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Statement by President-elect Joe Biden Marking Eight Years
Since the Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School
Special to The Truth
To the grandparents,
parents, siblings, children, spouses, and fellow broken and
healing hearts of Sandy Hook, I know. No matter how long
it’s been, every time you talk about it, you relive it as
though you just heard the news. Eight years later, I know
the pain never fully heals.
I think about how that day
eight years ago was the saddest day we had in the White
House. Twenty first-graders. Their six educators. And I
think about the time we have spent with each other grieving
since then. I remain in awe of you. I have heard from and
watched as so many of you turned pain into purpose, working
to change our laws and our culture around gun violence and
how we protect and nurture our children.
I know it can feel like an
impossible task. Since this December day eight years ago,
your nightmare has been felt by thousands of other families
in our country who have lost a piece of their soul in other
schools, a shopping mall, a movie theatre, a club, a house
of worship, in their neighborhoods, and in their homes. Some
of these tragedies make national headlines, so many more do
not. Every year, more than 30,000 people die from gun
violence across America—a statistic we would associate with
war in a far-off place. Countless more are left with a
lifetime of injuries and trauma.
But in this collective pain,
you’ve helped usher in a collective and growing purpose.
You’ve helped us forge a consensus that gun violence is a
national health crisis and we need to address its total cost
to fully heal families, communities, and our nation.
Eight years later, there
have been plenty of thoughts and prayers, but we know that
is not enough. Together with you and millions of our fellow
Americans of every background all across our nation, we will
fight to end this scourge on our society and enact common
sense reforms that are supported by a majority of Americans
and that will save countless lives.
Jill and I send our love to
you and we pray for the twenty-six angels in heaven and in
our hearts. |
