Newtown

I don't think any parent could hear dreadful news like that coming out of Newtown, CT without briefly imagining themselves in the same situation. I have been fixated on my stash of Christmas presents, carefully chosen over several weeks, hidden from view until they can be wrapped and nestled under the decorated tree. I turn them over in my hands wondering what I would do if my children were no longer here to receive them. Would I get them away from me as quickly as I could? Or would I keep each item, cherished carefully as a memory of the holiday I had planned rather than the grim reality?

My daughter starts school nursery on 8 January. I am so grateful that is in a country where personal handguns and assault weapons are banned. There are people who I love and respect who will disagree vehemently with me, but I cannot understand how 20 dead kindergarten pupils can be acceptable collateral damage against an individual's presumed right to own whatever weapons they like.

Guns are tools for killing. They do not make society politer; they foster fear and mistrust. They allow bad situations to escalate into awful messes. They turn accidents into tragedies. If you are a hunter or a sportsman, fine, keep a rifle or a shotgun for your leisure pursuits, but handguns and assault weapons have no place in civilised communities.

I pray for the victims of the shootings. I pray for the survivors who have witnessed horrors. And I pray for the families of those impacted by the shooting. And I pray for courage and wisdom for our leaders to make difficult choices to help prevent any other parents having to experience the unthinkable.