As for so many, the tragedy in Newtown, CT has dominated my thoughts and prayers. Yet, the answers will not be found solely at the federal level, it must be fostered at the ‘familial level’. Families, communities, schools and churches, and camps in this country must take responsibility for providing for a kinder and more caring atmosphere that is inclusive. One that places the lives of 6 and 7 year old children above outdated 2nd Amendment Rights. Where is the Constitutional Amendment that affords our children the right to live in a society that is safe and free from gunshot wounds? Yet, for me, guns are a symptom of a larger problem. Focusing on that issue solely detracts from the larger issue. Fear.
We are a country that suffers from fear. It is glorified in our movies, video games and 24 hour news casts. Our kids are now fed that fear on multiple devices and screens daily. Over 16,000 acts of violence will be witnessed by them before the age of 16. For most with good parents and a sound home, they will be fine, but for the fringe kid, who is maybe bullied or suffers from mental illness (which Texas ranks 48th in funding), he will find solace and comfort in that violence. It’s what he knows after all. He will be withdrawn and quiet and stay out of sight.
The conversation must be made at all levels. Ponder this fact for a moment:
Of the ten deadliest gun attacks in these United States, five of them have taken place in the last five years. Fear, not peace and love, is winning the day. Family, community as well as government shares in the responsibility of overturning this unfortunate trend. If not, then the uproar and the unimaginable outcry over the events in a small town in Connecticut will have all been in vain.
