I'm sorry I don't know how to embed this. However it is very worth the read. I don't want to start a heated debate here by any means but I found this article hit very close to home and tears to my eyes. We need change and personally, I have always thought it needed to start right here at the beginning.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html I am Adam Lanza's mother 

While I ultimately die inside each time I hear someone speak of, or see someone post all those FB posts about all of these poor innocent children, and those teachers, and principal, I honestly can actually say I felt for his mother as well. I know first hand what is is like to have a child who needs HELP serious help and be turned away again and again, or receive some type of unnecessary, unrelated treatment, and they let them go without really addressing the more severe issues. Too many times I have been old there is nothing they could do because of my child's age. Now that the age is within the range they said they could help, still nothing! Unless you are willing to travel around the country for private doctors, have great insurance, and can afford this, as well as all of the ridiculous out-of-pocket expenses to begin to try other methods of treatment, it seems impossible to seek help. It's just one of those tragedies that goes far beyond any definition of grief, sympathy, or understanding. completed incomprehensible, and so very sad that it shakes us to the core. Love your kids, be there for them, and try your damnedest to let them know how much they are loved because we, nor anyone else can ever know when the last time may be. 

Love this article. 

Love this article.

I agree! 

What an article! that's why in the thread when the word drugs was thrown around I kinda didn't like it because NO ONE knows what it's like to have a mental disease. I felt such pity for his brother who was arrested and his father because they are dealing with such loss. 

Right.
I mentioned drugs. However I had not seen one report that day. I was at work and just glancing here. The info seemed to be unveiled by the end of the day. However when I speculated drugs it was a speculation based off no facts. I simply projected a possible motive. That's what a hypothesis is.
And I know first hand. My 9 year old is at Kootanie Behavioral Health facility for the second time this month.

I know first hand. 

Thank you Sandra for linking that for me. I really need to figure out how to do that! I personally do not have a child with those types of issues but I can imagine that it is pure hell. As a country we have a habit of trying to blame others instead of trying to find the root of the problem and I believe this is it. People are more than happy to scream gun control, bad parenting, abuse, or loner but the bottom line is HELP. 

On another note, I cannot imagine being any of those parents. Or children so young that were in that school. I look at my boys everyday who are the same ages and wonder if they are going to be in some sort of "copy cat" situation and I pray and pray that it will never be. We should not have to tell our 5 and 6 year olds how to hide and what to do in case their lives are in danger when they are supposed to be treasured and safe. What a terrible fear. 

. People are more than happy to scream gun control,

Boy is that so correct. People don't need guns to kill, besides, since when do criminals follow laws? I was reading that it was a gun that actually stopped the killing at the Oregon mall, the shooter saw the gun aimed at him and ended his life instead of taking more lives. My husband often carries his gun with him and I feel so uneasy, but perhaps it's not so crazy after all! 

I avoided this article since the pain was fresh. I am unsure what to say. The person who wrote this story calls school, and I quote: “free public babysitting” when referring to her son’s school.

If that is her view on school I have to say there may be other issues here. The child has not been diagnosed with any mental illness, just suggestions. Is there always a mental illness present with bad behavior or could there be other factors?

And she states that just 2 weeks prior to the pants incident, her son threatened her life but he still has access to phones, and video games and TV’s? Why? Why wasn’t he “grounded’ longer from electronics?

As far as the rest of the article I agree we do need more emphasis on mental health. But I also believe that drugs and mental diseases are passed out like candy these days. Sometimes (and I am not saying always) I believe that children are labeled and drugged when better parenting is needed. 

I found this, personally, to be very true

“Twenty-two children injured [by a knife attack in China]. Versus, at current count, 18 little children and nine other people shot dead. That’s the difference between a knife and a gun. Guns don’t attack children; psychopaths and sadists do. But guns uniquely allow a psychopath to wreak death and devastation on such a large scale so quickly and easily. America is the only country in which this happens again — and again and again. You can look it up.” via The Atlantic 

Twenty-two children injured [by a knife attack in China]. Versus, at current count, 18 little children and nine other people shot dead. That’s the difference between a knife and a gun.

Yet, the two knife attacks in China preceeding the one on the same day as the Conn murders left 21 dead, (most of them children) and 50 plus injured.

China Knife attacks

A psychopath with a knife can kill. I wonder why the Atlantic left those attacks out, given they were less than a few years prior? 

Chhl you hit the nail on the head, to say the difference is the knife won't kill is ridiculous, the person who said, that ALSO said "this happens only in America" both not true and CLEARLY the Atlantic left out the other knife attacks, in just the last two year China has had over 40 deaths and 70 wounded during school KNIFE attacks way more than in the U.S...also Mexico, who has more guns on the streets and more murders than any other nation, has YET to have a school shooting. The pattern is that there is NO PATTERN.....

Do we not remember that crazy man in Norway who killed 85 mostly children?

Jim Jones who kiilled scores with POISON?
McVeigh who used a fertilizer bomb?
9/11 terrorists who used box cutters and Planes?
Suicide bombers pull this stuff weekly! at schools and cafes! It happens in the US in Russia, in China, in the middle East and in the UK!(a knife attack there killed )

Mental health is clearly the bigger picture, this woman, whose son was very ill should have had her guns secure, he had attempted suicide before, she could have had a gun club store them for her if she wanted to continue her "hobby"....I own an AR15, it is NOT a machine gun and yes, it can be used for hunting....The second amendment was not written so we could go shoot ducks and deer, it was so we could keep a well trained militia and would collectively as armed citizens have the capabilities to fight against invasion or oppression, which requires we have weapons sufficient to accomplish that. This is made abundantly clear by our founding fathers- It also says "shall not be infringed, that sums it up to me! So lets not get in a hurry to tear apart out constitution...I bet the Syrinas wish THEY had a 2nd Amendment!! then they would not be getting slaughtered by their own government! and so do WOMEN in Iran! they would be able to pop a cap in someones aZZZ when they are getting rounded up and stoned to death for not wanting an arranged marriage! 

I agree that this was a tragedy. but i felt for this mother as well. We need mental health help. It took me five year of fighting to get a diagnosis of autism for my son. So we need to look at it from both sides. Yes it is tragedy and we need to understand it from all perspectives. People don't understand how hard it is to have a special needs child or a child with mental illness and will say they will help but will you truely. @Samba I agree that unless you have the means and awesome insurance and willing to travel you can get some help. I am lucky that we have insurance and we are fighting more for services for our special need children.