Tragedy, horror, and the quest for words

Originally published on Sunday, December 16, 2012

There is no way to make sense of the horrors on Friday in Newtown, Connecticut.

My thoughts and prayers are with the community -- especially the loved ones of the victims as well as the parents who had to agonize during the wait before knowing they would be reunited with their children who survived the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.

We need to devote more time to remembering the victims: such as Vicki Soto, who died after saving her students' lives by hiding them in the classroom lockers and telling the gunman they were in gym class; and such as Dawn Hochsprung, who died after lunging at him when she spotted him.

This page is dedicated almost exclusively to politics: hence, why it is with no small weight that I am addressing this unthinkable act of savagery. If we can convince others of anything in light of what happened, at least try to steer their emphasis toward those acts of undeniable heroism and quick thinking for good.

My stomach turns at the notion of political discourse in the wake of that horrific day. Further nauseating is the sad truth of its inevitability.

On that regard, I am limiting my portion of such to three links from the Reason Foundation over the weekend, beginning with "4 awful reactions" made publicly later on Friday, a call to avoid knee-jerk legislative responses in the wake of tragedy, and an examination of what has happened elsewhere as a result of gun control.

Keeping discussions centered on facts instead of being overtaken by emotional direction is a challenge of indescribable proportions. With the victims consisting of small children and those who gladly took-on the vocation of shaping their futures, I begrudge no one for invoking their emotions in response to this post.

Finger-pointing, however (regardless of which direction it is aimed), is unacceptable and will be swiftly rebuked.