Dear Connecticut...

[Denis]

You have my deepest sympathies and utmost condolences on your terrible loss.

[Highlander]

News has hit over this side of the pond too... terrible... condolences sent...

[Pilgrim]

Terrible events - sick minds - IMO a parent should not outlive their children.

All those people, family and their friends have my sincere sympathy.

Watch now for a very vigorous discussion about gun control and increased security measures at schools.

[Denis]

Serious discussion of gun control will only happen when someone makes it into Congress and shoots a bunch of politicians.

[Pilgrim]

Serious discussion of gun control will only happen when someone makes it into Congress and shoots a bunch of politicians.

You may well be right, but the President addressed the nation today and made some comments which indicate it's about to come up with some emphasis.

[Highlander]

Serious discussion of gun control will only happen when someone makes it into Congress and shoots a bunch of politicians.

... and not even then...

The demise of the 2nd amendment would involve the dismantling of your constitution...

And that just ain't gonna happen...

I presume that Dave will want this to be kept apolitical and we should all respect the dead...

[Pilgrim]

Agreed.  Other observations can wait.

I'm saddened by the sick people out there...but I certainly know they're out there.

What matters most is the parents and families...they are hurting more than I can imagine!

[Denis]

Sorry, I didn't really mean to make it political.

[patman]

this makes me so sad...and it's getting worse, not better.

[Basvarken]

Terrible news.
Makes my stomach turn.

Obama's speech was very emotional.
Hope things are (finally) going to change...

[gweimer]

I can't imagine anything worse than this.  It was breaking as I was getting ready to head to the office.  What needs to change is people.  All that other stuff won't matter if the people behind these thoughts don't change.

[Dave W]

Gun control legislation is a non-starter. Even reinstating the assault weapons ban is a non-starter and would have done nothing to prevent a crime committed with handguns legally owned by the perpetrator's mother.

One of the networks had a "mental health expert" blathering about how "this is the face of mental illness." Bullshit. It was an unspeakably evil act done by someone who knew exactly what he was doing.

This is a terrible tragedy for the families and friends of the victims and for the town. It is NOT a "great national tragedy," and the news coverage trying to make it so is just encouraging the next evil bastard to kill even more innocent people. I said the same thing after the Aurora shootings, where we saw people with no connection to the victims make themselves part of a spectacle of public grief. Yet people have learned nothing, and the media even more so.

[gweimer]

Gun control legislation is a non-starter. Even reinstating the assault weapons ban is a non-starter and would have done nothing to prevent a crime committed with handguns legally owned by the perpetrator's mother.

One of the networks had a "mental health expert" blathering about how "this is the face of mental illness." Bullshit. It was an unspeakably evil act done by someone who knew exactly what he was doing.

This is a terrible tragedy for the families and friends of the victims and for the town. It is NOT a "great national tragedy," and the news coverage trying to make it so is just encouraging the next evil bastard to kill even more innocent people. I said the same thing after the Aurora shootings, where we saw people with no connection to the victims make themselves part of a spectacle of public grief. Yet people have learned nothing, and the media even more so.

I couldn't agree more.  If the media would stop revealing names and publishing photos, these evil, heartless people would remain unknown, despite their crimes.  No fame.  Years ago, WGN TV made it publicly known that anyone storming the field at Wrigley Field during a Cubs game would NEVER be seen on camera or TV, and they stuck to it.  People stopped trying to get their 15 seconds of fame after that.

People who have to manufacture their own fame in the worst way thinkable should remain nameless and faceless.

[godofthunder]

   I can't imagine. My thoughts and prayers to those killed and who survive. Gunning down innocent kids............................. I can't fathom this.

[uwe]

You Americans amuse me to death. Keep on telling yourself your mantra of staying passive about all this: How it's single incidents, how people kill people not guns, how the press writes it up, how criminals always get guns (funny thing is: they generally don't waste their bullets on kids), how more death penalty will deter these people, but sensible gun laws won't. And how you are a young frontier-influenced country where things like that take place, you're only a little under 240 years old, surely things like that are meant to happen then. Also it's an Amendment. And people for tougher gun laws are likely for more gay marriage too, so we all know where this is coming from.

Until a few months from now when it happens again, you drape the coffins in the flag  and NOTHING happens in the aftermath.

This has nothing to do with party politics and everything with common sense and human experience. That laissez-faire libertarian view that nothing can and/or should be done is as coherent as legalizing crystal meth. That won't kill responsible users either and the criminals already get it anyhow ...