We all know what our own opinions are on guns. We all know whether or not we believe guns are the primary cause. We all know whether or not we like the response; the national attention can certainly be exhausting to people that have just been subjected to one of the worst events in American history. We know that people are blowing it out of proportion into a debate of legality. Hell, some people have turned it into a debate about whether mentally unstable people should be allowed in normal society. Frankly, I'm not one that needs to focus on those things.

There's a lot of world out there that knows about this, but there's a lot of world out there that this kind of thing is commonplace. There are many regions in a number of nations where murder rates are incredibly high. Things that make national news here are a short-term distraction there. It's just something to think about.

When I'm in a classroom with 16 first graders on Sundays, I never consider what may happen. I never consider that a man could walk in and fire a weapon. Nor have I ever considered that I could someday be forced to hide my students in a cabinet and give them some paper and crayons to keep them calm. Some may have experienced someone invading their home before; however, I don't think anyone here has ever been forced to experience what they are experiencing there - at least I hope not.

I have a little sister that has made it habitual to get on my nerves and provoke me. She bugs the hell out of me. Everyone has had some kind of bugger in their lives, often in their family, but it's not as if any of us wish them dead. Think about what they're going through.

Don't be accusatory. The shooter was obviously beyond the point of mentally unstable - he was mentally incapacitated. He didn't think straight. He died a horrible, evil criminal, and he should stay that way. However, don't blame those around him. We don't know what happened in his past, nor should we need to know.

There is a lot of hate in this nation that's falling away. Prejudices are slowly deteriorating, anger is shifting away from its past roots, and people are unified. When President Obama spoke, he made a point to say that we're all in this together. As he said, we're all parents (and siblings) of those kids in Sandy Hook. We are one nation, bound under a simple document, pledging our lives to the maintenance and the sustaining of the union. In return, we become part of it. Thus, we are here, we are one, and we are together.

There is no reason to make claims that the United States of America is a bad place. This could have been *anywhere* in the world, and the fact that a gun did the damage does not give us reason to assume that the gun is at fault. I am not politicizing this; I am simply saying that the gun did not make the choice to fire at those children. The shooter did not restrain from making that choice for the gun, unable to contain the one by which it was controlled. The United States did not choose to allow the shooter to commit this act; rather, the United States allowed him the same unalienable rights that every other non-paroled American citizen is entitled. The United States is not at fault. Nor is the world is not a bad place. There is a lot of hate, and whether it be over violence, inciting of violence, surrounded by violence, or even lacking of violence, it is still hate. There is an enormous amount of love and appreciation. There is compassion for business. There is compassion for the planet. There's compassion for our freedom. Those that take our freedom away are not deserving of our freedom either. Today we take note that 26 heroes have had their freedom taken away. We should remember them just like we remember the thousands who lost their freedom eleven years ago.

Some might point out that I've said things that make me a hypocrite in my own words. Yep, I have. There's no reason to do that here. We've all said things we don't mean and we've all said things we mean but shouldn't. If I'm able to play nice, we all should be able to play nice - there's something to be said for it. I have proposed this at my school and my workplace. I can't really "propose" it here as much as I can recommend it:

Send a card or letter or something to that community. Give them money for procession costs. Give them money for repairs and upkeep. That's all fine and all, but there is nothing like a handwritten card from someone who you have never met - better yet, someone who doesn't even leave their name - to simply say that we're here for you. Get a piece of paper, put a stamp on it, send it off. Five minutes of your day can change someone else's.

There's no need for discussion here, though I don't mind it. Just play nice and send a card. It's really easy.