Like many of you, I feel helpless today.

What happened in Connecticut is an unspeakable tragedy.

The images are horrific. The sound bites with the surviving children are just too much to bear.

I keep thinking that when those kids and teachers awakened this morning, they expected it would be just another day at school.

And now 20 children and six adults are dead.

Some of us want to blame lax gun control laws. Others are convinced mental illness had something to do with this. It will take time for us to understand the shooter's motive.

We're an angry nation in need of some perspective.

I found a measure of comfort in watching President Obama's speech from earlier today:

"As a country we have been through this too many times.. These neighborhoods are our neighborhoods. These children are our children. We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics...

They need all of us right now to be at our best as Americans, and I will do everything in m power as president to help. Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend our hand to those in need. To remind them that we are there for them; that we are praying for them; that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories — but also in ours."

For now, there's nothing more to say.

Update 3:43 p.m.

Here's an AP Interactive that offers context on the location of the Newtown massacre, as well as photos from the scene and a history of other U.S. shootings in 2012.