please.

No matter what your stand on guns, you  have to admit, the gun did not make him want to hurt people.

This is the issue.  Why would someone want to do such a horrific thing?

I see the problem as rooted in our culture.  We are paranoid.  Our attitude toward people we see as wrongdoers is to punish, rather than help.  Our heroes are men of action, not of deep thought or empathy.  We're not happy with a crime show unless there's murder in it. 

We look askance at strangers, as though anyone might be a terrorist or pedophile.  We even hesitate to hold a friend's hand, lest it be mistaken for sexual deviation. 

What chance does someone who is emotionally fragile have in such a culture?  Maybe all they need is a good friend to keep them stable, but they can't get one, because they're "creepy".

We have plenty of solid evidence that human contact is something we NEED.  Without touch, and talk, and interaction with others, we get ill, both physically and mentally.

You want to do something about Sandy Hook?  You want to help?  Then go out every day and be friendly.  Talk to the creepy people.   99% of them are NOT terrorists, or pedophiles, or psychopaths, they are just pathetic people who need some help. 

Volunteer for some social service.  Be a Big Brother, work at a youth outreach.  Study counseling, and become an arbitrator.  Do something nice.

Stop watching reality shows where conflict is created rather than resolved.  Stop watching news about how awful the world is.  Talk to people. 

Change our culture.  I know this sounds naive, but I really believe that simply being nicer to everyone (not just people we approve of!) can change the direction our world is going.  Not through some mystical vibes, but through simple, practical, engagement.  It's going to take work.  We must be dedicated to remembering to think twice before dismissing someone as "a jerk" or "a weirdo" and think of them as fellow human beings with problems like ours.  We can't afford to continue to think of other people as "someone else's problem" or as "not worth the trouble".

If we can do this, we can help people before they do something heinous.   We've tried being harder and it's not working.  Let's be nicer.

Please.