It was an eerie replay of November, 1963.  Wandering lost in the electronic maze – TV sets ghost-lighting dark rooms through the long night,  Confused and conflicting reports, the incoherent eye-witnesses, the strained voices of news reporters.  As is always the case in times of paramount tragedy, the electronic forces were magnificent – especially the team at KSDK, Channel 5.  The station continued reporting Saturday morning on the shooting rampage at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.  With 20 children murdered, one might’ve thought Build-A-Bear would’ve cancelled its ads. Although  some of the children might’ve enjoyed the challenge of building bears. Think of all those unopened packages under the Christmas trees, the fate of those airline tickets to a Disney theme park, destination of college savings, memories of the last time the children hit home runs on their little league teams and families going through photo-after-photo. Some parents faced the world hopelessly with thoughts of how some defend their inalienable right to shoot. In homes, the coffee pots perked, rooms full of sleepless people sitting in various attitudes of despair: backs bent, heads down, drawn faces in hands.  As a pall from the tragedy still hangs over the nation, let’s hope someone can find a solution to help prevent such a shameless and senseless act in the future.

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