Into the midst of our holiday season ten years ago, the slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School came crashing into our day. Ten years ago yesterday 20 children and 6 educators were senselessly murdered by a young man bent on what? Anger at something even he did not understand?
And he had the AR-15 legally. This was no gun bought on the streets among the millions of illegal weapons that cause such mayhem and death in our cities and countryside. This was a weapon of mass destruction.
So, finally, last summer Congress passed a piece of gun legislation, weak as it is, and the Supreme Court kicked the teeth out of a New York law on licensing. As we continue our Advent journey, let us commit ourselves to ending gun violence so that this truly can be a season of joy.
Prayer for the Day
As we place our children on the school bus, we hold our breaths,
For we remember the children of Sandy Hook and Uvalde;
How can this be, O God, we cried, how can this be?
And the silence of the powerful told us, “It’s just politics.”
Empower us, O Creator of Life, to move beyond fear,
Transforming our Nation into one of real safety and peace.
In the name of the One who blessed the peacemakers,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
The mass gun purchases of 2020 and 2021 have put even more millions of weapons into even more hands untrained to use and store those weapons responsibly.
- David Frum, “Responsible Gun Ownership is a Lie,” The Atlantic, October 2021
As a gun violence prevention researcher, the way I choose to honor the victims of Sandy Hook, and indeed all victims of gun violence, is to seek out evidence-based solutions for change. As daunting as this charge is, I embrace it because gun violence is preventable.
- Keri Raissian, UConn Associate Professor of Public Policy
Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor
Let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
For the wicked boast of the desire of their heart,
Those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
Psalm 15: 1-3
Remember