Politics & Government

Llodra: 'Don't Let Others Control Our Destiny'

In the hours before the report on the Sandy Hook shooting is expected to be released, First Selectman Pat Llodra released a statement on her blog calling for the town to "tap that inner strength" once again.

Llodra cited the report release, the still-unresolved release of the 911 tapes from the shooting, and the first anniversary on Dec. 14.

"Each of these happenings has the potential to feel like a body blow – it takes our breath away and we struggle to regain our balance," she wrote. "No one experiences these events more deeply and more painfully than the families of the victims. Consider too the cumulative emotional impact of this past year as felt by every parent of every Sandy Hook student, by their teachers and staff, and by those who love and care for them.  Part of our despair is that we can do little to ease their personal pain."

In an interview with Patch Friday, Llodra said she's been concerned about the slow release of information pertaining to the case. In the past months, outlets like the New York Post and the Hartford Courant have obtained details from the reports and calls from anonymous sources.

Earlier this year, Llodra called for the tapes to remained sealed. But she said a single quick release is preferable to many leaks.

"If we are required by court action to release the tapes, let's release them," she said. "It's harmful and hurtful to our community to have things in the paper every day. That creates a chronic state of anxiety for people. From the beginning, I said I didn't want anything released. But if the courts say we have to release them, let's do them honorably and not have them leaked."

Llodra said the "drip-drip-drip" of information has plagued Newtown for months.

"My point is, stop leaking," she said. "Whoever's leaking, stop it. It hurts."

Llodra suggests an alternative:

"We can tap into that inner strength we have called upon again and again over this past year to confront what we must, manage that hurt as best we can, and put it behind us somehow.  We can be sure to not let others control our destiny. We cannot change what happened at Sandy Hook School; we can only choose how we respond.  We have a choice on December 14.  We have called upon every person to honor those who lost their lives that day in a personal, kind way."

She also called on residents to continue patronizing the Sandy Hook business area, shopping and eating as a way of demonstrating that the town will not be deterred by constant media coverage.


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