Inexplicable Terror
It's Friday, December 14th, and there are just eleven days until Christmas. It is the cusp of last minute shopping after another long work week, with parents ready to buy presents for their children and loved ones. Not for 26 people in Newtown, Connecticut; for reasons that can never be understood, and horrifyingly difficult to prevent. Obama addressed the incident and said "They had their entire lives ahead of them. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own."
The parents of the twenty children will never get to experience the growth of their children, and will be faced with unavoidable reminders every day. They will never be able to hug, feed, express their love, or teach their children again.
The lives of the children at Sandy Hook Elementary have been stripped of any innocence possible. Counseling and perpetual fear will consume their adolescence, while normal kids will be playing sports, going to movies, and chasing their dreams.
Frustration with society, empathy for those affected, and disdain for those who don't recognize this tragedy and feel compelled to alter their approach to life, are a few of the emotions that I experience when thinking of this unconscionable event. Yet my feelings are trivial in comparison and will never equate to a fraction of the emotions experienced by the parents, children, and friends of those surrounding this event.
How do we move on from such a horrific event? How do we react? Where do we start? How do we even contemplate the continuance of "life as usual" succeeding this occurrence?
The quandaries that have been forced to the surface as a result of this tragedy are representative of what America needs to focus on and collectively fix. How did some people reach the tipping point where it became reasonable to take the lives of others? Why don't we, as human beings, really appreciate the relationships we have and become negligent when we can see that our friends need help? Brady Quinn stated after Chiefs player Jovan Belcher killed his wife and himself that,
"We live in a society of social networks, with Twitter pages and Facebook, and that’s fine, but we have contact with our work associates, our family, our friends, and it seems like half the time we are more preoccupied with our phone and other things going on instead of the actual relationships that we have right in front of us. Hopefully, people can learn from this and try to actually help if someone is battling something deeper on the inside than what they are revealing on a day-to-day basis.”
He's absolutely right. And he also mentioned that when we ask somebody how they are doing, do we really mean it? In our digital and technological age, we have lost the value of interpersonal communication. Before classes and during lunch breaks, or even in the company of friends, preoccupation with social networks and digital communication take precedent. No wonder there are so many emerging mental health problems, and it is becoming more and more difficult to find love. Why don't educational institutions place an emphasis on mental health and the ability to nurture those in need? What good is intellect without emotion and a support group?
As I grieve for the people affected and mourn the losses of the teachers and children who were senselessly murdered, I also will be evaluating how I approach my relationships, and those I see on a daily basis. As a society, we need to appreciate the significance of each human life around us, and take notice of those in need of nurture. While nothing can resurrect or reverse the catastrophe that took place yesterday, steps can be taken to minimize the risk in future events being enacted. And it starts with interpersonal communication and taking the time to genuinely appreciate what each person contributes to our life.
My thoughts and prayers are with the children, families, friends, and the deceased. My heart weeps for those lost and I wish for consequential and significant change, at the unfortunate expense of this tragedy.
