I wrote this 12 years ago, the day after we learned 20 innocent children were slaughtered in a matter of minutes by a lone 20-year-old with a machine gun.
When nothing changed after Sandy Hook, I knew nothing probably ever would. I think that realization only deepened our desire to get the hell out of a country so dysfunctional that not even such a heinous act would matter.
I know. It was such a wake-up call for those of us who thought our cries for common sense gun control would eventually have an impact. If this didn't do it, nothing ever would.
I first wondered if the push by Republicans not to give President Obama any wins, to make him a single term president, paired with NRA lobby money to cement their inaction on gun laws.
Then, I saw so many other shootings afterwards, including the one in Las Vegas at a country music concert. That event likely killed many registered Republicans and even wrung a plea from the performer himself to institute gun restrictions. Nothing.
The "pro-life party" proves over and over again that they're a death cult for forced birth. Rejecting living wages, support for the education, shelter and nutrition of children, universal healthcare that doesn't bankrupt patients and removing assault rifles from civilian hands, are the tenets of their religion and they have fervent zeal.
To this day to see one of their faces causes me intense grief.. I find it unbearable that it happened, that they are somewhere their parents - or their children - can’t put their arms around them..
But I grieve also for the failure to stop the sale of weapons that shred bodies of innocents, peddled for obscene profit, deaf to the weeping of the mourners..
We've lost count of the mass shootings since Sandy Hook. Those killing machines are still for sale, still being advertised, still thought of as the ultimate toy for anyone who likes to shoot.
Our politicians come and go and none of them have figured out how to stop the madness.
They could if they got together and really tried. That's the maddening part.
I don't get it! Why did that and the other mass child shootings not make a difference? People have fought hard for change, but nothing has happened - nor will it now - as you note.
This tragedy continues to make me cry and it always will. It wasn't enough to support a change in gun laws. Conspiracy theorists still say it was a set up by the "liberals", even after Alex Jones lost his lawsuit. This speaks volumes to the state of our country- back then and still now. I hope I'm wrong, but the normalization of these tragedies and the subtle oppression of fascism is winning big time. The U.S.A. is not what it used to be, not even close. What a profound pity...........
We're in such trouble. I don't see an end to it unless the majority in government, all those who took oaths to preserve and protect, seriously begin the process of protecting. The gun lobby is too powerful but they're not invincible. The Republicans aren't, either.
I'm ready to start pounding heads on the Democratic side. They're no good to us if all they can think of is how to keep the peace.
I cannot conceive what it is like to live in the States where these terrible things seem to keep happening. I know how many of you want to change the gun laws. In the UK, after Dunblane, we did. It changed things .
When you wrote this, Ramona, I did not “know” you or your writing. However, you captured exactly how I felt and reacted. We are a three generation household which includes our seven year old granddaughter who is a shining star in our lives. The Newtown tragedy is and always will be in my mind. The shock, horror, and horrendous grief for every life cut short is just a touch away. For the life of me, I cannot understand the mindset of the people who have the power to pass laws banning the sale and ownership of the kind of weapon used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. They put their greed for NRA money over the lives of our children and everyone who has died in a similar manner.
Thank you for resharing your article. I really thought that after Sandy Hook things would finally change. I mean, those children were babies. And yet, here we are. Now, twelve years later and not a whole lot has happened to even try to fix the problem. Oh sure, there was the bipartisan bill that passed - under Biden - that felt like at least something. But clearly, so much more has to be done. And we know the next four years will be futile in this department. Still, we have to remain hopeful and we must keep doing the work. Bottom line, as a country, we have to love our babies more than our guns.
I wrote this piece two years ago on my previous blog site. Hope you don't mind if I share it here.
To make things worse than losing your child ( if that’s even possible) the families of Sandy Hook victims have themselves been victimized by Alex Jones and a Supreme Court that decided an AR type weapon, like the one Adam Lanza used, isn’t technically a machine gun.
It's maddening that all of those obstacles could have been overcome with stronger laws put in effect immediately after Sandy Hook, when more than half the country was ready for it.
They didn't do it. They barely even tried. Unforgivable.
When nothing changed after Sandy Hook, despite the public outrage and grief, I thought there was no hope.
When officials called for DNA samples from parents at Uvalde, I knew immediately why: those small bodies were too torn apart to be identified any other way. I knew nothing would change. There is no hope, not until those who love guns and money more than children are voted out of government.
