[autonomous]

We've seen it a thousand times over and over and over. The media seizes on the back of this national tragedy to try to piggyback their anti-Second Amendment national agenda right on top of the back of the national tragedy and try to force it on Americans all over the country.

[ColossalContrarian]

I wonder if mass murders were common when Rome was collapsing or even the Soviet Union?

[careinke]

I wonder if mass murders were common when Rome was collapsing or even the Soviet Union?

The ancient Roman violence was probably more personal; stabbings, bludgeonings, stonings. Soviet Union? I doubt they had access to the firepower. These Big Killing Events seem particularly American.

In China the mass murderers of school children use knives. They are just as effective as Americans with guns. I gotta agree with Pstarr, this isn't a gun control story, its a mental illness story.

[basil_hayden]

On Friday, police officers and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation swarmed through the Lanzas’ neighborhood, blocking off streets and asking residents to leave their homes.

Cops in black-op SWAT gear--bulletproof vests, headsets, darth-vader helmets. Can't be too safe. Could be more Adam Lanzas lurking in that quiet tree-lined street.

Except there's no respawn (yet).

As a CT resident with a kindergartner, I'm damn glad we're homeschooling, because this shit can't and won't be fixed.

[ralfy]

Lack of gun control plus mental illness.

[WildRose]

Lack of gun control plus mental illness.

I'd agree with that.

But let's examine this case a little further -

The shooter was 20 years old, lived with his mother (who was a teacher), was a prior student at the same school (so would have been known in the community), was estranged from his brother - they hadn't been in contact for a couple years, and the parents were divorced. The family was affluent and well-educated.

So...could they not afford mental health care? Were they not aware their son needed mental health care? Were they embarrassed? In denial? Who obtained the guns, and why? I read somewhere that the shooter tried to purchase another gun a few days before the rampage.

Remember Columbine - the two shooters were young, they were "outsiders", they had amassed weapons and ammunition and their parents were apparently oblivious to the fact. They were also from affluent families, could they not afford mental health care or be aware that it was needed?

So many facets to cases like these.

But, there are people making big, big money on gun sales, and I believe the "freedom" to purchase all manner of guns will be protected for that reason, mostly.

In what kinds of circumstances are people in the US killed by guns? How many are gunned down in home invasions? (Compare that to the need to have guns to protect your family and property.) I'm willing to bet a large number of the gun deaths are similar to those that occur in Canada, that is, related to gang and drug activity. How often are innocent people killed in the cross-fire (there's always that chance, but how often does it happen, really?)

It seems in recent years that there's been an uptick in the number of deaths caused by shooters on rampages. Lack of gun control and mental illness are surely to blame, along with rage and glorification of guns - now how to fix it?

[ralfy]

I agree! There are many more factors to consider, including the need to profit from arms sales, exposure to various facets of commercial mass entertainment, the use of various drugs such as anti-depressants, combinations of social pressure, self-entitlement, and hedonism, and so forth.

[Lore]

The good thing about knives and swords is that you can always attempt to run away from them. It's pretty hard to outrun a bullet.

[topcat]

No, following firearms, all bows (recurve, compound, and cross) would be taken next. THEN, it will be the pointy objects. Ask the UK, or closer to home, ask New York City about knives. Sheeesh!

[ColossalContrarian]

The common theme here is rich white kids, not guns or mental health.

Rich people need to pay attention to their children and actually BE PARENTS!!! not friends, not buddies, but PARENTS!!!

[WildRose]

The good thing about knives and swords is that you can always attempt to run away from them. It's pretty hard to outrun a bullet.

Agree - and a person can actually learn defensive maneuvers to disarm someone with a knife.

[WildRose]

The common theme here is rich white kids, not guns or mental health.

Rich people need to pay attention to their children and actually BE PARENTS!!! not friends, not buddies, but PARENTS!!!

We all need to pay attention to our kids and, as you've stated, be parents.

It does seem to be the more affluent kids committing these crimes, more often than not.

[WildRose]

There's something else that bothers me about these types of tragedies. I don't know how spiritual or religious any of you are (we all have our own belief systems), but it seems that sometimes evil is just looking for an opportunity in a screwed up soul.

[topcat]

by ColossalContrarian » Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:53 pm

The common theme here is rich white kids, not guns or mental health.

Rich people need to pay attention to their children and actually BE PARENTS!!! not friends, not buddies, but PARENTS!!!

Dare we mention the non-white, less-than-rich, unmarried, welfare, food stamp "individuals" who will not marry the mothers', whom neither the mother or baby-daddy are being 'PARENTS'? -- Sheeesh!

[ColossalContrarian]

by ColossalContrarian » Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:53 pm

The common theme here is rich white kids, not guns or mental health.

Rich people need to pay attention to their children and actually BE PARENTS!!! not friends, not buddies, but PARENTS!!!

Dare we mention the non-white, less-than-rich, unmarried, welfare, food stamp "individuals" who will not marry the mothers', whom neither the mother or baby-daddy are being 'PARENTS'? -- Sheeesh!

Yes but those "individuals" don't kill white kids so it's different.

[Serial_Worrier]

We already have gun control (automatic weapons, IED's, shoulder-fired missiles, knee-mortars are illegal). What we need is a decent national mental health program--like other civilized countries. We could stop the glorification of weaponry. USA is the largest weapons exporter, we own and operate the world's largest military, and our forces are in 120 countries.

Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system is joint developed with the American military-industrial complex. I'm sure the Israeli people are feeling very gratified by the existence of it.