Much will be said and written about the tragedy in Connecticut today involving an elemenatary school. I have nothing new to add, just my take on it. It is my opinion, like it or not. This is certainly something I would have discussed with Gabe in deep and meaningful way. And he would have shared some piece of wisdom beyond his years. I won't get that opportunity to have that conversation with him. So this is how I'll deal with today.
Today twenty kids were murdered all at once. And as horrible and tragic as that is, we must recognize that many more of our youth are murdered in singular homicides on a daily basis. According to the CDC in the year 2008 there were 2,037 firearm homicides of children. In that year, 65 children under 5 years and 44 children aged 5-9 were victims of homicide by firearm. I am not saying we should ignore the tragedy and violence that occurred today in Connecticut. I am suggesting that every life taken by violence is one too many.
As you can see from the chart above, the biggest crisis is for teens. We lost 1,785 15-19 year old youth ins 2008. Each of these deaths leaves carnage for the family, friends, and support networks of that child. My point? Many more families are impacted each year by these homicides than by mass shootings.
I am sad, angry, numb, outraged, and bewildered by all the violence in our world. Shootings are a fact of life in our society. And we must acknowledge each and every one. And we must come together for each killing as a community to condemn the act of violence, while not condemning the victim. For no child deserves to be killed, no matter what.
And that brings me to my angel, Gabe. Today, while still personally mourning his loss, I am comforted by the fact that Gabe will be there in heaven, greeting the children whose lives on earth were stolen today by a lone gunman. Helping ease their transition to a better place than we have created here on earth.
And, I am hopeful that we, as a community, as a nation, as a people, can finally address the causes of this violence. Obviously, we need to limit access to firearms. And, believe it or not, this is the easy part of the solution.
The bigger issue here is providing services that are meaningful early enough to help those who otherwise might turn to violence. Education is a piece of this puzzle; Healthcare, including access to mental health services, is another piece; engaging activities, including, but not limited to sports, arts, extended learning, social groups, mentoring, and childcare are another puzzle piece; support for families struggling with poverty, loss, disease....there are so many pieces to the puzzle that need to be addressed.
Most of all we need realize that love and kindness are the only real cure for the violence in our world today.
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today twenty kids were murdered all at once. And as horrible and tragic as that is, we must recognize that many more of our youth are murdered in singular homicides on a daily basis. According to the CDC in the year 2008 there were 2,037 firearm homicides of children. In that year, 65 children under 5 years and 44 children aged 5-9 were victims of homicide by firearm. I am not saying we should ignore the tragedy and violence that occurred today in Connecticut. I am suggesting that every life taken by violence is one too many.
I am sad, angry, numb, outraged, and bewildered by all the violence in our world. Shootings are a fact of life in our society. And we must acknowledge each and every one. And we must come together for each killing as a community to condemn the act of violence, while not condemning the victim. For no child deserves to be killed, no matter what.
And that brings me to my angel, Gabe. Today, while still personally mourning his loss, I am comforted by the fact that Gabe will be there in heaven, greeting the children whose lives on earth were stolen today by a lone gunman. Helping ease their transition to a better place than we have created here on earth.
And, I am hopeful that we, as a community, as a nation, as a people, can finally address the causes of this violence. Obviously, we need to limit access to firearms. And, believe it or not, this is the easy part of the solution.
The bigger issue here is providing services that are meaningful early enough to help those who otherwise might turn to violence. Education is a piece of this puzzle; Healthcare, including access to mental health services, is another piece; engaging activities, including, but not limited to sports, arts, extended learning, social groups, mentoring, and childcare are another puzzle piece; support for families struggling with poverty, loss, disease....there are so many pieces to the puzzle that need to be addressed.
Most of all we need realize that love and kindness are the only real cure for the violence in our world today.
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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