friend/relative.
And folks, it isn't difficult for them. I see it almost every time I'm at work. Felons don't follow the laws...it's what makes them CRIMINALS. They don't use regulated items in the way they are intended. They shoot up prescription pain meds and they'll use guns to shoot up people.
I also just read the article from the mom who is parenting a son with a mental illness and I think her view is right on...let's focus on helping the mentally ill. This speaks volumes to me, as my daughter has a child in her classroom that falls on the autism spectrum and threatens suicide, allegedly brought a knife to school (that only a fellow student saw and didn't report), and is frequently verbally aggressive with students. This student needs to be focused on. She needs to not be brushed off and passed along...she needs help before it turns into something more.
And that thought strikes cold fear in my heart.
So friends, let's forget the names of these tortured souls who choose to kill in cold blood, wipe them right away from your mind and instead, remember and pray for the victims of these awful events. Perhaps if we take the spotlight away from evil, it will instead shine upon the innocent victims, who so often are hidden in the shadows of that spotlight on evil.
My prayers are with the families of those from Sandy Hook Elementary. May God grant them the peace and strength to make it through the most horrendous nightmare any of us can even imagine.
20 innocent, sweet babies.
I made the mistake of re-posting "Morgan Freeman's" statement about the tragedy in Connecticut, only to find out later that it was not, afterall, Morgan Freeman who wrote the piece. Regardless, the words in that statement were poignant, well said, and spot on.
First, let's stop "celebritizing" these awful people. Stop plastering their names and faces all over every media outlet. It's exactly what they want, and we are feeding right into it. Giving them exactly what they wanted, when they made the God awful decision to shoot innocent people in malls, movie theaters, and, most horrifically, kindergarten classrooms.
They want to be known, even if it means being known as a monster.
Second, I truly don't feel that strict gun control laws are going to help because guess what? Criminals don't obey the laws. If they want to do something, they will, EVEN IF IT IS ILLEGAL. Like obtaining a gun to kill people.
Case in point: Prescription pain meds? Regulated. Law abiding citizens who need them for their back surgery, neck injury, broken leg, abscessed tooth, etc. obtain them legally, through their doctor. Criminals? They get them too...ILLEGALLY, on the street or stolen from a neighbor/friend/relative.
And folks, it isn't difficult for them. I see it almost every time I'm at work. Felons don't follow the laws...it's what makes them CRIMINALS. They don't use regulated items in the way they are intended. They shoot up prescription pain meds and they'll use guns to shoot up people.
I also just read the article from the mom who is parenting a son with a mental illness and I think her view is right on...let's focus on helping the mentally ill. This speaks volumes to me, as my daughter has a child in her classroom that falls on the autism spectrum and threatens suicide, allegedly brought a knife to school (that only a fellow student saw and didn't report), and is frequently verbally aggressive with students. This student needs to be focused on. She needs to not be brushed off and passed along...she needs help before it turns into something more.
And that thought strikes cold fear in my heart.
So friends, let's forget the names of these tortured souls who choose to kill in cold blood, wipe them right away from your mind and instead, remember and pray for the victims of these awful events. Perhaps if we take the spotlight away from evil, it will instead shine upon the innocent victims, who so often are hidden in the shadows of that spotlight on evil.
My prayers are with the families of those from Sandy Hook Elementary. May God grant them the peace and strength to make it through the most horrendous nightmare any of us can even imagine.
I agree with everything you've said! PLEASE let's start focusing on mental illness in this country and getting people the help they need. It's not something to be brushed off and ignored if one can't afford the care.
ReplyDeleteCould not disagree on your comment about gun control/safety.
ReplyDeleteMental health IS a huge issue and needs to be dealt with. But this person was armed with guns that could kill many people and fast. If we banned large gun magazines that person would have had to reload after shooting to get access to the school. He would have had to reload more times. Thus there would have been less people killed before the authorities got to the scene. How many times have we heard that MORE people would have been killed had the reactions not been so swift. In the same way, less people would have been killed had he not had access to these types of weapons. People are not allowed to take liquids on a plane. We are searched for those liquids, even though it is our right to have them. Same thing with guns.
Gun control will not prevent these tragedies from happening, but along with mental health attention and attention on society, we can limit these tragedies.
Just because a solution isn't perfect doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
I do agree that assault weapons are an extreme "right" of gun owners, however, I'll reiterate, people who use assault rifles to kill innocent people WILL NOT be stopped by a law. KILLING is illegal, and that doesn't stop them, does it? Criminals don't obey laws, regulations or restrictions, they WILL FIND a way to get their hands on assault weapons whether it is legal or not.
DeleteI completely agree with you. And i'm so so sad about those children & the staff that are gone! :(
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As a mother, tears of loss ran down my face when I read of these shootings
ReplyDeleteAustralia has strict gun control laws following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 when 35 people were killed and 21 injured in a shooting rampage by a man suffering from mental illness.
While I agree that criminals will always get hold of what they want regardless of laws, the strict controls that were bought in following these shootings have made it harder to get them and many, many guns have been taken off the streets because of buy back laws.
It has made a real difference
I think it needs to be a balance of both - strict controls but also providing support and medical help for these people also.
great blog
ReplyDelete