Grieving Newtown parents: "Empty for so long"

(CBS News) NEWTOWN, Conn. - The parents of children killed in December's elementary school shooting in Newtown met with reporters at a town hall to launch a program called Sandy Hook Promise. Its purpose is to encourage the national conversation on gun violence and mental health.

At the meeting was the Barden family. They spoke with CBS News about the death of their son, 7-year-old Daniel, and the conversations they had with national leaders.

"I feel like I've been empty for so long. To think it's only been a month. To know that we have so long to feel like this. I just can't imagine continually feeling like this," Jackie Barden said.

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Daniel was survived by his brother James, sister Natalie, his mother Jackie and father Mark.

Watch: Siblings of Daniel Barden fight for change.

"He was an absolute optimist," Mark Barden said. "He really did see the good in everything; and wanted to see other people feel good."

When asked if she lets herself think about that horrible day, Jackie Barden said, "I think so. But I do try not to go there."

"It's too painful. And I don't really want to know details and -- but it does seep in," she said.

Mark Barden said he got a call from Vice President Biden, who is putting together an agenda on gun control, Sunday night. The parents also spoke to President Barack Obama.

"I actually mentioned that we were going to be adopting a kitten," Jackie Barden said. "I am surprised the process I had to go through -- a lot of forms online. And they called me and interviewed me. And then she was calling me to get some information on our family. I don't know enough about guns, but I think it's a little easier to get a gun than to get a kitten."

Click here to view the Facebook page created in memory of Daniel Barden.

[MolonLabe69]

I do feel for the loss of the Braden family, I lost a granddaughter 2 years ago and it tore me apart. That said, most of you are missing the point.
On the issue of new laws:
You can pass all of the gun laws that you want and it won't stop the mentally deficient, or just plain evil people from getting guns and doing bad things. I don't like it, but it is what it is. Chicago has the toughest gun laws in the nation and they have the highest violent crime rate. New laws won't help that. In 1993 there were 195,352 violent crimes in New York. In 1994 "Rudy" Giuliani took over as Governor of New York and by the end of his term in 2001 it had dropped to 98,022 and it has continued to drop. How did he do it. By aggressively enforcing existing laws on the books. And that is what we need to do.

On the issue of 2nd amendment
In 1939 the United States Supreme Court (1939 United States VS Miller) defined several parts of the 2nd Amendment. 1) The Militia is not outdated; it consists of any male willing to answer the call to defend this country against an enemy. They will show up with their own guns and their own ammo to defend the nation as needed. 2) They also ruled that the militia should be armed with weapons equivalent to that of "current military technology". According to this ruling the US government has already over stepped there boundaries by telling me what guns I cannot legally keep.

So the 2nd amendment is not a 200 year old idea. It has been supported and upheld by the supreme court within the last 65 years.

[SnachoV]

My heart goes out to these parents and the loss of any child is beyond tragic. There is a petition that is out in California to Charge a $10 annual registration fee for all guns and the majority of the funds raised would go to providing armes police officers at schools. A portion would also go to a gun buy back program. The web site is www.registertheguns.com. This just seems to make sense to me and I hope that our law makers can draft a similar bill here in my state

[winemaster2]

I share with the Jackie, Mark Branden and there other Kids the tragic and loss their son Daniel aged & and his good optimistic nature and spirit of being These good folks need to know that there are millions of us the world over who understand and share their anguish.

What took place on that Dec day at that school is our national shame and this beguiled society and this absurdity of people in this nation advocating the need for so called gun owner ship rights to own and use these assault weapons. NO body has ever denied people for owning a hand gun or a hunting rifles. People that ever wanted, needed one with proper ID etc to register these fire arms with the authorities were able to buy one. But this gun craze and the US Supreme Court absurdity it is a Constitutional Right is all way over board hog wash


The 2nd amendment states " A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed "

That is a over 200 year law that was meant for people in the Militias. These were regular citizens like farmers, shop keepers, etc that in case of trouble or protection of their free states were called upon to secure travel, assemble, secure & protect their communities. It was very cumbersome to first go to the armories etc to go and check out fire arms etc. For that purpose it was more practical for these folks to keep and bare arms as the well regulated militias required. This way these people could keep, take care of their own weapons and re[port for emergency duty when required.

