What is going on in this country?

[RedWing Nut]

This is nothing new in this country. There was an even worse school disaster in 1927 in Bath, MI

[jzick]

It is my sincere belief that because of these senseless violent videos not only have we raised overweight children but we have also desensitized them towards others by allowing them to spend hours on these games.

My son is a professional soldier with years of on the ground combat experience and constant dealings with young men and women. We had a discussion on this subject over Thanksgiving, when he talked about the Army's devoting an entire day to suicide prevention. He feels that the young men and women he sees today have been raised in an atmosphere where they do not experience failure or humiliation and, therefore, do not know how to deal with it when it happens. We protect them and tell them "results are not nearly as important as trying hard". When my son gets to see them, many cannot understand that mediocrity is not tolerated in his line of work, and when they are criticized, cajoled, and punished for their short comings there is no self esteem or toughness to shrug it off and continue trying to get better. When life gets tough, as it surely will even when not in combat, some young people either lash out at others with violence or themselves by suicide.

I used to see this response in our factory. A young person would start work and, as is normal in any group, the kidding and hazing of the new guy or gal would begin. Instead of a patient professor or teacher, the youngster would have to deal, also, with a supervisor unwilling to tolerate incorrect work, even when the youngster "did his best", The pressure of production quotas and work having to be done on time every time is not what our young people are led to believe life would be like. Many times the frustrated new person would snap and do something inappropriate or violent. This seemed to happen most often at performance review time and would frequently come right after a negative performance review. This behavior was different than what we used to see from new hires 30 years ago.

It is easy for us to blame devices or machines or "society". Yet we are the ones who raised the children who are now parents of these youngsters. Perhaps the blame, if there is any, is looking at us as we shave in the morning.

Just my $0.02 worth.

[rvguy02]

Violence sells and makes LOTS of money for its purveyors. Kids grow up thinking life is all about violence. Little kids are killed everyday by gang violence. Movies, music, games, TV. You name it - violence is rampant. I'd love to see the day when money is taken out of the mix so purveyors of this garbage lose their incentive. This is part of a bigger problem with our society as a whole. Everything is now now now! Instant gratification and never thinking about each other. Another sad day for the human race...

[LVJ58]

Originally Posted by RedWing Nut

This is nothing new in this country. There was an even worse school disaster in 1927 in Bath, MI

After reading the article it would appear this fellow's brain wasn't wired quite right.

[wa8yxm]

I read a book once, Fiction, by a fition wroter, But it .. Well, it had some interesting points to make.. I won't detail them or even identify the book.
But the problem I see is this.. [moderator edit] it is that we pick up the paper, turn on the TV, listen to the radio or access the story on the internet. Say "oh, that's such a tragedy" and go on about our day as though the Headline was: Farmer Grows Prize Winning Watermelon"

IN the book, the easy acceptance of Killing, (Including some forms of killing that are 100% legal, Again not named so as to avoid arguments) was a sign of the coming to power of the Devil. In the book he returns to Earth and well.. Judgement happens for many Folks Just drift up to eternal bliss or down. to .. Well, let's just say you don't want to go that way,, A few, Mostly Children and a chosen few adults who protect them, Remain behind.
No it was not the "Left behind" series.

My fear.. Is that we have become too accepting of this kind of thing.

[moderator edit]

[flaggship1]

Originally Posted by LVJ58

After reading the article it would appear this fellow's brain wasn't wired quite right.

I'm always saddened by these kinds of nightmares. So sad. I am also torn by the insanity - brain not wired right argument or legal defense. To do these sorts of things - to kill for no reason or a dollar or two - you hear about it all the time - seems imsane to me. I feel like either everyone that commits such crimes is nuts or none are. I'm leaning toward they all are and that it is not a defense - legal or otherwise. Sorry you were nuts - but not sure we can cure you and can't afford to anyway. Guilty. Next.

[wa8yxm]

Originally Posted by RedWing Nut

This is nothing new in this country. There was an even worse school disaster in 1927 in Bath, MI

I would site a bunch more but .. Some might consider it politics.

(Union/Anti-Union stuff) but yes. There have been many older disasters..

The country's response to those however, brought that kind of behavior to an end.. For a time.

[JohnRR]

Originally Posted by JohnRR

Please do not allow this tragic situation to deteriorate into a weapons issue as such responses will be deleted otherwise please feel free to express your grief or opinions.

Still in effect.

[Gary - K7GLD]

Not as high in news ratings -[moderator edit]- but yet another indication we are seeing a WORLDWIDE social decline - it AIN'T just a USA [moderator edit]!

Knife-wielding man injures 22 children in China - Courant.com

A quote from the article:

There have been a series of attacks on schools and schoolchildren around China in recent years, some by people who have lost their jobs or felt left out of the country's economic boom.

Sound familiar?

.

[Air Baron]

How does our society deal with mental illness?

I wonder how many of you have a family member or relative or friend that is mentally ill? How is it being dealt with? Is there really a cure?

I divorced my first wife because she started having nervous breakdowns and became psychotic. Her parents (father had a degree in psychology) convinced her not to accept treatment. She was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been living in an adult facility for quite some time. Years ago her then 26 year old failure-to-launch brother butchered their manic depressive mother with a knife. Told the court that voices told him to kill somebody by 9 AM. His "crazy" mother was the closest person, because he was still living at home. He never went to prison and is walking the streets of Tampa today as an alcoholic.

Have any of you ever sat on a jury or acted as foreman on a murder trial?

[Larry & Rita]

There seems to be a recouring theme in most of these crazy acts, the people that know the shooters say they were wonderful people and good students, very few say they were nut cases that played video games all the time, then others say that the people should have been taken care of by society, ahead of time, most are reacting to the terrible actions that seem to have occured seemingly as an impulse action "Thrill Killing"

[Bruce C]

A truely sad day. Little children, so sad to hear that their lives were taken so early. Prayers to all the familys, and to the responders. Nothing more can be said.

[Wayne M]

I'm with the others on the violence that is being shown on today's media. I'm of the opinion, as some other are, that the perpetrators of today are doing a one-up-man-ship. The news media harps and harps and harps on a tragedy, giving the tragedy so much "limelight," that someone has that little man running around in their head that they can do one better than that.

In our younger days, and my younger days of childhood go back to the 1940's and 1950's, we might have seen something in a newspaper, but most of the newspapers covered only the local scene. There were "sprees" back then but they were not publicized as they are today.

And then, we do not follow through with a punishment that fits the crime. Society has become lenient, to lenient in my humble opinion.

Unfortunately the home is not what it used to be. It is not a place where a child receives discipline anymore. The children of today carry an 800 number for any type of abuse, even though abuse is in the eye of the 800 number and those supporting it.

I'm sick!

[G.G.]

I wasn't in a situation to read or hear about this until I turned on the TV around 5:00 EST. I was horrified and sickened. My prayers are with the families and all of that town as this will linger for a long, long time.

I agree with earlier posts that we have lost regard for human life, or any life for that matter. I have what I think are the reasons, but they are too political and religious, so I won't go there on this forum. I do know that something has to be done to bring some sanity to our lives. I fear for my 2 1/2 yr. old grandson. I hope we get a grip soon.