Malloy Tells 'Morning Joe' 12/14 Anniversary Will Be 'Low-Key'

By Davis Dunavin

Newtown officials have chosen a quiet day of remembrance this Dec. 14, and it appears Gov. Dannel Malloy agrees.

In an appearance on the MSNBC talk show Morning Joe Monday morning, Malloy echoed sentiments from First Selectman Pat Llodra about the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, saying he expected the day to be "a lot lower-key than people think." 

"I can't wait for the 15th of December to get here, to tell you the truth," he told host Joe Scarborough, who invited him on the program to discuss the anniversary and Connecticut's taxes. "For the families, for the town of Newtown, for those of us who were involved that day, getting by one year is going to get important ... The families overwhelmingly want it to be low-key, I think the community wants it to be low-key."

Malloy also praised the work done by victims' families in the aftermath of the shooting.

"When you look back and you see some of the things these parents have accomplished — involved in advocacy, remembering their children ... There's a real dedication on the part of these families to remember these children by good works and good deeds, and I think the community's trying to do that."

Scarborough told Malloy he remembered walking down Sandy Hook's "main strip" in the aftermath of the shooting, leading Malloy to discuss his recent tour of Sandy Hook, during which he visited local businesses with First Selectman Pat Llodra.

"It was good to see things starting to get back to normal," he said.

On Oct. 16, Llodra announced Newtown would hold no official events to commemorate the one-year anniversary, asking instead for residents to "remember and honor those who lost their lives in that awful tragedy in ways that are quiet, personal, and respectful – centered on the themes of kindness, love, and service to others."

Llodra suggested pledging "acts of kindness" in the weeks leading up to the anniversary.

"Maybe this tragedy can serve as a reminder for all families to set aside a few minutes to talk together about the importance of compassionate acts – that those acts become the glue that binds us together in our humanity," she said. "There is great power in a community supporting and believing the notion that each of us can and do make a difference and that it is our compassion and genuine caring for one another that connects us not just in Newtown but as citizens of this country."