go out to the families of yesterday's victims. Two events, one in the Connecticut; the other in China. Be sure to tell your loved ones today that you love them as we know how fragile life can be.
This is my weekly post: I can guarantee that every child and parent in the world hugged each other a little tighter that night. We complain about so many things that we have no use to use after they are gone such as; cell phones, technological devices, clothes, sports apparel, school marks, etc;. All of those you can change or replace, but you cant replace the one thing closet to your heart, your son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, and any other close family members or friends. I think we all need to take a moment sometimes and remember when were feeling "down in the dumps", think about that mother who’s 6 year old son wrote her a note saying how much he loved her and that he was sorry for everything he did bad before he was murdered. His letter stated "I love you Mom, I am happy and well, sorry for not being good if I ever was bad. I will love you forever from heaven Love: Brian". Now think about what that mom thinks about every second of the day, her lost son. So remember when your cell phone breaks or you get a bad mark on a test, there are worse tragedies in the world such as this.
I feel that President Obama really needs to look into the "American Gun Law",like how many of these massacres is it going to take from Columbine, Colorado to the Cinema shooting in North Aurora, Illinois and now to this shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Like Americans let the government hear your voice, "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" these incidents do not prove one bit you are "Land of the Brave". America is known as a world super power and are always involved in any world conflict, you say you want countries to look up to you ,but how do they look up to you when 110,215 of American people are shot and killed every year.
The world understands that the United States of American is a gun culture, but for the safely of people in America especially future leaders of the country(children).I think we can all agree the gun law needs to be changed.
“Lord God, source and destiny of our lives, in Your loving providence You gave us (Name) to grow in wisdom, age, and grace. Now You have called him/her to Yourself. We grieve over the loss of one so young and struggle to understand Your purpose. Draw him/her to Yourself and give him/her full stature in Christ. May he/she stand with all the angels and saints, who know Your love and praise Your saving will. Amen.”
1)http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/childdies.htm
2)https://twitter.com/
3)www.cnn.com/2012/.../connecticut...shooting/index.htm... - United States
I agree with you that Obama needs to look into "gun laws" however if residents of America were not aloud guns there would still unfortunately find ways to kill people such a stabbing. The saying "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is exactly what is the problem, guns are not the problem it is the people who create these tragedies that need to be dealt with. I do agree though that guns in the states should not be able to be acquired as easily as they are.
On Friday December 14th 2012, there was not one but two tragic events happen. They both involved a suspect entering public schools and harming the individuals inside the school. One event was in Chenpeng village which is in the southern province of Guangxi, China.(3) The second attack was at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.(2) There are some similarities between the two but also some huge differences. The main difference is in Newtown the suspect used a gun, while in Chenpeng the suspect used a knife.(1,3)
I know most of us were not aware of the attack in Chenpeng, since our North American media is only talking about Newtown but this chinese attack is just has horrific. On early friday morning a man walked into an chinese elementary school and starting attacking students with a knife.(1,3) The 36-year-old man named Min Yingjun(1) wounded 22 kids and an 85-year-old woman.(1,3) These knife attacks are become more common in the past 2 years.(3) China has had to deal with a rapid increas of urbanization, a growing wealth gap, and most of all a loss of most family traditions.(3) There is a quotes from Chinese police official and criminal profiler Li Meijun “Our cities are getting bigger and bigger, but families‘ capabilities for dealing with problems are weakening.”(3) Most of these outbreaks were caused by men who are mentally disturbed or distressed by personal disputes.(3) This could be connected to the weakening of family supportive systems.
