Connecticut School shooting!

[Don Vito Corleone]

Did you tell her we don't know the guy was crazy?

Did you tell her "The state should iunstitutionalize more people?

Did you tell her, that in General, kids go to school, just fine.

-John

If you're talking to me, no, I didn't tell my mother any of those things (not that I understand the second thing you posted). My mother was a judge for 21 years and presided over cases of all kinds, including many murders, rapes, and similar instances of mayhem. She and I recently (successfully) defended a first-degree murder defendant together. I wouldn't presume to talk down to her about issues like this and I'd suggest you not do so either.

It sounds clear (as is obvious from his behavior) that Adam Lanza was mentally ill - see, e.g., http://gma.yahoo.com/connecticut-sh...-not-well-182011729--abc-news-topstories.html. Yes, generally, kids go to school "just fine," but they didn't today, at one school. Instead, 20 of them were murdered by a crazy person with at least 3 guns and a flak vest. I'd rather he had ended up in an institution until he could be treated to protect others from his mental illness.

 

[woolfe9999]

I had an interesting discussion this evening with my mom (a retired judge and one of the finest, smartest people I have ever met). We both felt instinctively that the one good thing that might flow from a case like this is at least a discussion of reforming some of our mental health laws to facilitate commitment of people who are floridly mentally ill and might pose a danger to others. Obviously this is something that would require judicial scrutiny, but it's all too common that families find that a loved one is decompensating and becoming scarier and crazier, but have no recourse. Unfortunately I have personal and professional experience with what can ensue when this is not addressed.

Sure, but what you're talking about here is locking up a bunch of people who haven't committed a crime. Violence is actually quite difficult to predict, even by professionals. Generally homicidal ideation is not acted upon. To resolve the ambiguity in favor of public safety will mean locking up lots of people who not only have not committed a crime but never will.

I'm all in favor of putting more resources into public mental health, but I think the degree of caution necessary to avoid numerous unwarranted detentions would render any effect on public safety fairly minimal.

As for this thread, I am disappointed, and in some cases even horrified, by the response of this forum's members to this tragedy. Many members view this as an opportunity to get cheap political points, and others as a reason to push bizarre and nonsensical conspiracy theories. In both cases I view that as exploitative and distasteful. As for this forum generally, I am disappointed that some people can't set aside their usual bickering and obsessiveness about their favored issues to respect the gravity of this awful, awful day.

I will say it again: may God bless the souls of those poor kids and their families. May all those touched by this tragedy find peace and comfort sooner rather than later.

You're damn right. This crime sickened me probably more than any I've heard of in a decade or more.

 

[Zorkorist]

You need to sit back, and be happy about all the other kids that weren't massacred today.

 

[SheHateMe]

You need to sit back, and be happy about all the other kids that weren't massacred today.

You're right, in the grand scheme of things, 20 kids being gunned down isnt THAT bad. Look, we still have plenty of live kids still at the school! No harm done.

 

[lotus503]

Wanna know how to stop rampage killings?

Stop reporting on and giving attention to rampage killers.

The headlines and infamy are what they seek. Yup outside of the killers themselves I blame the entertainment complex non stop coverage, and reporting every detail along side the face of the killer.

Body count headlines like some sick twisted high score.

 

[Zorkorist]

You're right, in the grand scheme of things, 20 kids being gunned down isnt THAT bad. Look, we still have plenty of live kids still at the school! No harm done.

That's right.

Fuck-Face kills 20 kids.

This has nothing to do with the nation.

-John

 

[SheHateMe]

Fuck-Face armed with weapons purchased by his mother kills 20 kids + his mother.

This has nothing to do with the nation.

Yep, nothing to do with anything at all. You're so right, lets just sweep this under the rug. Those parents can get new kids.

 

[lotus503]

That's right.

Fuck-Face kills 20 kids.

This has nothing to do with the nation.

-John

Actually it does, our culture and society are churning these guys out faster every year.

Dude in china attacked a bunch of kids too. 22 injured, but not killed.

But he only had a knife not an assault rifle with spitting out .223 rounds. By no means do I think the gun is the problem only a tools used for its intended purpose of killing a lot as fast as you can.

 

[OverVolt]

Actually it does, our culture and society are churning these guys out faster every year.

Dude in china attacked a bunch of kids too. 22 injured, but not killed.

But he only had a knife not an assault rifle with spitting out .223 rounds. By no means do I think the gun is the problem only a tools used for its intended purpose of killing a lot as fast as you can.

Rifle was in the trunk :X

You're repating stuff that was on TV. I'm not a fan of really watching a whole lot of the coverage since I heard about it earlier but others are watching it and yeah, you are literally just parroting back exactly what is being said. But the rifle was in the trunk anyway.

