A short response to another school shooting

I posted this short response (below) to the school massacre in Connecticut on Facebook and it received more traction than any of my other "status updates" this year, so I thought it might be worth reposting here as well: 

Friends — as we reflect on the massacre that happened today, let's remember a few things. As my friend Jodie said, "The violence in our society moves far beyond someone being crazy and snapping one day," or as Chris put it, everyone is asking how and not why. This issue is not just about gun control, it's also about severe cuts to mental health resources, systemic violence and more. We want the same things — to do what we can to prevent things like this from happening again — but let's strive to come up with holistic solutions that don't just scapegoat one aspect of this tragedy.

I've been thinking about this a lot over the weekend, reflecting on the ways we talk about different tragedies and some are elevated above others (and particularly the role the media plays in this), gun control and cuts to mental health programs. I watched the President tear up as he talked about the senseless violence, and couldn't help but think that this is the same President who backs drone attacks that have killed over 150 children in Pakistan alone.

I talked to my mom for a long time about how it makes her feel — a teacher in a Massachusetts charter school — and the lack of safety and appreciation for the educators there. Though it wouldn't have impacted this case, last night one of her friends said that people should be charged as an accessory to murder when their guns are taken by others to shoot people. Maybe.

More cuts in mental health-related programs are coming here, and one article about dealing with violent kids with mental health issues has been rapidly circulating online today. While I don't claim to have the solutions, I firmly believe what I wrote a few days ago (above). Meaningful, thoughtful public dialogue on these issues is lacking, and we're all worse off for it. We must take into account the ways that this isn't an isolated incident and must not be convinced there is a simplistic solution.

PHOTOS: Read document referenced in cover story

Here is the email from Officer Eddy Summers and the response (at the top) from William Hill regarding James Paschal Jr.'s death referenced in the "Twin Tragedies" cover story this week. There is some information in the email that isn't relevant to the case (I don't know who Mr. Thompson is), but overall it was the most relevant email from a public information request I filed for the story. The two images are of the same email, but it ran onto the second page. A paragraph is repeated because of how I copied the document (to show they are the same email) and isn't repeated in the email itself.

Note that the email was sent a few days after then-Cpl. Chris Schultheis shot Paschal. It is interesting to note that Summers says Paschal jumped on two officers on March 19. Paschal was on parole, and I am surprised that wouldn't qualify as a violation of his parole.