Terrible school shooting in Connecticut. Most of the victims are 5 years old. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as the death toll increases.......

Agreed Bob.....

A sicko, a real sicko.

A complete tragedy....

A terrible tragedy that will impact the survivors their whole lives.

This type of tragedy drives me nuts. What a little coward going after kids like that. Praying for the families in newtown.

Hurts to consider the terror these kids went through before their lives were ended. So many conflicting emotions when I heard about this. Prayers to the families and survivors.

Sick ****! Burn in Hell!

Watching the parents walking away without their child ripped part of my soul out. Thinking of those presents sitting under the Christmas Tree that will never be opened did me in..... I have three girls and six grandchildren. My wife and I just feel like hopping on a plane so we can go hug them all and tell them how much we love them.

This is tragic beyond words, and I fear there is much more evil that is yet to come.

No amount of legislation, gun control, or other restriction will quell the evil a human can do. Everyone has the evil man, and righteous man inside.Whichever he chooses to feed the most will prevail,and show in his walk of life.
It is a tragedy, my thoughts and prayers are with these families.

This is exactly why I quit watching and veiwing any news outlets about 3 yrs ago, after I read about a man killing his son by punishing him by throwing him in a dryer.. That story haunts me to this day.. I know horrible things happen every day but I think news in away glorifies this kinda.. It was impossible for me too not hear about this today it literally makes me sick to my stomach having a son in first, kindegarten and a pre-k next year, if my kids weren't at the xmas tree this year from a tragedy like this I honestly don't know if I could cope with that grief.. So many questions and how could someone be such a coward, I honestly think schools should be a closed lockdown community during school hours classes locked in with reinforced doors not necessarily like a prison but as secure as one, sad I know but 20 dead kids is a lot sadder to me, kids that were to young to worry, because they shouldn't have too worry.. Now I have to find a way to tell me kids what they should do if a god forsaken gunman comes in there school and starts shooting, a conversation that shouldn't even have to take place and a conversation that he won't fully understand.. My chest feels like its caving in everytime I think of those kids and their horror as I sit here with tears in my eyes all I can think is why??

I never pray, but I will be tonight.. God Bless and Rest in Peace..

This certainly is a horrible tragedy, and my prayers are with the victims and their families.

School tragedies are not an invention of modern times. The worst one happened in Bath, MI.

On May 18, 1927, 45 people, mostly children, were killed and 58 were injured when disgruntled and demented school board member Andrew Kehoe dynamited the new school building in Bath, Michigan out of revenge over his foreclosed farm due in part to the taxes required to pay for the new school.

My kids are 8 & 6 years old.

As of yet, we have not told them about this tragic event.

My dad, their grandfather, was expressing concern about how the tell the kids. I told him I wasn't sure if we were going to tell the kids.

I do think we are going to spend some more time giving them tips on how to survive if they find themselves in some bad situation.

I know Sunil how do we even initiate that conversation.. I was up almost all night sick over this and trying to think how I could tell my kids how to survive a situation like this.? Especially 6 and 5 years old will be hard to even get them to comprehend the conversation..

There are some very good self defense classes. Not sure about young kids. But a good instructor or your police chief would know.

I am not sure about other police departments around the county, but I know in the last two years mine has been spending a lot of time and money in training patrol officers in how to respond to active shooter events like this one and sadly the many others that have recently occurred. I surely hope I am never the cop that has to respond to something like this, but if I am I am gonna do everything in my power to end it as fast as I can.

This may seem of the wall, but I think it is time to put some responsibility back on communities. The take over of charity by the federal governmnet has caused many, like me, to stop paying attention to local needs. This tragedy is sad, but not so unpredactible.

I think one of the reasons this type of thing is happening more frequently is because of the news. I think that if they left the shooters name as "coward" it would be less appealing for the next sicko to repeat. Do any of you know how a young lady named Victoria is related to this event.
Facebook-

" She died a hero December 14th, 2012. She hid her first graders in the cabinets and closets after hearing the gunfire. When the shooter came to her classroom, she told him that her students were in the gym. He then gunned her down and moved on. She saved the lives of all of her students."

