Friday, May 10, 2013

Re: The Newtown Connecticut Real-Life Horror Story


Note: I wrote this back on December 15, 2012 about the tragic shooting that took place the day before at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. For more info try the Wikipidia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting
I guess I wasn't sure I was ready to post it for some unknown reason. Maybe I had more to say but if so, my mind has lost it. I am still horrified by the event and have stayed away from reading detailed accounts because I feel so depressed after learning about events like this. I have managed to box it away in the back of my mind but I do hope we never forget those innocent lives that were lost. I dream that the future brings improvements to our mental healthcare system and I also hope to see our country prioritize both the importance of educating of our youth and their educators safely.

It was hard to send Jackson to kindergarten this morning. I wanted to stay with him all day. I still cannot watch/read/listen to ANY news related to the Newtown tragedy. I can't bear to learn any more at this point and in fact, may not ever be able to.

I know I can't pretend it away but I simply cannot process it yet. I have kept the news off because I am very worried about how Jackson might react if he sees or hears anything about it.

I usually manage to keep tragic, sad scary things such as this tucked away in the back of my mind. It seems, however, that I am having a hard time not thinking about this one. Maybe having gone through my own personal mental health journey in the last two years can explain this, or maybe the thought that my own darling firstborn is just like the little angels who have gone home to God's loving arms too soon but this story won't leave me alone. At night I imagine the emotions of the survivors and family of those who were killed and I find tears streaming down my face, soaking my pillow. I know this didn't affect me directly-but it is WAY to close to home for me and my silly emotions.

I pray that the tragic events that occurred in Newtown might unite our country and motivate us to work together at improving the security of ALL our children and educators. My wish is that our country will acknowledge that its future doesn't exist without our children, thereby moving public education to the top of our nation's list of priorities. If our country acknowledges that providing safe, secure, learning environments for our children IS a priority, it can only lead to a better and brighter future for ALL Americans.

In my opinion, we Americans need to place a higher value on education. The importance of providing safe learning environments for our beautiful, innocent children and their educators must not be forgotten. I also believe our country needs to improve mental healthcare access and treatment options nationwide. If our leaders can recognize that the country's mental health system is failing (indirectly leading to tragic, terrible consequences), and can take measures to try and correct the issues, perhaps some of these horrific events could be prevented in the first place.

1 comment:

Stepping into Motherhood said...

As a parent with young children it definitely haunts you. I hate that as a parent the world has become so scary for my children.