The attack most of us know about because of our media is the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Well the gun man was a 20-year-old man named Adam Lanza.(2) He killed twenty-six people, twenty of them children and six adults. The police said they found him dead in a class room with a Sig Sauer. The police recovered three weapons, a .223 Bushmaster, Glock, and the Sig Sauer. These weapons where all legally bought by Adam’s mother Nancy. These three guns cost about $2,020.(4) The question is why does anybody in the states need $2,020 worth of guns. This is where we have to evaluate the gun laws in the states. In 2011 there were around 9,000 people killed from gun related murders in the states.(1) In the same year there were only 170 people killed in Germany due to guns and 150 in Canada.(1) In the United States for every 100 people about 89 of them own at least one gun.(1) For what? Protection, not likely. The next closest countries were Serbia with 58 people, Yemen 54 people, then Finland/Switzerland with 46 people. The United States has the highest death rate of gun homicides among industrialized nations with 3.12 deaths per 100,000 people.(1)
Dr. Ding Xueliang, a Harvard-educated sociologist at the University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong had many opinions on how different these two mass attacks are. Here is one quote; "The huge difference between this case and the U.S. is not the suspect, nor the situation, but the simple fact he did not have an effective weapon."(1) Adam had $2,020 worth of guns, while Min had a knife. Dr. Ding then proceeded to say the following;"In terms of the U.S., there's much easier availability of killing instruments -- rifles, machine guns, explosives -- than in nearly every other developed country,"(1) The mother of Adam Lanza was a big gun enthusiast, who owned five weapons, two handguns, two rifles and a semiautomatic rifle that is used on battlefields.(5)
I think the United States really need to set a limit on the amount of weapons one household can own, this is really becoming out of hand. China has hefty laws on gun ownership, so when these kind of attacks happen the attacker usually is not able to own a gun. Which limits the amount of people they can kill. Having to use a knife instead of a gun. Just look at the results they speak for themselves. Something needs to be done and soon to stop another attack from happening.
I want to start off with saying this was truly a tragedy. I watched the news on the weekend with my mother who was crying. She told me it’s hard for me to understand, but losing a child is every parent’s nightmare. I don’t have a child so I can’t imagine the pain these parents are going through, but I sympathize deeply with them.
I would like to speak about the root issue here- proper treatment for mental illness. Gun control is the secondary issue; it is not the cause of these deaths. Yes, guns killed these innocent children, but wasn’t it a man who pulled the trigger?
This was the 2nd largest school shooting in American history. (1) It takes a very disturbed individual to commit this act. People described the shooter, Adam Lanza, as goth, a genius, and remote. (2) Officials and family members speculate that Adam had a personality disorder, though this cannot be certain anymore, so the diagnosis remains a speculation.
This was an extreme act, and events like this do not happen suddenly. There had to be warning signs, as there was in the Columbine massacre. The signs are often ignored though, because it is easier for people to ignore them than accept somebody is actually sick. Unfortunately people are still very ignorant of mental illnesses and people with mental illnesses are looked down upon. They’re called crazy, weirdos, and wackos. Mental illness is still something to be ashamed of in our culture. If help was offered more widely, and without prejudice, people can be helped before they take extreme measures like this.
Though, this being said, I would like to also stress the point people with mental illnesses are not monsters. They are not ticking time bombs that can explode at any minute. With the proper treatment they can function healthily.
I am not disputing that stricter gun laws would definitely be beneficial to America, I agree with that. But I think the people are focusing on the wrong issue here. We need adequate facilities in place for people with mental illness, so events like these don’t happen in the future.
The new way of looking into this shooting is a very good way to put it. Mental illness should indeed be something that we all take into consideration and not just assume someone is a terrible person for doing all of these things. Mental illness is something that truly needs to be addressed by countries all over the world not just America. Good job Kails
This shooting was a major travesty and no child or adult deserves to die this way. Not only did this individual kill children he killed heroes that acted on courage for not only themselves but for people around them. Victoria Soto is a perfect example of selflessness and bravery. Mrs Soto was a 27 year old woman who rushed her students into a closet and told the killer that they were in the gym. She was one of the women that was killed that day however her students were left un harmed. She used courage and put herself between the murder and her children and sacrificed her life. I believe this world is a sick and twisted place, not only after this tragedy occurred, the families of the lost victims were morning the deaths a bomb threat was sent to the church. In my opinion people have to have a mental sickness to do something like this
The US government needs to realize these tragedies are not coincidence the gun laws in America need to be looked at and reinforced. 2)Number of Murders, United States, 2010: 12,996 Number of Murders by Firearms, US, 2010: 8,775 Number of Murders, Britain, 2011*: 638 (Since Britain’s population is 1/5 that of US, this is equivalent to 3,095 US murders) Number of Murders by firearms, Britain, 2011*: 58 (equivalent to 290 US murders) Number of Murders by crossbow in Britain, 2011*: 2 (equivalent to 10 US murders).