I haven't seen the news since the day of the shooting so maybe they did report on this lady being a hero. As I was watching the news the day of the shooting reporters would do interviews with people and discuss how sad/tragic it was. Then in the next sentence they would talk about the "blood Bath".

I think the little cowards should be labelled as such instead of being turned into household names within hrs of the shooting. We need to change the way the news operates.

Blair, you have the right idea.

I think Israel had the same problem with the Arabs going to their schools and killing children and teachers. The problem stopped when the teachers were armed. I know that the suggestion might go against a lot of peoples thoughts in this country, but how many times do you see a police station, gun shop or shooting range a target of a crazy person like this?

All the laws and regulations in the world won't stop anyone from breaking the laws, they are in place to punish them after the fact.

The only good (if you could call it that) that happened during this horrible tragedy is that the gunman killed himself. No long drawn out court hearings.

Sunil, I don't know if telling the kids will benefit them in any way. Will they truly understand what happened? I agree with teaching them how to respond in a emergency tho.

Blair, why do you think we aren't seeing this all over the news reports?

http://www.kgw.com/news/Clackamas-man-armed-confronts-mall-shooter-183593571.html

We have poilice watching in most public places, why not have some patrolling the halls of schools?

Well said Blair

We have school resource officers in the Jr High, and High schools here. Would be great for all.

I agree there should be armed teacher or atleast some facilty members.. Also impenetrable doors and windows if need be.. Like I said before what's sadder dead kids or kids going to a fortress of a school.. Easy choice in my mind.. Pretty simple rule if an intruder shows up at school swinging a gun there killed no questions asked.. Also I've been all for armed teachers since columbine how many have to die, it's not a gun control issue it's a protecting innocent people issue..

Most states do not have police officers in elementary schools because they have been considered safe till now, not any more. This could have been why he didn't attempt this at middle or high school. The movie killing would have came out different in W.Va.,Va.,Texas or other states with carry laws. Make no mistake, they will come after your guns and probably use the United Nations to try to circumvent our elected officals from having to vote on it.

I just arrived in Connecticut to see my grandkids...ages 5 and 6.....it could have been my grandson in that kindergarten class....

Rex this tragedy is just unfathomable....

Most of my freinds including me are CCW. I am ordering my new AR this week while I still can. This tragedy should not be made polical, but the way our media is it will be. Sad Sad Sad! I Agee with what was said above to stop glamorizing these people and start talking about the heros of that day. They actually said in a CNN artical I read today that he was not buzzed in. He used his assault weapon to get in, because that is the type of stuff you can do with an assault weapon. Really! A bowling ball could take a school door out.

Maybe black gun talk should be saved for another thread.

Prob so Fireishot. I just wish stupid people would stop doing stupid things.

It's funny, as a police officer I obviously know many other police officers. 90%+ of us are as big a gun supporters as anyone. Most of us think gun control is a joke. What is the issue is the break down of the American mental health system... Lack of funding and lack of ideas and solutions to difficult challenges.

I don't agree with most of Morgan Freeman's political views, however in this statement, I think he hit the nail dead on the head!

TURN OFF THE NEWS.......

Morgan Freeman's brilliant take on what happened yesterday :

"You want to know why? This may sound cynical, but here's why.

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."

Let's stay civil with each other and perhaps we can learn from each other on such a serious topic.

Each side has valid points, so we have to respect that.

To add insult to injury the Westboro Baptist Church is coming to the funerals at Sandy Hook. However thanks to the Anonymous hackers they may not be able to use their credit cards and now everyone knows where they live.


http://www.salon.com/2012/12/16/anonymous_hit_westboro_baptist_church_over_sandy_hook_picket_plans/

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/12/us/sandy-hook-victims/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

I'm ordering my AR-15 from Stag Arms through an FFL dealer right after Christmas. While it me not be in vogue right now, I want to get mine before guns sales are clamped down. This country and its moralities are spiraling out of control. I want to be able to at least protect my family while I still can.

