Until today, I hadn't heard of the small town of Newtown, Connecticut. You probably didn't, either, but we're going to be acquainted with the city for a while in the wake of a Columbine-esque massacre that took place this morning.
At last count, more than 2 dozen people, most of them children, were killed by another one of these self-esteem-challenged punks cut off from reality and taking out their lack of social standing on innocent victims. Predictably, the gunman is dead, but his accomplice is in police custody. Assuming he has any sense, he'll offer at least some semblance of remorse for his part in this.
It makes the incident in an Oregon shopping mall seem tame by comparison, especially in terms of body count. In time, we'll learn the names of these socially disengaged young men, and Inside Edition and the evening news will devote plenty of time for days to come to this tragedy.
But is that what these guys really wanted? Is that what any of these gunsels want in the first place? 15 minutes of fame, extended to who knows when (the news coverage stops)? Real bright, guys. NOT!!!!
At the very least, instead of letting this be a blueprint for the next guy with a grudge to go postal, there should be a counter-point, such as, obviously, psychiatric counseling. If these guys are indeed lacking self-esteem and have no idea how to address those issues, there's no shame in seeking help. Sadly, none of these guys ever consider that option. To them, the mindset is "Me Against the World". That's the wrong way to address it. Labeling these kids as mentally ill isn't the answer, either. That gives the mental health system a black eye every time there's one of these incidents.
Again, there's no shame in asking for help, whether it's asking a parent, a psychologist, or even a clergyman. That option's always there. Just take a few extra seconds to think it out before you do something you'll regret later.
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