Now What?

Many may not understand where I am coming from on this. They might well hate it! But somebody has to introduce that horse on the billiard table (to coin a new metaphor).
First of all, and most importantly, many condolences to the family, friends, neighbors and all others impacted by the tragedy in Newton. While I have never been inside that building, there was a time when I drove by it on a regular basis. One of the local pastors is a dear friend. To my knowledge, I had no contact or connection direct or otherwise with the people involved, although my wife works in the academic field and this has been a deep source of sorrow for her. Me too.
But I find myself becoming more and more impatient and frustrated with the public reaction. The vigils, the instant memorial shrines, the prayers and rituals are well and good. People need an opportunity, a venue, to cry and show their grief. The difficulty is that too many stop there.
Very cautiously- too cautiously!- we are dealing with the deeper issues of this tragedy. Yes, pray, sing, chant, speak the comforting word, but something of this scope and nature demands something more, something concrete to make sure it never happens again! Not the inane suggestions that some have already blurted out- yes, you, Ann Coulter!- about arming the school staff, or making sure that a particular kind of religion be preached in schools so that no other person would do something like this- thank you, Rev. Huckabee, we'll get back to you!
In the personal field,when we lose a loved one, friends flock around. One of the more foolish things people say to you at funerals is: If there's anything I can do... Of course, if you were to call on them for help days later, I doubt anyone would offer more than excuses.
When a trauma of this size and type hits us, the best way of dealing with it still may be calling upon our support network (religious community, family, neighbors) but also finding the WHY? and the NOW WHAT?
It does no one any good to continue in a state of loss and grief. After a tragedy of this type, everything seems chaotic. What we had been expecting for our lives, consciously or not, is gone. So we need to deal with what has actually happened and learn how to start our lives over again. That way, we can begin to feel in control of our world again.
Such need to be thought through, of course. People can plunge into all manner of foolish, dangerous and even life-threatening behavior in the aftermath of such a trauma. (That's how we ended up in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11.) But there are obvious issues that we have been avoiding: gun control, mental health coverage. Other issues may come to mind once we are able to think more clearly.
Let's not stop with our prayers and kind words. Let's ask: now what?