I have never been good at steering clear of sensitive subjects. I guess this will be another time that I choose to take one head on.
First and foremost I pause to pray for the families of Newtown Conn. I pray that despair will be displaced by joy, I pray that hope will crowd out despair, I pray that love will pin evil to the ground and count to infinity!!! I pray that the true spirit of Christmas will only be dimmed by grief but will respond and shine brighter than ever fueled by the prayers and thoughts of those around the country.
It will be very difficult to find answers in this tragedy. This week I have heard the arguments from the various points of view regarding guns. One side says if teachers were armed then it may cause evil to pause before it enters a school. The other side says if we had fewer guns then evil would not be armed. Most of the time neither side is willing to listen or give ground to an extreme position. The answer will not be solved by the presence or absence of guns. The problem is evil!
Edmund Burke said, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' I have come to understand this quote to a deeper level this week.
Gov. Dannel Malloy shared this week that "Evil visited Newtown". Evil exists and it must be confronted. The challenge is how? The solution is complex. The answer has not yet been found. In times such as this I have learned to go back to the basics, my anchors in life. Evil can only be confronted by faith, hope, happiness, discipline, conviction, dedication, intelligence, awareness, service to others, love of family and others, etc..................... I believe these virtues are the greatest weapons against evil.
The easy answers are to ban guns or to pass one out to everyone. Ultimately, we must dig deeper than the surface to find multiple solutions and be willing to do what is necessary to work toward a solution. I take great pride that students see these virtues exhibited by Willard staff every day. They are true warriors against evil!
I pray for our children, staff and community to have an incredible Christmas and extend this prayer to those in Newtown Conn. I pray that we all remember the deeper truth in the season and not simply the surface bling!!!!
Have a great Christmas,
Kent
Dr. Kent Medlin
Superintendent