All across the USA, and even worldwide, people are grieving for the 20 children

— six and seven years old — and six adults, killed in one of the worst mass shootings in America’s history.
A media report out of the United States quoted President Barack Obama as assuring the grieving, shell-shocked Newtown community on Sunday that “you are not alone” and vowed sternly to wield “whatever power this office holds” in a quest to prevent future mass shootings.
“We can’t tolerate this anymore,” Obama said from behind a podium on the stage of a Newton High School auditorium, as adults wept, or hugged, or sat quietly, many hugging small children. “These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change.
“In the coming weeks, I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens — from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents, and educators — in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have?” he asked.
The speech, broadcast nationwide, offered the bold suggestion that Obama might engage lawmakers on the subject of gun control — a topic that has not been among his top priorities during his presidency.
“We can’t accept events like this as routine. Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage?” Obama said. That the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year, after year, after year is somehow the price of our freedom?”
There were sobs from the crowd as the president read the first names of the 20 children slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday and paid tribute to the six adults who died defending them. Twenty-six candles in 26 shining glass vases shone from the base of the podium.
Obama anticipated — and dismissed — some of the time-honoured arguments against stricter restrictions on guns. “We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true,” he said. “No single law, or  no set of laws, can eliminate evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society.”
“But that can’t be an excuse for inaction. Surely we can do better than this,” he said.
As the U.S. President climbed the hill up the school, he could glimpse a few homes with Christmas lights — but most were dark.
“We needed this. We needed to be together,” said Rev. Matt Crebbin, the senior minister at Newtown Congregational Church. “These darkest days of our community shall not be the final word heard from us.”
“In Sandy Hook centre, a lawn displayed lights with the phrase “FAITH. HOPE. LOVE.”
The president spoke about the shooting on Friday, his voice choked with emotion, one finger wiping away tears as they welled up. He vowed to “take meaningful action, regardless of the politics” to try to prevent future such tragedies.
However, hours before, White House press secretary Jay Carney had decreed that “today’s not the day” to discuss possible gun control measures.
The Obama administration has reportedly considered new gun restrictions in the past, only to shelve them.
The White House has shied from seeking tough new action from Congress — where new restrictions on gun purchases would likely run into stiff Republican opposition.
Obama’s vow to “take meaningful action, regardless of the politics” runs counter to the reporter’s assessment of the political scenario where “…new restrictions on gun purchases would likely run into stiff Republican opposition.”
And though oceans and continents away, the USA socio-political dynamics and dilemma eerily replicate those of Guyana’s, where any government move toward addressing the security problems faces stiff rejection from a self-serving opposition, the agenda of which is one that bodes no good for the security of the country.
All across Guyana, young men are attacking innocent citizens in their homes, on the streets, in places of congregation, such as weddings and funerals, and Guyana too has recorded her tragedies of mass shootings with multiple victims; many of which were disguised as robberies, many of which were motivated by quick and easy acquisition of wealth; but to those politically aware, there are intellectual architects who formulate strategies of destabilization for their own nefarious purposes.
But whatever the reason, in Guyana, too, there are many homes that have no Christmas lights because of gun crimes.
As President Obama said,  “We can’t tolerate this anymore.”
But as the reporter pointed out in the USA situation, and replicated in the Guyanese landscape, any action by government to halt and/or cease this perennial threat to this nation will face stiff opposition, as it always does, from Guyana’s opposition political parties.
But how many more homes in Guyana will have a dark Christmas because of gun crimes?
Again, quoting President Obama, “These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change.”