<p>not a good week at all.. =(</p>
<p>whoa...six school shootings in a week! that is almost one everyday! my condolences and prayers go out to everyone affected.</p>
<p>My thoughts and prayers to everyone!</p>
<p>15 shot at campus</p>
<p><quote>I have seen this addressed and the point was made to look at the news in both countries...US news is a continually barage of violence and unpleasant reportings; the same tone is not found in Canadian reporting. </quote></p>
<p>THis is one of the reasons why this happens! There are way too many people in this country that demand, yes, demand to see this kind of "news" every night, ten times if possible! Otherwise, the media wouldn't care about it. It's just another expression of the greed that dominates everything here.
Back to "news"... another killing in Chicago, like there are not enough in my city. And there's the "positive" story, birds starving and dogs winning some competition.</p>
<p>"Professors should be able to keep some damn handguns with them. America is getting soft. Does anyone even remember the second amendment?"</p>
<p>Yeah, give them more guns! Some people still believe we are in the XVIII century. Unbelievable!</p>
<p>First, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the shootings. Second, please do not be so naive and dogmatic to state that guns are the primary reasons for the shootings. That is a serious logical fallacy implying that corellation implies causation. Revised gun laws would probably decrease gun violence, but it will certainly not stop the violence. Like stated by earlier posters on this thread, there are many countries with more guns per capita and far less shootings. If we take away the guns, how will this help us deal with the root of the problem - increasing numbers of distressed kids?</p>
<p>My heart goes out to the victims, their families and friends. So sad.</p>
<p>Only this morning I was reading (actually trying to decipher) a January 18th report by the CDC on school related homicides (ages 6-18yrs). I see a general decline over the covered time frame, '92-'06. I read it as less than 0.01 per 100,000 by 2006. See here; School-Associated</a> Student Homicides --- United States, 1992--2006
No matter how small the number, if it's your child ... well I can not even image... Yet how small is that number, how safe are our children? I read also less than 1% of school aged homicides are school related.
This tragedy will bring much discussion and many campus changes, but at what cost and what loss of freedoms? Last fall I toured colleges with my son and was impressed with the security on every campus, yet was saddened that it had to be there...</p>
<p>I agree with dekscholar. While I am against guns, they are not the real root.</p>
<p>If u see some kid in trouble, agitated lately, try take some time to help them out. Reaching out to someone in some crucial months can make the world of difference. These students don't reach this stage overnight. Sometimes we allow ourselves not to care until it is too late.
I know some people might not agree, but tomorrow if u see some distressed kid, whether ur schoolmate, ur kid's friend, ur student, etc, go up to tht kid and just ask how are u feeling, how was ur day, etc.</p>
<p>I hope u guys understand shooting is not just the only problem. A Amherst student killed herself recently.</p>
<p>My heart goes out to all affected. What a tragedy.</p>
<p>I've been struck by how relatively little media coverage there was of the 5 ladies shot at the Lane Bryant store.
Five</a> women dead in Tinley Park clothing store shooting :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State</p>
<p>I am sick of hearing these cold-blooded insane killers called "gunmen". Maybe we could pressure the media to call them what they really are?</p>
<p>When I think about the gun/violence laden videogames, movies, TV shows, etc, that so many kids grow up with - fantasy but realistic looking worlds that possibly give kids a decreased sensitivity to violence and killing - I have to think that they all play a role as well. I think we have a lot of disconnected students on campus today. </p>
<p>I don't know the answer but think that ease of getting a gun plays a role in this when we have unstable, disconnected people in the community. This wasn't happening 30 years ago when I was in college - what things have changed?</p>
<p>This so so sad...I can't believe we're living in a world like this.</p>
<p>Last year, a boy in my class brought a gun into school and fired some shots before he ultimately killed himself. Though no one else was hurt (and I think he never intended to actually hurt anyone but himself from the beginning), words can't describe how traumatic this was for our school. People tend to focus on shootings on a literall level (ie: statistics..how many people died, shooters background, etc), but they forget that these kids are probably going to carry the fear they experienced with them for the rest of their lives...it doesn't go away. </p>
<p>This contributes to the "society of fear" we live in. People are scared and feel they need weapons for protection which actually just leads to more problems. We need to start trying to dig to the root of this epidemic. It's not just guns and it's not just violent video games... Something is seriously off. We need to pay attention to those around us and understand that a little bit of kindness sometimes can go a long way. Even in my suburban community, I feel there is a "don't ask, don't tell" atmosphere...where has compassion gone??</p>
<p>Sorry for the long post but everytime something like this happens it hits close to home and brings me back to my (much less serious) experience. I feel very strongly about this issue and I think we really need to do something. We can't keep living like this.</p>
<p>For all of us who have children away at school this is a frightening turn of events. We all put ourselves in the shoes of those parents who now grieve and ask questions that just cannot be answered. To say that the media is to blame is unrealistic. Access to news and information is instantaneous and abundant--not matter where in the world you live.</p>
<p>Wow. My choices for college next year were either Northern Illinois University or Illinois State University... I chose ISU. If I'd chosen the former, I'd be even more creeped out than I already am. This is so sad... and sucks that there really isn't anything we can do to keep these things from happening</p>
<p>Here's another idea for the people who promote "guns for teachers": why not have undercover "students", like we have "air marshals" on planes! Or, a gun cabinet in every classroom, so students can defend themselves!?</p>
<p>How come that nobody asks our next President, G.W.McCain, or Obama Hope, or Hillary Solution, what they are going to do about violence in schools?
