Our entire school community is heartbroken over the massacre in Newtown. We have had our hearts broken many times in the past by similar slaughters of innocents. But this event is by far the worst strain on our deeply scarred hearts and it's time we said enough!
Our considerable school security infrastructure, procedures and personnel cannot protect our children when severe mental illness combines so easily with highly lethal, assault type weapons and ammunition. Such a force is beyond us and such a force is a national problem and a national disgrace. It is about the guns and it's time we said enough.
Therefore we call upon our elected offcials in Washington to ban the sale and transfer of military style assault weapons and ammunition throughout the fifty states; ban the sale and transfer of weapons at open gun shows and on the internet without background checks and waiting periods; establish appropriate procedures for the safe storage and handling of licensed firearms and ammo in the home; prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms in schools, malls and all public places; commence a national dialogue on the diagnosis, early identification and treatment of mental illness; commence, immediately after a legislative ban is enacted, across all fifty states, an assault weapons "buy back" program with a goal of taking off the streets at least 1,000 assault weapons for each child and adult slaughtered at Sandy Hook elementary School.