The Rachel Maddow Show covered Sandy Hook in crystal clear terms. If you are at all squeamish about discussions over how the students and teachers of the school lost their lives…watch this anyway. She bases her report on an article in the Hartford Courant
Don’t want to take the time to watch? Let me save you some time. Here’s the transcript of Rachel’s show, dated March 14, 2013, published on the same site.
This summary of all that Rachel’s report represents, the timeline of the murders (a graphic description of the event and not for the faint of heart, but mandatory reading for anyone who wants to block the efforts to ban high-capacity weapons), including how the Bush Administration’s deconstruction of Senator Feinstein’s law ultimately led to this tragedy, together with the unspeakably snide, condescending, patronizing attack by Texas Senator Ted Cruz leaves me absolutely speechless.
So, frankly, does any pro-gun attack on Senator Feinstein.
I dare anyone–ANYONE–who speaks against Senator Feinstein’s experience in San Francisco, at ground zero for Mayor Mosconi and Supervisor Harvey Milk’s assassination, or in that office building in San Francisco in 1993 to put themselves in her place and still tell me they don’t understand the Senator’s views about assault weapons.
Let me summarize: It took just over five minutes for the shooter to walk into the school, shoot every one of the teachers and kids in his path and exhaust his four high-capacity cartridges before turning the pistol on himself.
Five minutes.
Here’s an exercise for you.
Look at your clock. The one over the stove, next to the desk, on your computer, on your phone. Whatever.
Don’t look away from the clock. Don’t listen to the radio. Turn off the video and stop reading.
Feel how long five minutes is.
Ready?
Go.
Now imagine.
Imagine the horror of being in Sandy Hook Elementary School as this is happening.
Imagine being six.
Being the only student in your classroom to make it out alive, and then only because you played possum.
Imagine how this experience has changed you.
You’re just six. You have your whole life ahead of you while your classmates are gone.
Blown away.
And then tell me why you need that high-capacity cartridge again.
Because if you can still feel so strongly about the right to promote this carnage, to allow unfettered access to these weapons, you can go find somewhere more appropriate for your exercise of that particular freedom. You do not stand for the right to life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness.
These weapons do NOTHING to support our three basic rights as outlined by the Declaration of Independence.
I don’t particularly want you or your high-capacity guns near me, my friends or family.
Thank you, Rachel, for your perspective.
As to the people who suggest that teachers be armed, I can only judge by my own experience. Having taught middle school for three-and-a-half years I confess that there were some days on which I thank God Almighty that I did not have a gun in my hand!
Amen, brother.