Connecticut school district on lockdown after shooting report at a Newtown elemen #7

[Elley Mae]

I could have sworn initial reports said he was dressed in some sort of bulletproof armor. Seems like he wanted to die - imagine if there had been an armed resource officer at the school that day...

You did read that, chalk it up to sloppy reporting by main stream media.

 

[StephanieW]

Bourne - I agree he did need more outside help and that there are other things she should have done to seek help when he was younger . I just can't fault her for thinking she knew what was best for her son. ( although being outside looking in I don't agree with some of her decisions - never being in the same situation I cant say what I would /wouldn't do ) MOO ...... If she tried to seek help at 16-17 when he started getting worse would have helped or would he snapped sooner ... I don't know.

 

[CJMAJORGIRL24]

Are they the same people, or some of them, who balk at school funding?

One thing wrong with our schools is that they look more like factories and prisons than places where learning takes place and children can be children. Putting guns in schools is not planning for the future or preventative, it is reactive. One big problem for a lot of kids is that they do not feel they belong, whether that is the reason they join gangs or just lash out at the pain of that. Schools should be focusing on giving students meaningful learning experiences instead of just prepping for standardized tests and becoming one of the anonymous.

I totally agree. And I certainly wouldn't trust a "few" Professor's I have had with a gun. EVER. (jmo) Let alone some of the teachers in my local high school.

According to a Juvenile Justice course that I took, most kids do join gangs because the gang is a FAMILY to them. I think we as a society need to take a step back and take a long look at a lot of issues.

Our schools need so much help, I don't believe that I could list them all here.

 

[wfgodot]

You did read that, chalk it up to sloppy reporting by main stream media.

Media reports live in real time and gets most of its initial information from sources within LE.

 

[Abby Normal Again]

I am surprised how many want to portray this calculating, methodical murderer as so incapacitated by psychosis he could never leave the home and even was locked in the basement of his home like some hideous monster, by his mother. Come on.

I totally agree that being locked in the basement is really far fetched, and I agree that he was calculated and methodical.

But I also fully believe his brain was different. I just don't assume they are going to find evidence of it in a dead brain, I think it would have been pretty clear on scans. Because I don't think something was structurally wrong, per se. Just functionally. Although structure is possible, I suppose. And environment/experience can effect brain function so I'm not even saying it was completely biological.

I think he saw himself as exceedingly superior to the rest of mankind, and I think he saw other humans as inanimate. I think that his brain scans would have shown marked differences in related areas.

The reason I think this is important to study, is that I fully believe one day we will find a definitive science. Definitive science can lead definitive methods of altering brain function. Which is absolutely possible in our amazing malleable brains. I've mentioned before, so I'm going to put it in quotes so people who aren't interested in off topic banter can easily skip it

I have a child who has profoundly gifted IQ, but has/had an under-active left occipital temporal region. Among other things, this region processes the voice (not language, but sounds) of others. Child demonstrated excessive understanding of physics and mechanics, was extremely agile, but was also severely lost in their own world. Presented much like a deaf child with no visual language. Nearly non-verbal, didn't attempt to communicate needs- sought them out independently instead. At 10 couldn't read, at 13 reads for pleasure. Now the child is not only verbal, but expressive and interactive. Participates in a mainstream classroom with good grades. Still socially independent, but not socially incapable. It's not some miracle, we targeted games and activities that would stimulate that left occipital temporal region. Among other things, "Fast ForWord" is one such commercial program designed to stimulate this region for kids. A lot of schools are using it routinely with students with lower reading scores, and it works!

It is a fact that we have had this dialogue since the monster in the bell tower cut down all those innocent lives. Yet all our panicked attempts to discover "why" has not led us any closer to preventing something like this.

I think we are far closer than we were then. Because we are beginning to understand the implications of different brain function, we are beginning to head into an era where we can stimulate underactive brain regions, and calm overactive brain regions through specific games and activities. If we understand the under and over active areas in the brain of mass murderers, in coming years we may be able to see that combination on a socially withdrawing 8 year old and start games and activities to balance brain function before the symptoms themselves cause a further degeneration of function. The single biggest problem we are having with this specific area of this science, is that the majority kill themselves, and then it's too late to see their brain scans. I hope Holmes is made to submit to scientific study as part of his sentence, but still- that's just ONE.

And that doesn't even approach the ethical issues of "fine tuning" an entire society.

The above is also just one area of research, there is also a lot of gene research (MAO-A, hyped the warrior gene) and chemical research as well. Al may have had increased dopamine, but I don't know that it was debilitatingly so. I know some who have a strong interesting in chemical research who are considering a high endorphin (pain tolerance) which led to a disinhibition of dopamine.

The one thing, however, that logic tells us may prevent at least some of these massacres- refusing to glorify the murderer by naming him, plastering his photos everywhere, reciting his life story and calling him the macho sounding "gunman" or "killer" - we steadfastly refuse to do, as a society. I just don't get that.

I do agree with this. I think the results and findings should be quietly published, but only the victims faces and names should be plastered on our screens and websites. I know we can't legally inhibit the media, but I would love if public opinion could come around to this place- as the media is essentially providing what they think we as a society want.

 

[Isabelle]

NRA Wayne Lapierre says this is a time, this is a day, we must create a model school shield program whatever it requires. They want armed police officers inside schools.

A day late and a dollar short! Why wasn't something done after Columbine?!

 

[fran]

Please continue the discussion here:

Connecticut school district on lockdown after shooting report at a Newtown elemen #8 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[iSleuth]

I would not allow my kids to go to school where all the teachers were armed. A select few administrators that have undergone extensive psychological testing and rigorous firearms training, as well as armed guards, and I believe metal detectors should be a given. All those things would be fine with me. If they start handing out guns to every teacher, I'm homeschooling. I've met plenty of teachers in my life that should not have access to firearms at all, let alone all the time.

The day that I would be required to train to shoot and carry a gun would be my last day teaching for sure.
:truce: