downtownv
12-14-2013, 02:58 AM
As We Contemplate The Anniversary Of The Connecticut Shootings
The taking of innocent life is always a tragedy no matter where or under what circumstances it takes place. Whether in a classroom or on the streets of our cities, when innocent life is taken it diminishes us all. We all grieve and mourn these deaths and desperately try to make sense out of the senselessness. We are human and we empathize with the families who have lost loved ones even though we cannot directly feel their pain. We fear that the same thing might happen to our loved ones and we desperately begin to look for solutions.
However, assigning blame where none exists is not the way to prevent these tragedies from occurring. One of the things that makes human life so precious is our ability to think rationally and to solve problems. It is frustrating to us when we are unable to easily find workable solutions to our problems. The difficulty is that some problems do not have easy solutions. How does a free society deal with unrelated, random acts of criminal insanity?
Some people believe that you can solve a human problem by focusing on an inanimate object, like a gun, a knife, a bomb, a fire or a hurricane. Others believe that is just wishful thinking. It is unlikely that there will ever be an answer that will protect all humans from every disaster whether man-made or natural. However, that should not prevent us from taking some time to remember those who have been lost.
As we pay our respects to the memory of loved ones who have been lost, we are reminded of our own human frailty. Let us vow to do those things that we can realistically do to help preserve innocent life while never forgetting how important our natural human rights are. These next few days are not the time to point fingers or to yell slogans. This is a time to agree that we all love our families even though we may have different beliefs in how best to protect them.
Sincerely,
Frank Jack Fiamingo
President - NJ2AS
The taking of innocent life is always a tragedy no matter where or under what circumstances it takes place. Whether in a classroom or on the streets of our cities, when innocent life is taken it diminishes us all. We all grieve and mourn these deaths and desperately try to make sense out of the senselessness. We are human and we empathize with the families who have lost loved ones even though we cannot directly feel their pain. We fear that the same thing might happen to our loved ones and we desperately begin to look for solutions.
However, assigning blame where none exists is not the way to prevent these tragedies from occurring. One of the things that makes human life so precious is our ability to think rationally and to solve problems. It is frustrating to us when we are unable to easily find workable solutions to our problems. The difficulty is that some problems do not have easy solutions. How does a free society deal with unrelated, random acts of criminal insanity?
Some people believe that you can solve a human problem by focusing on an inanimate object, like a gun, a knife, a bomb, a fire or a hurricane. Others believe that is just wishful thinking. It is unlikely that there will ever be an answer that will protect all humans from every disaster whether man-made or natural. However, that should not prevent us from taking some time to remember those who have been lost.
As we pay our respects to the memory of loved ones who have been lost, we are reminded of our own human frailty. Let us vow to do those things that we can realistically do to help preserve innocent life while never forgetting how important our natural human rights are. These next few days are not the time to point fingers or to yell slogans. This is a time to agree that we all love our families even though we may have different beliefs in how best to protect them.
Sincerely,
Frank Jack Fiamingo
President - NJ2AS