I'm sure many of you have seen the story about the tragic shooting yesterday in Michigan. All of these stories of course are horrible. This one hit close to home for me because I grew up there. When I heard the news I couldn't believe it. It's a small town. maybe 3,000 people. My brother and I went to schools that were probably built in the 1920s or something. We learned how to play ball there, rode our bikes around, etc. There was no crime. Nothing bad ever happened. I was in Michigan a few years ago and we drove through town and I showed my wife some things. She thought it is such a cute town. And it is.
When I saw the police presence I was surprised but not shocked given the situation. There are probably two or three police cars there (think Andy Griffith) and the Oakland County Sheriffs were there as they have a strong presence, but it is kind of off the radar in a way.
I'm really sad for everyone involved in this. I never would have thought something like this could happen in such a nice small town.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Really sorry about this one hitting home for you, Lee. What's so tragic about these shootings - Columbine, Parkland, Oxford - is that they occur in what are considered quiet, safe communities. I was a Senior in high school when Columbine happened. It was shocking and horrifying and no one ever imagined it would become a regularly occurring incident. But 20 years later the reality is it really can happen anywhere and while still horrifying, I am to the point where I am no longer surprised when nor where it happens.
I just saw another teenager passed away.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
I just saw another teenager passed away.
Also a 10 year old girl in Utah who committed suicide after being bullied in school because she was black and autistic - this smiling cheerful little girl - it's horrible beyond words, the article is devastating to read - tragedies like this occur all the time too
I just heard about this last night.
Sorry to hear about this Lee. Also what Stephen mentioned, it makes me nauseated hearing a 10yr old killed herself. I scratch my head, how would a 10 yr old even think/know to do such an act? How does that enter their mind? Its all so sad. Not sure what to make of these times we have been living in.
I have purposely been trying to stay away from(limit) the news,media and etc over the last 2 mons, Not that I was a "junkie" about it, but so sick of the noise,politics(I dont car what side of the fence you are on) covid, and the social media garbage. Just tired it. I figured I will hear about something one way or another with everyone has there phones glued to their hands.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
The gun apparently was recently purchased by the kid's dad. I guess authorities might charge his parents with something. The kid is being tried as an adult and will probably be in prison for life.
You guys are right. This stuff can happen anywhere unfortunately.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
From what I've read, there were meetings with the parents regarding the student's behavior that very morning. He was already flagged as a potential issue, the parents were aware. But the student already had the recently purchased gun in his possession, a gun that had been proudly showcased on social media just days before (it's unclear if it was by the father or the perp).
I'm not jumping to conclusions, but a 15 year-old shouldn't have access to a firearm. Whether the gun was not properly secured by the parents or whether it was actually gifted to a troubled teen, either is incredibly irresponsible. I will never understand people who fawn over guns like they are a shiny new car rather than respecting them as deadly instruments.
Wow. I didn't want to jump to conclusions - good parents can have troubled children - but the info revealed by the prosecutor is pretty damning for the parents. They are being charged with manslaughter. The gun was a gift for their son, and they refused to heed blatant warnings that their son wanted to shoot other students immediately before the incident. This goes beyond negligence.
The teachers tried to stop it, but parents didn't care, the gun was their son's new shiny toy.
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/03/1061190344/michigan-school-shooting-parents-oxford-charged
You should read the mom's open letter to Trump from 2016 - frightening ....
@sang I wish I could write "unbelievable" but that tracks about right...
https://nypost.com/2021/12/02/accused-michigan-gunmans-mom-wrote-letter-praising-trump/
Wow. I didn't want to jump to conclusions - good parents can have troubled children - but the info revealed by the prosecutor is pretty damning for the parents. They are being charged with manslaughter. The gun was a gift for their son, and they refused to heed blatant warnings that their son wanted to shoot other students immediately before the incident. This goes beyond negligence.
The teachers tried to stop it, but parents didn't care, the gun was their son's new shiny toy.
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/03/1061190344/michigan-school-shooting-parents-oxford-charged
Regardless of the leanings of the parents, I would like to think they never espoused murdering innocent kids. It seems the kid had some serious issues. Giving him a gun was definitely a horrible decision.
Who wants their teenager spend his whole life in prison?
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Regardless of the leanings of the parents, I would like to think they never espoused murdering innocent kids. It seems the kid had some serious issues. Giving him a gun was definitely a horrible decision.
Who wants their teenager spend his whole life in prison?
Of course not, no one said that. Negligence does not have to be relative to malice, it's still criminal. They gifted their mentally disturbed child a gun and failed to secure it in the house - these are people who shouldn't have guns.
It appears the parents were more concerned about guns than their son's mental health and his legit threat to other students. It just adds awful to a horrible situation, the safe community pays the price.
We often hear from gun rights advocates that these shootings are mental health issues - well, then these parents should have been far more diligent regarding their son's mental health. And there should be greater support among gun rights advocates for access to affordable mental health care. I just hate seeing people throwing up their arms all, "hey, whaddaya gonna do?"
And now, after being charged the parents are apparently on the run.
Lee, sorry this was involving a place you're so familiar with.
"My friends say I'm ugly I got a masculine face." Tom Waits
Who buys the 15 year old a handgun and then leaves it the nightstand drawer. White trash that's who. His shiny new "toy".
Regardless of the leanings of the parents, I would like to think they never espoused murdering innocent kids. It seems the kid had some serious issues. Giving him a gun was definitely a horrible decision.
Who wants their teenager spend his whole life in prison?
Of course not, no one said that. Negligence does not have to be relative to malice, it's still criminal. They gifted their mentally disturbed child a gun and failed to secure it in the house - these are people who shouldn't have guns.
It appears the parents were more concerned about guns than their son's mental health and his legit threat to other students. It just adds awful to a horrible situation, the safe community pays the price.
We often hear from gun rights advocates that these shootings are mental health issues - well, then these parents should have been far more diligent regarding their son's mental health. And there should be greater support among gun rights advocates for access to affordable mental health care. I just hate seeing people throwing up their arms all, "hey, whaddaya gonna do?"
And no one said anyone did say that. It was an innocuous comment. 😉
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
And now, after being charged the parents are apparently on the run.
Lee, sorry this was involving a place you're so familiar with.
Well I guess they found them. This story just gets stranger and stranger.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/us/michigan-oxford-high-school-shooting-saturday/index.html
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
We often hear from gun rights advocates that these shootings are mental health issues - well, then these parents should have been far more diligent regarding their son's mental health. And there should be greater support among gun rights advocates for access to affordable mental health care. I just hate seeing people throwing up their arms all, "hey, whaddaya gonna do?"
I don't want this to get into a gun rights argument, but every time something like this happens we do call out for more mental health resources. Thoughts and prayers may be comforting, but those with mental health issues that keep them from knowing right from wrong should not be allowed around firearms, much less own or have access to them.
The politicians we try to reach on this point just go out and pass another repeat of a law on the books to show they are doing something, but accomplishing nothing.
The parents broke the law by "gifting" a firearm to a minor with a disturbed mind.
