Conn. tragedy transcends students, parents, people

When I feel compelled to write an editorial, my problem has always been where to stop writing. Today, it’s where to start.

As a leader in our school district, an uncle, godfather, brother, son (of a retired kindergarten teacher) – as a compassionate human being – I am profoundly impacted by the tragic, unnecessary loss of life that occurred in the Sandy Hook Elementary School (Conn.) incident yesterday.

It’s impossible to make sense of such an act. Unfortunately, it’s also impossible to prevent such an act. More than 300 million people live in our great nation – and 7 billion in the world. Unfortunately, there are a few deranged psychopaths among them, and they will not be denied by security, gun laws, etc. 

Maricopa’s schools are safe. Maricopa Unified School District’s new superintendent, Dr. Steve Chestnut, has carried on the years-old No. 1 priority of the district: safety and security. He says, “All staff members have a shared responsibility to assure that students, activities, and facilities are safe at all times. This must be the highest priority of every staff member.”

Other priorities, such as student achievement, effort, professional behavior, customer service and teamwork, are all secondary to the safety of our children and staff.

Maricopa’s schools and our city dedicate every available resource to ensure the safety of our kids and our families. I’m confident our county and state do the same, and I hope our federal government follows suit.

I know this is easier said than done, but we cannot worry about things we cannot control. We have to go about our lives, though I would recommend a non- “business as usual” approach. Because there are things we can control, that too often we don’t.

Maricopa Police Chief Steve Stahl was pleasantly surprised at the smiles and thanks he and his officers received this morning during their “Shop with a Cop” excursion, which purchases toys for needy kids in our community. The experience prompted his advice on dealing with the tragedy: “Focus on doing good and do something happy, make someone’s day; don’t dwell on the negative.”

There are countless ways we can improve our morale and the morale of those around us. A simple smile, as Chief Stahl will attest, often does the trick. So could thanking or doing something nice for a friend, teacher, neighbor, policeman, fireman, pastor, coworker, military member et al. I’ve found hugs, kisses, laughter and prayer to be among the best medicine. Maybe the most obvious, tell your loved ones, well, you love them.

We should also applaud the many heroes – first responders, teachers, staff members, parents, volunteers and, especially, those young kids – who showed incredible courage in the face of terror yesterday.