Criminal law, Politics, Society

Send God, Guns, and Money: Sandy Hook Shooting Becomes Rallying Point For Political Advocates

praying_hands[1]300px-M4-TransparentThe murder of 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary has spawned an array of commentary from calls for new gun controls to greater funding for mental illness in the United States. However, Fox commentator and former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said that the shooting was not surprising after the removal of prayer from public schools. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Republican from Texas, did one better, he wished God ensured that Principal says Dawn Hochsprung had an M-4 assault rifle at the school before she was killed.

Gohmert told Fox News “I wish to God she had an M-4 in her office locked up so when she heard gunfire she pulls it out and she didn’t have to lunge heroically with nothing in her hands but she takes him out, takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids.” Wouldn’t it be a bit more direct to pray that God had stopped Lanza from going to the school or that he was institutionalized before his mass murder?

If school teachers are now to be armed, wouldn’t the teachers have to carry around their assault rifles at all time since they would not know when an attack would occur? Indeed, given the low likelihood of such an attack, should they also be equipped with ebola-medical kits, rabies treatment packs, floatation devices, and other equipment for more likely threats. The average soldier, after all, carries as much as 135 pounds depending on their unit. Should our teachers carry less to protect our children?

As for prayer, is that what caused Lanza (with a history of mental illness) to kill? Lack of school prayer. His first murder was at home. After shooting his mother in the face, would Lanza have hesitated at the schoolhouse gate because he recalled morning prayers in civics class? By the way, those terrorists we read about daily do a lot of praying. It does not seem to have the same impact on them.

Putting aside the desire to try a tragedy to a favorite cause, there is often a search for meaning in tragedies. The most frightening thought is that such a terrible loss would not have meaning. It was an unspeakable crime committed by an unstable person. We are all emotionally shredded by this tragedy. However, we know that this is likely to happen again. Even with gun controls, people will still have guns, which are constitutionally protected. Some will have multiple guns. We do not have to shrug and do nothing. There is a need to better deal with mental illness in this country. It was not that long ago that another unstable young man committed a massacre at Virginia Tech. However, as with gun controls, it is not clear that much would have changed in this case. Lanza’s mother decided to keep him at home and tried to deal with his instability on her own. If a parent keeps a child at home and addresses such problems privately, it is doubtful that new programs would have had any impact.

Nevertheless, I would prefer to discuss expanded mental health programs over assault weapons in schools as a starting point of any reforms.

Source: Hill

310 thoughts on “Send God, Guns, and Money: Sandy Hook Shooting Becomes Rallying Point For Political Advocates”

  2. … and she does a lot right but needs to get that C- grade up to an F … Dennis did.

  4. As to the arming of teachers … just one more layer of who to blame when the next gun lover commits mass murder.

    Video games, mental health problems, teachers who fumbled the draw …

    ” The California State Teachers Retirement System, a large pension fund, told The Wall Street Journal that it was reviewing its $500 million investment commitment to Cerberus because of the firm’s stake in Freedom Group (The company that makes one of the weapons used to kill elementary school children in Connecticut). … then Cerberus Capital Management said Tuesday it will sell its controlling stake in Freedom Group International … Shares of Sturm, Ruger & Co. down more than 10 percent since Thursday, the day before the shooting. Shares of Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. are down 19.3 percent from their Thursday close. ” (http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2012/dec/18/equity-firm-cerberus-wants-sell-bushmaster-rifle-m/)

  5. PS – End of a 17-hour shift, and I.AM.OUTTA.HERE! Maybe I better swill some gin and put some lipstick on my collar – Mrs. Junctionshamus might not believe me. Worse is the explanation to the Colorado Office of Alternate Defense Counsel.

    Good night, Mrs. Calabash (Blouise), wherever you are…

  6. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! She must be doing something right to be in office 29 years. 😀

  7. My House Representative, Mary Kaptur, has a C- rating from the NRA. I have emailed her suggesting she should work harder at getting an F.

    My Senator, Sherrod Brown, has applied himself working hard to earn an F from the NRA. I have sent him a note of congratulations and encouraged him to keep up the good work.

  8. Blouise – Wonder how many Continuing Education Units their union would demand? MS in Primary/Secondary Education, minor in Sharpshooting. Or – Now, where did you say that was that in my contract? (Wonder if they have something like the military – “…other duties as assigned.”

    Up and at ’em, exploring the UMDDA in Colorado. Life is good. Gettin’ a little cranky, but this one goes out to the naysayers: 😉

    http://youtu.be/ZHAFmFsb9XM

  10. mespo727272 religions are anti Christ. Jesus is the word made flesh. The calling of death could have been called by Jesus to all life.That is because he is perfect. Jesus says he that is without sin cast the first stone.The thing is if he did Satan would have won because Jesus would have been instantly imperfect. All of your quotes are not from the KJV. Religions pervert the bible too pervert defiled,and abominable,and naughty too. You buy into the people that make those words sex, and nudity.
    Proverbes 11:12,He that is void of wisdom dispises his neighbor: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
    The zoo is your neighbor being dispised in Germany being naughty toward the zoo. They need to judgie themselves saving their soul.
    Proverbes 11:13, a tail bearer revealith secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirt conseeleth the matter.
    People against the zoo blabber,and blabber to try, and make trouble.
    Proverbes 3:30 Strive not with a man without a cause, if he hath done thee no harm.
    people strive against the zoo Pedo, and whoever else.

