Rezo

I haven't been able to gather words about what happened in Newtown, CT. This morning, I went to breakfast, and when I normally eat in silence and listen to the rest of my peers talk, interjecting every once in a while, today was different. I entered and there were two people sitting at the table. I said good morning and started to prepare my ColaCao (hot chocolate). Then, Maria, the lady that works the cafeteria during breakfast, came out and began asking me about what happened in Connecticut.

I knew what happened. I was up most of the night searching the internet for any sort of details as to WHY someone would perform such a horrible, senseless act. However, all I could summarize from what I found was that this was an absolutely unthinkable tragedy.

But I had absolutely no idea how to express this in Spanish.

How to you explain to someone that a crazy man had no clear motive for doing this. Even if he did have a motive, whatever the heck it would be, it would be absolutely no excuse for his actions. No excuse to rob innocent lives and to rob innocence from those who survived.

How do you explain that Christmas is now only ten days away. Parents are supposed to be planning Santa Claus fun for these children, not their funerals and memorials.

How do you explain our seemingly outdated gun law, that I was not well-versed on until yesterday anyway.

No. This is vocabulary and grammatical structures I never thought I'd have to use.

After a bit of trying to explain what happened, Maria brought out El Mundo, Spain's national newspaper. There, on the front page, was the heartbreaking photo of little children crying and hugging one another. Scarred for life. The headline: "La peor matanza escolar en EEUU deja 20 niños y 6 adultos muertos" - translation - The worst school massacre in the United States leaves 20 children and 6 adults dead"

Well. You know how awful this is when it's on the front page in another country. 

As more people arrived for breakfast, we were all at a lost for words as to what happened. According to everyone at the table, and the newspaper, the majority of these kinds of shootings happens in the United States, because there's easier access to guns and firearms.

I'm absolutely positively heartbroken. I'm praying for these families, friends, and relatives affected.
 I have no idea the grief, horror, shock, emotion, etc. that they are feeling, but I hope that they receive whatever support is necessary for them to begin this healing process. 

Many hugs and kisses to all of my family, friends and loved ones. I miss you all a little extra today.

EDITED DECEMBER 16:
Pictures of the Sunday Newspaper

"The Devil visited Newtown"

Newtown: there are reasons for gun control (Opinion)

"The 20 children riddled with bullets"

The mayor of New York reactives the gun control debate.

 Also, there's a graphic that showing how in recent years the US has had more massacres than all of Europe combined.