You Are IGNORANT. - Comments

@ The Family Business

I clearly stated that his illness was not an excuse. I also clearly stated that I am mentally ill also. No, I am not shooting up schools either.

More information has come across that his mother was trying to have him "put away" because his illness was so bad that she couldn't do anything with him and that's why he snapped. He felt like she didn't love him. That's why he shot her. He shot the principle and the school psychologist because they were friends with his mother. He shot those children because his mother volunteered with them all the time. He thought she loved them more than him.

Obviously, he needed psychological help and his mother was in the process of doing that, yes, but it is unfortunate that he snapped before his help could have been received.

I'm sorry that this offended you, as how you took it was not what I was aiming for. But please, just tell me you realize that a completely sane person would not go in and kill anyone. Especially shoot up an elementary school. If someone's willing to do that, problems lie somewhere.

Amen <3

This tragedy is his fault, and it is the world's fault. A little love goes a long way.

I agree with this completely! This touches on the same point as Liza Long's piece.

My little cousin is autistic, and the only time she'll get violent is if you push her hard enough to reach that point. My uncle has done everything humanly possible to get her the help she needs in order to give her a life that's just as normal as the one her siblings have. Her stepdad doesn't seem to realise that she's in need of all the attention she gets and likes to pick on her and it's horrible. I'm amazed that she can keep her cool until I remember that it's all because of my uncle breaking his back for her. His love and devotion wasn't enough and I love him for caring for her as much as he does. She's a sweetheart and despite the fact that we don't see each other often and have only just found out about each other I can say that she's the person I'm closest to.

That last line is so powerful, and sadly it's extremely true. If people were just more open to these kinds of things then most of these shootings would never have happened. People just think if they close their eyes and pretend it's all a bad dream it'll all go away, but it doesn't.

I have a cousin who lives right down the road from me but I don't get to seem him often. His parents don't want my family too because we'll give him the care he deserves. He's autistic and a while ago I heard that he was starting to get in trouble at school and home for stealing. It makes me sad because I know if he stays in that lifestyle he'll grow up and start stealing bigger things than scissors. He needs stabillity and a routine, and if his parents knew more about how his autism worked and gave him the care he deserved, I know he would be much better off.

Yeah, I don't understand why a supposed first world country has such abysmal healthcare and mental healthcare treatment options for its citizens. I also don't understand why so many Americans are perfectly okay with this and just would rather things continue to be the way they always have been, and deny people healthcare treatment if they can't afford it and give people minimal healthcare treatment while charging them thousands for it.

@ The Family Business
This journal didn't say that EVERYBODY with Aspergers or other mental illnesses would do that. She was merely suggesting that there should be more awareness for the illnesses at hand so that something could be done to try and prevent more school shootings from happening. And from what I read, the shooter was mentally unstable to begin with and his mother did nothing about it. But again, no one is blaming EVERY person with a mental illness.

@ The Family Business
Did I say that all people with mental health issues would do that? No. Nor did I say it was his autism that provoked it. It was most likely, as I stated, his obvious psychosis and mental instability. It's not an excuse, but it sure as hell is an explanation.

@ Fandango
I don't know the kid, I can't say if he was just a bad person or not. But this is what I do know: As I said, I know many people who suffer from mental health issues, THEY DO NOT WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND SHOOT PEOPLE UP. This is a choice. So yeah, I'm saying that day, for some reason, he chose to walk in and shoot those kids. It's sick and twisted, yes, but it's the truth. Not autism or whatever else. Many people here have stated that they suffer from mental diseases. Are they going around shooting people up? NO obviously. It isn't an excuse.

@ The Family Business
So, what you are saying it that his obvious psychosis played no part in the shooting? That he is just a 'bad' person? That he was completely normal and just chose to 'walk into the school and shoot kids'?

Huh.

I take major offense to this. I know many people who suffer from mental health disease AND NON OF THEM AR KILLERS. It was NOT because of his mental illness that he CHOSE to walk into that school and kill those people. It was the simple fact that he decided to do it. It was a choice. That is not mental my friend. AND IT IS NOT AMERICA'S FAULT THAT HE KILLED THOSE CHILDREN. AGAIN IT WAS HIS CHOICE. HIS CHOICE. IT WAS HIS FAULT, NO ONE ELSES. NO ONE KNEW WHAT HE WOULD DO. NO ONE KNEW WHAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF. STOP BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE AND BLAME THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ONCE. THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICA IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS!

The Sandy Hook shooter had Asperger's. I agree, it's important to raise awareness on mental illness because many people are already so unfamiliar with Asperger's and now that they know the shooter had it, they're going to create assumptions and judgements that all people with Asperger's are like that. And there are already so many stigmas attached to mental illness... It's sad.

I completely agree. There needs to be more awareness about mental health issues. It might not have happened but if there was more awareness then maybe it family could have seen warning signs, could have figured out that there was something wrong. We don't know that.

But as someone who also suffers from a mental illness I completely agree that there needs to be more awareness. And it needs to be taken more seriously. I can't tell you how many people have told me to 'just get over it' or that 'it will go away'. If there was more awareness people would realize that things like depression and anxiety and other disorders aren't phases, they're actual diseases.

Well, someone getting help doesn't always promise they won't do something horrific. If a person has never committed a crime, but suffers from a mental illness that's not extreme, there's not much that can be done. I mean they can get therapy and medications, but they can't really be locked away for crimes they haven't committed. And since they're out in society, in spite of getting help, they might still act out and do something atrocious. I agree that it's important for people to be aware of mental illnesses and such, but someone getting help isn't a guarantee that things like this won't happen. And for others it might not be noticed at all that someone has a mental illness until it's too late.