Mass Murders in Newtown,CT made us stop and ask:

The mass murders in Newtown, CT made us stop to ask, “What’s happening to the world we once knew, when we all felt safe and people believed that it takes a village, and they lived according to the concept of neighbors helping neighbors?” Small towns or small town settings created within big city neighborhoods gave us a sense of community. This sense of community gave us feelings of identity and safety, and it gave us a sense of pride.

Small town communities were commonplace in historical rural towns and in neighborhoods within big cities. They assured our safety against outsiders. Today, many small places exist in areas adjacent to large cities, and they come with a high price tag. But sometimes, even a high price tag can’t assure safety. Likewise, sometimes the sense of community is presumed, often based on appearances, and we might find ourselves living next to strangers like the gunman in Newtown, CT.

I grew up in a city, not a small town, but it was a time when neighbors could be counted on to do everything from lending a cup of sugar to disciplining a child. It was a time when you knew better than to break the rules even if your parents weren’t home because they’d find out from the neighbors and you’d get two whippings, one for the dastardly deed and another for embarrassing your parents in public. Back then, the slogan was true: “If you see something, say something,” and neighbors always saw something to tell our parents about. There was no use hating them because they had your parents' approval to be surrogate parents, and when you grew up, you sat on their porch listening to them share what they knew about you and you told them how much you appreciate their watchful eyes and wagging tongues.

Our neighbor living across the street had eagle’s eyes. He would sit on the porch all day, just watching. We’d call him nosey, meddling, pervert or whatever, despite the fact that his wife joined him on the front porch after dinner dishes were washed and put away. Life was simple then. We didn’t have to worry about neighbors going berserk or strangers coming in to attack us. There were too many pairs of eyes keeping watch.We felt safe, protected by so many in the community. 

It took a village then and it takes a village now. We need to become more acquainted beyond generalities, and we need to know more about each other. But for now, only neighbors helping neighbors can get us through the tragedy and trauma caused by a wounded, self-absorbed murderer of so many innocent people in Newtown, Ct.