It’s amazing how something outside of one’s own life still has the power to turn a person’s world upside down.
The Dec. 14 Sandy Hook tragedy was one of those incidents, shocking and heart-breaking in not only the fact that a gunman unleashed his violence in a school, but in an elementary school full of young and innocence, at a date so close to Christmas as well. Whether it was the timing or the circumstances, everyone had opinions on what happened, what went wrong, and why this sort of event seemed to happen so frequently in America.
Former Arkansas governor and GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was one of those raising some controversy with his response, asking why we should “be so surprised” at violence when “we have systemically removed God from our schools.” He questioned why prayers and symbols like crosses were removed from schools while then following a tragedy, people questioned where God had been. His comments seemed to indicate that schools and other public institutions invited the bloodshed by being Godless places, an offensive and tactless suggestion. As much as moral and character education is needed in all schools, public or otherwise, and while religious education has an important place in society, unfortunately, neither of these can ward against bizarre, unprovoked and thoughtless violence. After all, even a Sikh temple, despite being a place of worship, was the site of a mass shooting just this past August.
The incident also re-ignited controversial debate on gun law. America is a gun-toting nation, with Americans owning more guns than citizens of any other nation, with an average of 88.8 guns per every 100 people. Some have recently mused that the answer to violence is not fewer guns, but more, with the Gun Owners of America advocacy group stating that if the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary had guns, the whole tragedy could be prevented. It’s hard to imagine how our world would look like and feel, if it were the type of place where our children had to go through metal detectors to get inside their schools and if all their teachers were packing heat.
It’s interesting to note that other places – including Switzerland and our own rural Alberta – see quite a few people owning guns and comparatively less gun crime than America. It leads one to think that there might be something in the mindset of people like the Gun Owners of America – a culture of fear and that guns equal good - which plays as big or an even bigger role in violence. Thankfully, President Barack Obama is not going down this path, but has mused on the potential need for tighter laws and restrictions on assault weapons.
More rationally, there came the call for more resources for mental health treatments and support, which is also certainly needed. However, it’s important to note that complex problems resulting in random violence do not have just one solution – whether it’s an investment in mental health, tighter gun control, more moral or religious education in schooling, more awareness of bullying, etc. Politicians and lawmakers, as well as all other members of society, need to consider the big picture when figuring out how to bring all these elements together to improve and ward against such issues.
If there was one thing to come out of the whole event that everyone could agree upon, it was the realization that life can be unpredictable and chaotic – and because of that, all the more precious. Each moment one has with their family and friends is a gift to be treasured, something of which many people are aware and celebrate during the Christmas season ahead.
Hopefully, it doesn’t take a tragedy to wake people up to this gift we all have, the gift of life, of free will, of choice – and the potential to work together to make our society and our future a better and healthier one.
