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Residents Gather to Remember Victims of Gun Violence

On a cold clear night, hundreds of people from across the shoreline gathered on the Madison Town Green to honor all of those who have been lost to gun violence on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook. Residents, religious leaders, and politicians gathered on Dec. 17 to reflect on the effects of gun violence in our communities, stand united for change, and light candles for all of those who have been lost.

Shoreline Indivisible organized the vigil in conjunction with other gun violence prevention partners across the state and religious institutions across the shoreline. Attendees carried doves with the names of victims and mass shootings across the country and the names of just some of the thousands who have been lost to gun violence were read aloud as the bells of the First Congregational Church in Madison tolled.

Shoreline Indivisible member Joan Means said the goal of the vigil is to remember but also encourage action.

“One of the goals of this vigil is to highlight the rising magnitude of gun violence in our country and the need for each of us, individually and collectively, to use our voices to demand more legislative protection from gun violence in all of our communities,” she said.

State Representative Noreen Kokoruda (R-101), State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-98), and a representative from U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney’s office spoke. Kokoruda said this issue requires members of both parties to come together to support common-sense gun legislation. Kokoruda was serving in Hartford when the Sandy Hook school shooting occurred and she shared with the crowd part what of what was said at a legislative hearing after the tragedy by the father of six-year-old Benjamin Wheeler who was killed at Sandy Hook.

“He went on to say that Thomas Jefferson described our inalienable rights as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the rights of which we are endowed [and] for the protection of which we have instituted our government,” she said. “I do not think the composition of that foundational phrase was an accident. I do not think the order of those important words was haphazard or casual. The liberty of any person who owns a military-style assault weapon and a high-capacity magazine and keeps them at home is second to the right of my son to his life the right to live of all those children and those teachers...The right to life is first. Let’s honor the founding documents and get our priorities straight.”

Scanlon said this is an issue that is quickly politicized and while some political issues have no clear solution, this one does—weapons of war need to be taken off the streets of this country.

“My message to all of you on this cold day is that I am inspired by all of you...[S]ometimes you think about moments like this when we can all get together and gather in the name of something that is more important than all of us, which is that the lives that were lost don’t have to be lost in vain,” he said.

Temple Beth Tikvah Rabbi Stacy Offner thanked all of those who came out and stood in solidarity and remembrance, but also reminded people that this time of year is a time of hope.

“One of the things that I love about Hanukkah is that it’s a very simple holiday,” she said. “There’s only one thing you have to do and it’s to light a candle. Each day you light candles so that the light grows. Christmas is around the corner. Christmas, too, we share the fact that these holidays happen at the deepest darkness in our cycle of the year and we light lights...We each light singularly, but when we come together, we create a roaring flame of passion and commitment toward the future. We want a better world for our children, our children’s children, and for every one of God’s children. We pray for that better world.”