Sandy Hook: School Violence

It was a pleasant day in Newtown, Connecticut. Buses filled the roads, collecting happy children to be brought to school. Parents kissed and waved goodbye, and for some, it was a final goodbye. The children poured into their classrooms, put their belongings in their personal cubbies, and strolled to their seats to learn. 7-year-old Daniel bounces into his first-grade classroom. For him, it was a morning of pancakes, foosball, Christmas songs on the piano, and smiles. His father Mark spent precious moments with him that morning. “…one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.”Daniel sits back down with his classmates. 9:30 am, Friday. BANG! Daniel looks up, startled. He watches Ms. Soto’s face go blank. “Get under your desks angels!” she says, briskly walking to the door and closing it. Then in an instant, a strange man slams through the door with a gun and begins shooting. Daniel watches in complete horror, as he hears what sounds like the fourth of July, and the screams of his childhood friends filling the room. Ms. Soto tries to protect her angels, and puts herself in front of the gunman and takes the bullet. Daniel Barden was laid to rest on December 19th 2012. That was Marks last morning with his son Daniel. Daniel dreamed of being a firefighter, and in honor of his dream, firefighters from across the state paid tribute to him at his funeral. Saluting 7-year old Daniel on his way to heaven. Unfortunately, Daniel is only one out of many children across the nation who is affected by violence.
School is a place where students go to learn. Every student should have the opportunity to develop problem solving skills in a non-violent environment. But, in society today, violence in schools has progressed from bloody noses to bloody gunshot wounds. Our youth is being deprived of their innocence by this violence. Our youth’s peace is being taken. Children watching children die. Parents losing their children to this violence. Unfortunately,