Reaching Out To Any CC Members In The El Paso Area

Parent Cafe
1

I missed this terrible news earlier. So, so upsetting and tragic.
My heart goes out to anyone here on CC that lives in the area or has family in the area who must now be shocked.

I don’t know many details yet, just hearing the news but one of my first instincts on this board with people from all over the country is to extend a hand to hold.

2

Unbelievable. Tragic. Something that can have happened and still can happen to any of us.

I was just in Texas, spending a lot of time in Walmart’s, Targets, shopping centers to get my new college grad set up for his first career job. Shooter from the area we were frequenting and about the same age as my son. I’m shaken and shaking

3

And I wake up to see nine dead in my own state in Dayton overnight. :frowning:

Hard to not feel doom and a lot of distrust.

4

I saw TX last night and woke up to Dayton this morning too. It’s a scary thought knowing copycats are out there so it’s only a matter of when and where for the next one. (sigh)

I also wonder how long before “the masses” get scared and no longer go out to shop, etc, affecting the economy. Seems many got used to the various school/workplace/church shootings and went on their everyday lives even with the occasional movie theater or retail “event” tossed in. Will that happen with more frequent “everyday” places or will people hole up only going out when needed - enough to affect the economy?

Our gun culture country has never been safe compared to the rest of the first world, but will folks take note now?

Musing about the big picture for the rest of us aside my heart aches for those dead and wounded along with all their friends/relatives. It’s so needless and just plain wrong.

5

I cried this morning watching the television news. Like a lot of people I thought that I had become numb to these event, but no. I can’t comment further because well…my opinions would be “political.”

6

My partner’s extended family all live in Dayton. They’re fine but I freaked out when I heard.

Otherwise though, I stopped feeling anything a long time ago.

7

If you’re not furious, you are not paying attention.

8

If you want the laws to change, tell your representatives. Congress is in recess. Your Congress people are home in their districts for the month of August. Go to a town hall and raise this issue.

If they won’t change the law, change your representative!

9

So tragic. This world sure is a mess.

10

I’m on tap to go to a concert tonight, and I’m already feeling that tension of being in a large crowd of people. I will go, but you can bet your life I will be hyper-aware of my surroundings and those around me.

11

Hal of the 10 deadliest shootings in US history have occurred in the last 3 years.

12

I just came from a four-day national convention of people determined to change the gun laws in this country. On the train home right now. Lots ofpeople agree that the laws should change, but the issue is that we need Congress people who aren’t afraid to pass the right laws.

13

“If you’re not furious, you are not paying attention.” That’s the quote of the year. I want that t-shirt!!!

14

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-04/el-paso-dayton-gilroy-mass-shooters-data
An editorial based on research of mass shootings since 1966. I know this is behind a paywall so I’ll sum up.
They all had early childhood trauma and exposure to violence at a young age, such as physical or sexual abuse, parental suicide, neglect, domestic violence or severe bullying.
They had all had recent triggering events that caused them to become angry or despondent and suicidal.
They had studied other mass shooters. They were copycats and they had been radicalized online. Mass shootings tend to come in clusters.
They had access to the guns. School shooters took their parents guns. Others obtained them illegally.

15

Not every mass shooter had a difficult childhood. Some are seriously mentally ill and not in touch with reality.

16

It is an appalling situation and it is unlikely that any meaningful changes will occur.

17

I don’t want to get political but I am ** FURIOUS ** and in the past 3 years I have written my state and federal representatives (multiple times), called them often, gone to a gun safety legislation march, taken a class on lobbying, gone to my state legislature to ask representatives to vote against a campus carry measure and voted in every single election. I am sick and tired of this.

ETA - If anyone is interested in any of this activism, I have 2 tips:

  1. I keep a box on my desk, and it contains a stack of blank postcards (printed with my name and home address, but plain postcards would work - just be sure to hand-write your return address so legislators know you are a constituent, or even use some of those return address labels that so many charities seem to send out with solicitations), a roll of postcard stamps and 2 full sheets of avery address labels that I printed out with my senator's DC addresses. I keep the box handy because it's super-easy to reach in, stick a label and stamp on and write a few sentences about how I would like for them to vote on various issues that arise.
  2. I also looked up my senators' phone numbers and put them in my phone contacts. Sometimes when I am stuck in traffic I will call one or both and express my opinion.
18

The lobbyist have taken over our government. My Lt Govenor just blamed the shootings on video games. I hate to get political on this forum. Prayers to all of those who are effected by these violent acts,

19

I agree there are some people that should not have guns, my ex-husband is one of them. Many of them have not committed crimes and would pass a background check, the problem is how to pinpoint those people and keep guns away from them. Allowing access to mental health records would seem to help in some cases, but then you get into the area of privacy concerns and patient privilege, so I’m not sure how you can figure out who those people are. How do you know someone is dangerous and stop them before they have gone off the deep end?

20

If they have a list of people they’d like to rape and kill; if they say or post frequently that they want to kill people; if they’ve abused a spouse, child, or other family member – it’d be a first step.