How ever this notion now some over two hundred years that it is a Constitutional right for every tom dick, harry, Jane etc to own an arsenal of weapon for what ever reason is just pure simple stupidity and a very dangerous precedent. No body is ever denied folks any where not to have a hand gun or a rifle . Most people in the rural areas have a hand gun and or a rifle and that is traditional American custom. But this obsession for owing assault weapons, and other guns for people who cannot safely use or posses them it pure simple idiocy.

Let alone the obsession of the mother of this boy who killed these school kids, these trigger happy cops and others to shot first and ask questions later is gone far enough. Now this advocacy of armed school guards, police or even arming janitors is pure simple lunacy and the more guns out their, the worst it will get.

[ThereAreNoNamesLeft]

According to the Indiana Constitution I am a member of the inactive Indiana militia, as are all citizens of Indiana who are over the age of 17 years, not insane, and not felons. Further the Second Amendment to the US Constitution clearly states that "the people" may keep and bear arms. Yet further, the Second Amendment was about military arms. It had nothing at all to do with simple self defense or hunting. In fact, based upon what the Constitution actually says the Federal Government has no authority to have an opinion about hunting or protection arms and must get an Amendment signed by the States to legally infringe the right to keep and bear any arm.

Like it or not, the Constitution simply acknowledges a Natural Right. All people have this right everywhere, though it may be wrongfully denied by corrupt government.

Most news on TV, in newspapers, and online is simply gossip for profit. I do not think you, or anyone else, needs gossip. The First Amendment begins: "Congress shall make no law..." That left plenty of room for States and Municipalities to abridge those rights. Prior to the 14th Amendment they did exactly that. In short, the First Amendment was not absolute when written. The Second Amendment says ".. shall not be infringed." Which is absolute, leaving no wiggle room for any government entity. Do they ignore that? Sure. None the less, it's a violation of what the Constitution says even when permitted by the Supreme Court.

You may feel that the Second Amendment is of no value today. I disagree. Without the Second Amendment all other rights are gifts of a temporarily magnanimous government. Study history. Without guns in the hands of the people those gifts tend to go away.

Every parent has an absolute responsibility to protect their children. It's been that way pretty much forever. The government demands that parents hand over their children. They then hand those children to educators. With the child comes that parental responsibility to defend as an absolute obligation. The educators failed to protect those children because the government prevented them from fulfilling their obligation. The government bears secondary responsibility for the deaths, right behind the crazy guy who killed them. Nobody makes anyone become a teacher. If they can't handle the job, they should get a job they can handle.

Sorry if all this responsibility stuff makes you uncomfortable. Like it or not, it's a grownup thing.

[ThereAreNoNamesLeft]

This is unquestionably a tragedy that will leave a mark for a long time. My heart goes out to the parents.

But you gotta love the money shot. Did someone cry? Got a tragedy to milk for ad income? The media will be there immediately to use sorrow to make a buck. How noble.

It's easier to get soft minded people to support a ban on scary black guns than on any form of action on psychiatric drugs that cause depression and thoughts of murder/suicide. No matter that the shooters have all either been on them or just quit taking them, the Democrat leadership doesn't care about the things that make crazies snap. They have a cause, and fixing the problem isn't it.

I'll believe armed defense isn't the solution just as soon as the President issues an Executive Order shutting down the Secret Service and sends his kids to a school that doesn't employ a dozen armed guards.

[juki654]

I'm sorry but I don't understand that last comment. You can buy a car without a driver's license? So . . .? What does that have to do with buying a gun without any check at all? The only purpose of a semi-automatic is to kill people. The purpose of a car is not to kill people.

I admire the Barden family very much. I can't imagine how hard it is for them to be interviewed publicly when their grief is so raw. But, as the above comment shows, the need to educate this country is overwhelming.

[SnachoV]

I agree with you, I think any real plan should include registering the guns annually so that you know where they are and charing a $10 fee for the registration. I also think that people should have to do mandatory Firearms Ssftey Training at prior to purchasing a hand gun. I've been on the range to many times and seen these idiots who don't know how to clear a stove pipe or jamm pointing the gun in every direction but at the target. I think the guys at www.RegistertheGuns.com have it right.

[cooldek]

All you have to do to get a kitten is look for them! Sure when you get them from the shelter they don't want you to use it for dog food. Look on craigslist or at the local gas station tac board you can find kittens all the time. Did you know you can BUY a car without a drivers license. You can BUY a boat without a boating license. All you need is money. Its illegal to buy drugs but tell that to the drug dealers.