Father Of Shooter Asking For Privacy

[LonePirate]

31. The parent either tolerated the gun obsession or ignored it (knowingly or unknowingly).

That's bad parenting.

1. If the parent promoted or tolerated it, then the parent contributed to the gunman's obsession instead of working to reverse/end it.
2. If the parent willingly ignored it despite being aware of it, then he did nothing to stop the obsession.
3. If the parent unknowingly ignored the obsession because he was unaware of it, then the father was inattentive and not involved in his child's life.

All three of those scenarios paint the father as a bad parent.

For argument's sake, let's assume a fourth possibility - he knew of his son's obsession and worked to turn his son's life around. His efforts were insufficient as his son still killed nearly 20 people. He should have gone to the police if he was not getting through to his son. Regardless, he still failed his son and society. Parenting is the most difficult, demanding and important work most people will ever perform in their lives. It's not easy and if people are not prepared for the immense challenges that come with parenting, then they should not become parents.