by Paul J. Pelkonen
Hi readers,
I am sitting here in the David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. It is about 2pm on Friday, Dec. 14.
I just attended the New York Philharmonic's 11am concert, and was looking forward to a pleasant afternoon writing a review of that and of last night's American Symphony Orchestra concert featuring the music of John Cage.
But first, I need to use this space (and it is mine, after all) to talk about what happened this morning in Newtown, CT. According to police reports, 18 children and 9 adults were murdered by an unidentified male this morning in what media outlets are calling a massacre. Among the reported victims are kindergarten children, and their teacher.
I am not going to use this forum for a rant on gun control (which I believe in) or the wide availability of auto-loading pistols and rifles to the people of this country on both sides of the law (which I'm against.) This isn't about politics, Democrat vs. Republican or the Obama presidency.
I just want you to read this and think.
Sit there and breathe. Or like me, feel your breath stop and a cold stone form in your chest.
Think of those small bodies. And think about the adult-sized ones too.
Think about the terror in their eyes, and the moment when their eyes no longer saw anything.
Think about the music they'll never hear, the songs they will never sing, and the cold silence in their parents' homes.
And think about what might be done to prevent the next massacre. The next Columbine. Aurora. Newtown. The next murder of a John Lennon, Darrell Abbott, John F. Kennedy.
Think of what might be done and said by our elected representatives in the next few days, which might make all the difference for a nation shell-shocked by too many shells fired.
Normal service will be resumed eventually. But in the light of what's just happened, your author begs your indulgence.
Yours in grief,
Paul Pelkonen
Editor, Superconductor
