Blogger Liza Long made a stir Friday when she responded to the Newtown shootings with a story called "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother," about the difficulties of raising a deeply troubled child.
Published on the Huffington Post and Gawker, it was shared and recommended millions of times by both supporters and critics. Long also appeared on NBC's "Nightly News" to share her story (left).
But one of her biggest critics was Sarah Kendzior, a blogger who called Long a "vindictive and cruel" parent and suggested that Long's son was not really mentally ill.
Now the two say they have buried the hatchet.
"Whatever disagreements we have had, we both believe that the stigma attached to mental illness needs to end," they said in a joint statement. "We both agree that privacy for family members, especially children, is important. Neither of us anticipated the viral response to our posts. We love our children and hope you will respect their privacy."
They urged people to focus on the shooting in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza killed 20 children and seven women, including his mother, before shooting himself.
"Our nation has suffered enough in the aftermath of Newtown. We are not interested in being part of a ‘mommy war,’" the statement said. "We are interested in opening a serious conversation on what can be done for families in need. Let’s work together and make our country better."
