I can safely assume that many people across the nation have
one thing on their mind: the Connecticut shootings at Sandy Hook
elementary. Over the past many
years, we have seen our fair share of mass shootings, but this particular one
hits a little too close to home for many.
The shooter (I refuse to utter his name, for the media glorifies killers
too often) targeted children…children. This unthinkable tragedy is so
difficult to articulate; there are no words to express how this tragedy affects
us all. When I first heard of
this, I was shocked, appalled and disgusted. 11 days until Christmas, a joyous and highly anticipated
holiday for many children, a sick individual takes the lives of children and
adults without remorse. Innocence
has been taken, not just the children who lost their lives but also those who
were witnesses to this event. They
will never recover from this day; their lives are forever changed.
When tragedies like this occur, we quickly turn from shock
to sorrow and finally, to anger.
We so easily want to point a finger at who to blame: the mother of the
shooter for having the guns and taking her son out to practice, the media for
glorifying killers, the doctors for not always accurately diagnosing mental
illness, the violent video games that children are exposed to, the NRA? We so badly want to blame someone,
because that is how many of us are able to cope with a tragedy of this
magnitude. I have chosen not to
blame one thing, but to question our society and how is it possible something
like this can happen.
I am not fond of guns, in fact I hate them; I do however
understand the need for some people to feel protected by having a gun in their
home. But in this particular case,
should parents allow their children access to guns even though they train them
on how to shoot? Did the mother
know that her son had a mental illness, one that would lead him to take her
guns and execute a mass shooting?
These questions stir an already ongoing debate about guns in the home
and a child’s access to them.
Another question bothers me: did the mother know her son had a mental
illness, and if so, why would she teach him how to shoot? There are so many questions that
unfortunately will remain unanswered.
The question that we need to now focus on is how do we prevent
this from happening again.
Repealing the second amendment, in my opinion, is nearly
impossible. America is a
gun-loving country, in which the second amendment is highly praised. The NRA is one of the biggest
organizations, and going up against them would be a long, arduous fight that
will never reach any sort of conclusion.
I think that discussing gun control is not really the issue in this
case, for I believe that the real issue is mental illness. How do we learn the warning signs of
mental illness? How do we
distinguish mental illness from a quirky, eccentric personality? How do we treat mental illness? Is medication really the answer for
treatment or should parents spend money on therapy? What do we do to help those that are suffering from a mental
illness? What if parents don’t
have the means to financially support the costs it would take to treat mental
illness? What then? I think these are the questions that we
must now address. We need to put
political party affiliations aside and come together to find preventative
measures that will effectively work to protect innocent people. Now, I know that violence and crime
will continue, but we are now in a time where action must begin. We cannot sit by and allow tragedies
like this to continue.
Having said that, in order to begin change, the right
questions must be addressed.
Fighting amongst each other on issues of gun control will not help our
situation. We must get to the core
of what is wrong with our society and begin rebuilding a better society in
which our children do not fear attending school, or theaters, or malls or any
other public place. I believe we
are not completely free, because our freedom has been caged in fear. So many of
us are so fearful of stepping out of our homes. We take a risk each and every time we leave our homes, but
should our fears be so heightened that even going to school—a place that should
feel safe for students—cause panic and anxiety for students and parents?
This tragedy has shaken this country and others. We cannot describe the horror of what
unfolded at Sandy Hook. And as if
this horrific crime couldn’t be worse, one of the most hated groups in
America--the Westboro Church--will be picketing the school and the funerals of
the victims. Luckily, there is a
light at the end of this very dark, grim tunnel—many people have decided to
come together to create a human shield of love against the Westboro
Church. For more information
regarding this, you may visit their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/events/450301351697761/. This page also offers an address in
which people can send donations and letters of support for the families that
lost a loved one.
In the wake of this tragedy, I think it is clear that evil
does exist and that we must, at this time, put our differences behind us and
find a way to prevent these tragedies.
As the days go by and we begin to reflect on this tragedy, how do you
think we should approach preventative measures? Is there any hope that we can eventually stop mass shootings
and maybe alleviate some of the fears that now plague us? Should we attack the NRA and demand
stricter policies? Should people
be psychologically evaluated before purchasing a gun? So many questions will continue to be discussed, I can only
hope that for once, we will take action and finally do something.
Faithfully,
Cristina
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