In a world where frustrations are ignored or attributed to authority figures, women, or circumstances beyond our control, there is much to feel frustrated about. Students feel stuck in school, at home, or in lives that demand much of them and give little in return. Adults, loners and cult followers alike, feel lost in the unresolved circumstances of their past and present. They want to affect the future. However, in the future, as in the present, and the past, people are not the focus. Folly and failed systems are.
We evaluate preventive mechanized and legal measures. We disregard the fact that these are not effective.
I propose we look at life, at our daily existence and the stresses our cultures promote. I theorize if we assess the way in which we live, the life standards we accept, then, we might be able to prevent these mass and individual tragedies.
Can we as a nation protect ourselves from aggressors? I contend, guns cannot prevent a crime. Only if we face the genuine pain that prompts their reactive behaviors will our children, our Educators, and our communities be safe.
References For Reflections . . .
- Arizona Shooting. The New York Times.
- GOP Rep. Proposes Bill Allowing Members to Carry Guns on Capitol Hill. CBS News. January 14, 2011
- After Tucson shooting, several congressmen vow to carry guns more often. By Sandhya Somashekhar. Washington Post. January 14, 2011
- 2 pols say they'll be armed back home, By Erika Lovley. Poitico. January 2, 2011
- Protecting lawmakers: Arm them? Install shields? By Charles Barrington and Donna Cassata. The Associated Press. January 11, 2011
- President's Radio Address. Office of the Press Secretary. October 7, 2006
- Clinton On School Violence. Online News Hour. April 22, 1999
- Researchers aim to understand school shootings, By Beth Potier. Harvard Gazette. May 30, 2002
- Strategies to Keep Schools Safe (Unabridged), By Alexander Volokh with Lisa Snell. Policy Study No. 234. Reason Public Policy Institute. January 1998
- Are US Schools Safe? Cable News Network.
- Wis. lawmaker wants teachers to carry guns, MSNBC News. October 5, 2006
- Survey: 1.7M kids at home with loaded guns, By Marilyn Elias. USA Today. September 6, 2005
- Wrestling For Our Children's Future, Remarks of FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani. October 12, 1999
- Timeline of incidents. School violence around the world, IndyStar.com. Updated: Oct. 2, 2006
- A pattern in rural school shootings: girls as targets, By Gail Russell Chaddock and Mark Clayton. The Christian Science Monitor October 04, 2006
- Police: School killer told wife he molested family members. Cable News Network. October 3, 2006
- Details from Colo. school shooting emerge. MSNBC. September 28, 2006
- The National Rifle Association.
- The National Rifle Association [NRA] Official Suggests Guns for Teachers. NewsMax.com Wires. Saturday, March 26, 2005
- Do We Need Zero Tolerance? Report on the Implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act in the States and Outlying Areas; School Year 2000-2001. Youth Violence Project Homepage
- Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter, By Dana Bash. Cable News Network. Monday, February 13, 2006
- Deadly School Shootings Point to Untreated Mental Problems, By Rosanne Skirble. The Voice of America. October 4, 2006
- Police: School killer told wife he molested family members, Cable News Network Story. October 3, 2006
- The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why? By Rex A. Hudson. The Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. September 1999
- Researchers Investigate Aggressive Students' Mental Health, By Michelle Trudeau. Morning Edition. August 14, 2006
- Where We Stand, Nationwide Threat Level Remains Yellow/Elevated. Transportation Security Administration ... Vigilant, Effective, Efficient. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- Domestic Security: The Homefront and War on Terrorism. Compiled by Dave Belt. Online NewsHour. March 27, 2006
- Oregon school shooter showed signs of mental disease. Cable News Network. November 5, 1999
- U.S. schools: Security by metal detector? In Los Angeles, all high schools use metal detectors. By Anne McDermott. Cable News Network Story. December 2, 1997
- Airport detectors still vulnerable to terrorists, By George Lewis. Today Show. MSNBC News. September 8, 2004
- Airports allowing two tries at metal detector. Cable News Network. Thursday, January 15, 2004
- School Violence Prevention, By Dean Walker. Clearinghouse on Educational Policy and Management. March 1995
- Isolation. Insulation. The Go-Go Garage Society and Its Islands By Betsy L. Angert. Be-Think. June 26, 2006
- Mental Illness and the Family: Stigma: Building Awareness And Understanding About Mental Illness. National Mental Health Association.
- Access to Mental Health Care. National Mental Health Association.
- Did You Know? National Mental Health Association.
- Leading the Way For Americans Mental Health. National Mental Health Association.
- Stress. Well-Connected Reports. Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Nidus Information Services.
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