An object in motion will remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force. Newton’s law of inertia is indeed applicable to the extreme element of violence in our lives. It is no longer a matter of bullying a weaker party, it is a portrayal consanguineous evil. Despite the raging isms in which the bemused delight, sadly…out of many we are one. We are not a nation of murderers, we are worse. We are a nation who has become unresponsive to murders. Death on the street becomes another source of sensationalism. The saying is, if it bleeds it leads. Thus as Newton’s first law teaches us, violence in America will go on until it is met with a force strong enough to stop it. It is the hope of almost all Americans that gun control will become that outside force.
Compassion here is fragile, as we are a pugnacious people. It took the blood of twenty, beautiful five and six year old babies to wash across a classroom floor. It also took the sacrifice of six heroic teachers who gave their lives trying save the children. In addition, there was the murder of a mother by her very own child, unfathomable indeed.. The world will never forget that day
‘On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. Before driving to the school, Lanza had shot and killed his mother, Nancy, at their Newtown home. As first responders arrived, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head’.
In the State Of The Union Address, President Obama finally got a chance to “bring it”. The president took full advantage of the occasion and spoke with power on gun violence. The ending of his speech was one of the most emotional to ever be recorded.
"We lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best friend. Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, performing for her country at my inauguration. And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, just a mile away from my house," he said.
'Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote," he said. "[Former Rep.] Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence -- they deserve a simple vote."
Studies reported by the Washingtong Post show that since the year 2000 there have been 42 mass shootings in the United States. According to GunPolicy.org there were 32,163 gun related deaths in 2011 alone. These numbers are absurd, unreal, and downright pathetic. Laws must be passed to limit the ability to get and use guns to help end gun violence. In 2012 there were seven mass shootings–three of which involved students between elementary school and college age–a number up from 2011, which saw three, and 2010, which saw only one according to the Center for Progress American Action Fund.
"In 2012 there were seven mass shootings–three of which involved students between elementary school and college age–a number up from 2011, which saw three, and 2010, which saw only one according to the Center for Progress American Action Fund.
'With such alarming numbers, it seems painfully obvious that America must enforce strict gun restrictions to stop such horrific acts from occurring. However, an NRA supported GOP seems willing to fight tooth and nail for Second Amendment rights."
President Obama esteemed the six teachers who were slain at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal to their families was presented at an elegant White House ceremony Friday 2/15/13. The Presidential Citizens Medal was awarded to Rachel D'Avino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach and Victoria Soto "for dedicating themselves to their students and to the community of Newtown, Connecticut.
President Obama also spoke to African American youth in Chicago’s Hyde Park Academy. This was important. Everything cannot be done by law, as compassion comes from a greater understanding. President Obama is able to relate personally with many cultures. His communication for gun control is incredibly humane.
The students he spoke to were left feeling valuable. There are others who perhaps mean well, but the effect of their communication is not healthy. Consider this correspondence. The following letter is a flyer that has begun to circulate in Chicago. It is an excerpt, and has been heavily edited. Although it is anonymous, it is entitled “Letter From A Chicago Jail”
'The Ku Klux Klan would like to take this time to salute and congratulate all gang bangers, all alcohol abusers and drug users for the slaughter of over 4,000,000 black people since 1995. You are doing a marvelous job. Keep killing each other for nothing. You are killing what could be future black doctors, lawyers, and businessmen that we won’t have to compete with. The good thing is about it is you are killing the young, so we won’t have to deal with you (Bleep) in generations to come.
'So keep up the good work. We love to read about drive-by shootings. We love to hear how many (Bleep) got killed over the week-end. We don’t love you (Bleep), but we appreciate you. If you are unable to read this letter because you dropped out of school its okay. Go pull a trigger and kill another (Bleep).'
President Obama had a different way to communicate. It was a message of life, not a statement applauding death.
'There’s no more important ingredient for success, nothing that would be more important for us reducing violence than strong, stable families -- which means we should do more to promote marriage and encourage fatherhood. (Applause.) Don’t get me wrong -- as the son of a single mom, who gave everything she had to raise me with the help of my grandparents, I turned out okay. (Applause and laughter.) But -- no, no, but I think it’s -- so we’ve got single moms out here, they’re heroic in what they’re doing and we are so proud of them. (Applause.) But at the same time, I wish I had had a father who was around and involved. Loving, supportive parents -- and, by the way, that’s all kinds of parents -- that includes foster parents, and that includes grandparents, and extended families; it includes gay or straight parents. (Applause.)
"Now, this is what I had a chance to talk about when I met with some young men from Hyde Park Academy who were participating in this B.A.M. program. Where are the guys I talked to? Stand up you all, so we can all see you guys. (Applause.) So these are some -- these are all some exceptional young men, and I couldn't be prouder of them. And the reason I'm proud of them is because a lot of them have had some issues. That's part of the reason why you guys are in the program. (Laughter.)
'But what I explained to them was I had issues too when I was their age. I just had an environment that was a little more forgiving. So when I screwed up, the consequences weren't as high as when kids on the South Side screw up. (Applause.) So I had more of a safety net. But these guys are no different than me, and we had that conversation about what does it take to change. And the same thing that it takes for us individually to change, I said to them, well, that's what it takes for communities to change. That's what it takes for countries to change. It's not easy."
The children need counseling , and they need love. We have to work on ourselves as well as on gun control laws. That may well be the outside force, that stops the object of hate!
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