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Hold your babies tight
By Bob Robinson
I, along with millions of others, saw a horrible tragedy unfold Friday…
and continue into Saturday… and Sunday… and beyond. One that will
likely stay with us through Christmas and the Holiday season, and well
into the New Year. To many of us, it is so horrible to contemplate, it
had to be a nightmare… one that will go away in the morning.
It didn’t go away.
“I was devastated over what happened on Sept. 11. I believe this is
worse,” said one local mother and grandmother.
What could possibly be worse than nearly 3,000 people dying from a
terrorist attack on American soil? Somehow I understand… twenty of our
most precious innocents have been slaughtered for no imaginable reason
other than something “clicked” wrong in some lunatic’s head.
I can’t begin to feel the terrible, crushing pain being felt by the
loved ones who will be suffering the most on Christmas morning, during
the coming Holiday season and for years to come.
I wish I could say more than “My heart goes out to you as you attempt
to process this insane act. It simply cannot be processed. Draw your
community around you as you mourn the loss of your children and those
who gave their lives trying to protect them. Never before has there
been a time that you will need each other more than now.”
There will be much discussion over the days, weeks and months to come.
Most of it will be how to prevent tragedies such as this from occurring
in the future. And much of that will be political. While I personally
believe it is impossible to totally circumvent evil when it raises its
ugly head, my job is to share the dialog when it is offered.
I will do so. Journalists – even retired ones – are supposed to be
hardened and immune to these things.
I spent the day at South School on Friday. Terrific kids. All sixth
graders who represented a multi-faceted picture of our future. A
positive one, in my humble opinion. As I understand it, the attack
occurred around 9:30 a.m. This was just one hour after South School had
a practice ‘Lock Down’ in its first period class.
I found out about the school invasion shortly after leaving South. I
was heading to Woodland Heights to take pictures of the first grade
class that had recently turned in their Letters to Santa.
I was numb. I went through the motions, took the photos, went to the
store and then home. On Friday night, I was still numb. I took care of
a dozen different issues regarding my Edison classes and CNO. I
finished the post shortly after 9:30 and spent some time with my
granddaughter, Bella. This special time, which didn’t happen nearly
often enough, included lots of hugs and squeezes.
I think I squeezed her a little harder than usual, but she didn’t
complain.
I had most of Sunday’s stories ready to go by 6 a.m. (after a restless
night that ended at 3:30 a.m.) and sent them off to Amanda by 7 or so.
She was doing Saturday night’s post and filled in the blanks the rest
of the day so I could work on my Edison finals.
Later on Saturday evening I prepared the file and the photos for the
‘Letters to Santa’ that was posted Monday.
There were 19 happy, precious, innocent faces staring back at me. They
were excited about Christmas and had written some great letters to
Santa. I read each letter over again… so much to look forward to… such
innocence… something that is inevitably lost at some point in the
transition between childhood and adulthood.
It was written on their faces and in their letters.
These children have their whole lives ahead of them. Transition through
the grades and their learning skills, high school, college, weddings,
children of their own, grandchildren to spoil in their old age… but
most important to them at the moment was the magic of Santa’s visit at
Christmas time.
Twenty babies – also in the first grade – headed off to Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on a Friday morning, just as they
had done every day since the beginning of the school year. They will
never look forward to anything again. Their lives, and their innocence,
were shattered at the ripe old ages of six and seven.
Had they also written letters to Santa? I struggled with my tears. I
guess I’m not immune after all.
Following Sept. 11, 2001, millions of people held their loved ones
tight as they tried to understand what happened. In the ensuing days,
people across the country will be looking at their own children… trying
to understand how someone – no matter how demented – could do this to
those so young and innocent.
Hold your babies tight, tell them you love them, and be thankful. There
are parents in Newtown, Conn., who no longer can.
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