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Friday 14 December 2012

Remembering Those Who Matter

After today's horrific shooting in Sandy Hook Elementary School CT, people sure have a lot of boisterious opinions about the cause of such a tragedy. Finger-pointing and calls for action are rampant online, thanks to social media outlets and CNN's constant loop of horribe news mixed in with opinionated talking heads.

In spite of the crazy media circus, let's remember what happened today. I'm not talking the number of casualties or the profile of the mass murderer, I'm talking about what really happened. The fact that some little child had to look up and see a man with a mask and a rifle in her last moments. The fact that a little boy watched his best friend die, unable to help, and tugged away too soon in a scurry for safety. I'm talking about the parents whose children's Christmas presents are never to be taken out of the attic and ripped open with joy. Please, let us not use this as a soap box for our personal beliefs about what should be done about guns and policies, and stop before we analyze the whys, to remember that this tragedy is ongoing for its survivors and their loved ones.

As with many mass, seemingly random acts of violence, people are already asking about the killer. It hasn't even been 24 hours, and people want a description of the person behind the gun and possible "triggers" that lead to this shooting. Why does it matter? The man is dead. And the more time we spend digging up his past and relation to Sandy Hook, the less time we focus on supporting the victims in any way possible. Forming links as to his circumstance, mental health and relation to the school is the job of FBI agents and policemen, and shouldn't be used by the public to feed their fascination or bemusement.

So next time your brain wandering toward the shooter's motives, switch gears and think of the victims and their families. They are much more deserving of your thoughts, anyhow.