Mass Shooting at Connecticut Elementary School
 

http://www.newser.com/story/159342/i...-shooting.html

Will it never end?

Hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. :(

[cynicism]

This puts my faith in humanity at an all-time low. Not that it wasn't absolute 0 already, now it's in the - range. Not really shocked anymore when this sort of thing happens, it's just where our society is heading, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

I hope the world does end on the 21st, should there be a loving God, he'd put us all out of our misery.

[./cynicism]

I hear that Andrias.

News states that the shooter killed his dad before going to the school, and that he killed his mother. His mother was a Kindergarten teacher. The article on Yah** News stated that the kids were between 5 and 10. One brave teacher hid with her classroom in the bathroom and managed to save all 19 kids. She said they kept saying, "I don't want to die. I just want to have Christmas."

What kind of sick jerk shoots little kids?

And all the political pundits that will exploit this as a talking point for a debate about gun control (as I'm sure half of the people here are won't to do), when it has nothing to do with guns. After so many tragedies like this, there's something profoundly sick within the culture itself.

I hear you there. Until we learn self control, gun control isn't going to help much.

It will never end.

There is literally no way to ensure perfect, complete, and continuous safety for everyone at all times. No matter what course of action follows, it will never be thorough enough to absolutely guarantee that horrible tragedies never happen again.

HOWEVER that is not an excuse to throw our hands up as a society, and not look into meaningful ways to do everything we can to reduce the likelihood of something like this from happening in the first place, and to do everything we can to reduce the impact when things break down.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I was disgusted to see what some of the people on my social network had to say in regards to this. People can't seem to fall over themselves fast enough to politicize this into either the pro or anti private gun ownership. I understand that it's a conversation that will have to take place, but how about a little compassion for the people affected first.

Fuck all of you. The discussion doesn't suddenly come up again after a mass shooting because the discussion hasn't stopped. As with most things, people just don't listen to it between the "major events."

Right back at ya, cutie.

Shut up, Jon.

Why? You think this is the right time to slap around meme posters?

What did I say, Jon?

I considered heeding your suggestion, but I think you getting bent would be a better course of action.

So because I don't express something that could be assumed I feel, it's politcal profiteering? That's bullshit. There isn't a "right time" for this discussion because it happens evey single fucking day. I'm not satisfied with saying how I feel because I know that it's not enough, and I'm tired of being shammed for it by some twat who will only go so far as saying "This makes me so sad."

V, because there are no words in any language that can accurately portray how any of us feel.

So we hate, and let the anger seethe out and sooth us... it's all we've got.

Where is the breaking point? How far will we go before we take steps to prevent this from happening again before we destroy ourselves?

Oh, you're deep.

Damnit shut up, Jon. Versus is talking!

>:X

Not really. I can't think of anything I haven't already said before, other then pointing out this bullshit silencing trick.

Look on the bright V. At least you don't have friends on Facebook posting this:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...13004826_n.jpg


My response was this: "Mother F*ing headdesk! Seriously, in a time like this, you think bringing god into school would solve the problem of whakos on the street? I'm saying this because I have family in the area that was affected, all of them good Catholics. So don't bring god into school shootings when it was a case of a sick f*ck!"

And then have friends wondering why you're flying off the fucking handle.

I have like 13 friends on Facebook. But disconnected theists aren't really a surprise. I pretty much expect that.

As negative as I am about most people, I try not to put them down on account of their faith but I've noticed it's getting harder every day. I mean shit, the one that reposted that and I replied to has been a family friend for a long, long time. Funny enough, she has yet to respond to anything that I mentioned there.

You know... I'd probably be all mad and shit at theists being disconnected like that. Not so much anymore. That's basically par for the course. It'd be more surprising if they didn't take this as an issue to scoff at prayers not being on intercom announcements.

It also doesn't help that that shirt existed long before this stuff went down.

It's not even worth battlin' with man. They will ALWAYS be there. Save yourself the blood pressure spikes and take them off your friends' list if you find that kind of crap repugnant. They don't care about understanding where you're coming from anyway.

They don't deserve that courtesy that you extend to them... but fuck it. The courtesy is easier than learnin' em.

I'm mostly pissed that they would act this predatory. Even serpents have better respect for their prey than religious fundamentals do.

Don't worry, I've already started the deleting process

What can you expect from people who believe in the necessity of salvation through a god?

This is how they cope with a terrifying world. Of course they're buffoons. But what else is new under the sun?

That's a discussion for another thread or pm I think. But I'll say this much, both of my parents were raised Catholic (Mexican & Irish) and didn't want it pushed down my throat while I was growing up so they did their best to be ethical without being Catholic if you catch my drift. I honestly think some of the Catholicism has rubbed off on me though, despite the fact I've said with a straight face to both of them that I'm an adeist

...A what?

A-deist. Sorry for the confusion

...I'm sorry. What? I don't know this word you are using. I'm not familiar with it.

No prob, it's understandable. Hitchens mentioned that he's an a-deist, meaning that he doesn't believe in any kind of deity (be it mother goddess, father god, big electron god, etc.) and while the term atheist served this purpose, he also felt the term atheist didn't go far enough. By claiming a-deism, no faith in any kind of god(s) he was admitting a complete lack of faith in anything even remotely resembling any kind of god(s). I remember him mentioning it in one of his numerous debates that's been posted to youtube.

Oh. I always thought just claiming monist or materialist covered all your bases in the issues of a supernatural force. Damn. The man didn't have to go and try and invent some other word. Well... I guess he didn't invent it or whatever.

TIL...

