Hello My Darklings,
I've received a number of e-mails and I want to let friends, family, blog friends know that Coralline and her parents and brothers as well as my sister-in-laws family are fine and safe.
I heard about the mass shooting down in Santa Barbara and I know a number of you read that my brother's family was going to be visiting relatives down there.
I want to let you all know they are fine and were no where near where this tragic shooting occurred.
Granted both Doyle and myself were on "pins and needles" until I could get in touch with my brother, but was grateful it was far from them.
At this point in time there is not much known about this shooting except that it was pre-meditated, but who it was and the exact "why" we don't know.
It did put a bit of a damper on their vacation but my brother said that he's not going to let it dictate to what they are going to do for the rest of the time they are there.
I've informed my sister much to her relief.
My prayers go out to the families of those wounded and deceased.
But I also think we need to look at the mental condition of the person who did this. If in anyway the police were forewarned about this person was there anything that could have been done to prevent this from happening?
All we can do is listen and read the news to know more.
I want to also thank all of you for your concerns. I really had no idea how far reaching my blog is. Thank you all.
Most Grateful to all of you,
Vampire Gothic Rose
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Obviously the two subjects that come into mind after shootings are guns and mental health. I'm a Canadian; I don't own a gun and although my friend in the states is a nice guy, I don't see why he needs to own two guns. He does nothing with them, having them is just a false sense of security. I just think the whole everyone entitled to a gun thing is messed up and that there should be stricter evaluations conducted to determine who can carry and operate a weapon. Then there's the issue of mental health. Everyone has the capacity to be messed up some how. We will all struggle with depression at least once in our life, and that's just depression! There are a multitude of mental illnesses and they can be treated and managed. Yet, more often than not, I hear that these killers did not utilize mental health resources and were isolated from others. And we wonder why they snap?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who had a lot of rage in high school and wanted to hurt people, I would've loved to have a support group in my youth that targeted aggressive behavior. Hell, I would have also loved having some kind of "intervention" as a child, when my mental health struggles began. It seems we're still turning a blind eye to mental illness, like it's something that doesn't really happen...
If one day we can address these two issues, we will see a change for the better, but who knows how long it will take! Sorry to ramble, but this crap just gets to me. I'm happy to hear that your family members are doing alright though.
I forgot to click the reply button, but I've published a reply
DeleteDear Ladyfair,
ReplyDeleteDoyle with his work when he was a police officer and det. and now in private investigations, is very use to guns, he his not casual with them, not by any means.
And he has taught me the use of them as well. When I had to work late at night I did carry a gun for personal protection---I do have a CCW permit, only once did I have to use it. I didn't have to fire, but it did deter the offender and eventually he was caught.
Because we do have children coming into my home, we have all the precautions that is required by law.
Mental health is a serious problem, there is varying degrees of mental health, and anger. I have been depressed with the death of my best friend and later with the death of my brother.
But I and my siblings did not have the support groups that are brought out when there is a tragedy, please remember I am in my 60's, and when I was in school in the 1950's we dealt with tragedy because it was part of growing up---now that is not being cruel or callous, it was a different era.
And the biggest help was our parents whose religious faith and support to our needs were life saving (we're Catholic).
The major problem is the Mental Health issue, both my siblings, Doyle and myself know of many people who are hunters, members of Civil War and Cowboy re-enactment groups as well as Cowboy Competition called SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) they have to research history as well as being safety conscious around guns and in the case of the Civil War groups around Cannon's.
During Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans those persons who did not surrender their guns were able to prevent looters and criminals from harming them and their families. Those that did surrender their guns were violently harmed.
There is two issues, but even my Doyle says that if we address the mental health issue first, the gun issue will be moot. And as a retired police officer he should know.
I agree the high school and early college years are the most rage filled---but a scientist was able to map the brain and discovered that there is a part of the brain that controls rage, and if the neural synapses are not connected---it will not matter if they are in therapy or in a support group. they will do harm.
The young man in Santa Barbra stabbed to death his first 3 victims---some people are saying ban knives--- Doyle said "then we should bann baseball bats, cars, ice picks, forks, statues, bricks, gasoline, matches, etc. etc. "
If a person desires to harm, kill they will use any means possible----look at the Boston Bombers---pressure cookers, nails, ball bearings, cell phone triggers and explosive materials from firecrackers.
Separately they are not harmful--with the exception of mis-handling of firecrackers---but put them together and you have a lethal cocktail.
I think really it all falls back on Mental Health. And yes, many people are turning a blind eye---we have a neighbor who is paranoid schizophrenic, yet the way the law is written in my State ties his parents and siblings hands, he has to do harm to someone before he can be placed for help and even then, if he doesn't take his medication or refuses to, he'll be back to the same way and the law says that he really can have the freedom to harasses, threaten etc. as long as he doesn't Kill someone.
Isn't it sad? Some has to be killed before the law can intervene---As my Dad use to say "That's like closing the Barn door after the horse got out".
Thank you for your thoughts on this, and thank you for your concern about my family.
This issue if far bigger than can be talked about on a blog, it really needs to be clearly and calmly looked at and addressed with our law makers and not with going about banning things---but about making sure that legally some things cannot find their way into the hands of those with sever mental issues and rage.
Blessings to you Ladyfair
"If a person desires to harm, kill they will use any means possible..." Yes, I agree with you 100%. Very glad your family are all right.
ReplyDelete