These incidents are our true national emergency.
@soozievt , that’s exactly what the speaker said yesterday. Prescient.
@Marilyn…I had seen that. So, it is not like my own original thought. Sadly, however, it is what many of us believe to be true.
I don’t understand it, the desire to kill others, anyone who just happens to be there. Such complete selfishness. All the other families they have to destroy.
My dad travels around the midwest to work at various photo things. He got into Aurora this morning for a shoot.
I got the alert on my phone while I was working in the archives and just started shaking. After some back and forth with my parents and sister, we found out he was ok and not near it.
I screenshoted our conversation (I really did not want to type the story out) to let my sisters-in-law (who I’m staying with- one of whom is from near Aurora) know what was happening and that I’d be home early.
I sent the same screenshot to one of my good friends in England and said “in case you ever wondered what life was like on this side of the pond…”
So sad. My heart breaks for the community.
(Then I feel good to live where guns are illegal, tbh)
We live in a culture that enjoys violence, shootings, and weapons for entertainment in movies, television and video games. Then we are shocked and surprised when this behavior makes its way into reality. We are now raising a generation that spends hours upon hours simulating killing as they play video games. Is this really such a shock?
It no longer shocks me. In fact, I’m more surprised when there’s a day without a mass shooting than when there’s a day with one.
While I agree with you, this guy was 45 years old. Unless you consider space invaders and centipede “violent” he doesn’t really fit that profile.
But he was a convicted felon – aggravated assault in Mississippi. Was illegal for him to have a gun.
Deceased victims: HR manager; HR intern (also a college student) mold operator; forklift operator; plant manager.
None of the police officers’ injuries are considered to be life threatening.
Our culture does appear to devalue the gift of life.
One of the victims: Trevor Wehner, of DeKalb, Ill., a human resources intern and student at Northern Illinois University. Friday was his first day interning.
So. Very. Sad.
My heart goes out thinking of the sadness his family/friends are going through right now. “If only he had waited to start Monday.” It’s horrid for all, but when you have that timing, there’s an extra dimension.
I’m with those who consider these types of events (and all the daily shootings that only make local news - everywhere) to be our National Emergency.
I don’t know why people rush to blame Video Games for our mass shooting problem? Do other countries not play the same games?
It is being reported that some of the victims were killed while the shooter was being terminated.
I have to point out that the general level of violence in the Western world went down significantly since the times when nobody even dreamed of video games. We don’t have a video games problem, we have gun control and mental health problems.
Sorry. I have to go cry now.
@SatchelSF I don’t think it is just “our culture”. Now or in the fairly recent past.
Syria Africa cartels Saudi Arabia Yemen. Tibet. Germany now and 65 years ago. Muslim labor camps in China today. Beheadings in Morocco. Paris attacks. Holicaust. Stalin’s purges. Mao. Sexual mutilation. Honor killings. Slavery. Spainish inquisition. Human trafficking child labor trophy hunting, elephant and rhino poaching blood diamonds. And the list is woefully incomplete.
Yes we have problems in our country. But we can work to figure this out. And I feel fortunate every day to be lucky enough to be born in the United States in this era.
What are you saying Yourmomma(post 9), that he was already a violent lawbreaker and broke another law to acquire that gun? Am I understanding that correctly?