On December 14, 2012, the nation was shaken by one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. A 20-year-old gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and took the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators before turning the weapon on himself as police arrived. Earlier that day, he had also fatally shot his mother at their home. This tragedy reignited national debates over gun control and mental health, with policymakers and communities grappling with how to prevent such devastating events.
In 1799: On this date, George Washington, the first president of the United States, passed away at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia at the age of 67. His death marked the end of a life dedicated to the founding of the American republic. Widely revered as the “Father of His Country,” Washington’s leadership during the Revolutionary War and as the first president established enduring principles of governance.
1911: Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team achieved a monumental feat by becoming the first humans to reach the South Pole. They outpaced the British expedition led by Robert F. Scott, arriving five weeks earlier. This historic journey demonstrated exceptional planning and use of sled dogs, which contrasted with the tragic outcome of Scott’s expedition. The success cemented Amundsen’s legacy as one of history’s greatest polar explorers.
1964: In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, affirming that Congress had the authority to prohibit racial discrimination in businesses affecting interstate commerce. This ruling underscored the federal government’s commitment to dismantling systemic racism, enforcing equal treatment under the law, and fostering social progress during a transformative period in American history.
1995: The Dayton Accords, formally signed in Paris, brought an end to the Bosnian War, a brutal conflict that had raged for nearly four years in the Balkans. Brokered through intense negotiations led by the United States, the agreement established a framework for peace and created a federal system for Bosnia and Herzegovina. This marked a pivotal moment in modern diplomacy, as it halted a conflict that had claimed over 100,000 lives.
2020: The largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history began as frontline health workers received the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines. This marked a significant turning point in the fight against a pandemic that had already claimed 300,000 American lives. The rapid development and rollout of vaccines demonstrated unprecedented scientific collaboration and provided a beacon of hope during one of the darkest periods in modern history.
Sandy Hook and the Values Gap
Or
“Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves” … As For Our Posterity?
December 14, 2024
The difference between Republicans and non-Republicans may be informed by a difference in ideals, but on the ground it translates to a difference in values. Following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, there was immediate discussion about gun laws, gun safety legislation, and the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Families of the victims and the people across the country who suffered vicariously with them, in their impassioned plea to put a stop to these tragedies, showed no concern for the 2nd amendment. Republican lawmakers and their auxiliary supporters and enablers, on the other hand, quickly coalesced to uphold, protect, and defend their interpretation of the 2nd amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
The question was whether these were mutually exclusive positions. The families of the victims seemed to believe they were not, that discussions about keeping schools safe did not affect peoples’ rights under the second amendment. The Republicans and gun advocates, on the other hand, seemed to hold that any imposed safety measure that could potentially prevent a person from owning a military-grade weapon was against the second amendment.
Over the years, surveys on the issues of gun safety and background checks have shown that the majority of Americans, including the majority of gun owners, side with the families of the victims as well as with non-Republican lawmakers who have consistently pushed for legislation that would reduce the number and quality of weapons that get into the wrong hands. On the other side of the issue, there are powerful entities, such as the National Rifle Association, that profit from gun sales, and that lobby lawmakers to stand against any legislation that could reduce profits.
The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School happened 12 years ago. The survivors of the assault have grown up and graduated high school. Twenty of their schoolmates did not get to grow up with them, and six of their teachers didn’t get to see them grow up. Haunted by both the trauma of the event and the tragedy of loss, a big part of their childhoods was taken from them. Some of the survivors have acknowledged the effects of the trauma on their lives every day. They tell the story of how they were told to keep their eyes closed as they were guided out of the classrooms and out of the school building. Some admit they opened their eyes anyway. They believe that anybody who saw what they saw would support stricter gun laws, as they do.
The families of the victims of the Sandy Hook shootings are victims, themselves. Like the survivors, the horrors of the moment and the tragedy of loss stay with them wherever they go, and whatever they do. No legislation can relieve them of this pain or this scar. However, legislation could prevent such tragedies from happening again. Whenever there is a school shooting, and there have been many in the United States, the Sandy Hook families and survivors relive their personal traumas and tragedies.
Non-Republican lawmakers, together with the Sandy Hook families and families of subsequent school shootings have been trying for years to pass legislation to keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands. Their mission is to make schools safe for children. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have positioned themselves as defenders of the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. In that both sides want children to be safe, and both sides want to uphold the Constitution, which side to support becomes a question of values.
Most Americans surveyed believe child safety comes first and should remain a priority even at the cost of placing more restrictions on gun ownership. Republican lawmakers have made it clear that they prioritize the Constitutional rights of gun owners to own guns over the ambiguous rights of children to be safe.
The central issue is not about guns. It has always been an issue about safety of our children. The families of the Sandy Hook victims, who desperately want to prevent more tragedies from occurring, hold that children have a right to feel safe and secure when they go to school. While the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly say children have that right, or any other right, it implicitly extends all human rights to children in its opening statement: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, . . . . and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Today in History: December 20
A Look Back At Today, December 20
The Louisiana Purchase was completed.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater.
The United States launched Operation Just Cause.
The United States Space Force was established.
Today in History: December 19
Today in History: December 19
In 1777, General George Washington led an army of more than 12,000 soldiers to Valley Forge.
In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Apollo program.
In 2011, North Korean announced the death of Kim Jong Il and proclaimed Kim Jong Un as the leader.
In 2022, the House Jan. 6 Committee urged the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against the previous president
Today in History: December 18
Today in History: December 18
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was proclaimed in effect.
In 1892, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” publicly premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia; although now considered a classic, it received a generally negative reception from critics.
In 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went on line. (It was taken out of service in 1982.)
In 2011, the last convoy of heavily armored U.S. troops left Iraq, crossing into Kuwait in darkness in the final moments of a nearly nine-year war.
Today in History: December 17
Today in History: December 17
In 1903 The Wright brothers’ flight redefined the possibilities of travel and opened the skies to human exploration.
In 1933 The first NFL championship laid the foundation for professional football’s evolution into a national pastime.
In 1989 “The Simpsons” redefined animated television, blending humor with social commentary to leave an indelible mark on entertainment.
In 1992 NAFTA reshaped North American trade, fostering economic ties while sparking debates on globalization.
In 2014 The U.S.-Cuba rapprochement signaled a pivotal moment in the post-Cold War world, rekindling hopes for reconciliation.
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