Forum Activity for @harold-powell

Yes (it was that Hagel--unfortunately for him at this point in his career) and there are those in the opposite wing who think the Newtown killer is just another Herschel Grynszpan.

Despots know that the public wants simple answers to complex problems. It's one of the certainties in life.

We say: Let's do something even if it's wrong or ineffectual. I will say this: I've yet to hear of anyone wearing a foil hat that has been subsequently abducted by aliens. So, maybe we should all just dutifully put on the foil hats (freely offered by our politicians) and make believe all is well on planet Earth.

Ceri, this is the initial Iranian article I found blaming the massacre on Israeli death squads.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/12/18/278706/israeli-squads-tied-to-newtown-carnage/

Notice the .ir top-level domain extension which is assigned to Iran. The writer has acommendablecommand of the English language and quotes American sources (probably out of context).

The article also blames the massacre of the 77 school children in Norway on Israel.

Within 24 hours of the killings I read an article originating in the Middle East claiming that an Israeli Death Squad was behind the killings. According to the writer of this article thismassacrewas done to coerce Obama into increasing funding for Israel. As outlandish as it sounds I guarantee you that there are millions of radical Islamists who believe it.

But one thing bother me. Why are we told that we must wait several months for official findings? I realize there's lots of bureaucratic red-tape which must be observed, but, I should think that many of the questions surrounding this tragedy were known within hours; yet the public is told it must wait. This is always the case in airline crashes, too. It seems unwarranted. In my opinion this only invites conspiracy theories. A simple caveat introducing preliminary findings would suffice: This is what we know so far.

I do think that the public has a right to know why the school was locked down before the shootings. Had the mother, a former employee, warned the school that her son was threatening outlandish things? Whatpsychotropicdrugs were being prescribed to the perp? Some of these drugs come with warnings sayings "this drug can cause suicidal and homicidal thoughts in some patients." Was the perp taking such a drug? If so, I think the parents of other children who are being given the same drug need to know! Did compliance with the HIPPA law prevent his mental health caregivers from notifyingauthorities of potential problems? Do we need to rethink the shroud of secrecy surrounding mental illness? If mentally ill individuals and convicted felons (frequently one and the same) are barred from possessing firearms what good is it if another law prohibits disclosure of said problems? Do we need to re-examine the legal process surrounding thecommittalof an individual to a mental institution? Is it absolutely necessary to notify a suicidal or homicidal individual in writing then prolong the process with weeks or months of scheduled hearings to individuals who could potentially lose their freedom?Can there be proper safeguards for all concerned without trampling underfoot the rights of an individual?

Instead, the public is told: You must wait. That in itself seems like an invitation for conspiracy theorists to fill thevacuum.

I've been to Kennesaw, Georgia many times. It's a very beautiful little town just north of Atlanta nestled in the pines at the foot of Mount Kennesaw. It was the site of the last stand of Confederate defenders of Atlanta as Sherman marched toward the prize. After the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain he razed Atlanta to the ground. I suspect the murder rate in Cobb county is much greater than the national average but I also suspect it is lower in Marrietta, Kennesaw and other smaller suburbs surrounding modern day City of Atlanta.

The FBI says that the murder rate for my state, Missouri, is 2.0 per 100,000. Missouri is about the size of West Germany (before reunification) and when you exclude the two largest metropolitan areas--St. Louis and Kansas City--it is actually as safe here as it is in much of Western Europe. The UK, for instance, has a murder rate of 1.2 per 100,000.

That said, the NRA's suggestion that every school should have armed guards ranks up there as one of the dumbest things I've ever heard! Even the President scoffed at it! This, in spite of the fact that the school he chose for his daughters boasted that it is safe and secure with a staff of 11 armed guards on duty at all times. In all fairness, though, I suppose if I lived in Washington D.C., Chicago, or Midsomer County in England I might want that too.

Isn't it! I did a check to see if that medical condition actually exists. It's called CIP and extremely rare. I once saw an X-Files episode about it but thought it was just a fictional condition.

Allegedly this young man could not feel physical pain. One of his former electronics teachers said he had to monitor the student when solderingcomponentson a motherboard because he could easily burn himself without knowing it. Supposedly his mother had decided that he should be institutionalized and had begun the legal process of gettingconservatorship over him.

Makers of violent video games and Hollywood itself have come under fire in the wake of the senseless massacre in Newtown.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/19/us-usa-shooting-connecticut-entertainmen-idUSBRE8BI1LU20121219

Reportedly the CT perpetrator was an avid "Call to Duty" gamer and spent hours upon hours in seclusion playing these games.

Here's a sample of "Call to Duty" (strong caution - viewer beware). I'm not going to embed the video because I find it too creepy but here's the link:

Obviously video games and violent movies don't kill people but can a rational person discount the claim that these very realistic simulators might spawn or nurture ideas? Every horrible crime begins with an idea.

I think it's worth consideration.

Thanks Gaynor, I wish I could read the entire article but I understand why newspapers are doing this. Even our local newspaper has gone to a subscription service on some articles.

Also, shamefully, I admit I had completely forgotten about the Dunblane shootings--which is part of the problem, I think. Immediately after the most recent massacre in CT I was trying to remember when and how many children the Norway shooter killed. I am embarrassed to say I had to look it up. How quickly we (or at least I) forget the details.

Poor squirrels. They must be extremely dangerous out on the Left Coast.

Ceri, I don't know about Oregon's hunting laws but in Missouri a shotgun is limited to 4 rounds (one in the chamber, 3 in the magazine). A deer rifle is limited to 11 rounds (1 and 10). Any more than that and a hunter can be fined and/or lose his gun. A rifle with a 100 round magazine would not be useful for anything other than hanging on the wall as a decoration (if you're in to that sort of thing) or, as you say, using it for illegal purposes.