The Continuing Tragedy of Sandy Hook.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, families across the nation will gather to break bread, watch football and have lively discussions on a myriad of topics. Of course, there is always that one relative who will take the occasion to share his views on some crazy conspiracy theory. You know the relative. It’s usually the one who always stood too close to the microwave or got kicked in the head by a goat during a childhood field trip.

Although a few years have passed since the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook, conspiracy ”truthers” have begun to again raise their ugly heads to pipe in about that tragic day. The reasoning for the latest onslaught can be traced to an FBI report that seems to indicate no one died in Newtown that year. The conspiracy based infowars website erroneously declared that it was proof positive the FBI “admitted” the shootings were a hoax. Conspiracy theories about Sandy Hook or any tragedy are not new. The running theme is usually that it was a government false flag operation to destroy the second amendment. As my grandfather likes to say, “common sense is not common.”

The root of the problem is the way Iaw enforcement reported the tragedy. With a crime of this magnitude, Connecticut State Police were called in to manage the crime scene. If Larry took the time to actually read the entire report, he would see that the victims were included in the report under “State Police Misc.” In other words, Connecticut’s statewide tally of 146 deaths does indeed include the 27 people who died at Newtown.

Dear cousin Larry will undoubtedly declare that such an explanation is too simple and far-fetched. He has done the “research”. Of course, this research is usually culled from the same websites that say President Obama is Kenyan, the moon landing was faked and that the CIA implants tracking chips every time you get a flu shot at Walgreens. Cousin Larry would rather believe that an entire Connecticut town faked the death of 20 six year olds with the help of the FBI, local and national media, the governor, the United States President, various members of Congress, the Connecticut State Police, EMTs, hospitals, churches, cemeteries, and various fake actors. The diabolical scheme would have to include over twenty families of actors purchasing homes in town followed by registering fake children in school and living in town for years while they lay in wait. Despite this meticulous James Bond villain like plan, they want to believe the FBI simply must have forgotten to continue the cover up in their report or hoped no one would notice. There is no other way to sugar coat it. Cousin Larry is an idiot.

As a Connecticut resident, many of us have ties to Newtown. In my own life, I have old high school and college friends who live there. High School classmates of my sister lost their precious six year old at Sandy Hook. Enough is enough. Let this poor community grieve in peace. Here is all you need to know about Sandy Hook.

The children who died were all around six years old. Like many children, they had a range of interests in sports, arts, animals, and music. Like most kids, they loved to learn and play. They giggled at silly jokes and cried over scraped knees. They had bright futures and loving families. As a result of the actions of a mad man, their parents will never see their children grow. They will never have the joy of watching them open presents on Christmas morning or blow out birthday candles again. No more reminders to scrub their ears or brush their teeth. They will not see them off to proms, beam proudly at graduation or walk them down the wedding aisle. Instead of preparing for the Holidays that fateful year, their parents made funeral arrangements. Instead of opening presents, they closed child sized caskets. The children who died were real people. They existed. Their parents are not actors. They are real people too. I am sure these poor parents would move heaven and earth for the opportunity to hear one more “I love you” or “ I don’t want to go to bed” from their child.

The families of Newtown have shed enough tears and suffered enough torment. Let’s hope Cousin Larry finds a new hobby.

(Photo attribution Norman Rockwell Mural. Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives)