Video: Himes Speaks on House Floor About Tragedy in Newtown

concerned citizen December 18, 2012 at 01:00 pm

It has to start with looking at our mental health system and changing laws that prevent families from getting the help they need for their sons. Lets face it.. It is men committing these crimes. We need to help them before this happens again.

concerned citizen December 18, 2012 at 02:20 pm

Panic buttons in main office and in in every classroom should be installed to not only sound school lockdown alarm but alert police immediately. And I am not sure if principal should have gun in office for self defense. On fence about that. This can't happen again.

Erich Bruhn December 18, 2012 at 05:21 pm

Hopefully this recent tragidy has finally awakened us to the need for change. I feel we need to revisit our laws and support activities in three main areas. The mental health side, the societal side with the proliferation of violence in games, TV, and movies and the access to guns. Put these three together and we have the mass shootings these past years. We should also research other countries who's citizens own guns, but do not experience similar acts of violence. Canada and Australia come to mind. Both had incidents in their pasts which resulted in new or changed laws. Both have experienced dramatic improvement. Also upsetting is the emotional speeches from our politicians these days. Where have they been these last two, four, eight, ten years? Where are their bills? Why are past bills locked up in committee? We passed a law restricting assault weapons in 1994 only to let it die in 2004? Why? We all know why! I find most of these political speeches more than a bit hypocritical. One thing we can all do is contact our Representatives and tell them, enough talk, we want to see some action! This time we will not forget what they do or how they vote. I'm not suggesting we alter the Constitution, but we need to make some adjustments to our laws to accommodate our current society. Make you voice heard!

Hector Medina December 18, 2012 at 06:30 pm

For ONCE a politician gets it right:
". . . a country that has raised violence to a secular religion . . . " THIS is the issue. The US is a violence-worshipping society. In every aspect of its social and economic life violence is rewarded. If you look for a job, recruiters are looking for "aggressive" candidates. If you are a salesman, it is "salesmanship" to sell a junk car for good money. If you are a banker, you are rewarded with golden pensions / retirements for erasing the lifelong savings of your customers. We pay huge fees and salaries to actors and actresses that depict pure violence on screens. We pay inordinate amounts of money, collectively, for violent video-games. We admire those that "make it to the top" for being greedy, ambitious and . . . violent. Perhaps not in a physical way, but there is violence in pushing everyone aside to get "to the top". ¿And Sports? Ha! There is violence in our foreign policy where we let thousands die in Africa, but commit to regional wars in the Middle East. There is violence in our political campaign ads that do more than tell the facts. They are aimed at destroying the moral standing of the opponent. There is violence in the stridency of our marketing industry. And we reward all that. We reward violence. Don't expect the politicians to legislate on such subjects. Start with the person in the mirror. Analyze EVERY action YOU take and start reducing the violence in YOUR life. ONLY way to change.

Alison Mark December 20, 2012 at 12:31 am

Mental health awareness and support must be more seriously addressed by this country. Adam Lanza's mother attempted to manage his illness but she was not equipped. We have not yet heard that mental health professionals worked with the son even though he was diagnosed as a child. In addition, of course, is the issue of easy access to semi-automatic weapons. Why does the law allow semi-automatic weapons to be legally purchased in the U.S.? What is the benefit?