I feel the need to write. For weeks I’ve been busy making Christmas for others, finally after 5 weeks of garland, lights and 12 hour days I arrived at the end of making Christmas for others. What a relief, now I can try to make a little Christmas of my own. It has been three years since I put up a tree, the lingering recession and the lackluster retail activity made me want to forget Christmas all together.
This year felt better there was a feeling of recovery in the air. I decided to put up my tree and I loved doing it (a drink helped my cheer) as I listened to carols..I even started my shopping and actually paid retail for a few gifts. My good spirit was to come to an abrupt end when I heard the news, an unspeakable tragedy in Sandy Hook. Last Friday I was engaged in a last-minute display “touch-up” so I had no idea what was happening in the real world until I arrived home and began the Email and FB ritual. A shock that upon reflection that was similar to the shock of 9/11 How could this be happening? a tragedy so sad it is impossible to comprehend. 28 souls cut down as they prepared for a school Holiday party. As I continued to seek information and details it grew worse in horror, 6 year olds and teachers. I was growing numb with disbelief as I started to discover photos and videos describing the circumstances. Then I cried.
I had to stop watching it was just more than I could endure, I fixed dinner and went to bed.The next morning I woke up had my coffee and pulled up more news on the pad, it was getting worse, a 20-year-old with an assault weapon had committed this heinous act and killed his own mother. Unlike the night before when I was saddened I started to get mad, mad at the killer,mad at the guns and mad at what my country has become. The U.S.A. stats on death by gunfire are astronomical when compared to other countries that have passed legislation to limit or eliminate military firearms.
If I may at the risk of sounding selfish, the cause of my anger is another mass killing of innocents this time in an elementary school. Death had cast a pall over my Christmas and that of many others as well, The pre-recession Christmas I thought was unfolding was not to be. This senseless act of violence has made it difficult to embrace the season of ”peace on earth and goodwill toward man” How can one feel merry when those who were so wronged have had their holiday become forever an event for remorse and bitter memories. A national disgrace due to inability of our governing bodies to see the pattern of violence growing in our society.
When will we put an end to all this madness? For the last decade the state of our union has been in decline, wars, lies, self-interest, greed, violence, discrimination, extreme partisan politics in a useless Congress the list is endless. The 60s of my teen years were hardly tranquil, I had my share of sit-ins and protests, but never anything like this. I always believed the U.S. was the most fair and civilized country in the world. I used to love my country. Is it just me? Am I looking back through eyes blinded by nostalgia at a time that never existed, due to my youth and naivety? or has America really become a dangerous place to live.
The future United States seems to be heading toward gated communities for the privileged walled up to protect themselves against the poverty-stricken crime ridden masses.
The disparity between the ruling class and the rest of us feels a bit like “Let them Eat Cake” [ we all know where that led ]. When did we become so corrupt and when did it become possible to stack the Supreme court. Seems like every seat the both houses has a “For Sale” sign on it. Why has God been replaced with the worship of profit? Why do we all seem to be angry? This nation has become unrecognizable to me, it’s not the place I grew up in. I am concerned for our future. As a nation we must restore the compassion, sincerity and unselfish public service that made us the beacon of freedom and opportunity that we once were. Sandy Hook is the last straw, it took their brutal sacrifice for us to hold the mirror to our selves and see the naked truth in the reflection. We must make their horrific deaths an agent for real change, to guarantee that there will never be another Christmas like this.
