Sue?

Sue who?

The parents of some children killed in the 2012 Newtown school shooting have filed court documents indicating they plan to file wrongful death lawsuits, but it's not clear who would be sued.

Parents of half the 20 first-graders shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed papers in probate court seeking to create estates for their children, a move that would allow the parents to file such lawsuits. Most of those parents checked a box on the forms saying they intend to file wrongful death actions, according to a probate court clerk.

The documents, however, don't say who would be targets of such actions.

Okay look: Despite my carefully groomed reputation as a misanthropic ogre, I am not without sympathy here. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to have your six-year old suddenly cease to be. The emotional trauma is beyond anything I'd ever care to experience. But realistically, who are you going to sue?

The school district? You ARE the school district; it's supported by bond money and housing taxes.

The state? See above.

The mother of the murderer? I'm pretty sure she's not independently wealthy, and the very idea smacks of a reversed "sins of the fathers" mentality, which is explicitly forbidden in U.S. law.

What does that leave us with? Oh, yes; gun manufacturers. The favorite target of the clueless. Piece of advice, folks: that tack won't win you any sympathy.

The ugly truth is that there is no one to sue. There is no convenient hook upon which to hang the blame, only dead kids. That's very, very sad, but lashing out at a target of opportunity with a legal whip isn't going to bring those kids back. Sometimes life is brutally ugly and fairness is kicked right in the teeth. I'm afraid this is one of those times.