...I don't have much: it is a tragedy. There'll not be much disagreement with that, all across the political spectrum.
I will point out that a 16-year-old in unsupervised possession of a firearm is illegal in Ohio. It's illegal under both state and Federal law for someone that age to buy a gun; it's illegal to sell a gun to them and it's illegal to have it in a school. It's illegal to shoot people who are not presenting a threat and Ohio even has very specific laws about unsafe discharge of a gun on school property.
Seems unlikely that one more law would have prevented this terrible crime. You do have to wonder, though, if one more real friend might have: the shooter is being described as a "quiet loner," as so many are. Social isolation seems to be a frequent precursor ingredient in this kind of behavior. --Smile at a stranger and say "Hi" today; it might not help but it is unlikely to hurt.
Being a loner and a killer are both rooted in the biochemistry of the brain. I did a couple of posts on this a while back:
ReplyDeletehttp://street-pharmacy.blogspot.com/2012/02/killers-biology-and-control.html
But, they have to point at the eeeevil gun because they ignored the bullying, ignored a tip more than a month ago about a post on the miscreant's web page AND ignored another tip several days prior. Yeah, it's the gun's fault.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the "he needed a friend" idea is that only an insane person would really want to be the friend of a psychopath. Sometimes people are angry outcast loners because they are assholes to everyone. Sometimes shunning someone is a rational reaction.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! As Terry Pratchett so ably described:
ReplyDelete"It was said later that he came under bad influences at this stage. But the secret of the history
of Edward d'Eath was that he came under no outside influences at all, unless you count all
those dead kings. He just came under the influence of himself.
That's where people get it wrong. Individuals aren't naturally paid-up members of the human
race, except biologically. They need to be bounced around by the Brownian motion of
society, which is a mechanism by which human beings constantly remind one another that
they are . . . well . . . human beings."
(Men At Arms)
As you say, a friend or even someone bothering to notice may have made all the difference. On the other hand it may not, there are 'bad' people out there.
My thoughts are with the families. I also hope the antis can for once restrain themselves from 'using the graves of innocents as a pulpit' - not holding my breath.
From a Local Perspective (Chardon's about 30-40 minutes drive from my House), here's some more info. Turns out the Shooter was already in a "Diversionary Program" program for "At-Risk" students. He was just waiting for the Bus to transport him from Chardon to the Lake Academy in Willoughby, Ohio, where a bunch of these "At-Risk" Kids go to school.
ReplyDeleteSome of the kids at Chardon High said he was a "Loner", others said he had friends. It also turns out that his Family is messed up, with his Divorced Father being in and out of Prison, who knows where his Mom is, and I think he was living with his Grandparents.
Bottom Line: Everything that was Legal and Lawful and Helpful that the "System" had to get this kid Squared Away was in place, until he decided to use a Gun to solve a Problem. And now a second kid has died from the Actions of this Shooter.
But if the Brady's want to argue that "We Need Tougher Gun Laws," I want to know why the "System" that they helped to Build FAILS every single time in these kinds of Incidents.
No law has ever stopped a crime.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I hear the words "there ought to be a law" in my head, I cringe.
In a moral society where people actually respected others rights, no laws would be necessary at all.
Could the kid have been stopped? Maybe.
From what I have read, it was a teen with his uncles .22. Not just a murdering person, a stealing one, also. Hmmmm, I don't like thieves who murder people. And no.....I won't go there. Ms. Bobbie, I am trying to be polite. I am not good at that.
ReplyDelete