My Two Cents...

I am very good at having an opinion on- well everything. I am also very good at sharing those opinions- sometimes even when they aren't welcome!
Newtown Connecticut. The most recent victim of terror. It tears at my heart to think of the innocent lives shed- and at what cost? Thankfully, I believe in God. I believe that by the grace of God- the children were at a state of perfect innocence which allows them straight into heaven. I find that a comforting thought. Their mission here-no matter how short or small- was complete. For those teachers and administrators that lost their lives- they did not die in vain- they are heroes.
The media gives full coverage to these horror stories- which unfortunately continue to increase in frequency. Not just here, but the world around! I understand from one perspective that the coverage brings the community and the Country together- to unite and support those who have directly suffered. That is an important part of the healing process. However- the way these stories are reported, tends to inadvertently give glory to the assassin. Does this glory increase the occurrence of these crimes? Does it spark ideas of evil and terror? Who can really say. We speculate and try to piece the puzzle together-but in the end, there are never any answers that bring peace- or that make what happened okay.
The terror invoked the world over becomes ever more threatening and pressing into our peaceful lives. This terror robs our children of innocence, robs parents of the ability to protect their families, and robs communities of security.
What can we do to avoid these massacres? Guess what- we really can't do anything. The hot topic now is stricter gun control. I myself am a proud gun owner. I don't think that stronger gun control will do any good. The laws in place only keep the honest people honest. Obtaining guns and ammunition is not hard, but it isn't easy. If you are a law abiding citizen, you have to be a certain age, depending on the type of gun and ammo, there are limits in the quantity you can buy in a certain time frame. Some guns require background checks, and special permits. Guns and ammo aren't cheap!
The ways around these "rules" are illegal. Again- the laws only keep the honest people honest.
I take back that we can't do anything. We can. Not on any grand scale mind you, but as individuals, we must stand for what we believe in, and be true to ourselves. We can stop worrying about what everyone else is doing, and focus on what we believe is right and stay true to our integrity. We can watch out for our friends and families. These terrorists have friends and families- or did at one point. We don't or can't know what drives people to do such horrid things, but we can be mindful of signs that tell us when something doesn't feel right. We as a society can go back to caring about individuals as people. We need to let race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and all other judgements go- and remember that each of us is a person- we all need to be cared for. We can teach our children discipline. We can teach them to be of service.
The world will always have it's evil. God commanded that there be opposition in all things. Without sadness and sorrow, we cannot know true joy and happiness.
The way we handle the sadness and sorrow are the keys. We can learn from it and let it build us and unite us, or we can let it tear us apart. It is a simple choice.