As the nation followed along on Twitter today, the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, initiated a chain of responses and emotions that has become predictable and, sadly, all-too familiar.
The initial reaction was sheer shock and horror:
Holy shit. Fuck off, world. RT @samsteinhp: BREAKING: CBS now reporting 27 dead, incl 14 children in Conneticut school shooting.
— Jack Moore (@BuzzFeedJack) December 14, 2012
This is so horrible. RT @samsteinhp: BREAKING: CBS now reporting 27 dead, incl 14 children in Conneticut school shooting.
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) December 14, 2012
Good lord. 27 dead; 12 children.
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) December 14, 2012
Nothing to say. NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) - Official with knowledge of Conn. school shooting: 27 dead, including 18 children.
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) December 14, 2012
My god. RT @joshledermanap: NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) - Official with knowledge of Conn. school shooting: 27 dead, including 18 children
— The Fix (@TheFix) December 14, 2012
Quickly, the calls for stronger gun control began…
Whether you think the solution is gun control / mental health / something else, doing nothing isn't a solution. Let's have the conversation.
— delrayser (@delrayser) December 14, 2012
Kids reported dead in CT school shooting. How many school & mall shootings before we regulate guns as seriously as cars?
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) December 14, 2012
I'm tired of people telling me there's nothing we can do about guns. No other country has this problem. NONE.
— Milt Shook (@MiltShook) December 14, 2012
If the 2nd amendment says you're always allowed to own guns, the 1st says we're always allowed to talk about them.
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 14, 2012
America likes guns the way the rest of the world likes soccer.
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) December 14, 2012
ABC News: 31 school shootings since Columbine. This is America.
— Mark Joyella (@standupkid) December 14, 2012
We heard after Columbine that it was too soon to talk about gun laws. We heard it after VTech, Tucson & Aurora. Now we are hearing it again.
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) December 14, 2012
Can't decide whether this is a genuine watershed moment in political discussion of gun control, a natural post-election progression, or both
— Rebecca Berg (@rebeccagberg) December 14, 2012
…which were met by those who questioned whether it was appropriate to be “politicizing” the tragedy so soon after it happened.
I'll be damned if someone doesn't try and politicize these shootings for their own agenda. smh
— Trox (@iamTROX) December 14, 2012
Let's *not* rush to politicize this, ok?
— Amy Lutz (@amylutz4) December 14, 2012
Can't we wait at least 24 hours to mourn this tragedy before we politicize it? I'm looking at both conservatives and liberals.
— Stephen James Gomez (@stephen_james) December 14, 2012
Those who try to politicize the events in CT lacks authenticity and genuine compassion. Let us comfort one another with the love of Christ.
— Demetrius Minor (@dminor85) December 14, 2012
As the debate raged, some people decided it might be better to step away from Twitter entirely:
Serious question: On a day like today, it's a) a good thing we have Twitter or b) a bad thing we have Twitter?
— The Fix (@TheFix) December 14, 2012
@thefix I just turned off Twitter for an hour and felt much better, frankly.
— Marty Kady (@mkady) December 14, 2012
Yeah I'm going walk away from twitter for a while RT @jbarro: More incredibly tiresome gun policy tweets, please.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) December 14, 2012
Think I'm a-gonna shut off the Twitter machine now.
— Dan Kois (@dankois) December 14, 2012
cable tv & twitter do much to derail us on days like this, which demand sobriety, grieving, reflection, not an endless stream of words
— Jon Ward (@jonward11) December 14, 2012
Twitter right now seems to be filled with half-facts and horror.
— David Grann (@DavidGrann) December 14, 2012
One thing everyone could agree on: Go hug your kids.
I walked my son into school four hours ago. I imagine they were doing the same with their own children, now apparently dead. Hug your kids.
— Andy Carvin (@acarvin) December 14, 2012
Yet another day -- another unbearable day -- to hug your children.
— David Gergen (@David_Gergen) December 14, 2012
I wasn't planning to pick up my son from school today, but now I will. Hug your children hard today. And think of those who can't.
— Lauren Young (@LaurenYoung) December 14, 2012
This whole tragedy makes me nauseous. I just want to hug my kids. Can’t stop thinking about the parents who won’t be able to. Ever again.
— Jeri Ryan (@JeriLRyan) December 14, 2012
Hug your kids so hard today, tell people you love them.
— Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) December 14, 2012
Hug your children and tell them you love them.Pray over your children day and night! My heart and prayers go out to those in Conn.
— Darren Sproles (@DarrenSproles) December 14, 2012