It's shocking and unfathomable. But those are just words. I have 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

I'm almost ashamed to say that one of my first thoughts was that the tools would be blamed. I've been in politics but I'll stop there because we don't do politics here.

Do I blame the auto makers for the drunk driver? Do I blame the booze industry? Do I blame the liquor store or bartender? Of course not.

Do I blame the restaurant and food industry for my high cholesterol? Nope.

Will we put a stop to the movie industry making films showing unseemly behavior and violence? According to statistics, nothing else sells. I doubt that any changes will come there.

How about video games that show the purchaser, usually young people, an unrealistic view of life and death? Not much else sells there and demand will keep changes from occurring.

I'm told by the cops that way over 90% of theft is narcotics related. Can I blame the weed, the pill or the needle for my loss? It's easy to do but I really can't blame their existence for human frailty.

I heard on the news that we are a violent people but we know that only a very tiny minority are violent towards others. And, we have already outlawed that.

Can I blame the school because Johnny can't read? Not really.

I'm not smart enough to enact the answers to societal problems. But I know that most of these problems didn't exist when I was the age of the victims.

There's a lot that's been said in this thread that I would like to comment on. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how I can do that and remain within the forum guidelines, while still honoring the memories of the innocent.

So, I will exercise restraint, and pray for the friends and families who have to endure the unspeakable.

To me the cause in incidents like this is a simple one. These people have distanced themselves from humanity, and humanity has rules. Whether it's caused by mental illness, drugs, bullying, the result is the same. Humans have no value because these people feel separated from it. Other humans become "things", much like any object setting on a table.

Most often there are warning signs, but when and who is the ultimate decision maker when a kid quits becoming disenfranchised, and becomes a threat? The state? A teacher with 40 kids in a classroom? A parent who's love for their child skews a decision that may be clearer for a stranger on the street? These are tough questions, and I'm not sure there will ever be a clear cut answer.

I know it may sound cliched, but hug your kids, listen to your kids, and teach them the value of life.

I don't believe in gun control, either. But, how do you stop one infamy seeking idiot with 3 semi-automatic pistols from wrecking the lives of 100s of innocent people including grade schoolers?

I agree that denying attention to the idiots would work but mass media communications and TV will never stop.

I wish I knew how to make a positive difference to battle the "evil" but, frankly, in this situation as in the others, I feel helpless.

Here's one way. It worked in Israel.


Things that rarely make the national news:
Many of these mass shootings stop just as soon as someone with a gun shows up.

"Responsible gun owners can and do prevent mass shootings from occurring and escalating.
A 1997 high school shooting in Pearl, Miss., was halted by the school's vice principal after he retrieved the Colt .45 he kept in his truck.
A 1998 middle school shooting ended when a man living next door heard gunfire and apprehended the shooter with his shotgun.
A 2002 terrorist attack at an Israeli school was quickly stopped by an armed teacher and a school guard.
A 2002 law school shooting in Grundy, Va., came to an abrupt conclusion when students carrying firearms confronted the shooter.
A 2007 mall shooting in Ogden, Utah, ended when an armed off-duty police officer intervened.
A 2009 workplace shooting in Houston, Texas, was halted by two coworkers who carried concealed handguns.
A 2012 church shooting in Aurora, Colo., was stopped by a member of the congregation carrying a gun.
At the recent mall shooting in Portland, Ore., the gunman took his own life minutes after being confronted by a shopper carrying a concealed weapon."

I'm not cold bloodied or indifferent to the trauma and suffering of the families and children, but if you put it on a statiscal basis the odds of this occuring to your child or grandchild, would be greater than winning the powerball lottery.

The "media" sensationalizes these events to extent of folks believing they are commonplace.

I have tears in my eyes for the little children returning to classes this morning.

I tend to find any increased regulation distasteful, but I would support single shot weapons for all deer hunting to keep "swiss-cheese" hunters out of the woods. The victim's families will always have a shadow over them, and no one can change that. While a bit political, if we had less government madated "charity", communities and churches would return to taking this on at a local level, and more folks would support local charities. It is this type of effort that can help disturbed people get help, not "cookie-cutter" government programs.

