Here's the full video and text of President Barack Obama's speech at Newtown, CT -- a speech aimed at the town, the grieving parents of the 20 murdered 6 to 7 year olds, the grieving members of the families of the 6 adult woman who were murdered and to a stunned nation. He tried to put the incident in context and vowed that he will use the powers of his office to try and move … [Read more...] about Obama’s Vigil Speech Honoring Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Victims: “”These Tragedies Must End” (Full Video and Text)
Dealing With the Aftermath
In one of my many past lives, I worked during college at a local hospital. I was classified "Evening Secretary", a very misleading title. What I was, was the assistant to the night nursing supervisor. I had several administrative duties - getting patient counts from the units, typing birth certificates, etc. - but mostly I was an extra pair of hands, and typically one of the … [Read more...] about Dealing With the Aftermath
Read this now: “I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza’s mother. I am Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’s mother…”
No one wants to send a 13-year old genius who loves Harry Potter and his snuggle animal collection to jail. But our society, with its stigma on mental illness and its broken healthcare system, does not provide us with other options. Then another tortured soul shoots up a fast food restaurant. A mall. A kindergarten classroom. And we wring our hands and say, “Something must be … [Read more...] about Read this now: “I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza’s mother. I am Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’s mother…”
Chuck Hagel – Not Crazy Enough
It would appear that President Obama is going to nominate Chuck Hagel to be the Secretary of Defense. President Barack Obama’s administration has backed down from one major Senate confirmation fight — and may be running headlong into another one. Some in the Jewish community and other Israel backers are reacting with alarm to reports that Obama is preparing to nominate former … [Read more...] about Chuck Hagel – Not Crazy Enough
All 31 Pro-Gun Rights Senators Decline to Appear on “Meet the Press” in Newtown School Shooting Aftermath
NEWTOWN SCHOOL SHOOTING: No-one should be surprised, but should be disgusted, at the fact that all 31 pro-gun rights senators in the U.S. senate declined to appear on "Meet the Press" on Sunday in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre by Adam Lanza that left 26 dead, including 20 children. Here's the tweet from Betsy Fischer Martin: BTW, we reached out … [Read more...] about All 31 Pro-Gun Rights Senators Decline to Appear on “Meet the Press” in Newtown School Shooting Aftermath
Von I. Meyer, Indiana Man with 47-Gun Arsenal, Arrested for Threatening to Kill Kids at Jane Ball Elementary School
Von I. Meyer, a Cedar Lake, Ind., resident, who was equipped with an arsenal of 47 guns, was arrested on Friday after he threatened to kill children at a local elementary school. Von I. Meyer had also threatened his wife: Cedar Lake police were called to the home of 60-year-old Von I. Meyer early Friday after he allegedly threatened to set his wife on fire. A police statement … [Read more...] about Von I. Meyer, Indiana Man with 47-Gun Arsenal, Arrested for Threatening to Kill Kids at Jane Ball Elementary School
CNN: Obama Picks Kerry for Secretary of State
Obama picks Kerry for top diplomatic post: TV (via AFP) President Barack Obama has chosen Senator John Kerry to succeed Hillary Clinton as US secretary of state, news networks CNN and ABC reported. CNN on Saturday cited a Democratic source who had spoken to Kerry, while ABC mentioned unnamed sources. Asked for comment by AFP, the White House did not … [Read more...] about CNN: Obama Picks Kerry for Secretary of State
What Our Kids Pay For
The sacrifice we ask others to pay for our choices is laid out clearly in an op-ed this morning in the New York Times. It comes from a father whose son was murdered in another school shooting some years back. He points to the real reason we won't and almost certainly won't control the elements in our society that allow -- even encourage -- these events to continue. I … [Read more...] about What Our Kids Pay For
Obama to Join Vigil for Connecticut School Massacre
Obama to join vigil for Connecticut school massacre (via AFP) President Barack Obama was due in the small Connecticut community of Newtown on Sunday to join in an interfaith vigil for the 20 small children and seven adults slaughtered by a young gunman. The president's visit comes two days after the heavily armed 20-year-old, Adam Lanza, stalked into the … [Read more...] about Obama to Join Vigil for Connecticut School Massacre
Victims Names Released in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, Elementary School Massacre
