Connecticut Shootings

There is no fitting response to the mass shootings of 28 people last Friday, 20 of them ages six and seven. If you all are like me, after the immediate sorrow and shock, there's an impulse to try to make sense of the senseless so we can prevent reoccurrences in the future. Gun control is the recent hot topic of debate, and it's most curious to me that "restriction" is the go to emotion. It seems audacious to think that killing can be prevented simply by taking away weapons. For me, everything goes back to the Inner Constellation--violence within, becomes violence without.

I firmly believe prevention of violence toward another demands the exact opposite of "restriction"--expansion. Expansion of our abilities to identify the marginalized among us and those who are at risk of striking out. Every time a mass murderer is described, I've noticed a personality theme: isolated, kept to themselves and didn't interact with others. When we notice such a troubled soul, it's an automatic response to pull away or retract. The only exception I've seen to this is the response of children, who seem to respond with curiosity and wanting to know more. What if we took it upon ourselves to reach out to individuals who isolate themselves?

The next argument to reaching out might be, what if I'm not equipped to deal with the troubled person? Today, news channels are reporting this is most certainly the case, therefore more money is needed for mental health services. Ironically, most people who receive mental health services report that family and friends provide more support than professional counselors. The genuine love and care of a community of people is incredibly powerful. Don't doubt for a minute the human potential to alleviate the pain of another--we have a heart and an impetus for life--these are our tools for reaching out rather than pulling away. Now to the all important question--what if someone is a whack job, how can I possibly make a difference? A person who guns down innocent children is most certainly a whack job! However, this is where the IC Truths come in:

1) Everything is Energy - the good, the bad, and the ugly
2) Energy never dies it just changes form - the good the bad and the ugly are all powerful agents of influence
3) Everything, no matter how challenging, can be transformed - the good, the bad, and the ugly can  always be transformed

We have great ability to alleviate suffering, and ultimately another person's suffering becomes our suffering, as is evident in the tragedy of the Connecticut shootings. We have a human responsibility to alleviate the suffering of others around us. Dawn Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach understood this as they charged toward the sound of gunfire erupting inside the classroom, as did Victoria Soto and other women who heroically shielded their children from gunfire. For me, alleviating suffering is the lesson of the Connecticut shootings and the key to preventing more tragic expressions of "insanity." May all people affected in any way by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School be comforted and supported by their community during this time of loss.


For a beautifully written article and video footage honoring the victims of the Connecticut shootings, please click here.