A U.S. horror story: guns and dead children
Yael T. AbouhalkahThe early reports from Newtown, Conn., are horrific, with 27 people dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School, including 18 children.
That would make it one of the worst mass shootings in the nation’s history.
And all of the familiar discussions have been reignited - and rightfully so.
How safe can we make our schools?
When will effective gun control be taken more seriously in America?
How will these kinds of incidents affect our children in the future?
Details about the killings and how they occurred will come out in the next few hours and days. How we as a nation respond to this information could change forever how our schools operate and how we treat guns in this society.
Regarding school safety, early reports are that this was a locked building. How much farther can you go than that, especially with elementary schools? Again, though, we need to find out how the shooter or shooters got in, and whether proper procedures were followed.
But school officials across the nation will be looking at that information very closely.
As for gun control, with an estimated 270 million guns in the hands of civilians in the United States, this incident is one more example of how we must have rational discussions about gun safety in this nation.
Keep in mind that the vast majority of guns used in mass shootings were legally obtained. That means the nation should take a look at how to tighten up the procedures on who should be able to get guns.
Difficult to do? Absolutely. Needed? Absolutely.
Finally, don’t overlook this fact:
In the world of social media, it’s impossible to shield children from the events that happened today. Parents across this country will field questions from their children about what happened, why it happened and who would do this.
It’s the kind of incident that will make some children afraid to go back to school. Or to feel as safe as they once did there.
Beyond killing two dozen or more people, the gunman or gunmen changed a lot about this country and its views of schools and guns on a Friday morning in Connecticut.
Reginald Thornton
5 months agoUmmmmaaazing! Didn’t we just run this exercise a couple of days ago? Yael’s articles consistenly have the “elephant in the room.” Earlier this week it was somehow ignoring any reference to crime rates when head-scratching how, just how, the suburbs might have become more attractive to people.
Today’s glaring omission is ignoring anything to do with the shooter. You know, the person that actually pulled the trigger? What was going on in his life that he would mentally disconnect that way? Is it something we can recognize in others? Was it access to something illicit, bath salts perhaps?
But, no. Let’s not spend a moment concerning ourselves with something that might actually address the situation at hand. Yael has a tired old song he wants to sing.
Seriously, how does this omission pass the editors? Are there any?
Phil Cardarella
5 months agoThe shooter was crazy. Period. There is no rational explanation for this behavior. He is insane.
OK, now we have delt with the shooter. But, unless you have a way to prevent all human anger and insanity, that does not give us much direction, does it?
On the other hand, a deranged 20 year old attacking a grade school with a knife MIGHT have managed to kill one or two before being overpowered or out-run. Maybe a bow and arrow would have gotten one or two more — if the guy was Robin Hood.
Which means: IT’S THE GUNS, STUPID! The flood of guns, readily available to every sorry lunatic tall enough to reach the counter.
This massacre is the NRA’s gift to America. If you are an NRA member — and the great majority of you are sane and reasonable fellow-citizens — you have a duty to end the insanity. Make your organization, which used to SUPPORT rational gun laws, stop being a lobbyist shill for gun manufacturers. Stop being accessories to the murder of children.
Timothy McDowell
5 months agoNot much to say. As a retired teacher, the my heart and soul just turned over as I thought of the children lost, the future citizens who may have contributed to a better world. The parents: are there any words…? And to a society that denies so much: climate change, abuse of gun responsibility to name a few items. Questions flow: how many of our citizens have used their second amendment right for defense against our government, versus how many of them have been killed by private individuals who could give a … about civil society and government?
Just a thought: as a former government/economics teacher the principle that seems to apply here is that there are opportunity costs for decided less regulation and more freedom and that cost seems to be the insecurity that compels us to arm and deny. Does this sound civil to you? Just put my Christmas display on our lawn. “God Bless Us, Everyone One.” As Benjamin Franklin once reported of the father who was warming his baby before a fire and unfortunately let the baby slip into the fire as he fell asleep - “It was a melancholy event.” Ours is a massive melancholy at a time that is to celebrate a miracle. Keep alert because this is the time of year that depresses those that see little hope.
Reginald Thornton
5 months agoHow many guns in circulation? How many such abuses? Thought so. Not causal. So, how exactly is the appropriate solution to divert attention from what may have been the cause?
Seems like he wanted to take a lot of people with his mother at school. Maybe denying him a gun would have driven him to build a bomb, or to run over her and nearby school kids with his car.
Seriously, it’s like a shiny metal object problem solving method. Whatever jumps out at you first should command all of your attention, no matter what.
Phil Cardarella
5 months agoLet’s see: Not everyone who owns a gun commits murder, so the fact that so many murders that are committed are by firearm cannot be relevant? Nor can the fact that firearms make commission of multiple murders (and murder in general) so easy be relevant?
Next, no doubt I will hear that the parents of those dead children should be grateful for how much safer all those guns make our society. right?
Reginald Thornton
5 months agoYes, Phil’s right, he wins. So, so many murders are committed by firearm. Let him ignore the massive number of guns compared to the teeny number of abuses. Don’t bother him with the shear lunacy of thinking society could be rid of all guns (although I’m sure Phil will laugh at the idea of exporting illegals). Clearly, we should be following Phil’s (and Yael’s) lead in yapping about how horrible guns are, and not wasting a single moment considering what actually led this person to perform this act. While we’re at it, know any good cake recipes? It’s just as relevant.
By the way, this is being reported now: “The man identified in media reports Friday as the shooter has told friends that he thinks his developmentally disabled brother may have committed the crime”
Looks like we should outlaw developmentally disabled brothers according to Phil and Yael’s logic. Sure, not all developmentally disabled brothers are dangerous, but you never know.
Reginald Thornton
5 months agoMore per NBC News “Weapons used in shooting were legally purchased and registered to gunman’s mother, law enforcement officials tell NBC News ”
This might be difficult to linear thinkers, especially those who are already biased toward one specific cause-effect, but what if we stop demonizing gun organizations like the NRA, whose other major initiative is to educate gun owners on proper care and safety tips for their weapon. Moreso, let’s encourage gun owners and non-owners alike to become educated about gun safety.
Maybe if Mrs. Lanza had secured her own weapon it wouldn’t have been used against her. Doesn’t this seem so much more workable and productive than to pointlessly rail against guns?
Unfortunately, linear biased thinkers are also more primal and therefore are guided more by their emotional reactions, confusing that as an actual argument, compensating for the shallowness by banging the table loudly with their fists.
Phil Connaghan
5 months agohas anyone looked at the possible connection between the killing games these monsters use..seems they all are goth ..is this where they get the notion to play a real life game?
Richard Crouch
5 months agoWhat new law or gun control law would have stopped this person from doing what he did?By his action he had no regard for laws so what is another law going to do?
Mark Hastert
5 months ago“How many guns in circulation? How many such abuses?”
Apparently Reginald’s argument is that the ratio of suns to dead children isn’t high enough to warrant any action. So let me ask Reginald…. how many is too many? I’ll bet that for 20 sets of parents the answer is 1… The right to bear arms is unique because it’s deadly. That puts it in a special class. It can be restricted just like yelling fire in a crowded theater restricts free speech. It’s time to put common sense restrictions on the right to bear deadly force.