This is why i believe America to be the scariest place on earth. If I was a resident of the states I would never feel safe.
This is my weekly post: What has our world come to? It has become a place that I personally deem unsafe for most of our citizens. Hearing about this awful tragedy in fourth period on Friday struck a nerve in me. How could someone do this? It seems as if in our day-en age the people who commit the crimes are remembered so much more than those who have lost their lives. I am going to Florida this Saturday and after hearing this news I could not be more terrified. The names of the Columbine shooters will never be forgotten, but what about those victims? Adam Lanza, this is now a name that will not be forgotten. 26 people are killed at Sandy Hook elementary school with 20 of those fatalities being children. (1) This is now the second deadliest school shooting in the U.S. This tragedy has struck not only the hearts of Americans but the hearts of everyone around the globe. A topic had come up earlier in our course about gun control. The United States had been proven to be extremely lenient with their gun control however many people did not see such a problem with this leniency.(2) If there were more laws put into place these tragedies could be avoided. Many Americans create the argument that firearms are purchased for their safety. While I do understand this point, I do not understand as to why they are willing to put their own children and the children of many others at risk by allowing such easily accessible guns. In the state of Connecticut there isn't even a registration needed to purchase a hand gun. (3) While Obama was clearly distraught when addressing the country, it is still a normal attitude on being skeptic of the American President. His statement of, "We’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics," was seen by some as too timid. (4) In order to keep the citizens of the United states of America safe there needs to be drastic changes in the gun laws. It should not be as easy as going into any little store and simply purchasing a gun without any paperwork. I believe that if the United States keeps on this track of negligence they will not only experience more tragedies, they will also drastically lose ties with other countries in the trade industry. As I stated earlier, I am going to Florida this weekend and it terrifies me as for the thought that I am going the day after the "world ends". The fact that the news has been talking about mass suicides by some Apocalypse believers as well as now having school shootings is terrifying. The thought of how many of these people could have guns and turn them on anyone is scary. It almost brings me to say that I wish I could wait until it is all cleared up before heading down there. The United States has had many instances where they have experienced tragedies with school shootings and other mass murders. If their gun control laws are not changed and brought under control they will lose more innocent souls, their tourism industry and their credibility as a safe country. We must stop glorifying these murderers and bring true justice to those families that are suffering. Rest In Peace all who have died in any type of shooting in America.
This is my weekly post. I wish to circulate this blog post around the events that took place this week in Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is absolutely horrific and incredibly tragic that twenty six innocent lives were lost in such a violent and relentless manner. My condolences and prayers go out to each of the families suffering loss and heartache and to the people of Newtown as a whole. This shooting has hopefully served to be an eye opener to the United States and the world as a message of the repercussions derived from easy gun accessibility. In my opinion, this event has been the product of two issues: calls for tougher gun laws and mental health care.
Guns are becoming increasingly easier to access in many states in America. Although some feel that this enables people to secure their own safety, it also makes it far easier to access guns for not so chivalrous reasons. In this case for example, the guns that were used in the shooting itself were legally owned and purchased—just because something is legal doesn’t necessarily mean that it should automatically be trusted that it will be used with good intentions. “The President has come under pressure to bring in strict gun control laws after Lanza murdered 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School.” The President said: “No laws can eliminate evil from the world — but that can’t be an excuse for inaction. “Surely we can do better than this. If there is even one step we can take then we have an obligation to try. In the coming weeks I will use whatever power this office holds in an effort to prevent more tragedies like this.”(1) This speech in turn sparked a battle with the pro-gun lobby in the nation as he prepares to fight for new laws.
