My heart is broken for Connecticut, and for the friends and family most directly harmed there. I'm just sitting at my desk crying, can't believe we do this to each other.
But I actually feel that way about any of these shootings. An elementary school is certainly more horrifying and heartwrenching, but a mall or movie theater is already well into the realm of something way outside my grasp.
I can understand someone getting to a personal crime of revenge or similar -- that's a combination of damage, sickness and lack of perspective. But this kind of random and mass killing seems to have stepped outside of human thought or action entirely.
I think that people who commit mass shootings are ones who believe for some reason that they are not getting enough notice. And they believe, also, that getting that notice is more important than the very lives of their victims and victims' families.
A lot of folks want to ascribe that to mental illness, but I personally don't believe it's that. I think it's just complete and utter lack of empathy.
I spent almost all day away from the internet and only found out about all this while I was getting my haircut. I'm definitely still in denial with a strong smattering of anger thrown in.
I certainly found myself VERY present when I put the baby to bed, though.
I had a great deal of anger. Mostly at the shooter (and more as I learned the connection between the shooter and the school (although note, I have deliberately avoided the news today so my info may be out of date) but also a lot at the reporters who seemed to be interviewing children without adults present.
One thing I have learned is for disasterous events such as this, my best strategy is to listen for about 10 minutes while events are unfolding so I get the basics, then wait at least a day so I get the whole story ... but only have to listen to it once. There's no point in listening to the partial story a hundred times over. It doesn't inform me and it doesn't help me bear witness.
Comments 9
Reply
Reply
But I actually feel that way about any of these shootings. An elementary school is certainly more horrifying and heartwrenching, but a mall or movie theater is already well into the realm of something way outside my grasp.
I can understand someone getting to a personal crime of revenge or similar -- that's a combination of damage, sickness and lack of perspective. But this kind of random and mass killing seems to have stepped outside of human thought or action entirely.
Reply
A lot of folks want to ascribe that to mental illness, but I personally don't believe it's that. I think it's just complete and utter lack of empathy.
Reply
Reply
I certainly found myself VERY present when I put the baby to bed, though.
Reply
One thing I have learned is for disasterous events such as this, my best strategy is to listen for about 10 minutes while events are unfolding so I get the basics, then wait at least a day so I get the whole story ... but only have to listen to it once. There's no point in listening to the partial story a hundred times over. It doesn't inform me and it doesn't help me bear witness.
Reply
Leave a comment