Perspective Podcast - December 21, 2012
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In this edition of Perspective...
A Week of Heartache
This week there were far too many funerals in Newtown, Connecticut, a community changed forever by tragedy. It was just over a week ago that 20 young children and their teachers were killed by gunman Adam Lanza, who opened fire inside Sandy Hook Elementary school. It was an unthinkable act that shocked us all. And for days, we have been dealing, in our own ways, with the grief. ABC's Juju Chang reports from Newtown.
Lost Innocence
No matter how many times we see tragedies like this -- in malls, movie theaters, or schools -- we are often puzzled by what to tell our kids. How do we make them feel safe at a time when the world can seem so scary? ABC's Deborah Roberts is here with details about how to help.
The Shooter
As the nation struggles to process what happened at Sandy Hook, we're taking a closer look at the shooter -- the young man whose life story could hold clues to what went so wrong. Here's ABC Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross.
Children and Mental Health
In the wake of this shooting, there are a lot of questions about children and mental illness. An estimated one in five kids in this country suffer from some sort of mental disorder and their parents are often desperate for help and for answers.
Helping the Mentally Ill
Since the Connecticut shooting, other parents have come forward, scared their child's mental illness could lead to another tragedy. ABC's John Donvan has their story.
The President's Response
The events that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary have not only shattered a small town, they have also ushered in a moment of national reckoning. President Obama traveled to Connecticut and gave an emotional speech vowing to create change, but will Washington respond with more than words? Here's ABC Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper.
The NRA Speaks Out
One week after the shooting, the National Rifle Association gave its response to the violence.
Senator Manchin on Gun Control
Senator Joe Manchin, a proudly pro-gun Democrat from West Virginia, has put himself forward as a possible dealmaker on new gun control laws. He is a proud NRA member who says he will defend the Second Amendment, but adds that he also has a responsibility to speak up about gun control. For more on his plan, ABC Senior Washington Editor Rick Klein and ABC Senior Political Director Amy Walter spoke to Senator Manchin in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington.
Fighting Back
As we all know, last Friday's shooting in Newtown is not unprecedented. From Aurora to Tucson to Virginia Tech, mass shootings have become a depressingly familiar part of our reality, a fact that one young man is fighting to change. Five years after he was shot at Virginia Tech, he's working to expose how easy it can be to buy powerful guns in this country. Here's ABC's Terry Moran.
The Words of the Children
The shooting in Newtown has changed all of us. The violence that shattered that community has reverberated across the country. But it has, of course, most closely touched the students at Sandy Hook Elementary. We'll end our program with some of their words.
Host: Cheri Preston
Producer: Colin Tipton
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