I've been thinking about this all day, and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to find any sense of peace. 40 parents will never, ever hug their children again. A young man lost his mother and brother at the brother's own hand. Several families will be without moms, dads, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews. Friends will never have another sleep over. Hundreds of children will fear the next trip to school and some may never recover. Residents of Newton will not be likely to sleep soundly for a very long time.
And at the end of the day, all I can really do to negate this senseless, horrific act is hug my family a little closer, cherish the children in my life, and hope like hell that those directly effected today find a way to move forward.
But I will NOT politicize the deaths of these children while their bodies are still warm. I will NOT debate semantic arguments, cliched talking points, or radical pro/anti nonsense in relation to gun law. Right now, in this moment....it just doesn't matter. Evil, deranged, sick people will find a way to satisfy their compulsions to do harm. What matters is that those of us with compassion, strength, and a sense of community do what it takes to lift up the broken hearted and carry them until they can walk on their own again. What matters is refilling the world with some of the love and care that was senselessly destroyed today. What matters is helping the surviving students find a way to feel safe again. What matters is the families, friends, first responders...
I am so terribly sad tonight. But I am also incredibly angry at those who would spend more time using victims as fodder for their political agenda than showing legitimate compassion for those in Newton. If it were my child I wouldn't want them used in such a manner, especially before their bodies even made it to the morgue.