In Memory Of The Children Of Sandy Hook

The child within me still crys whenever he thinks of the tragic loss of 28 lives at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012, in which 20-year-old Adam Peter Lanza shot his mother to death at home, then traveled to the Sandy Hook Elementary school and slaughtered 6 adults and 20 children, most of them just 6 years old, before killing himself. His motives remain a mystery, but the trail of death and grief he left behind will plague Newtown, Connecticut for decades to come.

Ryuto crying with flags at half staff

Let none forget the 28 victims of the Sandy Hook disaster:

Charlotte Bacon        02/22/2006 - 12/14/2012
Daniel Barden          09/25/2005 - 12/14/2012
Rachel Davino          07/17/1983 - 12/14/2012
Olivia Engel           07/18/2006 - 12/14/2012
Josephine Gay          12/11/2005 - 12/14/2012
Ana M. Marquez/Greene  04/04/2006 - 12/14/2012
Dylan Hockley          03/08/2006 - 12/14/2012
Dawn Hochsprung        06/28/1965 - 12/14/2012
Madeleine F. Hsu       07/10/2006 - 12/14/2012
Catherine V. Hubbard   06/08/2006 - 12/14/2012
Chase Kowalski         10/31/2005 - 12/14/2012
Jesse Lewis            06/30/2006 - 12/14/2012
James Mattioli         03/22/2006 - 12/14/2012
Grace McDonnell        11/04/2005 - 12/14/2012
Anne Marie Murphy      07/25/1960 - 12/14/2012
Emilie Parker          05/12/2006 - 12/14/2012
Jack Pinto             05/06/2006 - 12/14/2012
Noah Pozner            11/20/2006 - 12/14/2012
Caroline Previdi       09/07/2006 - 12/14/2012
Jessica Rekos          05/10/2006 - 12/14/2012
Avielle Richman        10/17/2006 - 12/14/2012
Lauren Russeau         06/??/1982 - 12/14/2012
Mary Sherlach          02/11/1956 - 12/14/2012
Victoria Soto          11/04/1985 - 12/14/2012
Benjamin Wheeler       09/12/2006 - 12/14/2012
Allison Wyatt          07/03/2006 - 12/14/2012
Adam Lanza             04/22/1992 - 12/14/2012
Nancy Lanza            ??/??/1960 - 12/14/2012

And yes, I count the shooter, Adam Lanza, and his mother, Nancy Lanza, as victims. I'm pretty sure that the shooter was mentally ill and not fully cognizant of his own actions. Nor do I believe that his mother was responsible, though perhaps having guns in a house where a young man who was known to be mentally disturbed was living, was poor judgement. I grieve for all 28 victims of this disaster.

In the end, there is really no one to blame, no one to aim anger, hate, or revenge at. We all have to contend with our own grief, each in our own way. And if we, strangers from afar, are grieved by this, how much more so must the folks of Newtown, CT be grieving, especially the parents, siblings, and friends of the deceased? That community is going to be hurting for a long time. I wish there was something I could do to lend aid, but I know not what it might be.

Even our president was so shaken by this that he was barely able to maintain composure while addressing our nation about this event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIA0W69U2_Y

I've heard many people clammering for gun bans because of this event, but frankly, I don't think that would help much. This isn't a hardware problem; it's a wetware problem. We need to ask ourselves, what is wrong with our society that it produces people who can look a beautiful, innocent 6-year-old child straight in the eyes, then blow his brains out. Until we stop producing such people, this kind of incident will, alas, be repeated over and over. We need to teach our children love and logic. Obviously, we haven't. What have we been teaching them instead? Think about it. Then take action to correct it, before more innocent lives are lost.