    Here are more verses so you do not have to look them up.
    Abomination, perversion, and defiled are not what religions say either.
    You are trusting in murderous liars.
    10; things that are abominable, not one of them is connected to any sexual activity.
    15; verses about the word perverse. Not a one of them connected to any kind of sex.
    4; verses about defile. Not a one connected to evil accusations.
    All of the words used against naked people, and the sexualities are not what religions claim.
    Perversion in not any kind of sex.
    Proverbs 17 :23A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
    Proverbs 15 4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
    Job 6 >>30Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?
    King James Version
    Proverbs 12 >>8A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
    King James Version
    Isaiah 30 >>12Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon
    King James Version
    1 Timothy 6 >>5Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness
    King James Version
    Deuteronomy 16 >>19Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. Words are perverted not sex of any kind..
    Job 8 >>3Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
    King James Version
    Jeremiah 23 >>36And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
    Galatians 1 >>7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
    King James Version
    Ecclesiastes 5 >>8If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province,
    King James Version
    Micah 3 >>9Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
    King James Version
    Pro 19 1Better is The poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lip,and and is a fool,
    Pro 4 24,Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
    KJV, Proverbs 3, 32For the froward is abomination to the LORD,not gay sex sex with other species or sex when the age spread is wide.
    Pro 12; 22Lying lips are abomination
    Proverbs 20 :10Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD .
    looky here 7 more things that are abominable to the lord. Not a one of them is any kind of sex.
    KJV, Pro; 6;16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren,
    Hebrews 12:15; Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
    A bitter person will have bitter words.
    Isaiah 59 >>3For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
    King James Version
    The verse above takes about defiled,and perverse with both not Being sex of any kind.
    Matthew 15 >> 11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
    King James Version
    Mark 7 >> 15There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

  12. Mark – I bought the term “Bat-Sh!t” from my S-2 in 1979. As such, put a buck in a red kettle or face some serious litigation… 🙂

  13. Revelation 20 KJV That is the second death. There is no chance for life after the second death. That occurs around the city of God. Light of God is seen by the wicked as fire. No eternal fire around the city of God. People like you, and the zoosexuals who want to cridisize me for teaching what is in the KJV have no right. They don’t know what is in it taught by warmongering religions that chew up people when they know what sexuality they are having them arrested jailed or killed..

  14. Jonathan:

    “People that are evil kill; kill, kill, thinking God is sanctifying the killing. ”

    **********************

    “Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)

    “You should not let a sorceress live.” (Exodus 22:17 NAB)

    “If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives.” (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)

    “A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death.” (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)

    “All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. They are guilty of a capital offense.” (Leviticus 20:9 NLT)

    Seems like that sanctifying thing is pretty well-founded given the holy literature.

    1. Look see a person only has to hate to be a murderer. That is the worst thing you can be.
      1 John 3:15:King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
      Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him

      Luke 6:37:King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
      Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

      Romans 2:1King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
      Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

      Romans 14:10:
      10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

      11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

      12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

      13Let us not therefore judge one another any more:

      1 Samuel 16:7:King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
      But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

      The Lord refuses mespo727272 seeing your murderous heart.

      Proverbs 14:21 King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
      He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

      To want to kill is not having mercy. Jesus showed us that.

  15. Jonathan:

    “Genesis 11:1-9. That is the second death. There is no chance for life after the second death. That occurs around the city of God. Light of God is seen by the wicked as fire.”

    ******************

    My dear Biblical scholar, I think you have your verses confused or maybe your deity does, Genesis 11 recounts the fable of the Tower of Babel. Revelation 20 tells the fire and brimstone story for folks who don’t get an entry in the “Book of Life.”

    To verify, you can either look it up or do a Vulcan mind-meld with your deity.

    2. Aargh,… groan, ….people ,…. that burning of the wicked in Revelation 20 9 King James version happens on earth around the city of God. There is no eternal fire burning on earth with the redeemed singing the version of tip toe through the tulips through hot coals and fire all through eternity. No lost no lake of fire.

  16. Gene H:

    Agreed. I don’t think we need pat-downs. Just a little trip through the looking glass to disincentivize contraband.

  17. Bob,Esq:

    Good night, Bob. By the way,that well was polluted long ago and “bat-sh*t crazy” seems to have a nice ring to it as applied to our libertarian candidate for President.

  18. mespo,

    Specificity counts. A scanner is non-invasive. If it’s a safe technology? I have no issue with that. However, pat down is invasive. There is no Constitutional right to have an adult grope a teen or a child absent PC either.

  19. Gene H:

    I don’t think there is a constitutional right to transport contraband onto school grounds and I don’t think a trip through the scanner constitutes an unreasonable infringement of the 4th Amendment rights of students anymore than it does of mine as I traipse into court.

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