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| Area firefighters visit a memorial to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims outside the school's entrance . |
Christmas cards
arriving in the mail, children sitting on Santa’s lap and tidings of joy and
goodwill sent or spoken at this time of year prove ironic in the light of the
Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre. Media images and sound bites produced a
groundswell of support for the victims’ families and for their small town, but shocked
national and international communities, and sparked a fierce debate about gun
control. Ratings greedy media showing the faces of innocent school children being
led out of their elementary school by teachers and first responders angered the
public.
A political divide, unlike any other I have seen in my lifetime,
unhinged the populace. On social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, people
posted comments supporting or attacking our second amendment right to bear
arms, and mankind’s established religious beliefs about a merciful, punishing,
or non-existent God.
Tragedies
like this help us to put things in perspective. A sense of normalcy will
return, but, in the meantime, we realize that we cannot take things for
granted. We live in a changing world. Our lives are ephemeral.
In a religious
context, the term, “Felix Culpa,” from
the writings of St. Augustine, refers to the fall of man, describing how a series of unfortunate events will
eventually lead to a happier outcome. On a secular note, we say, “Life
is short,” . . . “Live life to the fullest,” . . . “Treasure every day” because
these words resonate and remind us to hug our children, reconnect with loved ones,
and recognize our mortality.
