Trying to keep a few traditions intact even though this Christmas I would
have no family members joining me, I had gone to New York to see “the tree,” had
lunch with a friend at the Metropolitan museum where we delighted in the Matisse
exhibit, and enjoyed festive celebrations with co-workers and
neighbors.
And then the horror that is Newtown, and this became a
Christmas like no other. Could there be a more heart-wrenching time for tragedy
than Christmas and Hanukkah, holidays especially meant for and enjoyed by
children.
The random killing of small children here in our own state, in
a typical, small, safe (we thought) town. Perhaps the Mayans had it right, but
were off by a few days. Certainly the world that those of us born in the ’20s
and ’30s knew has already ended.
Locks and lockdowns? Security systems?
Armed guards in hallways? Safety drills on where to hide in a classroom? All
unknown in my time, even at a New York City school where classroom doors were
often kept ajar to catch the smallest cooling breeze.
Why has the world become so much more violent? As President Obama said in his
touching speech, the reasons are very complex. Some blame lack of prayer in the
schools, others our violent movies and games, still others our lack of enough
help for our troubled youth.
We do know one thing for sure. We are the
most “armed” society in the world, with more than 300 million guns in private
hands and a gun homicide rate nearly 20 times higher than other civilized
countries.
Australia changed its laws in 1996 after a gunman killed 35
people with semi-automatic weapons and now has banned assault weapons and
shotguns and tightened licensing. Homicides in the years since have dropped 59
percent.
Britain bans almost all automatic weapons and requires
voluminous paperwork to even own a shotgun or rifle for hunting. Japan also has
very strict laws with similar low homicide rates.
Additionally, research
has shown that gun ownership does not make people safer, but increases the
likelihood of gun violence in the home. Surely, when the founding fathers wrote
about our “right to bear arms,” they never envisioned the killing power of
modern-day weaponry.
Our fascination with Prince William and
mother-to-be, Kate and a popular British television series on PBS makes me
wonder if we don’t still secretly yearn to be part of the Commonwealth, anyway.
In the event a foreign power does decide to eliminate us, it will be by nuclear
means, not semi-automatics. Despite all this, there are some voices in Congress
saying we should wait to address the long overdue gun control issue.
Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at 101 Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.