The second and perhaps not as obvious underlying issue here is that perhaps there ought to be better health care available to those suffering from mental health issues. Psychologists who are analyzing the shooter, Adam Lanza, believe he was suffering from sort of mental disposition and had been for quite some time. Actions like this are usually pre-meditated regardless of whether or not there is personal motive. Dr. Kelly Wilson, the founder of the Minneapolis Forensic Centre stated that “It’s a person who has fantasized about violence for years, who has been smoldering for years, and then there are a series of stressful incidents that occur, and it triggers them to act on something when they’re at the point where they are so despondent they are willing to die for it.” (2)
As a country and as a global population, I believe we need to re-evaluate our priorities and the definition of what it means to be secure. A resident of Newtown released a statement to the media saying “to those of you who love your guns, well I hope you love your children more. “This statement really hit home to a lot of people. The fact that young, innocent lives with so much potential were taken far too soon has become the trigger for what will hopefully be an avalanche of change. We cannot continue to live in a world where it is easy to commit such horrific acts; pray for Newtown, pray for change.
I am going to be writing about the event which took place in Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is very sad an unfortunate that so many young lives were taken suddenly. My condolences go out to all the families affected, and who are suffering. When I first heard about this, I could not believe it. How can someone be so cruel? I couldn’t believe someone would shoot their mother, twenty children, and six adults. It’s hard for me to even believe shooting one individual. The problem here is America’s gun laws. Regulation of guns in America, in my opinion, is not as strict as it should be. America needs stronger gun control, but political factors are in the way. Guns are too easy to get ahold of in America. The debate for guns is for personal safety. Although there are many pros to owning a gun for safety, there are many cons against it. By federal law, when buying from a licensed dealer — in-state or out-of-state, in-person or online — you are subject to a background check. [1] Yes it requires a background check; but criminals may not have a federal background. Someone who has no background can easily be a criminal. In many states, handguns and assault rifles can be locally purchased from individuals within the state and without a background check as long as they are 21 years old or older. [1] This is frightful, because it is so easy to buy a gun. Anyone over the age of twenty-one can go out and purchase a gun. They can easily use this gun wherever, or whenever they feel. Also, anyone who has been able to purchase a gun due to clean background check can sell it to a criminal and earn a large amount of money. Since 1999, there have been over 30 major shootings in the states. [2] If this doesn’t make the Government think twice about the gun regulations, I don’t know what will. This is thirty times too many. Many people defend the shooters stating they have mental disabilities Yes this may be true, and they may not understand like we do. The excuse of mental problems isn’t what we should worry about; I think it is all about the law for guns. The 314 million people of the United States between them owned an estimated 270 million civilian firearms in 2007, according to an international study of gun ownership, the Small Arms Survey. [3] This is a very important issue, and I feel citizens of America should worry about this law. The problem with this law needs to be addressed, and changed. Maybe if it was not so easy to purchase a gun, all these shootings wouldn’t happen. Not only major shootings, but also daily shootings. Benji's statistic of approximately 9,000 dying each year from guns is scary to know. Maybe after the shooting in Connecticut, the state will think about changing their gun laws to make America a safer place for all. [1]http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/6896 [2]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9414540/A-history-of-mass-shootings-in-the-US-since-Columbine.html [3] http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0728/1224320935172.html
I agree with you Leah, i do not think that mental illness, as terrible as it is, an excuse. It's awful that children, teachers and his own mother had to die because of HIS own issues. I also think gun laws need to be stricter. Guns do not need to be eliminated; they just need to be properly regulated. You do not need to have seven guns in your house for "protection".
This is my weekly post: I can guarantee that every child and parent in the world hugged each other a little tighter that night. We complain about so many things that we have no use to use after they are gone such as; cell phones, technological devices, clothes, sports apparel, school marks, etc;. All of those you can change or replace, but you cant replace the one thing closet to your heart, your son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, and any other close family members or friends. I think we all need to take a moment sometimes and remember when were feeling "down in the dumps", think about that mother who’s 6 year old son wrote her a note saying how much he loved her and that he was sorry for everything he did bad before he was murdered. His letter stated "I love you Mom, I am happy and well, sorry for not being good if I ever was bad. I will love you forever from heaven Love: Brian". Now think about what that mom thinks about every second of the day, her lost son. So remember when your cell phone breaks or you get a bad mark on a test, there are worse tragedies in the world such as this.
ReplyDeleteI feel that President Obama really needs to look into the "American Gun Law",like how many of these massacres is it going to take from Columbine, Colorado to the Cinema shooting in North Aurora, Illinois and now to this shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Like Americans let the government hear your voice, "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" these incidents do not prove one bit you are "Land of the Brave". America is known as a world super power and are always involved in any world conflict, you say you want countries to look up to you ,but how do they look up to you when 110,215 of American people are shot and killed every year.
The world understands that the United States of American is a gun culture, but for the safely of people in America especially future leaders of the country(children).I think we can all agree the gun law needs to be changed.
“Lord God, source and destiny of our lives, in Your loving providence You gave us (Name) to grow in wisdom, age, and grace. Now You have called him/her to Yourself. We grieve over the loss of one so young and struggle to understand Your purpose. Draw him/her to Yourself and give him/her full stature in Christ. May he/she stand with all the angels and saints, who know Your love and praise Your saving will. Amen.”
1)http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/childdies.htm
2)https://twitter.com/
3)www.cnn.com/2012/.../connecticut...shooting/index.htm... - United States
I agree with you that Obama needs to look into "gun laws" however if residents of America were not aloud guns there would still unfortunately find ways to kill people such a stabbing. The saying "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is exactly what is the problem, guns are not the problem it is the people who create these tragedies that need to be dealt with. I do agree though that guns in the states should not be able to be acquired as easily as they are.
DeleteThis is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteOn Friday December 14th 2012, there was not one but two tragic events happen. They both involved a suspect entering public schools and harming the individuals inside the school. One event was in Chenpeng village which is in the southern province of Guangxi, China.(3) The second attack was at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.(2) There are some similarities between the two but also some huge differences. The main difference is in Newtown the suspect used a gun, while in Chenpeng the suspect used a knife.(1,3)
I know most of us were not aware of the attack in Chenpeng, since our North American media is only talking about Newtown but this chinese attack is just has horrific. On early friday morning a man walked into an chinese elementary school and starting attacking students with a knife.(1,3) The 36-year-old man named Min Yingjun(1) wounded 22 kids and an 85-year-old woman.(1,3) These knife attacks are become more common in the past 2 years.(3) China has had to deal with a rapid increas of urbanization, a growing wealth gap, and most of all a loss of most family traditions.(3) There is a quotes from Chinese police official and criminal profiler Li Meijun “Our cities are getting bigger and bigger, but families‘ capabilities for dealing with problems are weakening.”(3) Most of these outbreaks were caused by men who are mentally disturbed or distressed by personal disputes.(3) This could be connected to the weakening of family supportive systems.
The attack most of us know about because of our media is the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Well the gun man was a 20-year-old man named Adam Lanza.(2) He killed twenty-six people, twenty of them children and six adults. The police said they found him dead in a class room with a Sig Sauer. The police recovered three weapons, a .223 Bushmaster, Glock, and the Sig Sauer. These weapons where all legally bought by Adam’s mother Nancy. These three guns cost about $2,020.(4) The question is why does anybody in the states need $2,020 worth of guns. This is where we have to evaluate the gun laws in the states. In 2011 there were around 9,000 people killed from gun related murders in the states.(1) In the same year there were only 170 people killed in Germany due to guns and 150 in Canada.(1) In the United States for every 100 people about 89 of them own at least one gun.(1) For what? Protection, not likely. The next closest countries were Serbia with 58 people, Yemen 54 people, then Finland/Switzerland with 46 people. The United States has the highest death rate of gun homicides among industrialized nations with 3.12 deaths per 100,000 people.(1)
Dr. Ding Xueliang, a Harvard-educated sociologist at the University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong had many opinions on how different these two mass attacks are. Here is one quote; "The huge difference between this case and the U.S. is not the suspect, nor the situation, but the simple fact he did not have an effective weapon."(1) Adam had $2,020 worth of guns, while Min had a knife. Dr. Ding then proceeded to say the following;"In terms of the U.S., there's much easier availability of killing instruments -- rifles, machine guns, explosives -- than in nearly every other developed country,"(1) The mother of Adam Lanza was a big gun enthusiast, who owned five weapons, two handguns, two rifles and a semiautomatic rifle that is used on battlefields.(5)
I think the United States really need to set a limit on the amount of weapons one household can own, this is really becoming out of hand. China has hefty laws on gun ownership, so when these kind of attacks happen the attacker usually is not able to own a gun. Which limits the amount of people they can kill. Having to use a knife instead of a gun. Just look at the results they speak for themselves. Something needs to be done and soon to stop another attack from happening.
