By: Sal Palma

It pains me to speak about Newtown especially at a time when families mourn the loss of wonderfully innocent little children – I guess this is my way of healing.

Twenty young lives and 6 adults were maliciously extinguished by a man who wrestled with mental illness. Since this tragic event, I cannot stop thinking about their horror. God only knows what greatness these young children could have achieved; perhaps the cure for cancer, space explorers, artists or simply great leaders – God knows we need them. It saddens me, but it also points to a very real problem, which if left unchecked has the potential to devour our individual freedoms. I’m speaking of the seeming propensity to ask government to take over tasks that squarely fall on our laps. I’m speaking of individual accountability.

Since the tragic event at Newtown, the mainstream media has been frothing at the mouth about evil guns. Their objective is to demonize an inanimate object. Bestowing them with a sinister personality that has to be crushed or dealt with. The reality is that these evil firearms are nothing more than tools. Tools that can be used safely and properly at the discretion of its operator. So what went wrong at Newtown?

As the investigation progresses, we are discovering that Adam Lanzo had significant behavioral issues. Furthermore, those issues were known to Mrs. Lanzo, his mother. Having said that, and in the absence of details to the contrary , why was Adam Lanzo able to get control of those firearms. Were the weapons secured in a safe, did they have their bolts removed, or were they even equipped with trigger guards? I’ll venture to guess that the answer is no. Chances are, they were accessible and possibly even on display, or even loaded. If my assertions are correct, that oversight caused Mrs. Lanzo her life and the life of those innocent men, women and children. Continuing –

Although Sandy Hook Elementary School was able to restrict physical access to the building, there was no law enforcement presence to deter or act as a primary perimeter. A situation that could have been readily addressed with off-duty officers or armed personnel. This has already been pointed out by a number of security experts in interviews. Adam Lanza was able to breach the glass door and enter the building. Classroom doors were likely unlocked while class was in session allowing Adam Lanza to enter the classrooms and dispense his hatred and anger. Was there a silent alarm system installed? These are basic measures.

It is quite clear to me that the system failed!

The buck stops with YOU the parents. Stop handing government more and more of the responsibility for protecting your children – simply out of convenience. Being a parent is not easy, make it your business to know what your child does on the internet, what sites he or she visits and what they are doing on social media. Simply handing them an iPhone, iPad, laptop, PlayStation or XBOX does not empower them, it exposes them to unimaginable dangers. Childbirth and generosity alone does not make you a good parent. Take responsibility! It is your ship and the helm is in your hands and yours alone.