After the tragedy that occurred in Connecticut this morning, it somehow seems wrong to post the piece I wrote for today.  It’s just too… I don’t know… happy maybe.  Frivolous.  Unimportant in the face of much more important matters.  A post about insects or entomologists just doesn’t feel right today.  Perhaps a happy, frivolous post might be a nice distraction for those of you who might like to think about something else, but I feel like I need to say something in response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School:

No matter how big your problems are, no matter what horrible lot you’ve been handed in life, I do not believe that shooting and killing another human being – even yourself – is EVER the answer to your problems.  Incidents such as the one that occurred in Connecticut today should not happen.  That shooter murdered innocent little children, robbed their parents of something precious and those children of their future.  For those children that survived, their lives will never be the same.  They will have to live with the horror of making it through this day, of hearing gunshots over the intercom system, of seeing fallen friends and teachers in the hallways as they fled for their lives.  Can you even imagine that experience?  Those children were robbed of their innocence today.  They were confronted with a heinous situation that no one should EVER have to face, compounded by the fact that many of those involved are too young to even understand what happened.  That is horrible, and completely unacceptable.

My heart goes out to everyone in Newtown, CT tonight.  To the parents who lost their children today, I can’t even begin to understand your loss, but I know it is profound.  I cried for your children today, and I do not cry lightly.  For those that were lucky enough to retrieve your children from the firehouse after the shootings, hug those kids tight, now and forever.  Your children are going to need your help to overcome the losses they’ve experienced today and need all the love and support they can get.  To the families of the adults who were lost, the brave teachers and the principal of the school who fought to protect the children at the expense of their own lives, I am so sorry for your loss.  Your loved ones were heroes and I, and countless others, will forever remember them as such.

Sorry to be such a downer today, but I felt the need to say something about this.  Best wishes to you all and may you be safe at home with the people you love tonight.

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