It’s an unimaginable pain. Only those who have lost someone so close can even hope to relate. Even then, the innocence of six and seven year old children being stolen away in a moment of madness is impossible to fully comprehend.
This past weekend, communities across the United States were in mourning. As our neighbours to the south attempt to come to grips with the horrendous tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, we grieve with them.
The mass shooting that stole the lives of 20 children and six adults is one of those rare moments that shakes society in its entirety. Even if you don’t want to think about it, you do. It makes us ask questions at a time when answers are not even possible. It forces us to acknowledge that evil exists.
American society — and the way it deals with guns in particular — may allow Canadians to say: “It could never happen here.” But to pass it off as their problem is a mistake. Violence and how we treat those who need help are not unique to the US. It’s our problem too.
The impact of this tragedy will not wane anytime soon nor should it. Those who have children will continue to hug their little ones much tighter in the days to come. We should all treat each other with an extra level of kindness regardless of how different they may seem. As painful as it is, the opportunity to discuss issues coming out of this latest act of violence is important. And try as we might to find answers, we will ultimately fail. The headline in the Sunday edition of Stockton, California’s The Record provides the truth of this moment: “Sadness the only certainty.”