We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society,
a life free of violence and fear.
~ Nelson Mandela
A Timeline of Mass Shootings in the United States Since Columbine
Number of Fatalities per Incident
And now, a star for each of the people - mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, lovers, friends - we have lost...
I start crying every time I think about this Friday's tragedy. I watched the vigil yesterday, even though it was very late on my side of the Atlantic. I thought it was all very moving. And I hope Obama manages to keep his passion and his promise, that we owe it to our children to keep them safe, that it cannot go on like this, that there has to be a change (which apparently would require both the law, and the public perception of what is "normal" in terms costs and benefits of gun ownership). I am wishing him every success.
ReplyDeleteI hope we can make progress on this as a country... Some of the reading that I've done suggests that it's about more than just one issue - gun control is part of it, and understanding and dealing with mental illness is another part - and the media might play a role too, by bringing so much attention to the perpetrators that it encourages others to follow in their footsteps... I don't think it's simple and I'm afraid there isn't going to be a simple fix... :(
DeleteWe are all so sad about this tragedy. And here, at a time when the season is supposed to be joy and hope. So sad.
ReplyDeleteIt is heart breaking, isn't it... :(
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