Has this country gone completely crazy? - 20 little children massacred Schools & Kids, posted by MIdtown resident, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Dec 16, 2012 at 10:33 pm
I've had enough.
Enough of the NRA.
Enough of politically-correct talk
Enough of waiting for a "Study" (sponsored by some organization with a hidden agenda) to prove that Watching movies that get more and more violent each year affects people in a negative way.
Enough of peddlers of violent video games when I've heard kids playing them talk nonchalantly of "head-shots" and "body shots". What kind of people think that its OK to make a game out of shooting people in the most bloody manner or of running over innocent bystanders while racing a car?
Enough of the 2nd Amendment. Its outdated. Amend it.
Enough of politicians working for special interest groups instead of the people
Enough of the Abuse of the concept of "Freedom". Absolute freedom is a childish concept. Most countries talk about "citizens rights and responsibilities" not just of "Freedom".
Enough of letting people who want to sell us things control our culture, our children's minds and our politicians.
Enough of the raw greed that is inherent in our version of capitalism where a corporation's sole responsibility is to make money with no regard to what they do to the environment or to the citizens of the country.
Enough of a culture where posessions are prized above relationships.
I think this country has reached a defining moment. Either we use this tragedy to have a real conversation, un-impeded by special interests and political correctness and short-term thinking or we keep using the same lame excuses as we did before and define a new low.
I realize this is a rant and not a solution but I'm sick of the dishonesty and the greedy, selfish, materialistic culture that I see around me and while I fully support strict gun-control, I feel that the problem runs much deeper. We have to look, not at Adam Lanza but in the mirror.
Posted by Imagine, a resident of the Greater Miranda neighborhood, on Dec 17, 2012 at 6:24 am
Imagine, if you can for a moment through all the emotion, just ONE armed staff person at the school, and how many deaths would have been prevented.
Now,imagine how it is possible that just this weekend a man slashed 20 kids in a school with a knife in one of the most controlled environments in our world: China.Imagine just ONE armed staff person there stopping this crazed knife man.
Which would you rather have, those of you with kids who think that the above posters have the right idea....one armed, law abiding, trained school staff member on site when a nutcase begins to rampage, or completely defenseless staff and teachers huddled into a corner wondering why "gun control" didn't fix the problem?
Posted by That User Name is already, a resident of another community, on Dec 17, 2012 at 9:32 am That User Name is already is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online
@imagine
In China the nut hurt 20, killed none. In Newtown, the nut SLAUGHTERED 20 children, 6 adults, and easily could have done more, if he had not then turned his weapon on himself.
A guard? Security cameras?
Columbine had both. Yes, @imagine, you too must "Think, people, think"
Posted by staygreen, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Dec 17, 2012 at 10:49 am staygreen is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online
@imagine - Yes, Let's have a trained security professional at each school. I think that will help. Let's also make it illegal for anyone to own assault weapons. While this will not stop everyone it will stop some of the folks who may do this on the spur-of-the-moment.
your right to own toys is trumped by the right of kids to live.
Posted by Ducatigirl, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Dec 17, 2012 at 3:52 pm Ducatigirl is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online
It isn't the country that has gone crazy, but the way that the mentally ill are treated ( or not) that is crazy. Hospitals for the mentally ill are all but gone, and many insurers will not cover mental health. It is impossible to get someone mentally ill committed to a psychiatric ward without police intervention, and then it is just a three-day hold.
Apparently, the mother of the Connecticut shooter tried in vain to get her son committed thusly, but no doctor would do it. Once upon a time it was far too easy to do so, and people had troublesome relatives committed to get rid of them, so now it become the polar opposite. One has to go through the legal system, rather than the medical system.
Adam Lanza's mother did.not want to give her son a criminal record by calling the cops on him, so he went untreated!
Posted by That User Name is already, a resident of another community, on Dec 17, 2012 at 4:08 pm That User Name is already is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online
Be careful assigning motives or third hand information regarding the family this early.
So much of what was reported as fact during the first week of Columbine proved to be COMPLETELY untrue (the trenchcoat mafia, etc..)
Posted by staygreen, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Dec 18, 2012 at 10:01 am staygreen is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online
@ducatigirl "It isn't the country that has gone crazy".
Agreed that this is the work of one individual but you have to wonder why school shootings rarely if ever happens in most countries in the world.
I believe its the screwed up culture here and the belief that its ok for movies and video games to endlessly glorify violence based on a childish concept of "freedom" and "liberty".
Posted by village fool, a resident of another community, on Dec 19, 2012 at 2:06 pm village fool is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online
Editor - may I ask why was this thread locked, fast, made available only to registered users?
@Midtown resident - Thank you for your posting!
Please let us know if you find another venue? Real conversation is long overdue. Even anonymous conversation can be a start. (better after the Holidays, maybe - you mentioned few reasons).
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