oldschoolfreak

Would just like to say our hearts go out to the victims and their famailies!!

jayhawker

Count me in. This is a tragedy. It seems to happen more and more lately with the shootings at LSU last week, NIU this week, Virgina Tech last year. Why would anybody want to do this to a bunch of innocent students?
If you're going to take your life, so be it, but don't take a bunch of innocent people with you.

Snoopy

Yeah jayhawker, your statement has me thinking.

These shootings that are occurring.........are they they new "Post Office Stress Syndrome". You know like what was happening 10-15 years ago. All the employee, or former employee, shootings that occurred at the US Post Offices. The "excuse" that was finally given, "the stress levels were so high, working at the post office, it caused people to react with violence against co-workers". Ultimately the Post Office management techniques were changed and various types of "classes" and training was given. Must have be valid. Haven't had any reoccurance.

I wonder if attending classes is to high a stress level for the average person. Of course, according to recent news articles, this group of Americans use more legal and illegal drugs to cope with dailey "issues".

mizzouHHR

First off I would also like to add thoughts and prayers to the victims.

I heard this morning that the killer was on some type of medication (wouldn't say what) and 2 weeks ago he stopped taking them, and that COULD have led to this act of violence. They also said he was a model student while he was at the University, and there were no warning signs at all.

SandyBeach

These shootings are scaring me to death with two kids in college. Most campuses are wide open and anyone can enter them. But, it's not limited to colleges. Look at all the mall shootings. Society as a whole has some serious mental health issues that no one is addressing. I read in this morning's paper that marijuana use in young adults is very dangerous. The brain is not yet fully developed and pot can cause serious damage that leads to a lifetime of depression and suicidal thoughts. Is that the problem?

tsaints1115

Not having concealed carry laws is the problem. You might have a nut pull a gun but he wont get too much of a chance to kill before somebody pulls one on him.

Goose

+1


These so called "Gun Free" zones are nothing but ads for nutjobs and otherwise who give 2 craps about any laws...all they see when they see a sign saying "Gun Free" is an easy defenseless bunch of targets....


How many people we going to have killed to realize that these zones are useless?



I feel terrible about these poor families having to go through this....


I was just reading an article about the gunman at the Omaha mall a few weeks ago......someone at the mall was lamenting how he was watching that kid just fire the gun off at his targets...the mall was a "gun free zone" As a law abiding citizen he had left his handgun at home because they aren't allowed at the mall...he said he had a perfect shot at that kid if he had only had his gun........sad to think how many might have been saved




Goose

ChevyMgr

After 24 people were killed at a Luby's Cafeteria in 1991, Texas inacted the concealed hand gun law. Now almost everyone has a gun here. We haven't had another tragic mass killing since, but I don't know if the new law is responible or if an unstable person just hasn't come out of the closet yet. These killings will NEVER end. There are too many people with problem minds out there and too much mass media exposure to all of us. But it's not the medias fault, afterall WE are the ones who keep watching, reading, talking and like this forum, chatting about it. You can say we need more gun laws, more morality or more of whatever is the answer, but in my opinion none of that will change the thoughts of a sick mind. Everyone needs to always be aware of their surroundings with a leary eye on everyone around you and hope or pray for the best.

afs9

I cringe when I hear about these sad tragedies. I grieve for the victims and for the person who did the damage.

I'm a counselor for the University of California--I've pretty much seen it and heard it all. The "college years" (18-25) tends to be the time frame when most individuals begin to show tendencies towards mental illness. Schizophrenia, OCD, personality disorders, etc.

Most of the pressure for success begins in high school where students on the "college track" are told what to take and what to do--take the harder classes, volunteer, work, join clubs, etc., to make themselves more marketable for college.

And once they get here, they are finally "free" to make their own decisions and have no real structure--some fall apart.

A place like college (a stressful place to begin with) only heightens the pressures placed on them (e.g., pressure to major in something not self-chosen, fear of failure, relationships, sex, substance abuse, etc.) can only exasperate symptoms and bring them out. Doesn't happen to everyone of course, but if someone was showing tendencies, this atmosphere will bring it out.

In this field, I am hesitant to recommend someone to take medication--but have seen it do wonders for people. Medication should really only be prescribed if there is counseling going on at the same--or else it is just a band aid and the real problem(s) isn't being adressed. Meds should in many cases be a temporary solution to get to the core issues.

Of course, there are some psychological problems that are physiological and meds are needed for life. I've had schizophrenic students who, when on their meds, were FANTASTIC students and had very high gpa's. On the other hand, I had bi-polar students who hated taking their meds at it 'dulled' their creativity.

If you have children in college, the most you can do is keep communication open with them for anything. If they feel someone isn't 'right' and might be a danger to themselves or others, encourage them to ask someone for help--they can anonymously say something to their Resident Advisors, campus police or psych services.

But as has been shown, someone may be as normal as can be and just snap.

It is always tragic and my thoughts are with them all.

jeffs396

Nicely said, Angelita! I see these stresses on school students beginning as early as age 5 (kindergarten). My little girl is 5 going on 6, already stressed about school & peer pressure at that age! Seems like ever since the no child left behind act started, these poor kids can't be kids anymore! It's way too serious when kids this age bring homework home 2-3 nites a week! When we were in kindergarten, all we worried about was playing & taking a nap! It's no wonder kids are the way they are these days. They are forced to grow up too fast!