It is hard to look at the unspeakable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut without remembering the watershed moment for school shootings in America. This came with the Columbine massacre in 1999 where two students armed with an array of high powered weapons and a thirst for infamy opened fire on fellow students, killing 13 and then themselves.
The tragedy was a first for America as the attention starved teens left behind so much writing and video tapes about their “pain,” detailing why they were “forced” to carry out the massacre.
The massacre at Sandy Hook elementary has become a media circus, but I’m happy to see so many headlines this time around reporting on gun control and the victims rather than the perpetrator.
Changes need to be made and the widespread revulsion at the lax gun laws in America may contribute to some sort of positive change. It’s a shame it took the slaughter of 20 innocent kids to weld open the eyes of the higher echelon of American politics, however.
With that being said, I am beginning to see the American media about to make the same mistakes again as they scramble to keep the massacre at Sandy Hook on the front pages. They look at the shooter and begin to ask why.
The Newtown shooter’s parents divorced in 2009? He’s probably the only teenager to suffer that fate in 2009. He had a fractured relationship with his mother? He may be the first person ever to have such a relationship.
He may have had undiagnosed Aspergers syndrome. He was quiet and well mannered and this may have lead to him being bullied. He was a goth who got lost in the depressing nature of their culture.
Maybe we should report on the day that he lost a tooth and the tooth fairy never left a dollar under his pillow?
When a man loads up on guns and shoots a bunch of innocent elementary school kids looking forward to Christmas multiple times for no apparent reason, he should lose the luxury of us asking why.
The media should call him what he is -- an evil, cold hearted, callous devil who prevented 20 kids from opening their Christmas presents this year...or any other year for that matter.
Let’s please leave it at that.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Portia_O'Neill | Jan 01, 2013, 10:14 PM EST
The National Sports Shooting Foundation (NSSF) is based in Newtown, Ct. NSSF, in addition to promoting sport shooting among youth, also lobbies in matters related to the manufacture of guns. Residents of Newtown are known to complain about the noise of gunfire heard in the woods near their homes.
merefalow | Dec 24, 2012, 10:25 AM EST
his mother knew he was not normal,how many more DERANGED SYCHOTIC PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE.with access to weaponary?how many more repeat,copycat slaughters do you need.
bostonrugby | Dec 22, 2012, 01:14 PM EST
The kid was wired differently ( I would not say he was evil) and it would appear he had not much paternal and too much maternal influence into his issues. There is a saying "spare the kid, spoil the child" I think it goes. THis may have been the issue. A well aimed smacking from an adult male when he was younger would have trained his mind that certain actions are not tolerated. If his mother was all for coddling the child and having him medicated then my belief is Newtown is a consequence of this action. No I am not saying smacking is the cure for mental health but it is part of the treatment. Guns in the house also don't help...
aedhocu | Dec 22, 2012, 12:37 PM EST
The easy way out is to accuse every young mass murderer as an "evil, cold hearted, callus devil". Don't, for God's sake, "leave it at that". That is just another form of denial at the complicity of society that permits the ignorant & foolish to support a paranoid & delusional gun culture in America. Gun-related homicide rates in the United States are twenty to thirty times higher than they are in countries such as England & other European countries. There is a lot of misinformation around about controlling assault rifles & such. Studies of gun homicides have found that “firearm deaths are significantly LOWER in states with stricter gun control legislation.” This is backed up by research on local gun control efforts and cross-border gun violence. When Australia enacted strict gun control over assault type weapons over ten years ago after a massacre of 30 people occurred there have been no mass shootings since then. That tells a story & the article writer's avoidance of this topic should be taken to task.
Pittsburghkid | Dec 22, 2012, 10:27 AM EST
The mentally ill shall be scorned in death as in life. Out-Patient care of the mentally ill does not work. Prisons are have the largest number of in patient care for the mentally ill in America. If a mentally ill person can not survive on Out-Patient care his choices are limited. Prison, or suicide.