Police in Connecticut have now released the names of the victims in the Sandy Hook, CT elementary school massacre. Twenty kids, 8 adults. According to reports, the kids were all 6 or 7 years old, the shooter murdered an entire classroom of kids and then moved on to start on another. The kids were shot from 3 to 11 times each. Dead adults included heroic adults such as the … [Read more...] about Victims Names Released in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, Elementary School Massacre
Sheldon Adelson (Cartoon)
LEGAL NOTICE ON CARTOON: This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Reproduction elsewhere without licensing is strictly prohibited. See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Sheldon Adelson (Cartoon)
Breaking News In Connecticut: Facts Victim Of Media Rush To Be First
[Updated] In discussions about the future of journalism in the digital era, there are lots of arguments about the importance of professional reporting. Fact-checking. Accountability. The tragedy in Newtown, CT on Friday puts a big dent in these arguments. The dents may be so large as to be fatal. Dent number one: Nancy Lanza was a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School, … [Read more...] about Breaking News In Connecticut: Facts Victim Of Media Rush To Be First
Sandy Hook School Shooting: Few Easy Answers for a Violent Culture
Sandy Hook school shooting: Few easy answers for a violent culture (via The Christian Science Monitor) New details in the Newtown, Conn., school massacre suggest that the alleged shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, may have suffered from autism or a personality disorder and also had easy access to high-powered weapons – a combination of unique circumstances that may … [Read more...] about Sandy Hook School Shooting: Few Easy Answers for a Violent Culture
Connecticut School Shooter Remains an Enigma
US school shooter remains an enigma (via AFP) No one knows yet what transformed nerdy, small town loner Adam Lanza into a black-clad monster who gunned down 26 people, including 20 young children, at an elementary school. What many acquaintances agree on is that Lanza, 20, was as quiet as the Connecticut community of Newtown where he unleashed… … [Read more...] about Connecticut School Shooter Remains an Enigma
Gunman Used Rifle to Fire Multiple Shots at Kids
Gunman used rifle to fire multiple shots at kids (via AFP) The US school gunman used an assault rifle to pump his mostly six- and seven-year old victims with multiple bullets, authorities said Saturday, as details of the horrific spree became clearer. Previously it had been reported that Adam Lanza, 20, used two law enforcement style handguns to murder the… … [Read more...] about Gunman Used Rifle to Fire Multiple Shots at Kids
Hack Of The Day
Preacher turned Governor turned Presidential Candidate turned millionaire political hack Mike Huckabee knows why the massacre at Shady Hook Elementary School happened - his god was unhappy. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee attributed the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in part to restrictions on school prayer and religious materials in the … [Read more...] about Hack Of The Day
Newtown: Gun ‘Barbarism’ that Cannot be Removed by Legislation (La Jornada, Mexico)
Is U.S. gun culture beyond legislative redemption? This editorial from Mexico's La Jornada asserts that the endless string of violent attacks leading up to Thursday's massacre of toddlers in Newtown, Connecticut, suggests a society that requires far deeper introspection and correction than can be provided by lawmakers. Today's La Jornada editorial says in … [Read more...] about Newtown: Gun ‘Barbarism’ that Cannot be Removed by Legislation (La Jornada, Mexico)
No Consolation for Catchers in the Rye
More than Columbine, fewer than Virginia Tech. Once again the national mind and heart are riddled with unspeakable statistics, this time most of them school children under ten. All other anxieties disappear—-the fiscal cliff, Middle East violence, even holy days of human caring—-into the maw of madness always waiting under life’s surface to engulf us all. The President … [Read more...] about No Consolation for Catchers in the Rye
World Leaders Express Shock Over Latest US Shooting
World leaders express shock over latest US shooting (via AFP) World leaders expressed shock and horror after a gunman massacred 20 small children and six teachers Friday in the US state of Connecticut, one of the worst school shootings in history. UN chief Ban Ki-moon wrote to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy to give his "deepest condolences at the shocking … [Read more...] about World Leaders Express Shock Over Latest US Shooting
Some Wonderful Holiday Music to Get You Ready For Christmas
You know you've been waiting for THIS: … [Read more...] about Some Wonderful Holiday Music to Get You Ready For Christmas