May God Bless everyone.

I didn't tear up when my dad died but I did for these little girls. Something is terribly wrong in this country. Pick any large city in the U.S. and I think you will find more gun deaths in it in a year then the whole of any civilized western country. I probably go back further then anyone here except George, when there were maybe 1/20th of the amount of guns in our society then now. No one had anything like an assault rifle or 30 ammo clips and I never heard anyone express the thought that THEY were going to take our guns away. Every time we have a tragic mass shooting, what happens? AR-14s and AR-15's etc. go flying off the shelves and the ammunitions maker go into three shifts seven days a week meeting demand.

I was in a medium size city here in Indiana and I told my son in law I was thinking about buying a handgun. He took me to a house near him where he got me a 38 special, cheap. The surprising thing is the guy was building replicas of .30 and 50. Caliber working machine guns selling for thousands of dollars that had been preordered. I worked with a guy that belonged to Civil Defense and he told me he could get a working 3.5 rocket launcher in 20 minutes.

I'm not anti gun but not gun nuts. I was hunting with a .410 that my grandfather left me when I was 10. I now own the 38 special, a 16-gage shotgun and my prize gun is a hand built bench rifle by my uncle.

I always remember a TV episode, All In The Family, where Archie Bunker solved the high jacking problem. Give everyone a Tommy gun when they boarded an airplane and if someone tried to highjack the plane then everyone would blast him.

The evening national news said one million people have been killed by guns since the assanation of Jack Kennedy.

Personally I don't believe everything that I hear on the news.

USA stats only.

Just take one year, 2007, as an example. Firearm related deaths - with 17,352 (55.6%) of the total 31,224 firearm-related deaths in 2007 due to suicide.

41,059 deaths via motor vehicle that same year.

It only took until 1983 to surpass the same figure that you heard on the news with motor vehicle deaths.

Anybody that is a news person or a Statistician please don't be offended, as I don't trust either of them.

Shamelessly stolen from another forum, I am not religious but thought this was worth sharing.


Sandy Hook Elementary School

Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

When 20 beautiful children stormed through Heaven’s gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy; they didn’t know what to say.

They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“This is heaven” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house”.

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

But Jesus, their Savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy, that only Heaven can bring

Those children all flew into the arms of their King.

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of Mom and Dad.”

Then He looked down on Earth, at the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.

Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!

May this country be delivered from the hands of fools

“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools! ”

Then He and the children stood up without a sound.

“Come now my children let me show you around.”

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.

All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

“In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

I haven't seen this in the mainstream news. Glad to see it didn't happen. Perhaps even they realized it would have been a very bad idea.

There are at least 100,000 schools in the nation not counting the separate buildings on the campuses. Sounds like a daunting task to me, but then again if it's done from the local level...

I found this food for thought from another forum I frequent:




The Violence Policy Centre said that Columbine High School in Colorado had armed law enforcement agents on call when two teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a shooting spree in 1999. The agents were unable to prevent the deaths of 12 students and one teacher. They were "outgunned by the assault weapons wielded by the two teens", the VPC said.
Similarly, Virginia Tech had armed police on campus who were unable to prevent the deaths of 32 people in a mass shooting in 2007.
Cost


At a time when the US is trying to reduce government spending, the move would present a further bill to taxpayers, potentially running into billions of dollars. There are some 98,817 public and 33,366 private schools in the US, according to the department of education.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for a police officer is $55,010 per annum.
In that case, a crude estimate for the overall bill for the placing of an armed guard in every US school could be as much as $7.2bn. If the government only had to cover public schools, the total could be a minimum of $5.4bn.
Even if the NRA was to claim that such officers could be redeployed during the summer break, it would still mean that the equivalent of around 74,000 positions would need to be filled – at a cost of $4.1bn

Funny we can fund far off wars but we can't fund our own defenseless children. Oh the irony.

Let's keep the politics out of this.

Too late.. This has become a political spring board for our government.. Despicable and sickening..

Whoops. Didn't realize it was politics. Sorry.