All I want for Christmas is peace and sanity across the world. Not a day goes by without reports of violent attacks on unsuspecting civilians, well, most of the time. From grenade attacks on churches in Nigeria and restaurants in Somalia to honour killings in Afghanistan, brutal executions by drug lords in Mexico and mass shootings like the recent one at an elementary school in the US, there’s too much bloodshed and frankly, I’m sick of it. Wish I had a magic wand to wave it all away. I may not know any of the victims but all these deaths leave me feeling depressed and extremely sad. Reading about parents burying their little ones, orphaned children who will never know their parents and teenagers’ lives cut short by some lunatics who do not value life has become the norm. A Pastor at one of the Sandy Hook victims’ funeral service said that the shootings weren’t God’s plan. I know they were not, as is never the case with these tragic occurrences but I always wonder why God doesn’t stop such evil. We’re taught that He knows everything. If that’s the case, why can’t He just kill off these people, perhaps not violently as that is not like God but maybe in their sleep or better still, why doesn’t He just stop them from being conceived at all because all they’ll do when they grow up is hurt other people? I know I now sound like a lunatic myself but it’s just that I’m trying to make sense of all these senseless killings which unfortunately are not about to end. I hate it when the killer takes his life and would rather he or she lives to face the full force of the law. Plus, we would be able to get some answers, like why and how they planned the attacks. We may never know why Adam Lanza went after those 20 innocent children and six adults. I exclude his mother intentionally and much as her death must be painful for her family, I hold her accountable for her son’s actions. Who has that many guns and allows an unstable child to access them? Americans need to do something about their obsession with guns or else expect more of these tragic deaths. Don’t you hate how gun freaks keep twisting this, telling us how it’s not the guns that kill but people? Seriously? Would Lanza and all those other crazed killers have murdered so many without a weapon? I think these people have way too much freedom and if it stays that way, we’ll continue to hear about children ‘accidentally’ shooting their siblings or classmates. Just over a month ago, I read about a father who shot and killed his teenage son thinking he was a burglar and it’s not the only case. Yes, we all need to protect ourselves from the bad guys but guns are not the best option. I’m so glad it’s practically impossible to buy one in most African countries. That’s one less problem to worry about. I did say I was saddened by those untimely deaths, so sad that I’m cancelling my Christmas plans. No partying, new clothes or travelling for me this year. Like I said earlier, I don’t know the victims personally and I can’t even begin to imagine the pain they must be going through. But this is my way of standing with them. I will continue to pray for them and hope that the good Lord comforts them through this terrible time.

To be continued…