We Have Not Forgotten: Newtown Vigil, June 15, 2013, Brattleboro, VT

On June 15th, 2013, six months after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, a vigil was held in Brattleboro, VT to remember the students and teachers who lost their lives on December 14, 2012.

For each of the 26 names read aloud, a bell was rung. Also, in these past six months, 94 additional children age 12 and under have been killed, not to mention the number of teens and adults murdered in America. We have not forgotten. We cannot let our legislators in Congress and our state legislators forget these deaths.

Premature Death: Memories and Loopholes

On the morning of September 11th, 2001 (9/11), I remember where I was when I heard that a plane hit the World Trade Center.  I was driving along Route 103, commuting to work.  By the time I reached Chester, I heard another radio report, a second plane hit the towers.  I’ll bet many of you remember the details of that day, especially the thoughts and feelings you had when you learned of the second plane crash.

For a period of time, Americans came together and mourned for our 3000-plus citizens whose lives were taken prematurely.  Most Americans, at least initially, supported the War in Afghanistan.  But when it came to dealing with terrorism by invading Iraq in 2003, the American public became divided, yet again.

I remember where I was when I read about the young innocent children who lost their lives in Newtown, CT on December 14th, 2012 (12/14).  I didn’t find out until my lunch hour.  I had just logged out of my email, and then saw the headline.  “Oh God, not another shooting!”.

Again, the nation came together to mourn.  But when it comes to figuring out how to prevent, or at least minimize the amount of premature death that occurs in our country, we as a people find ourselves divided again.  If we are not pitted against a foreign enemy, we seem to turn in on our fellow citizens, our neighbors.

Speaking of premature death, many Americans (including myself) attended Good Friday service and remembered the story of Jesus’ Passion.  Twelve Fourteen was a “Bad Friday” for the families and citizens of Newtown, CT, and all Americans.  For Christians, on Easter we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, overcoming death and (our) sin.  But can America as a nation turn the Newtown tragedy, and other gun deaths, into something positive?

This week is the 45th anniversary of the premature death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, TN by an assassin’s bullet, on April 4th 1968.  Within seven days after Dr. King’s assassination, the U.S. Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which provided for equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed, or national origin.

Since Twelve Fourteen, it has been 111 days.  Other than speeches, press conferences, hearings, devisive partisan debates and reader comment forums, things are pretty much the status quo, except for in states like Colorado and Connecticut.

Premature Death: American Lives and Sensible Gun Legislation

Here are some things I’ve been pondering (well before Sandy Hook, and Tucson, AZ and VA Tech, but since 9/11):

If Americans are killed by box-cutter wielding foreign terrorists, most of our elected politicians know exactly what to do:

Invade the wrong country (Iraq).

If Americans are killed by other gun wielding Americans, most of our elected politicians know exactly what to do:

Run away from the NRA and Wayne LaLaLaPierre, blame video games and movies, and complain instead about drones.

How many Americans have been killed by drones on American soil since December 14th, 2012?

I don’t know, but maybe Sen. Rand Paul knows the number.

How many Americans have been killed or attacked by video game wielding Americans since December 14th, 2012?

Maybe a handful of people were beaten with an X-Box or PlayStation controller, who knows?

How many Americans have been killed by gun wielding Americans since December 14th, 2012?

Count as of March 7, 2013: (at least) 2,635 known gun related deaths (gun-wielding Americans killing other Americans), via crowd-sourced data collected from Slate and Twitter (@GunDeaths).

Gun Deaths in America since December 14th, 2012:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.html

America has a “PREMATURE DEATH” problem.  Too many Americans are dying needlessly while our politicians do very little, or are afraid to even debate the topic.  It seems that our nation’s leaders handle this problem differently if the murderers are foreign versus domestic.  Will an adult, sensible debate and vote on gun-related “premature death” happen in Congress?  Or, will any proposed legislation itself succumb to “Premature Death Syndrome” in Congressional committees?

Any political party or politician in 2014 and beyond who continues to claim that “they are better at protecting us” than their opponent party or candidate, is full of “Shaving Cream” (Benny Bell lyrics).

We, … The People

I watched the replay of the 2013 Inauguration ceremony on C-SPAN.  The refrains that President Obama used throughout his speech were “We, … The People” and “Together”.

I liked the comma and pause after “We”.  Instead of the common phrase (or cliche), it made you think about We, Us, All of Us in this so-called democracy, Together.  United, “We”, … Will Stand.  Divided We Will Fail.

It’s up to us, We, … The People.

This is the line that I really liked from President Obama’s speech:

“My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction – and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service.”

Unless I missed it, the Presidents speech did not include direct reference to recent violent tragedies, like Newtown, CT, Aurora, CO, and litany of too many other shootings in the past year alone.

Correction (Tuesday): Yes, I missed it.  Actually, while typing this post late last night, I had forgotten the reference to the children of our country, including those from the “quiet lanes of Newtown”.  After hearing the clip on the radio this morning I remembered his mention:

“Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.”

Thanks to poet Richard Blanco’s poem “One Today”, for his reference and remembrance of the children lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Although they were taken from their parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and schoolmates, way, way to early, it seemed (to me at least) that Richard Blanco included them in “We, … The People”.  They are still with us in Spirit.