THE ANGELS OF NEWTOWN
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger
Almost a year to the day that the Sandy Hook shooting took place, there was a grim reminder of what guns can do if placed in the wrong hands. Just a few miles from Columbine, the scene for one of the deadliest shootings on record, an 18 year-old entered Arapahoe High School in search of a librarian whom he may have held a grudge against from a past argument. Seventeen year-old Claire Davis just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and just minutes before the shooter, Karl Halverson Pierson, took his own life, he critically wounded this senior who was described as sweet and popular. Her friends are praying for her as she fights for her life.
It seems almost unfathomable that at a time of the year when love should surround and unite people around the nation, individuals that can barely be called adults, are responsible for such horrific acts of violence. One year later, we will never forget the misfortune that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Parents still try to come to terms with the stark reality that they will never hear their child laugh again or receive a big hug from their little one. It is difficult to make any sense of the entire situation. I respect the strength and fortitude of those that lost their loved ones. The message that this massacre brought was one that we all should heed. Appreciate the morning, noon and night because each day that we are given is a gift of life. In cities across the country, a moment of silence was observed in memory of the victims.
The President and First Lady entered the Map Room at the White House on this anniversary day and lit 26 candles in honor of the 26 slain victims of Sandy Hook Elementary. President Obama made this the single most important topic in his weekly address statement:
“One year ago today, a quiet, peaceful town was shattered by unspeakable violence.
Six dedicated school workers and 20 beautiful children were taken from our lives forever.
As parents, as Americans, the news filled us with grief. Newtown is a town like so many of our hometowns. The victims were educators and kids that could have been any of our own. And our hearts were broken for the families that lost a piece of their heart; for the communities changed forever; for the survivors, so young, whose innocence was torn away far too soon.
But beneath the sadness, we also felt a sense of resolve – that these tragedies must end, and that to end them, we must change.
From the very beginning, our efforts were led by the parents of Newtown – men and women, impossibly brave, who stepped forward in the hopes that they might spare others their heartbreak. And they were joined by millions of Americans – mothers and fathers; sisters and brothers – who refused to accept these acts of violence as somehow inevitable.
Over the past year, their voices have sustained us. And their example has inspired us – to be better parents and better neighbors; to give our children everything they need to face the world without fear; to meet our responsibilities not just to our own families, but to our communities. More than the tragedy itself, that’s how Newtown will be remembered.
And on this anniversary of a day we will never forget, that’s the example we should continue to follow. Because we haven’t yet done enough to make our communities and our country safer. We have to do more to keep dangerous people from getting their hands on a gun so easily. We have to do more to heal troubled minds. We have to do everything we can to protect our children from harm and make them feel loved, and valued, and cared for.
And as we do, we can’t lose sight of the fact that real change won’t come from Washington. It will come the way it’s always come – from you. From the American people.
As a nation, we can’t stop every act of violence. We can’t heal every troubled mind. But if we want to live in a country where we can go to work, send our kids to school, and walk our streets free from fear, we have to keep trying. We have to keep caring. We have to treat every child like they’re our child. Like those in Sandy Hook, we must choose love. And together, we must make a change. Thank you.”
One accomplishment of joy is the creation of 14 parks as of November 11th, 2013, in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York in memory of the tragedy. The parks are a place for solace and quiet retrospection. Each of the parks costs approximately $100,000. Funds used to complete these parks are generous donations sent to ‘Where Angels Play’, a non-profit foundation. Many can come to these parks to enjoy nature and escape some of the wicked wrath of reality.
The healing has to be the hardest and longest part of the process. Many of the parents and families who lost their loved ones are rallying for tighter gun control. The majority agree that healing is a slow and painful process to undertake. Jeremy Richman and Jennifer Hensel are going one step further to try and answer the question ‘Why’? Why did Adam Lanza take his mother’s life and then take the lives of children still to young to comprehend the evils of society. Why did Lanza shoot their energetic wonder, six year-old Avielle. They have tackled the question in a much different way. Since both are scientists, they decided that research will surely uncover the answers. With their educational background and expertise, they are trying to scientifically understand what drives such violent behavior. One thing is certain; they want to try and prevent such a tragedy from taking place again in the future. That was the inspiration behind the creation of the Avielle Foundation. This is how these parents are moving forward and healing. Each family handles it in their own manner.
Nelba Marquez-Greene is still trying to make sense of her dear daughter’s death, six year-old Ana Grace. She has started the Ana Grace Project whose mission it is to build community, connections and compassion in remembrance of Ana Grace.
Nicole Hockley, mother of six year-old victim, Dylan Hockley, works diligently to help lead Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization seeking to prevent the causes of gun violence.
Some have traveled together to the White House to plead their case for more stringent gun laws.
Many of these families find that it is their main purpose to prevent other families from suffering such a huge loss in their lives, from tackling the emptiness in their hearts, from having to miss those that brought them such happiness and lit up their days and finished their nights. Newtown residents wished for privacy on this one-year anniversary and that wish was gladly granted. However, the victims of the massacre will remain in our hearts and our minds and there is no doubt that we all said a prayer in their honor.
PHOTO CREDITS: NY Daily News, Reuters, AFP, Washington Post —– President Address courtesy of Office of the Press Secretary
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