Congressman Jim Himes will join what seems to be a large group in Westport tomorrow (Monday, December 17, 11 a.m., Christ & Holy Trinity Church).
The meeting is a spontaneous reaction to Friday’s horror in Newtown.
According to Meg Staunton:
“Friday was a tragic day. We are all still reeling from the devastating news. As parents and members of this community, we feel the heartbreak for these families and the community at large. The internet and social network sites are abuzz with questions of ‘what can we do?’
“
Instead of sitting back and feeling hopeless, a group of concerned parents from many districts in Fairfield County (Fairfield, Westport, Weston, Wilton) have decided to come together to address this very issue: What can we do as parents to ensure the safety of our children?
“For some, this means addressing what is being done at the local level. For others it’s a question of national legislation on gun safety laws.
“We have invited the head of the CT Coalition Against Gun Violence to join our
group. We are delighted that he is available and willing. The purpose of our initial meeting is to come up with some immediate actionable items and next steps.”
Mental health, and the lack of available resources for families with mentally ill members, needs to be addressed, at least with as much as the issue of gun control.
Nice idea. Why not add someone who also specializes in Mental Health to discuss Mental Healthcare reform? This is a great opportunity to have mental healthcare in the spotlight to discuss better solutions for a broken and inadequate system. Lanza could have just as easily driven his car into the school. Mental health is the reason this happened. Legally obtained guns facilitated. Lanza didn’t know how to cope with whatever issues he was dealing with that resulted in his mental state and decision to create this horrific event. Please, please, please use this opportunity to talk about mental healthcare solutions! The mentally ill amongst our society need our help!
It’s all well and good to discuss gun control again, and school security measures, but the most important thing that needs to be brought into the discussions is the issue of mental health treatment and, if appropriate, confinement. In the 1970’s we turned out onto the streets, in the name of “civil rights” those who had been committed and deemed not to be dangerous (at that moment). So now we have paranoid schizophrenics roaming the streets on no medication. The one thing all these mass shooters have in common is their untreated mental illness.
I’d like to see someone from the NRA be invited and attend this meeting and then asked to contribute actionable recommendations.
I’d like to see you attend this meeting and contribute something worthwhile and productive to our community and our community’s children.
Hold your breath until I get there, Sweetie.
We will never be able to “confine” every person who may pose a risk. Even if we make great headway in this arena, as long as we have assault weapons available to citizens, these horrific events will continue. Enough. Twenty babies were killed with guns purchased legally. We must change this access.
It’s not a single-cause issue. You must have a balanced approach. Putting on blinders to focus purely on gun “control” is a disservice to this nation and to these victims. You must have both reform to gun safety/access and the mental health field.
Agreed!
The person who committed the crime, was not in possession of the guns legally.
We should Ban All KNIVES too!!!
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-attacks-22-kids-knife-china-school-article-1.1220230
Perfect example why this is not primarily about mental illness. Mentally ill in China with a knife=22 injured……Mentally ill in US with Automatic Weapons=26 Dead……A pretty simple but telling comparison.
It’s not a single causality issue and I do not think anyone on this post is claiming as much. It ALL must be looked at as a contributing factor: violence in mainstream culture & entertainment, the stigmas and treatment of mental illness, and reasonable reform of Gun Safety.
The blood on 20 babies is on the hands of Wayne Lapierre and the NRAl
What arrant nonsense.
I believe another issue that needs to be addressed is violence on television, movies and video games. While i don’t agree with censorship and unfortunately it’s big business for the entertainment/video game industry, parents need to be extremely aware of what their kids are watching. Video games with an “M” rating such as Call of Duty are not meant for elementary or middle school aged kids, even high school kids. I believe kids are more desensitized than ever with the graphic, frequent violence in today’s media.
As stated above, it’s not a single causality issue. It ALL must be looked at as a contributing factor: violence in mainstream culture & entertainment, the stigmas and treatment of mental illness, and reasonable reform of Gun Safety.
Must reading: a first-person perspective from a parent of a child with mental health issues. Somehow those of us fortunate enough not to have this issue within their homes must strive to understand, and frankly work through the typical fear and ignorance:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html