Empathy not agendas

To the Editor:

It really says something about a country when even a tragedy such as what happened in Newtown, CT can't bring us together.

Everywhere I look, people are arguing... "we need better gun control," "no we don't need gun control, we need better mental health care," "the media made this happen," "the media is supply and demand, they supply it because America demands it," "this is because they took God out of schools"...

Are you kidding me?

In five days you'll be celebrating all your blessings, you'll be enjoying family and friends, opening gifts and eating feasts and laughing and looking forward to next year.

In five days 26 families will still be mourning.

In five days, 26 families will have just buried their mom, or sister, or brother, or aunt, or child.

In five days, 26 families will have empty stockings on the fireplace and unopened presents under the tree.

For 26 families, Christmas will be a time of pain and sorrow and emptiness.

We shouldn't be arguing. We should be taking a step back from our own lives, our own opinions and beliefs and, for once, just put ourselves in the shoes of those families.

Just grieve with them, cry with them, be angry and heartbroken with them, support them, show them love and kindness and compassion.

Just think, even for just a little while, not of the guns, or the murderer, or the media, or the laws in America, but of Charlotte, Daniel, Olivia, Josephine, Ana, Dylan, Madeleine, Catherine, Chase, Jesse, James, Grace, Emilie, Jack, Noah, Caroline, Jessica, Benjamin, Allison, Aviele, Dawn, Rachel, Anne, Lauren, Mary, Victoria and their families.

And when you sit down to Christmas dinner thank whatever or whomever you believe in that there isn't an empty chair at your table.

Kate Starkie

Norway