Communicating Silence

Enough.   Enough already.  What must the world think of the United States in the wake of the mass murders in Newtown, Connecticut? 

The victims list, which included the names of 20 six- and seven-year-olds, along with teachers and administrators, struck a deep chord.  Worldwide coverage without a meaningful response badly sullied our reputation, despite the outpouring of sympathy from so many countries.

The truth, shamefully, is that we have nothing positive to report.  This is not one isolated incident … but part of a string of heinous murders stretching back 30 years.   Columbine, Virginia Tech, a movie theatre in Colorado, an army base in Texas,  a coffee bar in Seattle, an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania, a college in California, a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, a strip mall in Arizona --- and the list goes on. 

Last Friday, the president called for “meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.”  I would like to take him seriously, but for decades now, there has been nothing but words.

I know the Second Amendment gives us the right to bear arms, but what about those who do not choose to elect that option and prefer not to bear arms.  How are they protected?  And does the right to bear arms mean that there are no restrictions?  As one columnist said, we have a right to drive cars, but at the same time, there are safety belts, drivers’ licenses, traffic laws, etc.

If the photos of those little children, now deceased, do not motivate action, then what will?

We cannot continue to communicate silence.  We must begin the conversation.  We must communicate solutions.  We must communicate actions.  And we must do it now.