A newly elected school board member in a Connecticut town neighboring the one where 26 people were killed at an elementary school has apologized for saying on Facebook that he'll observe the anniversary of the Newtown shooting by distributing ammunition. 
 
 Gregory Beck of Brookfield was referring to a tribute known as "26 Days of Kindness," which began Tuesday and runs through Dec. 14, the anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The social media campaign asks participants to donate to charity or give of themselves in other ways to remember the 20 children and six educators who were killed. Beck wrote on Facebook that his acts of kindness would be to distribute ammunition to friends who are gun enthusiasts on each of the 26 days. 
 
 Beck said Wednesday his comment was not intended to be malicious and that he recognizes it was insensitive and indefensible. 
 
 "It is said that hindsight is 20/20 and looking back I should never have even conceived of making the comment," he said. "For this reason, I unequivocally apologize to the citizens of Brookfield, Newtown and all others who I have offended or hurt. I am sorry for my mistake and ask for your forgiveness, which I hope to earn over time." 
 
 Beck, 26, recently ran for the Board of Education on an independent party line known as A Brookfield Party, and was endorsed by Republicans, who have since called on him to not take office. He is scheduled to be sworn in on Dec. 1. 
 
 Robert Gianazza, chairman of A Brookfield Party, said Beck's comment reflects a frustration among some about how the Newtown shooting became a call to restrict the rights of legitimate gun owners. 
 
 Beck is a dispatcher for the town's emergency services department, and his Facebook post drew criticism from First Selectman Bill Davidson and Police Chief Robin Montgomery. Beck made an "extremely insensitive comment that is totally inappropriate," but he used his personal cellphone and the brief time it took to post his comment "in no way detracted from his duties," the two officials said in a statement. 
 
 He will not be disciplined, Davidson and Montgomery said. 

 Comment voicing a pro-gun sentiment on Sandy Hook anniversary post has stirred up calls for Greg Beck to step down. 
 
 A Brookfield Party (ABP) candidate-elect for the Board of Education (BOE) Greg Beck’s comment on a Facebook link to a Newtown Patch post about the anniversary of the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary has led to calls for Beck to step down before taking office — calls from residents, outgoing BOE members and local Republican leadership.In the comment, in reference to a post asking readers to practice 26 Days of Kindness, Beck wrote, “I shall buy my friends who are gun enthusiasts a box of ammunition on days 1-26.”The comment [see above] was removed Tuesday afternoon.The Republican Town Committee (RTC) released a statement Tuesday night asking for Beck’s resignation.“The Brookfield Republican Town Committee strongly condemns the statements made by Greg Beck on Facebook on 11/19/13 and requests that he step down from the Board of Education in light of making them,” according to the statement sent from RTC Secretary Matt Grimes and Cc’d to Chairman Marty Flynn and Vice Chairman Greg Dembowski.Beck said Tuesday night that he would issue a statement on Wednesday.ABP Chairman Rob Gianazza defended the candidate on Patch while condemning the comment as a mistake.“Greg made a Facebook post expressing his frustration at the anti-gun antagonists, not at the people of Newtown,” Gianazza wrote. “Does Greg owe an explanation of his post and to own it? You bet, and I will encourage him to do just that. Will I ask him to step down? Not in this lifetime.” A post on by Glenn Brown on the Brookfield Patch Speak Out board asked if Beck should be responsible for Brookfield children and linked to another post stating that he should be removed from office.“I think it displays a serious lack of judgment,” poster Ignorance_is_Dangerous commented, “one so major that it does call into question if he is someone we want representing the views and sentiments of Brookfield — specifically regarding children & education.”Outgoing BOE Chairman Ray DiStephan called the comment, “absolutely inexcusable,” twice, using all caps the second time.________________________________________________________________________________________________________
– With calls flying that he should resign before he even takes office, a newly-elected school board member from Brooksfield, Conn., apologized today for saying that he'd honor the victims of the massacre in neighboring Newtown by buying bullets. Gregory Beck made the comment in response to a Facebook post about the "26 Days of Kindness" initiative, which urges people to perform generous acts on the 26 days leading up to the anniversary of the massacre, to honor the 26 victims. "I shall buy my friends who are gun enthusiasts a box of ammunition on days 1-26," Beck wrote, according to the Brooksfield Patch. Beck, 26, is set to be sworn in on Dec. 1. He campaigned as a Republican-backed independent, but now Republicans are calling on him not to take office, the AP reports. "It is said that hindsight is 20/20 and looking back I should never have even conceived of making the comment," Beck said. "I unequivocally apologize."