Sandy Hook Tragedy: Teens Speak From the Heart by Cherie Bennett on Creators.com

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Sandy Hook Tragedy: Teens Speak From the Heart

Hey, Readers!

Sometimes something happens in the world that is so overwhelmingly tragic that the attention of the nation turns to it and is affected by it. What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary is one of those tragedies: 26 people killed, including 20 children. I have received so many emails from pre-teens and teens about Sandy Hook that I decided to turn the column over to them today. I always learn more from my readers than they learn from me. In this holiday season of hope, faith and, yes, even miracles, I hope you hold the people your loved ones close, tell them how much you love them and appreciate that love is the greatest miracle of all.

"I have a little sister, Lily, who is 6. I kept the TV off so she wouldn't see the stuff about Sandy Hook, but my parents forgot and just turned it on like normal, and my sister saw a report and started crying. I feel so angry at my parents for not even thinking about Lily. Just because it didn't happen where we live doesn't mean it doesn't affect people everywhere, especially kids as young as the kids who were murdered." —Jason P.,14, Syracuse, N.Y.

"I am so sick of hearing how guns don't kill people; people kill people. Um, hello — if a sicko like the guy in Newtown couldn't easily get his hands on a gun, then he couldn't use a gun to mow down little kids." —Maya L., 12, Grand Rapids, Mich.

"I told my parents I won't go to Midnight Mass this year. How can I believe in a God who would let innocent little kids get mowed down by some sicko? My parents say we can't understand God's plan. Maybe because there isn't a God. Like why did one 7-year-old get killed and the 7-year-old next to the dead kid didn't even get shot? Am I supposed to believe that God likes the kid who lived more? I can't be a hypocrite anymore and go to church and pretend I believe something that makes no sense to me." Alicia L., 15, Danbury, Conn.

"I have these bad nightmares, like I'm there, and the shooter comes in, and I'm so terrified I pee my pants.

I try to move, but I can't. I try to scream and warn people, but nothing comes out of my mouth. I wake up with tears all over my face." Aretha J., Detroit, Mich.

"I read that the killer had Asperger's syndrome, and that's why he killed little kids because he didn't have any emotions due to his illness. This made me so angry because my brother has Asperger's, and he is the gentlest person ever. I want people to know that that having Asperger's doesn't make a person mean or crazy. Please help me spread this message." Ariana D., 15, Hollywood Beach, Fla.

"I was thinking how people can do such good or such bad. I don't know what makes a person choose what they choose. But after Sandy Hook, it made me want more than ever to do good things. I read how some teachers at Sandy Hook lost their lives because they jumped in front of their students to protect them from the gunshots. After I read that, it made me want to be a teacher. I want to do good in the world. Also I want to contribute my Christmas money to Sandy Hook, but I'm not sure how to do it." Tyler M., 16, Hendersonville, Tenn.

Hey Readers — Tyler and everyone else: There is a fund called the Sandy Hook Relief Fund. You can find it online, and it will explain how to donate. Please be aware of scam artists who take advantage of a tragedy like this and set up bogus charities that sound legit, but aren't.

Cherie Bennett is a best-selling author of books for teens and young adults. Visit her website at www.cheriebennett.com. To find out more about Cherie Bennett and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM

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7 Comments | Post Comment

I would state that in my opinion there were 24 victims, one evil murderer and his accoplice who taught him to shoot and supplied the guns.He is evil and this was the devil's plan not God's.Your parent's are probably tired and not too bright. You need to look out for your sister's welfare as much as you can because these two people do not have the brain power to do it.
Some people withor without handicaps are violent but most are not.The mother didn't play with a full deck and Dad bailed probably tired from dealing with both of them.Social workers don't want to hear that we need secure facilities for violent people where they will stay permanently because they are unable to live in the community.

Comment: #1
Posted by: retired
Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:39 PM

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@retired #1: The shooter, who many labeled as strange and withdrawn, did not have a history of violence. I don't disagree with your opinion that chronically violent people need to be locked away, but that would not have stopped the shooter in this case. I am a social worker and would LOVE to see violent people locked away. However, government (taxpayer) funding will not allow this to happen. Perhaps you would like to contact your government to start a campaign for this type of funding and quit blaming the social workers.

Children are going to find out about bad things no matter how much we protect them. It would have been nice if the parents were able to talk to the little girl about the tragedy before she saw it on the news, but since they obviously didn't, I hope they or the older brother were able to use her finding out as a teachable moment.

Comment: #2
Posted by: Siege
Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:08 PM

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Don't blame social workers. Blame instead those loudly cry "you can't solve a problem by throwing money at it" -- using that as an excuse to underfund social programs. It's so much easier to write things off as inevitable (i.e., work of the "devil" and "evil" and "monster") than it is to work toward providing services that might actually help prevent tragedies like this.

Easier and seemingly cheaper. Although the human cost of NOT addressing the problem is growing rapidly.

Yes, kids to find out bad stuff; my kids were in elementary and middle school on 9/11. In my Facebook feed this month, I saw several people repost variations of Fred Rogers' quote about his mother's advice to help kids "look for the helpers" . It doesn't remove the tragedy, of course, but it's a good way to help kids manage their own perspective.

Comment: #3
Posted by: hedgehog
Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:23 AM

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What this kid needed, years ago, was something such as a baseball bat and glove, maybe a job, perhaps a guitar or other musical instrument ... encouragement to run for student council. A good book would have helped. So would have been a few party invitations to classmates' birthdays.

Get the drift?

Instead of mother trying to "protect" her son and stockpile their place with weapons for some government takeover that may never happen (even in what would have been his grandchildren's lives) ... he needed to be involved in school. He needed ways to keep busy and occupy his mind.

My elderly neighbor has been deceased for going on 18 years now, but she once said that her mother (about 90 years ago) once remarked that an idle mind is the devil's workshop. It so obviously was with Adam Lanza. OK, he was on the autism spectrum. Bull! He could still have been successful at sports, academics, music and fine arts ... anything. Yet, he was left alone, probably never had a job and few if any friends ... all alone probably to play his XBOX and those goddamned violent games, so much that his perception of reality was lost. Combine that with building anger and frustration that his classmates have had all this success but why not him, his mother harping at him about some imagined government takeover ... and you have a kid who one morning – probably famished from lack of sleep and other mental problems – completely loses it and goes on his shooting spree.

Was Mr. Lanza born evil? It's hard to say, except that if this kid was kept active and not coddled by his mother, this NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! Those kids would be alive today and we wouldn't be reading this column or responding in kind.

The work of the devil and turning this person into an evil sociopath could easily have been solved with a few signatures ... on lines where you sign him up for Little League or other activity, a stamp to a friend's birthday party ... and so forth. If he has problems requiring intervention, then get him the professional help he needs, NOW!

For now, a month removed from this horrific tragedy, please, always light candles for these sweet, innocent children, their teachers, the social worker and the principal.

Comment: #4
Posted by: Bobaloo
Thu Jan 10, 2013 1:28 PM

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Did Cherie retire?

Comment: #5
Posted by: Vivian
Sat Mar 2, 2013 7:17 PM

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I think almost every one of Creators columnists have retired and their columns are just recycled. I thought this one might be new because it was about something recent. Margo posts pretty regularly and so do the boring Dear Annies.

Comment: #6
Posted by: delorisdelio
Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:07 AM

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She used to post fairly regularly. Hope everything is ok, Cherie.

Comment: #7
Posted by: Andaia
Sun Mar 17, 2013 6:54 AM

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Hey, Cherie! by Cherie Bennett

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Sandy Hook Tragedy: Teens Speak From the Heart

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