by a Thinker, Sailor, Blogger, Irreverent Guy from Madras

Stand with Sandy Hook at 1530 GMT


There is a widespread call for observing a moment of silence to express sympathy for the victims of the School shooting at Sandy Hook today, Friday.

Celebrities have joined the Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s call to mark our respect, anguish at the unnecessary, mindless violence perpetrated and offer of moral support to the families of victims.

It is painful to think that the idiotic beliefs of a minority in the United States and the fecklessness of the politicians in taking on the gun lobby has led to repeated cruelty on innocents.

On reading about the call, I had a moment of resentment.  Every minute in the world there is cruelty and violence perpetrated on the innocents.  Every few weeks or so we hear of violent behaviour which makes headlines.

Offhand to state a few:
  • We had the case of shooting of Malala Yusufzai in Pakistan (9th Oct 2012). 
  • We have the case of the gang rape of 23 year old in a moving bus in New Delhi (16th Dec 2012).
  • Unconfirmed reports say that there was another gang rape on Tuesday night (18th Dec 2012) in a bus stand in Uttar Pradesh.
  • On Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 polio immunization volunteers (at least 4 of them women and 3 of the 9 teenagers) have been killed in Pakistan.
  • On 5th Aug 2012, 6 people were shot dead in Wisconsin Sikh Temple.
Thus, on first reading, I resented the fact that the high and mighty in the US are suddenly calling for a moment of silence on the Internet on the Sandy Hook shootings. 

Where were these people when the Sikhs got shot?  Or when violence erupts at other places?

But thinking about it, I realised that this is an opportunity for all of us not only show sympathy and support to the Sandy Hook victims and families, but also express our wish that US impose stricter gun control measures.  Stricter laws to maybe avoid such violence in future.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MIAG) - a coalition of ~600 Mayors (Dec 2012), who call for ‘common sense reforms’ to fight illegal guns. 

Maybe this is a wrong way to put it, but perhaps this carnage in Sandy Hook is the last straw which broke the NRA Camel’s back.

With such hope, I urge everyone who reads this post to cease all internet activity for a moment (or a minute) at 1530 GMT (2100 or 09.00 pm IST).

And offer a prayer to the victims and their families (of Sandy Hook and other places).

why_did_bell_ring_26_times

(image courtesy Joe Heller / politicalcartoons.com)


No comments:

Post a Comment

Support - Donate

Your Blog is

Donate thro ECWID

Contact Form