Newtown United

( Richard Messina, Hartford Courant / December 19, 2012 )

Max Goldstein, 12, of Newtown attended a funeral for the brother of a friend Wednesday. That night, he spoke in front of the third meeting of a new movement in Newtown to eliminate gun violence, called Newtown United. Max, along with his brother and others, decided Wednesday not only to give up playing violent "shoot-em-up" video games, but to organize other children to do the same. With the help of his stepfather, Max said they plan to organize a place for people to drop off violent games and destroy them. After speaking, as he took his seat, the group meeting at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Main Street in Newtown applauded him. He is seated next to his mother, Roberta Mittleman, after he spoke. The newly formed group is composed of town residents who want to lessen gun violence.