Connecticut

[fred41]

I agree too, it was a fine speech and every bit the measure of the man I believe Obama to be.

But is it empty rhetoric or will your President have the courage of his convictions to seize the mood of the moment and finally start the long, painful march to end America's gun madness?

Our friend Beandipshit is clearly an idiot and a malicious one at that, but there's no doubt that he articulates a widely-shared view in the US, where the right to own guns is seemingly more important to many than the right of innocent children not to be murdered. And the mental health aspect is a complete red herring. Sane or insane, this would not have happened if his mother hadn't kept assault weapons around the house. End of.

I think there will be a Bill at the end of all this.
I'm not sure that it's going to satisfy everyone -the many members on this site do all have differing views on the level of gun control in this country.
but I think something will become enacted.
As for his mental state...I don't feel it's a complete red herring because under normal circumstances it isn't so unusual to have some type of firearm in a home where the youngest member is twenty...a man by most standards.
...but he wasn't a normal man by most standards.
...and I don't think she needed so many weapons either.
Maybe she was stupid and took a gamble.
Problem is...she wasn't the only person that payed by that gamble.

[robertlouis]

This link provides objective and factual evidence about levels of gun ownership and deaths from firearms.

http://http://www.guardian.co.uk/new...-homicides-map

[VictoriaVeil]

I think there will be a Bill at the end of all this.
I'm not sure that it's going to satisfy everyone -the many members on this site do all have differing views on the level of gun control in this country.
but I think something will become enacted.
As for his mental state...I don't feel it's a complete red herring because under normal circumstances it isn't so unusual to have some type of firearm in a home where the youngest member is twenty...a man by most standards.
...but he wasn't a normal man by most standards.
...and I don't think she needed so many weapons either.
Maybe she was stupid and took a gamble.
Problem is...she wasn't the only person that payed by that gamble.

if there is a bill the NRA will have it struck down as unconstitutional. Sigh.

[buttslinger]

Unfortunately it's not common sense, or the pleas from cops, or debate that gets real action taken on gun restrictions, it's events like this that move millions of gun-numb Americans to attention.

We probably see 10 people killed every night on prime time family TV, but even one of Dino's slasher flicks wouldn't put something like NewTown on film, the actions of one unbelievably messed up kid are going to legislate sane gun laws. Kind of a pathetically backward way to run a Nation.

[robertlouis]

Unfortunately it's not common sense, or the pleas from cops, or debate that gets real action taken on gun restrictions, it's events like this that move millions of gun-numb Americans to attention.

We probably see 10 people killed every night on prime time family TV, but even one of Dino's slasher flicks wouldn't put something like NewTown on film, the actions of one unbelievably messed up kid are going to legislate sane gun laws. Kind of a pathetically backward way to run a Nation.

I agree. But if it succeeds, good. Means and ends.

[Ben]

The Connecticut massacre and America's estrangement from reality



Belen Fernandez is the author of The Imperial Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work, published by Verso. She is a contributing editor at Jacobin Magazine.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opi...401092628.html

[Ben]

Media Exploits Mass Shootings:

[Ben]

Dogs Sent to Newtown to Comfort Grieving:

http://news.discovery.com/animals/do...mkcpgn=rssnws1

[robertlouis]

Media Exploits Mass Shootings:

This isn't exactly the point you were making, Ben, but the rush of TV in particular to interview the kids and their parents within hours of the tragedy turned my stomach. There's no decency or decorum any more.

[fred41]

This isn't exactly the point you were making, Ben, but the rush of TV in particular to interview the kids and their parents within hours of the tragedy turned my stomach. There's no decency or decorum any more.

It's not just the media Rob...people in general are assholes.Look at the folks crawling into news interviews now who only had peripheral experience with the events - such as the psychologist who was all over the news this morning about the children on his lawn...etc...(in photos looking like he was tearing the hair out of his head)...he had to have contacted the media for them to even know who he was.
No dignity.