It's very difficult to sit and write about a book, today. I want to write about how good it was, and interesting, and how much I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. But I find my thoughts turn this weekend to Newtown, Connecticut. I mourn the loss of so many young lives, and adults, in the shootings on Friday. I want to talk about it here, for I feel it is a grief we all feel in some way, and I do not want it to pass in silence here. It is too important.
They were so beautiful, each of those children, and it is
overwhelming that so many were killed. It's overwhelming that even one
was killed this way. It is terrible.
I am so sad for the teachers, and the principal and the psychologist,
and the mother, and most of all for the young children. We are
supposed to be caretakers of our children. In some way even the gunman
was failed as a child, by the education system, by the health system,
though I do not understand why that failure led him to do what he did.
We have had to talk about it with our children this weekend, as my son went online at school on Friday afternoon and saw one of the news headlines while using the search index. They are both affected by it, as they knew that children had been killed, and at school. We have had to discuss it as honestly as we can, and the most disturbing has been how anxious my son is about how no one could stop the gunman. He is age 8, just a year older than some of the children who died. We live far away from Connecticut, and yet this shows how small our world has become, that truly what happens in one place, affects the whole world.
When I go to put my children on the school bus tomorrow, it will be with the knowledge that elementary school isn't the safe place it was on Friday morning. When they have their next lock down practice, it will be with the knowledge of what happened on Friday in the back of their minds now. For those children in Newtown who were at that school that day, they will have to find so much courage now, more than they knew they had, to go back.
We have to find some way to make our schools safe again, every where in the world, for our children.
4 comments:
It is heartbreaking, what happened. I have no words. I feel so much sadness over what happened and my thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of those impacted by this terrible tragedy.
My poor daughter was drowning in kisses and hugs all weekend--and will be for a long time to come.
Watching Newsnight tonight I heard some American chap advocate *more* guns, not less. You wonder how these people justify this kind of thing to themselves. While there are so many like this in the US I'm sceptical that any real change will come about, but I wish Obama all the luck in the world. His speech today was eloquent and touching.
Our grandson is only 6, so luckily too young to take much notice of The News. I can sympathise with your problem, that couple of years makes a lot of difference. I'm not sure what my other daughter said to our 12 year old grand-daughter who is well aware now of what goes on in the world and was probably horrified. In a civilised world no parent should have to explain this kind of thing to their children.
I'm sorry that your son came across this news in that way at school. It's such a terrifying thing, and you want to be able to talk about it with kids in a safe way, not have it surprise them. I hope their first days back at school went ok for them.
Literary Feline: It is heartbreaking. My thoughts are often with the families. I think so many people are touched and affected by this event, and I am appreciating learning about those who died, so that I can remember them, too.
My kids have been getting lots of hugs, too!
Cath: I know, it's unbelievable, isn't it? One of the Senators said he thought the principal should have had a gun on her. For a moment I thought it might have merit, and then all the possibilities of what having a gun at school could mean, and I shivered. What an awful idea the Senator said. The way forward is through peace, not more guns.
I wish our world were more civilized, too.
Kim: Yes, he has been upset. However, once he was back at school today (we had a snow day due to freezing rain yesterday morning), he was much calmer tonight. My thoughts go out to those children who are going back to Newton, and how much courage they have to have.
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