Heartbreaking words just now from a fifth grade survivor

[senseandsensibility]

He said that they practice shooting drills every month, but never in the church. "It was way different", he said. His friend was shot in the back and is in the hospital. Asked if he would like to say something to his friend, he said he was praying for him. He also said that he got gun powder on his neck, and that his friend Victor saved him by laying on top of him.

I have conducted those shooting drills with children even younger than this young man. I've always wondered how it affected them emotionally. Of course they are necessary, but as this young man said so simply, the realty is very different. I will pray for him and all the victims, but speaking for myself, I want more than prayer.

[Deuxcents]

1. Nothing will get done about these mass murders of innocents. Nothing. It's a plague on us because..guns.

Too precious to control them and/or the ammunition. They will put more guards, walls, cameras, you name it but the bottom line is the guns..military style, rapid shooting rifles and handguns. ghosting guns..all of em are the problem

[Pinback]

25. When a bunch of cute little white kids were slaughtered

right before Christmas and the only response was “thoughts and prayers,” we all knew this was the new America.

The only thing that might change the gun lobby’s death-grip on the nation’s laws would be publishing photos of children turned to pulp by gunfire, similar to the effect of Emmett Till’s open-casket funeral.

It would be horrifying, particularly for the victims’ families and friends, and even that might not work in a nation with so many people who want to believe whatever they’re told by rightwing media (“crisis actors,” “fake news,” etc. ad nauseam).

[North Coast Lawyer]

29. Sandy Hook was the canary in the coal mine.

When so many children were slaughtered right before Christmas and nothing changed it was a signal that America's heart had lithified and it's soul evaporated.

[senseandsensibility]

2. I can't argue with that

unfortunately.

[Irish_Dem]

3. This is the world Putin/Trump/MAGA wants.

A country at war with itself.

A good way for the elite to make money and take power.

[Blue Full Moon]

7. It's almost the Star Trek episode

Republicans say they love Star Trek and then have decided to be every bad guy that was on the show.

[PatSeg]

11. Rather bizarre isn't it?

In movies and television everyone knows who the bad guys are, but in real life many republicans cheer on the villains. It appears they really don't know what a moral, principled person looks or sounds like.

[soldierant]

31. They've never ceen one close up.

Such as in their household, like a parent. Under those circumstances, recognizing one when they see one is almost certainly not intuitive.

[Irish_Dem]

24. Imagine people having a life goal to be evil.

These are psychopaths.

[Boomerproud]

4. The boy finally said he was in shock.

The reporter kept asking him stupid questions like How did your mom's hug feel? Of course then they make a big deal about djt lowering the flag at the WH to half staff. He is the center to EVERY story!

[senseandsensibility]

5. They also made a big deal about trump calling Tim Walz

and mentioned that he (trump) refused to call the Governor when the Democratic lawmakers were killed a few months ago. But the tone was like see how mature he is being now? Spare me. Thanks for pointing out that he finally said he was in shock. It seemed that way to me, but I missed that part.

[DrMJG10]

35. Right, no true sympathy from trump.

TFG only was thinking how to come across as a person who cares. Sorry, to me it is only a smoke screen.

[OldBaldy1701E]

6. Freaking reporters.

They have a collection of 'trigger questions' in their back pocket.

Remember, getting 'raw emotion' means getting clicks.

Disgusting.

[crimycarny]

8. Exactly!

When they are interviewing, they aren't even listening to the answer; their minds are thinking things like:

"What question will sound the most dramatic?"
"What question will make me seem like a "hard-hitting" reporter?"

I can't stand the media today. All about clicks, nothing about actually talking and listening to whoever they are interviewing.

[OldBaldy1701E]

9. "Which question will make this person cry, or get angry, or whatever manipulation I am trying to pull?"

Freaking animals.

[MerryBlooms]

20. Vultures, but less empathy n/t

[ReRe]

10. I've been watching KARE11 Live since noon ET (they are 2-3 hrs behind my time)

It's one of the local stations there.

It's amazing how this country just can't get anything right. We have all this knowledge and all this money, but we just can't
put the puzzle pieces in the right place in our mosaic.

