10 ways to put brakes on mass shootings in schools
This story started on
CNN iReport
December 15, 2012 -- Updated 0240 GMT (1040 HKT)
Michael Pasek, 22, of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, attended a vigil on Friday outside the White House in Washington.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, gets readers talking about ways to prevent incidents
- Many debate whether guns should be more or less available
- Security, mental health, parenting and violence in media also come up. Share your ideas
Readers posted more than 2,000 comments in response to questions we asked them in a story examining immediate shock and anger
surrounding the incident. They looked at what problems might be
involved and how society might go about solving them. Here are 10 of the
most popular suggestions.
1. Strengthen gun laws
A lot of the posts were
related to guns. "When are you going to wake up and realize that you
need to restrict the use of guns in your country?" asked Emma Mitchell. Commenter Susan Chapman suggested
changing the idea of a "right to bear arms" to a "privilege to bear
arms." She said she believes responsible gun owners will appreciate
ground rules.
Tragedy strikes at elementary school
Student: I saw bullets going past
Shooter described as 'nice kid'
"Privileges have to be
earned, they aren't a given," she said. "Prove that you are mentally
stable and have a reasonable need to own a gun. Make gun owners undergo
mandatory training; locking up your gun, loading and unloading safely,
storing bullets separately, practices that make gun ownership safer.
Give police powers of inspection - checking gun safes, safe storage,
training. No one can buy a gun without a training certificate in
addition to background checks. No Internet sales of guns or ammunition
and no walking out with the gun the same day."
Robb1371 suggested cracking down on gun crimes.
"If you have been already
convicted of a gun crime, the second time around, throw the book at
them. Repeat offenders need to be locked up a very very long time."
2. Keep gun regulations the same or relax them
Some said expecting people to give up gun use is unrealistic.
"There will never be a way to get rid of guns in this country," LostinSLC1969 said.
"Honestly I think it would come down to a civil war if that really was
pushed hard. All we can do is find a way to help stop and prevent the
violence from happening. Look for the signs that cause people like this
to do this and work for ways on prevention."
Another reader said it's difficult to regulate guns.
"There are countless gun laws on the books already and any additional ones will only serve to keep honest people honest," said Independent4sure.
"Criminals are criminals because they have no regard for the law and
could care less whether guns are banned or not. Your logic is rather
simplistic or just plain ignorant and it's sad that others seem to agree
with you."
3. Arm the schools
A user called Censor Til Sin said it might be a good idea to have armed people in schools just in case.
"These shootings are
happening in Gun Free Zones," the commenter said. "The shooters know
that the people there will have no way of defending themselves and that
is why these tragedies are happening in these zones. We need to give the
teacher's defense so it will discourage these psychopaths from shooting
there. There is great evidence that greater gun control means more gun
violence (because the bad guys still get guns and they know the good
guys are unarmed)."
"Look," he wrote, "Are
you seriously saying teachers should start having guns in elementary
schools? Then what if a teacher has a bad day? Come on, this is
irresponsible reasoning! If this man wasn't able to get his hands on a
gun, he either would have used a knife and probably not killed a single
person, or he would have given up on the entire plan and just committed
suicide."
4. Improve school security
To better prevent future crimes, some readers like Katz advocated defensive measures.
"Though I am for
stricter gun control for automatic weapons, I think we should have
stricter security in schools, no matter how nice and safe an area seems
to be," Katz said. "Let's get some metal detectors or something, and
require every person to go through the security checks, even if the
staff knows them. Especially since, as this case proves, many people who
commit these crimes are not just random strangers."
This person compared schools to airports.
"I think schools should have security entrances with armed guards and metal detectors similar to courthouses and airports," said Scm. "It is no longer acceptable for it to be harder to get on a plane than it is to walk into a school."
5. Cut down on violence in the media
Some readers were concerned that fictional violence might be having real-world effects.
"If they want to ban guns, why not ban them in movies, television, and video games?" asked reader Bill Smells.
"Why do we allow the media and entertainment industries to glorify
weapons and killings? If we're going to start regulating and banning
weapons, why not start by aggressively banning and preventing the abuse
of weapons in media."
"Why do we allow our
children and young adults to buy video games that put them in the
position of being rewarded for shooting and killing other players? I
think it's time Hollywood enact their own self-imposed ban on using
weapons in any films or television productions. This would definitely
reduce all kinds of violence. So why haven't they taken this bold and
progressive step yet?"
6. Improve mental health care
A commenter named brocore was one of many readers who said the issue stretched far beyond weapons and into the people who commit crimes.
"Pushing the blame onto
guns diverts it from where the real need is: better, more comprehensive
mental health services and facilities; addressing these issues in their
infancy when they're first manifesting in childhood or puberty instead
of assuming 'it's just a phase' or 'they'll grow out of it;' not
kowtowing to drug manufacturers by prescribing anti-depressants or
whatever at the first sign of trouble; getting people to understand that
they won't be punished or cast out or labeled weird for seeking help."
7. Think about the families, not the shooter
"Quit sensationalizing the tragedy," wrote a reader named Stupify in what ended up being the most-liked comment. It was a list of five suggestions mainly asking for the perpetrator to be be ignored in favor of a focus on the family.
"Never mention the
perpetrator's name; let them die in an anonymity," the commenter wrote,
adding, "Focus only on helping the families of the tragedy."
The post also expressed
skepticism about attempts to control weapons: "Bad people will do bad
things. The only real control one can hope for is taking away whatever
motivation or reward the person has for doing them, and even then, they
may try."
8. Focus on parenting
A commenter named Joe Gesa
responded to Stupify's comment and said that young people are being
affected by our culture and need better preparation for the challenges
of life.
"We have raised an
entire generation on the theory that we must protect their self-esteem
at all costs," Gesa said. "Then, while mom and dad had better things to
do, we sat them in front of Grand Theft Auto and completely desensitized
them to violence. So, if we stop shielding kids from every possible
disappointment in life, so that when they face one, they are prepared
for it; if we take the XBox away once in awhile; and if we actually talk
to our kids occasionally, we might prevent some of this crap."
Another reader said children need to be taught how to love other humans.
"Utopian futures, while nice to think about, are unattainable," said user Kandric.
"Humans -- by their very nature -- are chaotic and violent. The best
way to reduce violent outbreaks is by teaching our children kindness,
empathy and love. Take the time to be a parent. Sure, more gun control
will also help, but only marginally. The real problem is the parenting,
rather lack thereof."
9. Bolster kids' social skills
Autumn Boyer
said it seems like the young people of "generation Y" (sometimes also
called "milennials") are living their lives on screens. Kids are playing
video games and relying on social media instead of communicating
face-to-face, Boyer said, and pronouns are embedded in product names.
The point: Concentrating too much on technology and the self harms the
ability to understand others' emotions.
"Society and the media
program gen Y and the upcoming Google generation that 'it's all about
you' (i.e. iPods, MySpace, YouTube, Wii, etc), meanwhile, our kids are
not developing critical communication and coping skills, and are stunted
socially, psychosocially and/or emotionally due to being 'detached' and
'disconnected' from each other by living life through the virtual world
(rather than the real world) of screens."
10. Watch out for one another
User brocore said society is most responsible of all, and especially having "empathy for every side."
"We can immediately
label the shooter an insect or whatever pejorative you prefer, but that
doesn't help," they said. "You can't fix the problem by casting these
people out as an other. They're us, and we're them."
11. What else can we do?
It's your turn to speak. Would you like to propose your own solution, or do you have a story to tell us about preventing violence in schools? Post a comment below or share your story on CNN iReport.
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