Sandy Hook Massacre is not Isolated It's Part of Something that's Systemic
Part of the challenge before us is to move this of this national conversation away from seeing these acts of violence as isolated, out of the ordinary occurrences and see them as systemic. This is not comfortable for many to do. The reason being is that when you look at mass shootings from a systemic level it calls into question our actions or lack of actions.
As always, Davey D says it way better than I could. Check out this article and part I as he breaks down all things wrong with the Newtown school shootings, the culture of violence and the way the media tries to sell it to the public.
Good post by Davy D. I like his writing. I don’t know what to say about this. I think I say pretty much how I felt about this in my previous statements. But this is so very sad. But I still feel that mental health in America needs to be addressed . Black Americans really need help and must not be afraid to say that they need help. I don’t know what the answer is where guns and violence in our culture is concerned. So now it’s about the Aspergers syndrome and autism. This is what the gunman was suffering from. I still can’t help thinking if the gunman was African American would all these talking heads on the news media and radio talk shows be trying to analyze and study. I think I know the answer to this question, NO. He would just be a dead black guy.
Good points.
*I think I said* typo
Davy has some really good posts. I just recently discovered his blog.
Oneglaring issue that i am seeing is society’s inability to address those who are mentally ill… if this hasn’t already been addressed
There are no laws in place to protect people from ticking time bombs
You’re right. It’s an issue that doesn’t get addressed as it should.
Speaking of mental health in America. They just built a mental health and behavioral center in my neighborhood. Now I see many white folks in my neighborhood that are going there. I have so many questions about this. It is a good thing because we need this service, but why didn’t they place this facility in the white neighborhood? My guess is whites feel these individuals especially the white ones are misfits and a bad look for their community. What are your thoughts Brotha Wolf?
That could be a reason. It could tarnish their image of a white utopian suburbia.
Dealing with a mentally unstable person is challenging–in fact family members of a mentally unstable person need counseling themselves in order to learn how to deal with the person…
Many parents of mentally ill young adults feel very helpless and are usually in denial thinking that eventually there child will “come around”…usually most mentally ill are not violent, but it really depends on the type of psychosis that the person has. Adam Lanza may have been mentally unstable, but there is no way of knowing for sure now. His mother being a gun enthusiast perhaps exacerbated any thing that was going on with him. She herself seemed like she was suffering from paranoia to have assault weapons in her home.
Besides that, unless a mentally unstable person is seen as someone who is not “functional” (not showering, not taking care of their appearance,missing work unexplained or engaging in bizarre public behavior) nothing can be done. My point is that many mentally unstable people give the appearance of being “functional”–they may be good at their jobs, good students etc and Adam Lanza seemed like that to people–maybe a bit quirky–but nothing major. It wasn’t until he ticked that people were able to piece together that something was “wrong”.
I remember seeing a pbs special about what other countries do with their mentally ill–in i think it was Burma, the families of a mentally ill person are allowed to deal with it in their own way. One family of a 19 year old man who was schizophrenic was kept locked away in sorta of cage outside their home. It was big enough to house his bed, personals and other things. The family said it was the only thing they could think of to protect him and themselves if he should flip out. I guess i do not blame them. I do not believe that an entire society can be jeopardized for one person who cannot be responsible for their actions.
I am not suggesting that people take their approach but in the case of this school shooting, Adam Lanza came at the expense of a society. You can talk about gun control all day long, but until real laws are written up and carried out that concern the mentally ill, then there are plenty of ticking time bombs waiting to happen and then once it does, the rest of society will have survivors guilt always asking the question “how could this have been prevented?” or “why didn’t we see the signs”.
I think this is the most i have written on this shooting.
Brotha Wolf,
Loosing a child has got to be the hardest trial that any adult will ever face. However it seems to me that this trial is getting a little more publicity than others and the only reason I can think to explain it is who these kids where and where it happened. Every child murdered should be giving equal status. There should never be any excuses for the killers behavior and the nation should be called to be held accountable. For EVERY child killed senselessly. But this is not the case. Hundreds of kids have died this year alone in the inner city of damn near every major city in this country and not a peep has been said about gun control. Now..because of this senseless tragedy…The whole country wants gun reform. Really? Where was the gun reform cry 299 murders ago in Baltimore? Or the 320 gun shot murders in Chicago? Or the hundreds in Oakland? All the people murdered where somebodies children…but as is the case in this great country of ours….Those deaths don’t matter. I hate that those children were killed by that fucking coward…And I hope the families can find a way to move forward..and I am also glad that we don’t have to endure a long bullshit ass trial for the bastard that took the cowardly way out, but it is amazing to me that the deaths of innocent White children can get the whole nation in an uproar; but the the deaths of innocent Black and Hispanic kids is just business as usual. This is just my opinion. And I hope that my opinion does not come off as being indifferent to the Parents up in Connecticut. This is not my intent. But I smell bullshit Wolf.
Excellent points. That’s the whole nexus of this problem. Lives in this society are valued by the color of their skin.