Silent Night

As last week's column might have suggested, I had planned to write about the mystique of Santa and the importance of being good...for goodness' sake.
But those plans were quickly shoved to the back burner as I read with horror at the tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut this past Friday.
Simply put, it made Columbine almost seem like a playground fight, as a lone gunman opened fire on twenty students...twelve girls and eight boys, all of whom were either six or seven years of age.  Six adults also died in the massacre before the suspected gunman, a twenty-year-old man named Adam Lanza, turned the gun on himself.
For me personally, it's heartbreaking to know that not only were these young innocent lives taken, but those of whom were protecting them.  If the protectors are removed, then there's nothing more to protect the child.
No one takes my life without me fighting for it first, and I would have used every ounce of my strength to try and disarm this sick individual.
This massacre is being touted as the second-deadliest school shooting in American history, right behind the 2007 shooting spree that left 32 people dead at Virginia Tech.
Since then, the questions have been non-stop.  Why?  And how could it have been allowed to happen?
As for the why, that's a question that must remain unanswered, for Lanza removed any possible answer when he pulled the trigger that took his own life after his rampage had stopped.
Yet as I plunged further into the depths of this case, there's many signs of what may have not sparked, but certainly didn't help, in what had happened here.
Nancy Lanza, who was a victim to her younger son's actions, was an avid gun collector, and among her 'collectibles' was a semiautomatic .223 Bushmaster rifle.  That and two pistols were found next to Adam's body after he turned the gun on himself.  All three weapons belonged to his mother.
One of the pistols was a Glock.  For those of you not familiar, a Glock is a semi-automatic pistol that is the premier brand choice for law enforcement sidearms.
I am a Second Amendment advocate and a member of the National Rifle Association.  I am a firm believer in firearms and your right to defend your home, family and property against others.
Outside of game hunting and self-defense in the home, I see no real reason to own a gun.  I own a 20-gauge pump action shotgun that is intended to be used for deer hunting.  Although I don't have time for hunting like I used to, it's still there, and it's ready to be used in the event someone breaks into my home and threatens my family.
That's the only gun I own.
My three-year-old daughter doesn't know I have it.  That's how often I handle it.  If she has to, my wife knows how to fire it and where the bullets are kept.  The gun is always unloaded and the ammunition stored separately from it.
Unless you live or work in a notoriously bad neighborhood, or work in law enforcement, I see no need to conceal and carry.
I don't go looking for trouble.  I don't frequent establishments that are breeding grounds for conflict.  And I certainly don't pull a weapon out of hammerspace because I don't agree with someone.  If I don't agree with someone, I walk away.  I don't try to hurt them.
Except if you're unwelcome and in my house.  Then your backside is mine and you can kiss it goodbye.
So my question is, why did Nancy Lanza need this cache of guns?  Especially a semi-automatic rifle?  And around a young man who frequently exhibited signs of social awkardness and possibly a deeper-rooted problem such as a behavioral disorder?
And did Nancy Lanza explain to her son why she had the need for these weapons?  Did she pay attention to the possibility that he might be capable of doing something like this?  Did she try to get him help?
We still don't have all the answers and likely will not for some time.
But you can be vigilant against acts like these.  You don't have to be a parent, teacher, or relative.
All you have do is this:
SOMETHING.
Look at the signs.  Do you see an individual mentioning anything about killing or hurting someone, or many someones, for that matter?
Don't ignore them.
And if you have a kid, don't ignore the signs.  If they won't talk to you, make them talk.  You do this by searching their bedrooms.  Monitor their online activities including emails and social media.  Yes, it's invading their privacy.  But they need to know that privacy is a privilege, not a right.
And if they get confrontational with you, don't be afraid to resort to getting physical with them.
You can put them through college or put them through a wall.  Leave that choice up to them.  After a few times, they'll choose the former.
My kudos to the producers of Saturday Night Live, who last night, opened the show with the New York Children's Chorus singing "Silent Night".  After their performance ended, the screen silently faded to black.  Then the fade reversed with the kids saying in unison "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"  The show went on business-as-usual from there.
Thank you, Lorne Michaels.  Above and beyond the call of duty on this one.
Please pause for a moment to think of the families affected by this senseless tragedy this holiday season, as it will not be a Merry Christmas for them.  They will never see this holiday in the same light again and their lives will forever be changed.
And think of yourselves.  How we can be better people and be more proactive in recognizing 'the signs' so that future events like this can be prevented from ever happening again.



NEXT WEEK:  Back on Track