Prayers offer only comfort. Real action solves problems.

No, I am not an Atheist. I have faith. But I also am rational enough to understand that faith gives us solace and comfort. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesnt make things any different. Action does. Strong, concerted action.Today, what happened in Newtown, CT has shaken me to the core. As a parent, I cant imagine anything worse. Nothing is more horrifying than this. I havent been able to do much today and I cant do anything still. My mind as that of millions of parents and adults across the world is still trying to figure out what just happened. We know what happened. But here is the lousy part. We cant prevent it from happening again tomorrow. And we have not done anything absolutely to even take baby steps towards it. At work and in life, we talk about lessons learned from mistakes and failures. This one mistake and failure has been plaguing us for years starting with Columbine. And I am still looking for the lessons learned. None forthcoming.I am shocked and sad and angry and frustrated. Five years ago, as an alumni, I watched the horror unfold in Virginia Tech. A few months ago, I was horrified by the midnight shooting at Aurora. And now this. Not to mention the innumerable shootings that are almost all too common now. How can we not have figured this out still?. How can we go and try to free the world's people when we cant protect our own kids? Shame on us that we are incapable of protecting our little ones, our future generation. And before you think I am talking only about gun control, let me clarify. That is only one part of the problem, the biggest part but just a part nevertheless.It starts with our society. When did we become so insular and isolated that we cant determine if our friend or neighbor needs medical help before its too late?. When did we become a society that talks about arming everyone so one lunatic will stop causing such destruction?. And when did we start associating individual freedoms to deaths of 5 year olds?. We are building and supporting a society of haves and have-nots - one where basic insurance and medical support has to be earned. How then will mental issues not be more prevalent?. In the name of capitalism and budget deficits, we are further isolating people economically and socially thereby assuring ourselves of future generations of troubled people. Most such culprits are not those with criminal backgrounds. They are just kids who don't have the right social support and guidance and easy access to mass killing machines.I can go on and on but what ever gets achieved, I am not sure. All I know is to write. This is how I express my thoughts. But how do we act?. How do we assure our kids that such a thing would not happen again?. How do we give them a sense of security and trust in fellow humans?. How do we continue to believe and make them believe that we live in a civil society and not a jungle?.Politics and politicians are there to help us achieve things collectively. And there is no greater need for elected officials than to assure people that their lives are safe. Nothing is more valuable than a human life. And if that cant be protected and we aren't willing to work towards it, shame on us. If we believe we are bigger and better than the poor lost soul that unleashed terror in Connecticut today, we should show it by acting on it. That alone is the prayer and solace we can offer the parents who tragically lost their kids today. Love is God. And these families need our love. And we show them that we care by truly caring for them and doing what it takes to make sure it doesn't happen again.