Wouldn't that still not cover materialist, atheist religions like Raelianism?

Eh. No, it doesn't. Then again; I understand that religions aren't always centered around a kind of supernatural thing. I guess one could be a monist irreligious materialist. But man... that's really exhausting to get that specific.

I think it does, but sadly in our modern world people want a term or phrase that sums up everything, be it PTSD, Born Again Christian, etc. I think Christopher Hitchens recognized this and said in his typical deep British accent, "Fuck it. If they hate the term 'atheist,' wait until they here about a-deist!"

I guess. I still think just admitting to be atheist is explosive enough. May as well own the controversy of it.

Express whatever you want. Unlike our dear Ashley I won't be telling you to shut up, so I don't know where "bullshit silencing tactic" came from.

Pro-gun, anti-gun, in either case it is in poor taste to be throwing posters at each other in the first 15 fucking minutes news of this broke, before anyone knew what the fuck happened. Grandstanding on the bodies of elementary school children is sick. Oh, you weren't doing that? Then I probably wasn't referring to you.

Thanks for the vitriol?

Ugh, they're saying the shooter might have been autistic...................I can smell a scapegoat coming. Already the negative portrayals of autism are beginning.

"I just watched a psychologist on the Piers Morgan CNN show describe autistics and Aspies as having no empathy. He tried to kind of back down later, but the overwhelming impression was that we're potentially dangerous."

It would certainly be so much easier for them to blame autism than guns.

JJ: I agree hun. The shooting is sad for all concerned. The victims, their families and also those who knew the gunman and his family.

Ren: our society seems driven to find a bad guy, to find a 'reason' why someone does something like that, so we can make some sense of it - (you know the old 2+2=5). I did see something about the gunman having autism on a social media site and I was furious that anyone would be making that link early on in the investigations. It's so much more than that, that makes a person snap and act this way. Maybe it's anger and frustration, and the need to show them what one can do. Who knows. The only thing I know for sure is that it's a tragedy for all concerned.

FB,

You know, I read the news sometimes and I find myself wondering what happened to humanity. You get one guy shooting up little children in Connecticut, a hate crime in PA involving 84-90 year old Mennonite ladies tied up and attacked with a stun gun, and then some obviously mentally disturbed lady in St. Louis who made her 13-year-old sneak up and tie his sister's dog to the back of her ex-husband's truck and the poor guy unknowingly almost drug the poor little doggie to death. And all the ex did was give his daughter a puppy!. And then you get the blamers trying to pin this on autistic people, etc. (and that makes me mad because I used to teach autistic children back when I taught art, and I know that's a "line of b-u-l-l"). :mad:

You know, I hate to say this, but it really brings home the point made by John Ciardi when he wrote:

"Pithecantropus erectus,
could he see us,
would reject us."

Our good friends of the Westboro Baptist Church are (of course) apt to sink their teeth into this tragedy and cause insult-to-injury for the victims.

http://www.inquisitr.com/440355/west...-for-shooting/

I just pray the residents of Newtown, CT find the courage to drive 18" iron stakes through the base of each....one...of....their...skulls.... PERIOD.:mad:

The Westboro Baptist "Church" isn't a real church anyway. They're just a bunch of hatemongers with a title. They are, however, not the only haters out there, unfortunately. Read in the news today that one of the churches, where 10 of the little children went, has been threatened twice, once on Saturday where some jerk signed a poster in honor of the victims with "This is just round one", and today where a mourning service was disrupted with a threatening phone call. (The caller allegedly stated that his "friend" had not finished the job, and then threatened to "kill everyone" in the church, which had to be evacuated). Can you believe that? These poor folks have been through enough already, and now they aren't even to be allowed to mourn? Just makes me wish I could leave the human race behind and go find another species.

Thoughnone will listen to what I have to say on this issue I feel the need to say what is on my mind.

Get rid of the gun-free zones,allow teachers and other members of the staff to carry on school grounds either openly or if they have a C.C.W. (Same goes for sutdents that are of age to have a C.C.W permitt)

Because case after case has shown that gun free zones only aid the sick bastards that want to open fire on disarmed innocent people.

Gun Control isn't the answer to this problem.

Stricter gun regulations aren't the answer to this problem.


Let the people have the choice to defend themselves and you will see a positive change.

Indeed. But you have to believe in the good. In love, not in all the angry and blaming that humans do. If you do not believe in the good, then you just get caught up in the angry and intolerant mob, and that makes one no better off then those that are being bad mouthed.

And those issues that you mentioned - they have always happened. It's just that now we can access that news a lot easier. I tend to tune out of the bad stuff, because we are all capable of bad things, yet doing something good and worthwhile, well that takes a whole lot more courage and determination.

So far this is the best article I've read regarding that nut. Sad that American journalists haven't looked into it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-collapse.html

So on top of whatever inherent health problems he may have had, there's a good chance he was raised in a fucked environment, where apparently firearms were fetishized as the way to survive 'the end of the world' and instilling an "us against everyone else in the entire world" mentality was just the usual order of things. That couldn't have possibly had any impact on his mental health.

I'd be a little wary of that article yet, Daily Mail is a tabloid. Most reputable news sites I'm seeing are wary to commit to that kind of info (She MAY have been a survivalist and prepper).

Didn't know about that. Thanks for the info.

Thought you'd be interested in this. Read it and said, "You go, guys!" :)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...ef=mostpopular

I don't think that's a thing

The word you're looking for is anti-theist.

Unless I've somehow completely missed something. Can you link Hitchens saying he's an a-diest?

Yeah, I'll look for the video. I can't remember which one so it will take another day or two.