Sandy Hook Promise

On December 14, 2012, a 20 year old shooter entered Sandy Hook Elementary school and murdered 20 children and 6 adult staff members.

Three years later, I am still completely blown away by the enormity of this terrible event.  And it has been followed by numerous other mass shootings.

There has been a lot of rhetoric, a lot of arguing, and a lot of misinformation since this event.

I regularly see and hear people vehemently defend their "second amendment rights", and take a victim posture claiming that someone says all gun owners are bad, and that the "liberals" are trying to take their guns.

It makes me profoundly sad that so many people are unwilling to talk about the positive actions that can be taken to reduce gun violence.

There are a couple of groups that are trying to start a productive conversation, and create common sense legislation.

One of them is Sandy Hook Promise.

From the Sandy Hook Promise web page:

Based in Newtown, Connecticut, our intent is to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation by providing programs and practices that protect children from gun violence.  By uniting people of all beliefs and backgrounds who value the protection of children to take meaningful actions in their homes and communities, we will prevent gun violence and stop the tragic loss of life.

The Sandy Hook Promise Mission Statement:

Prevent gun-related deaths due to crime, suicide and accidental discharge so that no other parent experiences the senseless, horrific loss of their child.

No threat to your second amendment rights.  No calling gun owners bad people.  No coming to your house to take your guns.

I don't believe that we need to keep arguing about this.  I wish that we could talk about it.  I challenge everyone who reads this to click on the link above and go read about Sandy Hook Promise and what they are about.

This group was formed by the parents of those 6 and 7 year old children who were violently murdered.  They have united in their pain to try to spare other parents the pain they will live with forever.

There is no need to shout, or feel victimized if you are a gun owner or gun rights activist.

But I implore you to listen.

I have listened to incredibly hateful incendiary rhetoric since the San Bernardino shootings on  December 2, 2015.  Because the shooters were Muslim, because they could have ties to ISIS, there are terrible conversations happening about taking away people's civil rights, and shutting down immigration based on religion.

If the shooters had been white, Christian Americans, as they so often are, all the hate would be directed at anyone who questioned the sheer enormity of gun violence in America.

The angry, hate-filled shouting doesn't bring anything good.  Sandy Hook Promise just wants to prevent the senseless violent loss of anyone's child, of everyone's child.

Seeking to understand their mission, on this tragic anniversary, is a small way to honor the sorrow and loss that we all experienced on December 14, 2012.