The stories we feature each week in the West Essex Tribune cover a variety of topics, from hard news to light interviews and everything in between, but the one thing they all have in common is Livingston. In one way or another, everything that lines these pages is related to this community, whether we are highlighting the accomplishments of a resident or explaining what new ordinances were recently put on the books. It all ties back to this town, in some way, because that is what matters to those in the community who are reading it – their community.Of course, there are issues that affect the larger world that also affect Livingston. In the months since Russia first attacked Ukraine, to name one example, we have written about the efforts undertaken in town to fundraise, collect goods, and otherwise offer support to Ukrainians who need it. Most stories like these can tie back to Livingston, in one way or another.Which brings us to the horrific events of last week, when 19 students and two teachers were murdered by a gunman at a Texas elementary school. This was the second deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012 nearly a decade ago. Yet, even as we become desensitized to these repugnant acts of violence – as mass shootings in our country have somehow become the norm over the past two-plus decades – this one particularly hurts. We are talking about young children who left their families that morning to attend a day of school, probably giddy with anticipation for their impending summer vacation. This will never be anything other than sickening.Office buildings. Movie theaters. Grocery stores. Places of worship. Schools. These are spaces where we should feel safe. But time and time again, we are shown that the feeling of comfort is merely a façade. We have a wonderful school system in Livingston as well as an exceptional police force working tirelessly to keep us safe. But at some point, it seems, we are just hoping that it will be enough. What else can we do but hope that this will not happen to us, when it happens in similar towns to ours on a regular basis? It’s a sobering, terrifying thought, but one that is very clearly the reality in which we live in this country.Despite having about five percent of the world’s population, the United States fields about one ...
