Tragedy brings reflection on Christmas season
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Our world will never be the same. If it was not already gone, our innocence is now lost. And it was taken at a most bitter cost: a massacre of 20 little children, eyes bright with the hope of the future and hearts eager for the lives before them. There is no way to describe what happened in Newtown, Conn., last week but to say it was evil. This deadly school shooting was pure evil — a slaughter of innocents. Their killer was reportedly mentally ill, and his actions tell of a tormented soul.
Before the families of these 6 and 7-year-olds and the six teachers also murdered even have time to mourn their dead, it seems that many in our country have already begun to exploit the tragedy as fuel to further their own causes. Arguments about gun control, mental healthcare, video games, violent culture and anything else that might have influenced Adam Lanza to do what he did are already flooding airwaves, opinion pages, blogs and talk shows. People are scared; far too many Americans have died in senseless killings in the past month. Our schools and shopping malls are unsafe, and yes, something must be done.
You probably haven’t heard about it in our national media, but we’re not the only ones experiencing such violence. A few days ago, a 36-year-old man stabbed 22 children and an elderly woman at a primary school in China’s Henan province. While this knife-wielding child-attacker would seem to show that guns aren’t the root of the problem, it’s mainly a sad commentary on the human race. The bottom line is no one should have to worry about their second-grader coming home from school with anything worse than a black eye … or not coming home at all.
I think we can all agree that a world where fear is a prerequisite for third-grade English is not the world we want to live in. Whatever you believe the answer is, wherever you believe the problem originates, one thing’s for sure: you’d better get ready to fight for your beliefs. We’re all facing a fight for what we value in this life, in this country, in this society. Peace, security and freedom are under attack by a multitude of foes, foreign and domestic, and it looks as though we’ll have to pick our battles.
In the days to come, emotion and reason will vie for attention in our courts, our Congress and our televisions. We’ve already begun to hear arguments for various forms of change — arguments often fueled by fear, a natural reaction to the pain and suffering we’ve seen this month. A discerning ear, a firm resolve and a clear vision of what’s most important to you will be great allies as you try to make sense of the chaos.
In this Christmas season, it’s only natural to want to block out the trauma in our world and return to a sense of normalcy, where the possibility of Santa leaving coal in your stocking is the greatest threat to a joyful holiday. But as you retreat to the comfort and stability of home, hopefully surrounded by the people who mean most to you, beware of taking those blessings for granted. Take some time to think about what you value most this Christmas. Hold your loved ones close, and be reminded that in Connecticut, 26 families no longer have that privilege. In 26 homes, presents will remain wrapped under the tree, their intended recipients absent forever. If you’re blessed to have those you love at your side, say a prayer of thanks, and one for comfort for our neighbors in Connecticut.
May this Christmas bring great joy in the celebration of life.
