Newtown dad writes letter to Richard Martinez

[malaise]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/05/28/newtown-dad-writes-open-letter-to-calif-shooting-victims-father/
Dear Richard Martinez,

We have not met, but you are now part of our extended family. It is not a family we chose, but a family born from the horrible circumstance of losing a child to gun violence—one that’s only growing each day. My heart breaks for you because I know just a little about the long road ahead of you. We have reached out to you privately but publicly we wanted to say to you and those feeling the sorrow, anger and frustration of this weeks' shooting, you are not alone. It has helped me, and some of the other family members who lost children and family at Sandy Hook Elementary, to come together and advocate for common sense solutions to expanding programs for mental wellness and gun safety solutions. You will find your own path down this difficult road. But know that we are here for you and all of you who have been touched by this tragedy. Together we can and will build a safer world for all our children.

With deepest sympathy,
Mark Barden
------------------------------
Meanwhile. the parents of Elliot Rodger say they are mourning for the innocents and not their son.
http://globalgrind.com/2014/05/29/elliot-rodgers-parents-ucsb-massacre-speak-out-details/

[billh58]

1. According to Second Amendment absolutists

all of the families of recent mass shooting victims have faded into obscurity, and no longer matter. I believe that their hopeful wishing that "this will all go away" is neither true, nor helpful. There is a change in the wind, and the right-wing gun lobby is losing its power bit by bit.

Gun control groups and organizations are becoming more organized, more influential, and more vocal. Most sensible American gun owners agree with stricter gun control measures, and eventually the NRA bought-and-paid-for politicians will be defeated -- on both sides of the political spectrum.

[malaise]

5. Yes there is a change

Another parent from another slaughter also reached out to him

[MisterP]

11. the Alex Jones crowd has to believe this so hard that they feel the need to tell the

Sandy Hook parents their kid never existed
they're trying to erase all the kids from history itself--it's simply the next step after "fading into obscurity"

[MohRokTah]

18. Yep, the gun goons terrorizing women, stores, restaurants, and others with long arms in public...

are now the face of pro-gun ownership.

[Leme]

2. i wonder how they got this

not exactly personal if it was intended for general release

[malaise]

3. Read the link

It was an open letter posted on Faebook.
Stewwwwwwwwwwps!

[Leme]

7. well, I guess he wrote it for publication nt

[malaise]

8. Not quite like an NRA Press Confrence

But he too has the right to go public

[enlightenment]

9. The phrasing clearly indicates

that he wrote this message in addition to the private missive he sent to Mr. Martinez.

[Leme]

17. I didn't read the letter

no reason to until I found out some about it

-
had the title said Open letter to......
-
I would not have even clicked thread
-
I don't like sensationalism/ capitalizing on these deaths... even for a "good" cause

[enlightenment]

19. Well, then,

it would probably made more sense not to post in the thread, since you didn't bother reading the OP.

[Fred Sanders]

20. Touché, my friend, you just blew him back to NRA Liarsland.

Although the idiocy he displayed was ripe for mocking. Most gun lovers are not idiotic as to admit not reading a post that they then unload on with the standard gun lover tripe.

[randys1]

26. ding ding ding

Jesus, the contempt for these parents is god damn infuriating...

makes me boil

[Leme]

32. I thought that R Martinez was quoted that he didn't want words ? nt

[randys1]

33. what does that mean or what is your point

[Leme]

34. if he said he didn't want a bunch of "i'm sorry" notes

I will respect that and also not read what he says he does not want.

[Leme]

35. I found this

He said ,"I want action not words. ". I guess he was talking about politicians. When I learned it was a letter published in the WaPo... it became a political type letter. So I stayed away. The Newtown writer was writing something for the general public, and did so because he had an agenda, and was using the recent death .
-
For those who may think I am "pro hand gun ownership etc"... it ain't me.

[malaise]

30. LOL

[groundloop]

25. "Capitalizing on these deaths"..... how the hell can we prevent more needless murders?

How the hell can we prevent more needless murders if people don't speak out about our cowards in the House and Senate who refuse to act? And who better to lead the charge than those who have been most touched by these tragedies?

Personally I find you gun nuts claims totally repugnant that these families are sensationalizing or capitalizing on their own tragedy. HOW DARE you make a claim like that, you haven't lost a child to this senselessness.

Edit to add: I'm a gun owner, have been since I was a teenager on the farm. I for the life of me don't understand all the NRA hype and the gun nuts' fear of common sense regulations to keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them.

[billh58]

27. Rest assured that you

are in the majority (by far) of American gun owners. It is the rabid, vocal minority of Second Amendment absolutists who see monsters under every bed, and tyrants behind every bush, and feel the NRA-induced need to be armed 24/7.

Thank you for speaking out, and for supporting common sense solutions to gun violence in this country.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. Go piss up a rope. nt

[Leme]

36. are you talking to me? nt

[awoke_in_2003]

37. Yes, I was...

I was giving comment on you saying this was done for sensationalism. You don't really have to do it- it was just my suggestion.

[Leme]

38. well, i would not say this was sensationalizing, but note

I said sensationalizing/capitalizing. I think he saw an opportunity to get his information out because of another shooting. So he did.

[awoke_in_2003]

39. ...

"I don't like sensationalism/ capitalizing on these deaths... even for a "good" cause"

It sounds to me that you said this was sensationalizing. I apologize if you meant to say something else.

[Leme]

40. no need to apologize, i am not a perfect word person

I wanted to get across that I didn't know what it was ..... so I avoided even reading it.
-
When I first saw title I wondered if maybe someone had stolen the letter ala National Enquirer... or someone had posted a fake letter.
-
I wished the title had included open letter and not just letter. I couldn't see how that by itself was newsworthy.
-
Newtown dad writes letter to Richard Martinez

[awoke_in_2003]

41. None of us are perfect...

and, sometimes on the Internet, what comes out isn't always what we mean.

[Electric Monk]

4. Notice how it's called an Open Letter? He probably sent it to the WaPo himself. nt (k&r)

[malaise]

6. LOL

Sometimes I wonder

[Gore1FL]

12. It wasn't meant to be personal--It's an open letter

The private one mentioned in the open letter is the personal one, I would assume.

[Jefferson23]

10. I find the family's representative language concerning at this point.

Newtown's parents will be there for the new victims parents, if they want the connection.

[malaise]

13. Rodger's family?

I agree

[Jefferson23]

14. Yea, I won't say much more for now..but it bothers me. n/t

[malaise]

15. Same here

[Jefferson23]

16. yep, more information first.

[Raine1967]

21. I agree as well. There sis something that is bothering me as well.

I'm not yet sure what exactly it is.

It's strange. I know that the two situations are NOT alike, but I didn't recall feeling this way about the father of the Newtown killer. I didn't wonder about him.

[Jefferson23]

22. This horrific event may teach us about denial and enabling although with the best of

intentions. I'll leave it at that for now, the statements from their attorney and now family
representative are unsettling for me.

[Raine1967]

23. I think we are one the same page, I will wait for more information as well. nt

[Jefferson23]

24. Yes, definitely and the distancing I am hearing in the reps language could very well

be better understood in context to the entire story..not enough info right now.

[angstlessk]

29. Register guns like cars...and have insurance

What is the purpose of registering and insuring cars?