Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School

Betty, Anderson Cooper just said a few minutes ago he wouldn't be saying the name again. Unless I misunderstood, that is. But he went on to say he doesn't want his name to become a household name...that we all know it by now so there isn't a need to keep repeating it. He instead wants to focus on the victims.

I just cannot imagine being his father. Just breaks my heart. To know you son did these things. To lose your ex-wife and your son and life as you knew it...there are no words. And then for your son's name to become the one no one wants to speak? How terribly, terribly sad.

 

CNN released the names:
Charlotte, 6
Daniel, 7
Rachel Davino, 29
Olivia, 6
Josephine, 7
Ana, 6
Dylan, 6
Dawn Hocksprung, 47
Madeleine, 6
Catherine, 6
Chase, 7
Jesse, 6
James, 6
Grace, 7
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack, 6
Noah, 6
Caroline, 6
Jessica, 6
Avielle, 6
Lauren Russeau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Victoria Soto, 27
Benjamin, 6
Allison, 6

It's going to be really tough when they start to show faces.

 

They've shown Emilie's and her father spoke...

 

I thought his words were wonderful. I can only hope that the other families involved in this are as strong as his seems to be.

 

He said the same thing last night and then every correspondent they went to mentioned his name. :unsure:

I can't watch the coverage anymore-the media makes me too mad. They were interviewing the librarian and just bombarding her with questions, she couldn't even finish a sentence. And then the experts speculating on what might have happened-if you don't have actual information, don't do a report. Grrrr.

 

Kinder- I'm with you.. I have read some stuff, but to watch them interview people who have been devastated is hard to do.

 

I like knowing the names. I will focus prayers on each one. I want to see each one as a loved son or daughter, not just as one of twenty. I was the same way about 9/11. I just pray the media leaves them alone .

 

That's different. If parents choose to share, they will certainly be given the media attention.

I think it is wrong to just publish that information about minor children without parental permission.

And yes, after VT, we all hated seeing Cho all over the news, and we wanted our friends and professors remembered, but not all families wanted that done in full media glare. Not to me iron how file the media was to us. We had to form a wall of sorts around campus. I was at the candlelight vigil with a friend who lost her dance partner. She was in tears and a mess and media kept trying to stick cameras in her face and asking "how she felt." I really don't want these families going through that.

 

The names would have gotten out anyway, whether through obituaries or just plain word of mouth. Funerals for 6- and 7-year-olds don't go unnoticed. In my opinion, it's better to have an official list than rumors. For all we know, each parent gave consent (though I don't know if they have to).

Regardless, I do hope the media respects the privacy of the families as they were asked to do by Lt. Vance.

 

I don't know if I agree with releasing the names of the children either

BUT

it does put a name and a face on the victims, they are not just 20 kids killed.

 

It's so sad to see the names - but it feels like a place to start honoring them and holding their families in the light.

 

I'd rather see the names of the victims than the shooter's. His names already has been mentioned over and over again, i don't want to hear it. To me he's the shooter, someone who doesn't deserve to be named. The victims, however truly deserve to be remembered and thought about.

One of the teachers killed was a substitute teacher. I wonder how the teacher she replaced feels. I can't imagine. I would feel that I'm incredibly lucky to be alive, but I would feel so guilty, that I was supposed to be there, and now someone else died for me. I don't know how I would move on from that. And of course, there's a big chance that the students in that classroom died as well It's just terrible. This whole thing is terrible, there are no words.

 

I don't know how I feel about releasing names either, but like others have said, I'd rather read those names then the killer's name. I can't read any more of the news on this though. It brings tears to my eyes every time.

 

This.

 

It is ALL exploitation if you ask me. From the piano music themed fade aways to commercial, to the sensationalist reporting, to even the "hero" talk... (I'm not discounting the heroism. I'm just talking about as it relates to the TV production.) I hate it all. Just thinking of the first hours of "reporting", all the misinformation (the guy's name, the mother was a teacher)... all in the name of being first.

Then you have the righteous hosts injecting their lip-service, their words that are so hollow... to me, it's shameful.

 

I think most of the hosts are pretty sincere. Who wouldn't be affected by this?

 

I cannot completely disregard the shooter. I will not use his name but I do have concern as to what could push a person to go off on a killing rampage. We cannot bring back the children but maybe we can stop the next one. We were "lucky" with the Tucson AZ. and Aurora CO. shootings the shooter can be "studied" because they did not commit suicide.
Much like a drunk should not drive, so should a person with a major psychopathic disorder not be near weapons, knifes, blunt instruments, cars, guns and explosives, the first three are easy to get, the last one is not easy and. a gun does have a few road blocks. So it seems that if a person wants to kill they will find something to use.

We need to step up on mental health care. There is such a dark shadow over mental health care patients. We need to congratulate people who seek mental health care not shun them. Kids need copping skills when it comes to bullying, not "100% protection," but when it comes to the normal trials and tribulations of growing up we need to give them the tools to deal with them. The "we" I am talking about is the team: parents, school, extended family, faith organization (if it is involved) and the child. We have to go beyond the "Not my child" and "I didn't do it" mentalities.

We all have a dog in this fight. Remember the This is not your father's "good ole days." Whether we like it or not society has changed we have more divorces, alternative life styles, enlightened health care, more Wealth and a larger middle class.
It has to be an all inclusive movement. There are many band-aid approaches but we need whole "body" care.

 

But for a person with a mental condition, what are the road blocks to obtaining a gun so long as they haven't already committed a crime?

 

I said "few"
As a gun owner I feel they should have to be instructed in gun safety much like we do with driver licenses.

 

I do agree that requiring all gun owners to obtain and maintain a gun safety permit is essential. Having said that, though, I don't think that would do a thing to prevent a mentally ill or unstable person from doing what happened last week. I really don't know if there's a workable solution here, but I do think that it's time for a discussion and some brainstorming.

 

I know...I was asking what those few road blocks are.

 

You know what is getting to me? Why it's LEGAL to own a semi automatic weapon... I mean I get gun ownership, but of a semi automatic? There's no need to own a gun like that... Not a civilian anyway. I know they were his mothers, but still...

It's just too much that built up to this situation.

I've also heard the mother was not a teacher at all, so he truly came to that school at random.

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To see the photos, names, and ages of those babies and the brave adults that day definitely put things into perspective. Sadness in my heart for them, their families.

It goes to show everyday is not a guarantee, live life as best as you can!

 

My mother worked in the newspaper business for a long time -- the have a saying:

"If it bleeds, it leads."

Though I do think a lot of the hosts are really sincere when it comes to children dying, the industry on the whole is extremely callous, and I wouldn't discount the possibility that at least some of them are knowingly exploiting the tragedy.