Evil is Contagious
Evil can spread like a virus, moving from one person to the next, leaving devastation in its wake.
Today, a small town in Connecticut, Newtown, experienced one of the most horrific mass shootings in American history. Imagine sending your five or six-year-old child to school, only to hear by late morning that they’ve been killed by a deranged gunman.
This is the nightmare that more than 20 parents are now facing—a grief that will likely haunt them for the rest of their lives. It’s hard to fathom how they will ever forget this. Not only were innocent children lost, but eight adults also perished, including the perpetrator himself.
I’m utterly devastated. All my joy has disappeared since hearing the news and watching the tragedy unfold on TV. Usually, the media has a way of sensationalizing events, but this one is tragically real. I have two friends in Connecticut who confirmed the details. Of course, I don’t need to personally know the victims to share in the overwhelming sadness. These were innocent children, unaware of the harsh realities of the world. Many were likely in school simply because their parents needed to work to provide for them, never imagining such an atrocity could occur.
The survivors, especially the children, will never forget that day. The horrific image of their classmates being killed in cold blood will remain etched in their minds forever.
According to initial reports, the shooter was 20-year-old Adam Lanza. He had no criminal history and lived in one of Connecticut's quietest and most peaceful neighborhoods. What drove him to commit this unspeakable act remains unclear, and unless some kind of suicide note or explanation surfaces, we may never fully understand his motivations. But here’s what we do know: Adam entered Sandy Hook Elementary School, where his mother was a teacher, and proceeded to kill her, 20 children, six other adults, and then himself. It’s unclear whether he took his own life or if the police shot him. Among the victims was the school principal.
This tragedy has instilled fear across the country, reigniting the ongoing debate about guns in America. It seems all too easy for someone to obtain a weapon and commit mass murder. Sometimes, after serving a brief sentence, perpetrators are released back into society to continue living their lives. This year alone has witnessed several such horrors: the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting, the Sikh Temple attack in Wisconsin, the Oregon mall shooting just earlier this week, and now this massacre in Connecticut.
I sincerely hope the government will revisit gun control legislation to tackle this pressing issue. This "elephant in the room" needs to be addressed. It’s clear that Adam Lanza didn’t purchase all those weapons himself; early reports suggest he obtained them from his mother. If true, it adds a haunting layer to the tragedy. But now, she too is gone, and the burden of accountability lies in the aftermath of their deaths.
Evil won the day. That’s all I can say. Please stay safe, and despite everything, try to have a peaceful holiday.
Yours Pal,
Ronnie Law