27 dead in Newtown school shooting

[Bigfella]

SIGH!

I guess it was too much to hope for.

[Tarek Morgen]

Anyone trying to start the typical blame-game, name-calling, or other bullshit over this here will find himself with an early Christmas vacation from WAB.

[Minskaya]

Elokim Yerachem. May they Rest in Blessed Peace.

[hammer]

RIP. This is just senseless.

[S2]

Deeply, deeply saddening. God bless all those who were killed. Especially all those little kids. Beyond comprehension...

[Parihaka]

What a nightmare. You have your kids, you raise them, you invest every bit of love and care in them that you have to give and some subhuman filth just walks in and kills them. It's beyond comprehension to me what those parents must be feeling right now. It makes me cry and grateful it's not me at the same time.

[n21]

For God sake, why the poor innocent kids. What could they possibly done. The horror, the pain the parents would have to go through.


I am so ashamed to be a human today.

[zraver]

Z,

I realise you have good intentions, but can we hold off on the gun discussion for at least 24hrs. Other websites are already descending into the usual arguments and it is an unedifying spectacle. You haven't done that, but I can see where this path leads.

It would be nice if WAB could just stay focussed on the tragedy for a day or so before we get into yet another discussion of guns in America. For the moment lets leave that to the politicians (who feel they have to) and the self-obsessed (for whom every tragedy is an opportunity to tell the world why they are right).

Ehh, something has to be done to change schools from shooting galleries. Maybe we should erase the shooters? In ancient times if a new ruler didn't like an old ruler they would literally try to chisel their memory from existence. Maybe should should consider something similar for the sickest of the sickos. Erase thier existence from every data base, make it illegal to publish their name on any medium... deny them any chance at infamy.

[Officer of Engineers]

Ehh, something has to be done to change schools from shooting galleries. Maybe we should erase the shooters? In ancient times if a new ruler didn't like an old ruler they would literally try to chisel their memory from existence. Maybe should should consider something similar for the sickest of the sickos. Erase thier existence from every data base, make it illegal to publish their name on any medium... deny them any chance at infamy.

Survivor's guilt. None of us did anything to stop this. As misplaced as some of these suggestions are, it makes us feel better that we could have done something. The reality is there was nothing any of us could have done. Voting in gun duties for teachers (bad, bad, bad idea) would not have stopped this fuck just as armed gangsters did not stop drive by shootings.

[Julie]

Survivor's guilt. None of us did anything to stop this. As misplaced as some of these suggestions are, it makes us feel better that we could have done something. The reality is there was nothing any of us could have done. Voting in gun duties for teachers (bad, bad, bad idea) would not have stopped this fuck just as armed gangsters did not stop drive by shootings.

Agreed.

But I think all doors should be locked when the last bell rings. Entry can only be made when you approach the speaker with a video monitor. An alarm system in place for unauthorized entry. It may not stop the person, but it is a deterrent and can save lives.

[USSWisconsin]

The problem with trying to understand why someone did this is we aren't anything like the bastard. We don't really want to understand, to decend to that level of selfish vicious evil - its not human, as most of us choose to be human - we probably aren't going to undertand the festering heep that did it. Personally if I understood what would cause a human to do something like this - I would feel like I was sick too. It is a small consolation that this scum won't hurt anyone else.

It brings to mind the scene in "The Day The Earth Stood Still" - when Gort came out of the ship after they had shot Klatu - his visor opening and beams of death lashing out. Its just a cathartic thought; an irrresisitable justice bringer - stepping into the situation; suddenly and coldly disintergrating the perp. Instant and irrevokable, omiprescent - shock and awe - punishment seems like a solution - but we really can't have that. Imagining a world like that - would it be better than the one we have?

[Minskaya]

But I think all doors should be locked when the last bell rings. Entry can only be made when you approach the speaker with a video monitor. An alarm system in place for unauthorized entry. It may not stop the person, but it is a deterrent and can save lives.

From what I understand the school was locked and the perpetrator gained entrance by shooting out the foyer glass. The administrative office is right by the entrance, and he was confronted almost immediately. Someone apparently had the presence of mind to turn on the school intercom system. The shouting and shots could be heard in every classroom. This quick-thinking act of courage saved countless lives.

[USSWisconsin]

Ehh, something has to be done to change schools from shooting galleries. Maybe we should erase the shooters? In ancient times if a new ruler didn't like an old ruler they would literally try to chisel their memory from existence. Maybe should should consider something similar for the sickest of the sickos. Erase thier existence from every data base, make it illegal to publish their name on any medium... deny them any chance at infamy.

It sounds good - but could we really do that? I personally hate the idea of knowing the names of people who gain fame for doing this kind of thing. They deserve to be among the ranks of the forgotten - it would have been better had they never been born.

[antimony]

This is seriously creeping me out.

My elder daughter is going to go to elementary school the next school year. I now shudder every time I think of that.

[Zinja]

Who in the world has the courage to point a gun at a beautiful face of a 6 year old? Only a devil incarnate can do such a thing.

Praying for the families who have been left behind to come to terms with such a cowardly act.