1- http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/15/world/asia/china-us-school-attack/index.html
Delete2- http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html
3- http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/15/not-just-sandy-hook-china-s-terrifying-knife-attacks.html
4- http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=glock&x=0&y=0
5- http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/121216/nancy-lanza-gun-enthusiast-taught-her-son-how-sh
This is my weekly post... (Connecticut Shooting)
ReplyDeleteI want to start off with saying this was truly a tragedy. I watched the news on the weekend with my mother who was crying. She told me it’s hard for me to understand, but losing a child is every parent’s nightmare. I don’t have a child so I can’t imagine the pain these parents are going through, but I sympathize deeply with them.
I would like to speak about the root issue here- proper treatment for mental illness. Gun control is the secondary issue; it is not the cause of these deaths. Yes, guns killed these innocent children, but wasn’t it a man who pulled the trigger?
This was the 2nd largest school shooting in American history. (1) It takes a very disturbed individual to commit this act. People described the shooter, Adam Lanza, as goth, a genius, and remote. (2) Officials and family members speculate that Adam had a personality disorder, though this cannot be certain anymore, so the diagnosis remains a speculation.
This was an extreme act, and events like this do not happen suddenly. There had to be warning signs, as there was in the Columbine massacre. The signs are often ignored though, because it is easier for people to ignore them than accept somebody is actually sick. Unfortunately people are still very ignorant of mental illnesses and people with mental illnesses are looked down upon. They’re called crazy, weirdos, and wackos. Mental illness is still something to be ashamed of in our culture. If help was offered more widely, and without prejudice, people can be helped before they take extreme measures like this.
Though, this being said, I would like to also stress the point people with mental illnesses are not monsters. They are not ticking time bombs that can explode at any minute. With the proper treatment they can function healthily.
I am not disputing that stricter gun laws would definitely be beneficial to America, I agree with that. But I think the people are focusing on the wrong issue here. We need adequate facilities in place for people with mental illness, so events like these don’t happen in the future.
1) http://www.10news.com/news/portrait-begins-to-surface-of-connecticut-shooting-suspects-family12162012
2) http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/15/conn-gunman-recalled-as-intelligent-but-remote/
The new way of looking into this shooting is a very good way to put it. Mental illness should indeed be something that we all take into consideration and not just assume someone is a terrible person for doing all of these things. Mental illness is something that truly needs to be addressed by countries all over the world not just America. Good job Kails
DeleteThis shooting was a major travesty and no child or adult deserves to die this way. Not only did this individual kill children he killed heroes that acted on courage for not only themselves but for people around them. Victoria Soto is a perfect example of selflessness and bravery. Mrs Soto was a 27 year old woman who rushed her students into a closet and told the killer that they were in the gym. She was one of the women that was killed that day however her students were left un harmed. She used courage and put herself between the murder and her children and sacrificed her life. I believe this world is a sick and twisted place, not only after this tragedy occurred, the families of the lost victims were morning the deaths a bomb threat was sent to the church. In my opinion people have to have a mental sickness to do something like this
ReplyDeleteThe US government needs to realize these tragedies are not coincidence the gun laws in America need to be looked at and reinforced. 2)Number of Murders, United States, 2010: 12,996
Number of Murders by Firearms, US, 2010: 8,775
Number of Murders, Britain, 2011*: 638
(Since Britain’s population is 1/5 that of US, this is equivalent to 3,095 US murders)
Number of Murders by firearms, Britain, 2011*: 58
(equivalent to 290 US murders)
Number of Murders by crossbow in Britain, 2011*: 2 (equivalent to 10 US murders).
