I grew up near Hartford CT. The violence and poverty is appalling and has been for decades. As an example, one out of three Hartford children have one or both parents in prison. Yet many adjoining towns like West Hartford, Bloomfield, and Simsbury are quite prosperous. Newtown is even more well-off. Many residents of that area work in finance in New York City or Greenwich CT.
The massacre carried out in the Village of Sandy Hook, City of Newtown, County of Fairfield is certainly a national tragedy, but in comparison to what goes on every day in a city like the State Capital of Hartford, one has to ask why isn’t every day life in urban ghettos and barrios a topic of constant national attention?
Exactly, we need to think about the mostly unreported violence in cities like Hartford too. Look, we live in a very violent country. When violence happens in one of those places where it isn’t supposed to then we all pay attention. Attention also needs to be paid to all areas where there is violence, even as the Newtown massacre is beyond horrific and comprehension..