 

[SheHateMe]

OH the rifle was in the trunk! Glad we cleared that up, didn't want anybody thinking he took the rifle into the school!




Disaster averted....

 

[OverVolt]

Wanna know how to stop rampage killings?

Stop reporting on and giving attention to rampage killers.

The headlines and infamy are what they seek. Yup outside of the killers themselves I blame the entertainment complex non stop coverage, and reporting every detail along side the face of the killer.

Body count headlines like some sick twisted high score.

Yup, this. Its been a string of mass killings, I definitely think its from all the media coverage. Starting with the theatre killing or maybe even before that there was one recently, I dunno.

 

[OverVolt]

OH the rifle was in the trunk! Glad we cleared that up, didn't want anybody thinking he took the rifle into the school!




Disaster averted....

Well they put it on TV calling it a "military style weapon of death" or something and it wasn't even used.

 

[Zorkorist]

Actually it does, our culture and society are churning these guys out faster every year.

Dude in china attacked a bunch of kids too. 22 injured, but not killed.

But he only had a knife not an assault rifle with spitting out .223 rounds. By no means do I think the gun is the problem only a tools used for its intended purpose of killing a lot as fast as you can.

They don't matter, in the great scope of things. They might think they matter, but they don't.

Einstein Matters. Ronald Reagan Matters.

These guys don't matter, and the loss, while heavy, is expected.

-John

 

[Jaskalas]

You're right, in the grand scheme of things, 20 kids being gunned down isnt THAT bad. Look, we still have plenty of live kids still at the school! No harm done.

Well if you want to go there, on average 2 people die every second on this planet.

 

[OverVolt]

By no means do I think the gun is the problem only a tools used for its intended purpose of killing a lot as fast as you can.

Oh yea that was straight from the TV too.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

This is the tipping point.

 

[Subyman]

Wanna know how to stop rampage killings?

Stop reporting on and giving attention to rampage killers.

The headlines and infamy are what they seek. Yup outside of the killers themselves I blame the entertainment complex non stop coverage, and reporting every detail along side the face of the killer.

Body count headlines like some sick twisted high score.

This is the standard argument, but more is coming out about this man and if the reports are true, I highly doubt he shot these kids for publicity. Supposedly, he may have been autistic or at least on the spectrum. I have an autistic cousin and have family members that work with special needs children. Most autistic children/people never do things for societal acclaim, in fact, the driving force behind autism is a lack of social understanding or importance.

If this guy was indeed autistic, he did it purely for himself and not for infamy.

 

[emperus]

You mean the US where we border the countries that have cartel wars, have a war on drugs, and a lot of gang-related violence ourselves.

Yes comparing the US to El Salvador, Swaziland, Columbia, Panama and Mexico makes sense. I'm glad we cleared that up.

 

[jpeyton]

The shooter had a personality disorder (possibly Asperger's), and needed treatment. Banning firearms doesn't solve the real issue behind this violence.

 

[paperfist]

Wanna know how to stop rampage killings?

Stop reporting on and giving attention to rampage killers.

The headlines and infamy are what they seek. Yup outside of the killers themselves I blame the entertainment complex non stop coverage, and reporting every detail along side the face of the killer.

Body count headlines like some sick twisted high score.

If the guy was mentally ill why would he care or have the wherewithal to be made famous by his crime?

 

[OrByte]

media coverage isn't what matters

being CRAZY is what matters.

The media doesn't create crazy. People just do crazy/insane/stupid/evil things.

The trick is to have enough people around to stop the CRAZY before someone gets hurt.

 

[RampantAndroid]

I'll say it here again, I don't think you or any other American who isn't specifically vetted to act in the public interest

So you're cool with the Seattle PD being allowed to carry guns?

I can keep up with the links, but I'm bored. Regadless, FUCK if I trust the police to have MY interests at heart. All the cops give a a shit about are donuts, abuse, more abuse, speeding tickets...and driving fast with no reason.

 

[jpeyton]

This is the tipping point.

The tipping point is at minimum 2 years away, because the GOP has a 33 seat advantage in the House of Representatives.

The Brady Bill and AWB were passed when Democrats had control of both the Senate and the House.

 

[SheHateMe]

Well if you want to go there, on average 2 people die every second on this planet.

Of course, so a mass culling of 26 people isnt a big deal.



Atleast we still have our guns.

I wonder whats next? A Preschool or...hey, a Nursing home hasnt been done before...yea, lets do that.


I'll start marking off the days until another shooting occurs. The gun nuts are clocking some record times this year.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

SheHateMe, what laws do you propose that would have stopped this massacre?