CNN Breaking News .. Shooting at Newtown CT Elementary School

[JaBek1]

Unfortunately, there is no way to protect against all the craziness in the world. If I'm not mistaken, there was a man in China that went off and slashed 37 people, I believe. Then there are those that feel that blowing up people, and often themselves, is the way to support their particular religious or political beliefs. Frankly, sometimes it only takes some skilled oratory to aid in causing the deaths of millions such as was the case with Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists.

In the United States we have a constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms. Does that mean that everybody should arm themselves? No. But there are cases where just the fact that a citizen may be legally armed has lessened the violent crime rate because criminals usually prefer not to risk ending up on the receiving end of violence they initiate.

In the recent incident in Oregon, a legally armed citizen may have saved lives by being prepared to engage the shooter. Although he didn't take a shot because his training caused him to realize he didn't have a clear shot. But his actions might have resulted in the assailant retreating to a stairwell where he took his own life. While it would have been better if the perpetrator had not shot anyone, how many more lives were saved by the armed citizens actions.

I believe the UK has, for the most part, disarmed its population. At least, in terms of firearms. Now you can hardly sell a kitchen knife online because knives have become the weapon most readily available to most hoodlums over there. I suppose almost anything can be used as a weapon with a little ingenuity. Frankly, I've seen people that the only thing they need is a set of car keys to become a lethal threat.

While the shooting at the school is a tragedy, let us not use it as an excuse to try to take away our rights to our access to a means of defense of ourselves and our loved ones should the need arise. If some wacko with a gun comes trying to shoot my wife or grandkids, they pretty much had best take me out first.

[Dodaman]

I agree with Jabek. Lets not punish everyone and take away their defense due to these wackos. I could make a bomb like the nut Mcveigh did. I could burn many houses down including a forest. There are all kinds of ways to wreak havoc.

[moonwitch]

Hi sidthelamp & moonwitch;

You are not the only humans in denial about your fate.

Go with the force....young Jedi
Ken Tall Pines

TBH...I would rather base my ideas on the current scientific knowledge that has been tested and proved rather than the word of a a fiction writer, or someone of that ilk...lol

Thanks for posting...I haven't laughed this loud over much since I last looked on Facebook

[HerMajesty]

I agree with JaBek.

[iwiw60]

I saw this on Facebook this morning and just wanted to share...truer words were never spoken.

COLUMBINE STUDENT'S FATHER 12 YEARS LATER !!

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this. On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness.. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
- Darrell Scott

Kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it. Please Share since the media won't.

[sidthelamp]

MR Scott is a very objective man well said

[burgyeb]

Right on Mr. Scott! God bless you for your brave and courageous presentation before our "national leaders".

[kedo]

In the recent incident in Oregon, a legally armed citizen may have saved lives by being prepared to engage the shooter. Although he didn't take a shot because his training caused him to realize he didn't have a clear shot. But his actions might have resulted in the assailant retreating to a stairwell where he took his own life.

Is that really credible... the assailant was frightened of being shot (presumably) so he retired to a stairwell where he shot himself? Doesn't make much sense to me.

[burgyeb]

The assailant was mentally ill, and as such maybe also suicidal. As he is now gone, he can not shed direct light on his actions. However his mother has spoken out concerning his long term mental condition and what it was like living with him.

The young man (shooter) appeared wild-eyed (nuts). I have heard of people being programmed/wired to do damage; and also to take their own lives when finished. Suicide bombmers operate in this manner, in a more mechanical sense. If this was an orchestrated attack, based on a ideological or political agenda, that adds a troubling dimension to an already horrific event.

Actually, it was not his mother who spoke about her son, as he killed his mother before going to the school. The link below is titled in such a way as to seem like that.

http://now.msn.com/i-am-adam-lanzas-...ntally-ill-son

But it does show a real problem with the issue of mental illness, that few seem to want to address.

[kentallpines]

Hi again moonwitch;

If my last reply was funny, this one will have you in stitches!!
You should not be afraid of our climate killing us all. The Bible says that the world will end, all dead will resurrect, and Jesus will return to Earth to judge us all. We should only be afraid, if we DO NOT believe!

This is a quote of a book review from
Audubon magazine, July-August 2011
page 62

ESSAY

As the world Turns

A prominent scientist explores life on the planet—and how humans may be headed toward their demise.
By Mark Engler

Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet
By Tim Flannery
Atlantic Monthly Press, 336 pages, $25

Scarcely more than 50 years ago, reputable figures were suggesting that nuclear weapons could be fruitfully deployed as a means of geo-engineering. Take the Arctic. the region is nearly too cold to be
habitable by humans. The polar ice cap blocks valuable shipping lanes. And the expanses of frigid water up North contribute to uncomfortably cold winters in many countries. Wouldn't we all be better off if
we just nuked the place?

In his new book, Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet, Tim Flannery, an acclaimed scientist and author, tells us that versions of such a proposal were advanced after World War II by the first director-general of UNESCO, by a top official at the U.S. Weather Bureau, and by Russian oil engineer Petr Mikhailovich Borisov. Scientific conferences debated the merits, while businesses contemplated the use of nuclear detonations in the extraction of coal and oil.

If we need any further evidence of humanity's seeming propensity for hastening its own extinction, the fact that such insane atomic applications were ever considered should suffice. In Here on Earth,
Flannery explores the roots of the human appetite for self-destruction.

Some people, he writes, argue this results from Darwinian processes. Named after a murderous Greek goddess, the Medea hypotheses holds that the ruthless competition encouraged by natural selection ensures that the most successful species will dominate their surroundings so thoroughly that they end up undermining their own well-being. In Flannery's words, "species will, if left unchecked, destroy themselves by exploiting their resources to the point of ecosystem collapse."


It doesn't really matter if we will destroy our climate and ourselves. If even slightly mentally unbalanced people believe that we will, and have no control of the event, it is enough to make them do very bad things to others.
Disasters like hurricane Sandy, bring out the worst of evil, and the best of good. The events in Connecticut will happen again as long as our very uncertain future help to unbalance someone's fragile mental state.
I agree with the person who quoted the father of a victim of the Columbine massacre. We should be able to talk to God and ask his help, any time or place, we want or need.

footnotes:
UNESCO-United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system.

Tim Flannery is an Australian scientist expert in climatology

Lets pray for any parents of these mentally unstable children, that they turn in their children to the authorities in time. Recently just after the movie theater massacre, a mother turned in her son. It was discovered, she had good cause for concern, as he had already bought guns and was planning a massacre of his own. How brave his mom had to be to turn in her own son. I pray for her to not feel guilty or sad. She saved many uncounted lives and should be proud of doing the right thing.

Go with the force....young Jedi
Ken Tall Pines