Today Lorrie Goldstein ponders the reactions to the recent fatal school shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Manners. Blame runs the gambit from sleazy politicians to wimpy laws and wimpy judges who just send the offenders back out on the street, and kids who see no deterrent to using guns to solve their problems.
Politicians like Dalton McGuinty and David Miller hold up gun "bans" and blocking the gun flow from the U.S. as the panacea, yet kids are quite capable of making their own.
Moira MacDonald seems to be blaming all us whiteys for not caring enough, but I can tell you that seeing the grief of Jordan's family and friends in news reports just tore my heart out. I am a mother. I can relate. His graduation photo depicts a beautiful, sweet boy. Please don't tell me I felt worse about Jane Creba's murder just because she happened to be white and was shopping instead of at an inner-city school.
Jordan's friend, 14-year-old Clyde Adu has the wisdom lacking in many adults. At the BBQ held yesterday in honour of the slain teen he remarked:
"I'm just sad," Adu said. "We shouldn't put anger in our hearts."
So let's just feel sad. Then let's work together on this multi-layered problem.
For the sake of the children.
* * * *
Update: One Charged; One Sought in School Shooting.
Globe - Teen charged in Toronto school shooting.
Monday Update: Second suspect turns himself in - Globe. Both were 'friends' of the victim.
Globe - Teen charged in Toronto school shooting.
Monday Update: Second suspect turns himself in - Globe. Both were 'friends' of the victim.
19 comments:
Let me try to flush out your argument here: you say you want to work together to solve this problem yet you call the politicians who are attempting to find solutions sleazy. Solutions should be coming in no time with an attitude like that.
Politicians who use a child's murder as a springboard to promote their own agenda with a simplistic remedy are 'sleazy' and disingenuous.
IMHO.
What are you, Helen Lovejoy now?
Welcome Joanne to the world of damed if I do damed if I don't. Reading the comments on your blog, it occurs to me that "we conservatives" can't have feelings for our fellow human beings, we can't offer sympathy, and we certainly can't offer solutions. We will always be wrong even when we are "right".
Thank you for continuing to comment.
West Coast Teddi
Thanks, West Coast Teddi. I needed that.
Funny but after Anon left that comment, I was thinking why do I even bother? But reading yours gave me a lift.
Red's comment is kinda funny, but this is a serious topic.
Solutions are the combined effort of a whole society. Polititians who blame others without doing what is within their power are indeed sleasy. Just as those who play the race card are sleasy. In fact there is only one solution and that is for everyone to do what is within their power to act in such a way that this kind of senseless carnage not happen again.
Thank you, Joe. That's right. We all need to accept a certain level of responsibility and push for effective solutions.
Keep at it, Joanne. I do find you annoying when you stir pots I'd rather not see stirred. But that's just tough luck for me. You often quote "the party line" but you also put original thought into it. The turns of phrase in the topics and comments are just the surface of that. While there is no doubt you support the Harper government, you don't engage in the kind of personality cult hero worship I see elsewhere.
So while sometimes infuriating, you certainly have my respect. If you are feeling fatigued, take a break. It seems all active bloggers have to rest and recuperate from time to time. When done regularly, it becomes taking a couple of days off every week or two.
So while sometimes infuriating, you certainly have my respect. If you are feeling fatigued, take a break.
Thanks for that, L.S. I appreciate your comments as well, which are usually very well-informed, challenging and keep me on my toes.
Yeah, maybe time to take another break soon. You certainly can burn out doing this.
I think I can identify with the "damned if you do" and "damned if you don't" comment from West Coast Teddi. Time for me to take a break too -- from fisking.
Hey, it could be worse Joanne. You could have people calling you a Nazi-sympathizer, a Taliban-lover, Jew-hater, a morally depraved lunatic, a liar, a fraud, an intolerant censorious dictator, evil, miserable, grumpy, humourless, a hypocrite, a moron, a simpleton, a stooge, a pawn, etc., etc., as I frequently do. I really seem to bring out the very best in “conservatives.”
I have to laugh when you and other folks here call me a troll. You have no idea.
Still, what Lib Supporter said with the added bit of advice (which should be the first rule of blogging): Nils Carborundum Illigitimi.
Or like that famous Liberal philosopher once said "we didnt get it done."
But, maybe the Conservatives will.
UV
Sandy - yeah, we all need to take a break once in a while. Fisking is especially grueling. I don't have the self-discipline for it.
It makes me feel like I'm back in school; analyzing some English passage or something.
Red, to me a troll is someone like anonymous there at 06:07:00 PM EDT.
Sarcastic. Anonymous. Does nothing to add to the discussion.
The problem is, it is becoming less of a tradgedy, and more of an accumulation of statistics.When the shooting of children is accepted in these communities, by way of a conspiricy of silence(amongst others)The blacks of this community have no one to blame but themselves.
The black women , who accept their roles as baby mommas, with nary a man around to raise the child do not have my sympathy.At the news conference, how many fathers did you see with that group of mothers? None would be a start.
They cannot have it both ways.They cannot say the police and govt are racist, and at the same time live the life of perpetual welfare poverty,societal silence and victimhood.On the one hand they decry the govt for ignoring their plight, when they do nothing to alleviate the suffering themselves.
Where are the members of the community who would not have metal detectors in the schools becasue it would appear as more of an action of a police state to them?
The slain boys guardian now wants an inquiry into the slaying, and has claimed that the police are biased and racist..the boy in custody was protected by people she knew, and the guardian thinks the police are wrong!
Help us, but only on our terms.They may not like the profiling, but considering that blacks account for over 95% of the shootings, where else do these people expect the police to look?
The blacks of this community have no one to blame but themselves.
Kursk, I think that is a bit harsh, but I understand what you are saying.
Guns in schools are not simply a 'black' problem, but there does seem to be a distinct lack of fathers in the picture here. I noticed that as well.
But folks tell me Dads aren't necessary anymore; that two Moms or just one Mom is plenty. So what do I know?
Kids want to solve their problems with a gun because they see it as a glamorous way to do it.
Kids used to go see a movie to see how the hero solved his problems with a gun but used to keep it in fantasyland. But now one only needs to see the daily newscasts to see how glamorous it appears to the young, to see the gun-toting Middle Eastern countries and how they indoctrinate their young into becoming martyrs for their cause. It is a powerful motivation to become a hero as they see it, “all for the glory of God.”
So keeping the peace in the Middle East or here is a mighty mystery as long as kids see the adult world solving their problems this way let alone, adults indoctrinating them to further their cause.
Good point, Mary.
And speaking of indoctrination (from Jack's Newswatch).
"It should be noted that this is similar to the PA condemnation of suicide terror "because it is damaging to the Palestinian image," and not because it is wrong."
I think that this says it all!
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