Where are we heading? What can I do?

This part of the year is supposed to be filled with holiday spirit, happiness of getting in to a much needed break, celebrating the innocence of enjoying simple gifts and such. However, the state of mind is filled with anger, fear, frustration, and things like that is usually not an occurrence in a December setting. 

The Newtown tragedy is certainly one of the worst kinds in recent times, especially due to the average age group of people suffered in the incident. Like the thousands of you, I want to assume that the victims have gone to a better place and move on to my mundane activities that revolve around self. However, just like you, I cannot distract myself from the Connecticut tragedy. Having a toddler makes it even harder.

I try to avoid reading or seeing news/stories on the person who is responsible for it, as it (not he) is not worth any of that attention or time. The media is doing a phenomenal job in providing the commercialization that would show the future prospects the popularity or attention that a brainless act like this would get. As rightly pointed out by someone imposing as Morgan Freeman, the media attention clearly provides the much needed motivation for the next to go anywhere from a day care or a maternity ward. 

So, what can I do?

•  "Like" the social media message from family and friends of the victims to show Respect?
•  "Pray" for the souls to rest in peace?
•  Relay your frustration during coffee room conversations?
• "Argue/comment" in forums about gun control?
• Provide monetary help to the family of the victims who are still searching for words to let the world know how invaluable their loss is?
• Get back to life and hope this never happens to you in the future.

The options are either lame or only addresses towards self-enrichment. 

May be a true contribution comes from finding opportunities to burn the possibilities of another disaster of this kind. How do we do it? One way is to get back to basics and live the life you are taught to live. 

Love and Respect

May be if we show love and respect to fellow people, the possibilities of another psychopath in the making is much less. 

I always feel that as humans the respect that we have for one another are often under expressed or taken for granted. Treat each other not with the respect that they deserve but with the respect they need and always a lot more than what you can provide. 

Show love on all occasions. Not like in a Bollywood movie or a chick flick, but the way you glorify the respect you have on that person. You are not expected to be in the line of fire and throw rose petals, but do all it takes to stop the line of fire! 

People are different and they are designed to be that way. Every human being in this world has something to offer, if you cannot find it please do not discard the person's ability/need to be around you. 

Responsibility

You personally have the responsibility for peace and harmony around you. Just like how you do not want to be in a noisy pub when you have a splitting headache, you do not want to be in an environment that harbors violence even in the smallest sense. 

If you see a deviation from a normal behavior, first it’s your responsibility to address that and in case that fails it needs to be taken to the next level. May be a parent, may be a teacher, may be another friend who understands the person better can provide the help to nip this in the bud and address it the way it supposed to be. 

Do you think there is really only one person behind the killings of Newtown? Every single person who has contributed to the breeding of such a mindset is responsible. The “friends” who ignored, the “mother” who did not see this and provided the means in her home, the “community” that failed to address, the possible side effects of “medication” and the list goes on…. The damage is done by one and the tragedy is recorded in the books of horror. 

What is your contribution to make sure that these kinds of tragic events does not happen again around you or anywhere else?

- A frustrated common man