Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting a Mindless Assault on Kids

By Robert Paul Reyes  

1966: A former marine goes on a shooting rampage from his perch in the tower of the University of Texas, murdering 13 people.
1999: Two high school boys massacre 13 of their classmates in Columbine.

2007: A male student mows down 32 students and faculty members at Virginia Tech.

2012: A gifted university student kills 12 moviegoers during a midnight screening of the film "The Dark Knight Rises."

2012: A young man kills 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

"Sandy Hook" can now be added to the list of massacres that conjure horrible images and dreadful memories. Just one or two words "Columbine", "Virginia Tech", or "Sandy Hook" can render us impotent with memories of the tragedy and with a deep sense of foreboding about when the next outrage will happen.

These unspeakable crimes are becoming almost routine, and with the advent of cable news outlets, and the Internet, it's almost impossible to escape the relentless news coverage.

After a school shooting we weep, pray, and wring our hands in despair, or fold or hands in prayer in search for meaning and understanding.

Periodic affronts against civilization may be an inescapable price that we have to pay for living in a stress-filled free society with easy access to all kinds of weaponry.

But gun control isn't the answer; banning guns will leave citizens vulnerable to criminals, who will always find a way to get firearms. We can't forget that guns aren't only a protection against the lawless; they are also a check to keep the government from usurping too much power.

There are no easy explanations as to what drives a young man to commit such unspeakable atrocities, and there are no easy solutions to prevent any more massacres.

I don't have any explanations, and I don't have any answers. My advice is to hug your children a little bit tighter, hold on to your guns, and reach out in love and empathy to the victims of this mindless assault on decency and our humanity.

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Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze. Read more stories by Robert Paul Reyes.

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