Such A Tragedy

26 are dead. 20 of them are children, varying from the ages of 6 to 10 years old. Words can't even begin to describe how tragic this is. On Facebook, I was astonished and bit outraged to see that some of my friends on Facebook posted status complaining about the weather, or that the line at McDonald's was so long. I'd like to share with you a status updated I posted on Friday:

On a day like this, I think it’s important that the status updates stop focusing on how bored you are, how you’re sad you didn’t get that Xbox game you wanted or other meaningless things. On this one day, how about we focus on those lives that have been lost as opposed to complaining about ours. At least we are still alive. A day like this should really make people stop and think about what is important in life. 

Have you hugged your little sister today? Did you tell your mom and dad that you loved them? How about you send a quick e-mail to your aunt across the country to let her know you’re thinking about her. Maybe drive an hour to go see your grandparents and let them know you care.

Before you complain or make a status about how your life stinks because your mom didn’t get you that knew iPhone, think about what you do have in your life. At least your family members are still alive; unlike those families whose brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, sons and daughters are now gone. Be thankful that you have not lost a loved one today.

 Too many people have died from mass shootings. It is too easy for mentally unstable people to kill massive amounts of people with these semi-automatic and assault weapons that have magazines filled of ammunition. And before you think 'Well if you have a gun, you can stop them' let me remind you of a few things: 

1. You will be taken by surprise when a shooting starts
2. The gunmen will already have the gun out and already be shooting
3. Since you are taken by surprise, you might fumble a bit to get to the gun 
4. By the time you get your gun out, aimed and ready to shoot - you are already dead 
5. You might not be able to see where the gunman is and accidentally shoot an innocent person 

 Yes, I believe we have a right to bear arms. But I don't think magazines full of ammunition and these guns that make it easy to kill a massive amount of people in the blink of an eye are even needed in our daily life. Want to protect yourself from a burglar? Great. Get a Glock.  In our every day lives, we don't need assault riffles and semi-automatic guns.

How many more people have to die before people's right to life trump the right to owning a dangerous weapon? 

Hope and Love,
Becca

As you can see, I used the color green for this post. Green and White are Sandy Hook's Elementary School colors. Please wear green and white tomorrow to show your support for the victims and their families.