Then we, as a country, elected the worst of them again, knowing full well what a monster he is. We elected a hate-driven, vindictive, cognitively impaired, incompetent, burn-it-all-down, profoundly ignorant, racist, misogynist, xenophobic, narcissistic, sexual predator, liar, cheat, grifter, with no morals, ethics, or integrity, and now we're going to pretend for four years (or for as long as his faltering brain holds out) that he's a legitimate president, as we watch him destroy our health, our welfare, our economy, our respect, our reputation, our honor...our children... before the world.
I don't think this would have happened if we had the nerve, the passion, the humanity, to choose children over guns. But we didn't, and we still don't. I don't think there can be redemption without atonement, and we haven't got either yet.
Yes to everything you said. Sandy Hook was one of many turning points. We consistently chose the wrong direction. This next year will tell us everything about our futures. Which way will we go?
Not much changes, until it does. The tragic and weary narrative of these school and other killings continues, and with each new one the same battlelines get drawn, the headlines that occur have a familiar ring, and then it all sort of fades away--at least for many, although certainly not for the families and affected community. But the effort of remedy needs to continue, including a retrospect like this one that, while the incident being recalled is several years past, the underlying reality of gun-violence is still very much part of our present and near future. Hopefully, change (the kind we hope for) will come, but it seems unlikely without the continued effort of spotlighting the human cost in lives and suffering.
My niece and nephews were locked in their classrooms last week as a SWAT team, fully armed , stormed the hallways. It turned out to be a fake call— something that is apparently happening more and more frequently these days. Word has it the call came from outside of the country. It breaks my heart children grow up with this very real threat.
When nothing changed after Sandy Hook, I knew nothing probably ever would. I think that realization only deepened our desire to get the hell out of a country so dysfunctional that not even such a heinous act would matter.
I know. It was such a wake-up call for those of us who thought our cries for common sense gun control would eventually have an impact. If this didn't do it, nothing ever would.
Common sense and decency are totally overrun by the of gun manufactures and their bought off politicians.
I first wondered if the push by Republicans not to give President Obama any wins, to make him a single term president, paired with NRA lobby money to cement their inaction on gun laws.
Then, I saw so many other shootings afterwards, including the one in Las Vegas at a country music concert. That event likely killed many registered Republicans and even wrung a plea from the performer himself to institute gun restrictions. Nothing.
The "pro-life party" proves over and over again that they're a death cult for forced birth. Rejecting living wages, support for the education, shelter and nutrition of children, universal healthcare that doesn't bankrupt patients and removing assault rifles from civilian hands, are the tenets of their religion and they have fervent zeal.
Words fail me.
For me, Sandy Hook and our failure to act in the face of this horror is the the inflection point in our cultural and societal disintegration.
To this day to see one of their faces causes me intense grief.. I find it unbearable that it happened, that they are somewhere their parents - or their children - can’t put their arms around them..
But I grieve also for the failure to stop the sale of weapons that shred bodies of innocents, peddled for obscene profit, deaf to the weeping of the mourners..
We've lost count of the mass shootings since Sandy Hook. Those killing machines are still for sale, still being advertised, still thought of as the ultimate toy for anyone who likes to shoot.
Our politicians come and go and none of them have figured out how to stop the madness.
They could if they got together and really tried. That's the maddening part.
I don't get it! Why did that and the other mass child shootings not make a difference? People have fought hard for change, but nothing has happened - nor will it now - as you note.
I don’t get it either, Janice. It’s fathomless really, even as it continues to happen.
This tragedy continues to make me cry and it always will. It wasn't enough to support a change in gun laws. Conspiracy theorists still say it was a set up by the "liberals", even after Alex Jones lost his lawsuit. This speaks volumes to the state of our country- back then and still now. I hope I'm wrong, but the normalization of these tragedies and the subtle oppression of fascism is winning big time. The U.S.A. is not what it used to be, not even close. What a profound pity...........
We're in such trouble. I don't see an end to it unless the majority in government, all those who took oaths to preserve and protect, seriously begin the process of protecting. The gun lobby is too powerful but they're not invincible. The Republicans aren't, either.
I'm ready to start pounding heads on the Democratic side. They're no good to us if all they can think of is how to keep the peace.
I cannot conceive what it is like to live in the States where these terrible things seem to keep happening. I know how many of you want to change the gun laws. In the UK, after Dunblane, we did. It changed things .
Hurray for the English!! Proving the laws can be changed !! We can’t give up. The children need our voices.
When you wrote this, Ramona, I did not “know” you or your writing. However, you captured exactly how I felt and reacted. We are a three generation household which includes our seven year old granddaughter who is a shining star in our lives. The Newtown tragedy is and always will be in my mind. The shock, horror, and horrendous grief for every life cut short is just a touch away. For the life of me, I cannot understand the mindset of the people who have the power to pass laws banning the sale and ownership of the kind of weapon used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. They put their greed for NRA money over the lives of our children and everyone who has died in a similar manner.
You're so right. We have to make demands. No more asking or begging. This has to end.
Hi Ramona,
Thank you for resharing your article. I really thought that after Sandy Hook things would finally change. I mean, those children were babies. And yet, here we are. Now, twelve years later and not a whole lot has happened to even try to fix the problem. Oh sure, there was the bipartisan bill that passed - under Biden - that felt like at least something. But clearly, so much more has to be done. And we know the next four years will be futile in this department. Still, we have to remain hopeful and we must keep doing the work. Bottom line, as a country, we have to love our babies more than our guns.
I wrote this piece two years ago on my previous blog site. Hope you don't mind if I share it here.
https://nancyspoint.com/sandy-hook-10-years-later/
To make things worse than losing your child ( if that’s even possible) the families of Sandy Hook victims have themselves been victimized by Alex Jones and a Supreme Court that decided an AR type weapon, like the one Adam Lanza used, isn’t technically a machine gun.
It's maddening that all of those obstacles could have been overcome with stronger laws put in effect immediately after Sandy Hook, when more than half the country was ready for it.
They didn't do it. They barely even tried. Unforgivable.
When nothing changed after Sandy Hook, despite the public outrage and grief, I thought there was no hope.
When officials called for DNA samples from parents at Uvalde, I knew immediately why: those small bodies were too torn apart to be identified any other way. I knew nothing would change. There is no hope, not until those who love guns and money more than children are voted out of government.
Then we, as a country, elected the worst of them again, knowing full well what a monster he is. We elected a hate-driven, vindictive, cognitively impaired, incompetent, burn-it-all-down, profoundly ignorant, racist, misogynist, xenophobic, narcissistic, sexual predator, liar, cheat, grifter, with no morals, ethics, or integrity, and now we're going to pretend for four years (or for as long as his faltering brain holds out) that he's a legitimate president, as we watch him destroy our health, our welfare, our economy, our respect, our reputation, our honor...our children... before the world.
I don't think this would have happened if we had the nerve, the passion, the humanity, to choose children over guns. But we didn't, and we still don't. I don't think there can be redemption without atonement, and we haven't got either yet.
Yes to everything you said. Sandy Hook was one of many turning points. We consistently chose the wrong direction. This next year will tell us everything about our futures. Which way will we go?
Not much changes, until it does. The tragic and weary narrative of these school and other killings continues, and with each new one the same battlelines get drawn, the headlines that occur have a familiar ring, and then it all sort of fades away--at least for many, although certainly not for the families and affected community. But the effort of remedy needs to continue, including a retrospect like this one that, while the incident being recalled is several years past, the underlying reality of gun-violence is still very much part of our present and near future. Hopefully, change (the kind we hope for) will come, but it seems unlikely without the continued effort of spotlighting the human cost in lives and suffering.
Right on. The one thing we can’t do is stop trying.
My niece and nephews were locked in their classrooms last week as a SWAT team, fully armed , stormed the hallways. It turned out to be a fake call— something that is apparently happening more and more frequently these days. Word has it the call came from outside of the country. It breaks my heart children grow up with this very real threat.
Love your heart, Ramona .
OMG. Those kids must have been terrified. Grrr.
Thank you, dearheart. Yours, too.
Another Day, Another Massacre: How Republican Voters Trap Themselves in a Cycle of Violence, Neglect, and Suffering
By backing leaders who serve lobbyists and profits over lives, Republican voters ensure their own cycle of bloodshed, poverty, and decay
https://open.substack.com/pub/patricemersault/p/another-day-another-massacre-how?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web