This is why i believe America to be the scariest place on earth. If I was a resident of the states I would never feel safe.
1) http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20656736_20657003,00.html
2) http://www.juancole.com/2012/07/58-murders-a-year-by-firearms-in-britain-8775-in-us.html
This is my weekly post:
ReplyDeleteWhat has our world come to? It has become a place that I personally deem unsafe for most of our citizens. Hearing about this awful tragedy in fourth period on Friday struck a nerve in me. How could someone do this? It seems as if in our day-en age the people who commit the crimes are remembered so much more than those who have lost their lives. I am going to Florida this Saturday and after hearing this news I could not be more terrified. The names of the Columbine shooters will never be forgotten, but what about those victims? Adam Lanza, this is now a name that will not be forgotten. 26 people are killed at Sandy Hook elementary school with 20 of those fatalities being children. (1) This is now the second deadliest school shooting in the U.S. This tragedy has struck not only the hearts of Americans but the hearts of everyone around the globe. A topic had come up earlier in our course about gun control. The United States had been proven to be extremely lenient with their gun control however many people did not see such a problem with this leniency.(2) If there were more laws put into place these tragedies could be avoided. Many Americans create the argument that firearms are purchased for their safety. While I do understand this point, I do not understand as to why they are willing to put their own children and the children of many others at risk by allowing such easily accessible guns. In the state of Connecticut there isn't even a registration needed to purchase a hand gun. (3)
While Obama was clearly distraught when addressing the country, it is still a normal attitude on being skeptic of the American President. His statement of, "We’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics," was seen by some as too timid. (4) In order to keep the citizens of the United states of America safe there needs to be drastic changes in the gun laws. It should not be as easy as going into any little store and simply purchasing a gun without any paperwork. I believe that if the United States keeps on this track of negligence they will not only experience more tragedies, they will also drastically lose ties with other countries in the trade industry. As I stated earlier, I am going to Florida this weekend and it terrifies me as for the thought that I am going the day after the "world ends". The fact that the news has been talking about mass suicides by some Apocalypse believers as well as now having school shootings is terrifying. The thought of how many of these people could have guns and turn them on anyone is scary. It almost brings me to say that I wish I could wait until it is all cleared up before heading down there.
The United States has had many instances where they have experienced tragedies with school shootings and other mass murders. If their gun control laws are not changed and brought under control they will lose more innocent souls, their tourism industry and their credibility as a safe country. We must stop glorifying these murderers and bring true justice to those families that are suffering. Rest In Peace all who have died in any type of shooting in America.
References:
1.http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_United_States
3.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_(by_state)#Connecticut
4. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/us/politics/obamas-reaction-to-connecticut-shooting-sets-stage-for-gun-debate.html?_r=0
This is my weekly post. I wish to circulate this blog post around the events that took place this week in Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is absolutely horrific and incredibly tragic that twenty six innocent lives were lost in such a violent and relentless manner. My condolences and prayers go out to each of the families suffering loss and heartache and to the people of Newtown as a whole. This shooting has hopefully served to be an eye opener to the United States and the world as a message of the repercussions derived from easy gun accessibility. In my opinion, this event has been the product of two issues: calls for tougher gun laws and mental health care.
ReplyDeleteGuns are becoming increasingly easier to access in many states in America. Although some feel that this enables people to secure their own safety, it also makes it far easier to access guns for not so chivalrous reasons. In this case for example, the guns that were used in the shooting itself were legally owned and purchased—just because something is legal doesn’t necessarily mean that it should automatically be trusted that it will be used with good intentions. “The President has come under pressure to bring in strict gun control laws after Lanza murdered 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School.” The President said: “No laws can eliminate evil from the world — but that can’t be an excuse for inaction. “Surely we can do better than this. If there is even one step we can take then we have an obligation to try. In the coming weeks I will use whatever power this office holds in an effort to prevent more tragedies like this.”(1) This speech in turn sparked a battle with the pro-gun lobby in the nation as he prepares to fight for new laws.