According to some, we as parents are supposed now to accept a certain level of violence in schools! If we are lucky, our children will escape college without being shot!</p>
<p>The NRA is such a powerful lobby that no one seems willing to take on that fight. NY Mayor Bloomberg has been such an outspoken voice for gun control that if he ran for President, he would have had my vote! Newsweek had an article on the profile of school shooters that said "Most attackers had access to weapons, and had used them prior to the attack. Most of the attackers acquired their guns from home." So we must do something to limit access to guns and cut down on gun violence. There are ways to do this that do NOT infringe on hunter's rights to own guns. I heard Jim Wallis on NPR the other day talk about pro choice and prolife people coming together to discuss ways to reduce abortions while keeping it legal - easier adoptions options, welfare support for single mothers, etc. The NRA is so opposed to any gun control legislation at all and worked very hard in my state of PA to insure that one gun a month legislation and requiring gun owners to report when their guns are lost or stolen. Like those trying to find ways to limit abortions, I wish the stauch NRA'ers and gun control advocates could find some common ground and come up with workable solutions to reduce gun violence. I simply cannot accept that we just have to live with accepting gun violence as risk we have to live with. </p>
<p>Scarier though is the argument to arm teachers. My kids lived through gun violence in their HS and it was chaos when shots were being fired in the hall. Kids were running and trying to get into classrooms to find they were locked out and teachers not knowing if who they were and if they had a gun would not let them in. What could be worse than to learn that your child was running to safety and was mistaken to be the gunman and shot and killed........</p>
<p>My heart goes out to those affected by this recent tragedy.</p>
<p>
[quote]
How come that nobody asks our next President, G.W.McCain, or Obama Hope, or Hillary Solution, what they are going to do about violence in schools?
According to some, we as parents are supposed now to accept a certain level of violence in schools! If we are lucky, our children will escape college without being shot!
[/quote]
[quote]
So we must do something to limit access to guns and cut down on gun violence. There are ways to do this that do NOT infringe on hunter's rights to own guns.
[/quote]
That is exactly why I have asked the question earlier - what can a person do, whom to contact, what is the best way to voice my opinion?
Someone above mentioned that there is more guns in Canada and Switzerland. I do not know what kind of a research/data you are looking at (please post), but are you kidding me??? I have lived in Canada for ten years and have known one person, who owned a gun. Now I live in the West - everybody(I would guess that 90% of population here) has several guns at home. How many of those are hunters? Like 5% or less.
When we first moved here my DH wanted a gun (peer pressure?), thankfully he has changed his view ever since. But almost all of his male friends - all educated professionals - own several weapons. WHAT FOR !!??</p>
<p>On the one hand, my first instinct is to find a bullet proof vest and helmet for my son at college, but when I heard one of the Fox pundits express outrage last night that there were no metal detectors going into the class room, I knew that was a foolish idea. This society cannot afford, literally, for us to live in fear and take these extreme steps to "protect" ourselves and our loved ones from such fates. Guns in the classroom...give me a break....the teacher was hit, too, should fast draw training be in the education curriculum and TA training?</p>
<p>Practically speaking, for a teacher to be an effective defender he/she should wear a holster. And a bullet proof vest. Maybe a helmet. If the gun is kept in a cabinet, drawer, no good! Of course, periodical training is required.
That's where this argument falls very short. It's again, all about selling more guns and politics, not providing a real solution to the increase in violence.</p>
<p>kelowna - there are MANY things you can. The first is to contact your state representatives and tell them you want stricter gun control laws. Talk to your local police dept about things they are currently doing and can do - such as no questions asked drop off gun collection - talk to your school superintendent about what they are doing to make schools safer. Many schools participate in a national hotline program that students can call to report gun violence threats. After the incident at our HS last year, the district looked at all the things it could do to prevent gun violence in the future. Unfortunately there are no easy fixes - installing metal detectors is not the answer as gun violence can occur on the bus, on the way to school or get smuggled in through an open window, etc. But there are things schools can do to make them safer. Contact local churches/synagogues to see what they are doing - many religious groups are active in working to prevent gun violence. There are great organizations whose purpose is to educate people on gun safety - the facts about the increase in suicide and gun ownership, how to ask if homes your child is visiting has guns, teaching parents how to make sure if they own guns, they are safely stored in a locked locker. I live in PA and there is a great organization called CeasefirePA.org that is working with legislators, community groups, etc to come up with better gun control laws. They have a link on their site to other very good sites for gun violence prevention:</p>
<p>Ceasefire</a> PA</p>
<p>PM me if you want more info.</p>