Just as millions of other Americans are, I am beyond words at the tragedy that has befallen the town of Newtown, CT. Senseless violence can be seen across the country and this is just one reminder that none of us are immune.
I have worked in the emergency room of a hospital. I have witnessed for myself the horrific pain and injuries human beings are capable of infliciting on their fellow man. Those images stick with me, each and every one. There is something terribly broken about a society that cares so little about the lives of others. It takes a tragedy of great magnitude, the slaughter of innocents, to shock the country into a brief moment of contemplation.
I hope, against all odds, one of these ever increasing moments of contemplation will open the nation's eyes to the value of violence prevention and the importance of mental health care. As a society, we hide our mentally ill from view. We pretend they don't exist and as a result many go without the help they need to prevent inflicting harm on themselves or others. We can't ignore the fact that there are people out there who need our help. They have souls and feelings just like we all do. So why do we turn away from them in their times of need? Affordable mental health care and increasing awareness should be considered.
Violence prevention goes beyond stricter control of firearms. Making it more difficult to obtain a firearm may deter some people, but those who truely want a gun will find a way to get one. Instead we need to focus on instilling good values and morals in our children, make help available to them when they need it, and openly discussing how tragedy affects each and every one of us.