The second and perhaps not as obvious underlying issue here is that perhaps there ought to be better health care available to those suffering from mental health issues. Psychologists who are analyzing the shooter, Adam Lanza, believe he was suffering from sort of mental disposition and had been for quite some time. Actions like this are usually pre-meditated regardless of whether or not there is personal motive. Dr. Kelly Wilson, the founder of the Minneapolis Forensic Centre stated that “It’s a person who has fantasized about violence for years, who has been smoldering for years, and then there are a series of stressful incidents that occur, and it triggers them to act on something when they’re at the point where they are so despondent they are willing to die for it.” (2)
As a country and as a global population, I believe we need to re-evaluate our priorities and the definition of what it means to be secure. A resident of Newtown released a statement to the media saying “to those of you who love your guns, well I hope you love your children more. “This statement really hit home to a lot of people. The fact that young, innocent lives with so much potential were taken far too soon has become the trigger for what will hopefully be an avalanche of change. We cannot continue to live in a world where it is easy to commit such horrific acts; pray for Newtown, pray for change.
Sources:
(1) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4701187/Calls-for-tougher-gun-control-laws-after-Newtown-school-massacre.html#ixzz2FHMXv0VI
(2) http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/12/16/minnesota-mental-health-expert-on-connecticut-shooter/
(3) http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1302825--connecticut-school-shooting-suspect-killed-his-mother-at-their-home-before-going-on-rampage
This is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteI am going to be writing about the event which took place in Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is very sad an unfortunate that so many young lives were taken suddenly. My condolences go out to all the families affected, and who are suffering. When I first heard about this, I could not believe it. How can someone be so cruel? I couldn’t believe someone would shoot their mother, twenty children, and six adults. It’s hard for me to even believe shooting one individual. The problem here is America’s gun laws.
Regulation of guns in America, in my opinion, is not as strict as it should be. America needs stronger gun control, but political factors are in the way. Guns are too easy to get ahold of in America. The debate for guns is for personal safety. Although there are many pros to owning a gun for safety, there are many cons against it. By federal law, when buying from a licensed dealer — in-state or out-of-state, in-person or online — you are subject to a background check. [1] Yes it requires a background check; but criminals may not have a federal background. Someone who has no background can easily be a criminal. In many states, handguns and assault rifles can be locally purchased from individuals within the state and without a background check as long as they are 21 years old or older. [1] This is frightful, because it is so easy to buy a gun. Anyone over the age of twenty-one can go out and purchase a gun. They can easily use this gun wherever, or whenever they feel. Also, anyone who has been able to purchase a gun due to clean background check can sell it to a criminal and earn a large amount of money. Since 1999, there have been over 30 major shootings in the states. [2] If this doesn’t make the Government think twice about the gun regulations, I don’t know what will. This is thirty times too many.
Many people defend the shooters stating they have mental disabilities Yes this may be true, and they may not understand like we do. The excuse of mental problems isn’t what we should worry about; I think it is all about the law for guns. The 314 million people of the United States between them owned an estimated 270 million civilian firearms in 2007, according to an international study of gun ownership, the Small Arms Survey. [3] This is a very important issue, and I feel citizens of America should worry about this law. The problem with this law needs to be addressed, and changed. Maybe if it was not so easy to purchase a gun, all these shootings wouldn’t happen. Not only major shootings, but also daily shootings. Benji's statistic of approximately 9,000 dying each year from guns is scary to know. Maybe after the shooting in Connecticut, the state will think about changing their gun laws to make America a safer place for all.
[1]http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/6896
[2]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9414540/A-history-of-mass-shootings-in-the-US-since-Columbine.html
[3] http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0728/1224320935172.html
I agree with you Leah, i do not think that mental illness, as terrible as it is, an excuse. It's awful that children, teachers and his own mother had to die because of HIS own issues. I also think gun laws need to be stricter. Guns do not need to be eliminated; they just need to be properly regulated. You do not need to have seven guns in your house for "protection".
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