Does anyone know if the FBI or the NSA, for God's sake, is on this issue? There seems to be "cells" of individuals who talk about doing this online. This could have been headed off. And how did the kid get all those deadly weapons????

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. Minneapolis is one hour behind eastern time.

[ReRe]

19. Thanks for clearing that up. Could have sworn it was at least 2. Of course I'm often wrong, as each day passes now.;-)

[senseandsensibility]

14. Obvious questions

for anyone who is really interested in solving this problem. Infuriating that they are not being discussed by everyone in government.

[Torchlight]

13. This is a problem created wholly and solely by humans

Therefore, it can be overcome wholly and solely by humans as well. I'll listen to those who say what can be done. By the same token, I'll dismiss and ignore those who say it can't be done.

[senseandsensibility]

15. Wise words

I've been hearing too much defeatism on this topic. It's not that it can't be done. It's that there are powerful forces preventing anything from being done.

[BurnDoubt]

37. Prayer is useful in diverting responsibility to a God who is clearly ...

Not inclined to intercede, perhaps waiting for someone to heed His word.
In the meantime, the Powers That Be require the presence of armed actuaries "standing back and standing by" in the event they are needed to intervene. (Don't tell... it's a secret.)

[IcyPeas]

16. Do Republican officials have active shooter drills where they work?

Scare the crap out of them so they can feel an iota of what american school kids feel! Politicians walk around with security. 8 year olds .... meh... they're on their own.



IT.IS.MADNESS.

[oysterpoint]

17. Constitutional Amendment...

...that regulates sales of all automatic and semi-automatic weapons and ammunition, requires background checks, and restricts use of all automatic weapons in the public domain. All ammunition is required to be RFID traceable.

If you have an AK-47 at home, fine, keep it there. Build a shrine to it. Whatever. If you take it off of your property, you lose it permanently and go to jail.

If you are a hunter or like target practice, etc., great, shotguns, single-shot rifles, handguns, etc., are all allowed, with a license and after a background check.

Easy, right?

[senseandsensibility]

18. Welcome to DU

Your ideas seem very logical to me.

[Nigrum Cattus]

21. The repugs are a "pro-life" death cult -

Go figure

[Attilatheblond]

22. Guns & sexual predators get more protection than American children

Actual Family Values? The truth is out there and it's not good.

[patphil]

23. We don't need to have kids suffering from PTSD.

It's bad enough when our soldiers experience this after combat.
But, you know, gun ownership is the sacred right of all Americans.
JFC!

[slightlv]

33. But they are suffering PTSD, and many will suffer from it all their lives...

not because they had one of these horrific shootings happen at their school, but because they are confronted with the realities each and every time they have an "active shooter drill." Some things you just don't get over, and they're doing of course at the youngest ages (because in this country, the most vulnerable are open targets for everything) when children are the most impressionable and what happens to them at that time will follow they all their lives.

I heard Kennedy and others talking about taking people off their SSRI's and other depressants a few months ago. All the repugs are doing is actually ensuring there'll be an entire generation addicted to the meds for sanity's sake.

[BoRaGard]

26. NRA is AWOL

They got nothing to say. Not a peep out of them about tyranny and abuse of power from the whitey house. Just cuddled up with their guns and gun profits.

[senseandsensibility]

28. Yes, I'm old enough to remember when

they would at least go through routine of expressing sympathy. Now they don't even pretend.

[MrWowWow]

27. How About Bullet-Proof Stained Glass Windows?

or just have the services in the church's basement?

[Rhiannon12866]

30. Video of his interview from MSNBC:

'I've never seen that': Nicolle Wallace reacts to 10-year-old shooting survivor in Minneapolis - Deadline - MSNBC
https://www.democraticunderground.com/132155233

[DallasNE]

32. Because Nothing Gets Done Is Why They Keep Happening

And the answer is not to arm the teachers. How do you stop parents from giving their kids access to AR-type weapons? You could start by locking them up as there is no excuse for them to have unsupervised access to guns.

[FiveFifteen]

34. Goddamn

This is warped.

[twodogsbarking]

36. What we are doing isn't working but we've always done it this way. It won't change.