Blogger Roundup: Reactions to Newtown

This week's blogger roundup is dedicated to those bloggers who wanted their voices heard on Friday's unspeakable tragedy in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and 6 adults were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The blogs range from thoughts on how to cope with the tragedy, to a larger look at how we can prevent such violence in the future.

I Hear America Weeping: Bury My Heart At Sandy Hook

Cindi Sansone-Braff writes poetically about the tragedy and how closely it is linked in time to the regional destruction from Superstorm Sandy. Devastated by the thought of how many children will not be celebrating Christmas with their families, Sansone-Braff writes about our eventual need to forgive the perpetrator, and how we need to become a less violent society. She states:

"We need more than flags waving at half-staff, and much more than moments of silence. America we can start by boycotting our entertainment industry. Silence the violence that streams through your homes hourly on your big screens. Monitor the music your children listen to on their head phones, which glorifies drugs and violence; and for the good of all, put your money where your mouth is and stop buying your children violent video games."

Talking To Your Children About the Tragedy In Connecticut

Rabbi David Ross Senter offers some thoughts on how parents can tell their children about the tragedy as they are likely watching it unfold in front of them on the news, on Twitter, on Facebook and in the blogsphere. When an event like this saturates the airwaves, children can often feel frightened, shocked, and uncertain about their own safety. Rabbi Senter offers these thoughts:

1. The man who did this is no longer alive and cannot hurt anyone again.
2. When something terrible like this happens people everywhere do their best to make sure that it does not happen again. Talk about the security that you have seen at airports, etc. all those people are there to protect you.

Click on the headline to read the rest of his sentiments.

Nine Tips To Help Someone Grieve During The Holidays

Prophetically written before the Sandy Hook massacre, education expert Meryl Ain examines the fact that many people are suffering from feelings of loss during the holiday season.

Ain offers a series of tips to help those we know in our lives that are depressed and tormented by the loss of a loved one, amplified by the anguish of "celebrating" the holidays without that person.

Among some of the tips:

Click on the headline and contemplate all nine of these great suggestions. Care to weigh in yourself? Want to blog on Patch? Click here and get started.