Tragedy at Sandy Hook

The tragic loss of lives at Sandy Hook happened on my 27^th wedding anniversary, and its impact will last a lifetime, most certainly for victims’ families.  The immediate response by the media and the White House is gun control.  Other issues raised are mental health and violence in entertainment and the media.  If Americans are serious about preventing future mass shootings, they’ll do more to support the family, the basic building block of society.  Look no further than the Holy Family as an example for us to follow:  Joseph never cohabitated with Mary prior to marriage nor asked her to have an abortion when she became pregnant.  The child Jesus grew up with a mom and dad, and his parents were active in their faith.

As for the response by the media and the White House concerning a ban on assault weapons, weaponry doesn’t kill; it’s the person pulling the trigger that does.  If that person is mentally ill, all the more reason to provide sufficient care for the mentally ill population and to provide support for their families. 

Some people will deny the connection between violence in entertainment and the media and actual violence.  For these people, I’d like to recall a story my husband told his religious education students a few years ago to help them discern the truth about the existence of God:  Imagine yourself in a room with God and Satan.  One of them wants you to believe that both of them exist; the other wants you to believe that neither does.  Okay, now one of them wants you to believe that there’s no relationship between desensitizing people to violence and their willingness to commit it. The other one wants you to direct your thoughts toward “all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of praise.” (Phil. 4:8) Who’s who?

For practicing Catholics, prevention of another mass shooting boils down to taking important measures to protect and foster respect for the sanctity of life and to practice our faith as set forth by the Magisterium of the Church.  If you’re feeling pulled away from practicing your faith and following the teachings of the Church, who’s to blame?