Arizona congresswoman among 18 shot at Tuscon grocery

Glenda, you are absolutely right on this point. There is no valid or compelling reason for assault type weapons to be in the hands of the general populace.

I got an earful from Mama Scooterbug after Virginia Tech, because even when there are many signs that people WANT to address/act on, and even IF the person gets some kind of help, they can't or aren't allowed to release any information to others - even law enforcement.

The fact that this kid wasn't allowed back in class and that they were poised to act as soon as he did anything actionable is a MAJOR step for a college to have taken. They are hamstrung by threats of lawsuits and rules - and many mental health professionals are as frustrated by it as we are.

I got an earful from Mama Scooterbug after Virginia Tech, because even when there are many signs that people WANT to address/act on, and even IF the person gets some kind of help, they can't or aren't allowed to release any information to others - even law enforcement.

The fact that this kid wasn't allowed back in class and that they were poised to act as soon as he did anything actionable is a MAJOR step for a college to have taken. They are hamstrung by threats of lawsuits and rules - and many mental health professionals are as frustrated by it as we are.

Along these lines, Charlie Rose had an excellent show discussing the "risk factors" Charlie Rose - Roger Depue. I am hoping that some policies about privacy will be reconsidered along with some prevention measures...we have a situation where I work that has been upsetting to several people; in view of the Tucson shooting, it has become more of an issue...but, under the present rules and policies, not much can be done.

An old policy memo from the Clinton administration paved the way for accused Arizona gunman Jared Loughner to buy his first firearm.

Put in place by former attorney general Janet Reno, the policy prohibited the military from reporting certain drug abusers to the FBI, which manages the national list of prohibited gun-buyers, federal officials said.

Loughner attempted to enlist in the Army in December 2008 but was rejected because he failed a drug-screening process, Army officials said. Within a year, Loughner bought a Harrington & Richardson shotgun from Sportsman's Warehouse in Tucson.

In November, he went back to the same store and purchased a Glock 19 - the one he is accused of using in the Jan. 8 rampage that killed six and wounded 13 including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D).

Federal law since 1968 has prohibited gun sales to anyone who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. Licensed dealers have been required to check the backgrounds of gun-buyers since 1994. But the Reno policy told federal agencies not to report people who had voluntarily given drug tests for fear it would deter them from seeking addiction treatment, federal officials said.

Reno-era policy kept Jared Loughner off FBI gun list

Unintended consequences of a Clinton era disclosure policy.

The voluntary drug test rule is minor IMO - it's the known crazies legally buying guns that I really worry about.

And then you have cases like this one. Is it too extreme to worry about second graders or could they be destined for some of these actions? Where do we draw the line between bullying and mental instability or could one be a symptom of the other? I honestly don't know but believe it should be part of the discussion, especially when we are talking multiple students being affected.

Teacher on Leave After Telling Sheriff About Violent 7-Year-Old Student - ABC News

Kudos to that teacher - IMO if one kid concerns her that much after 15 years of teaching and she hears of multiple threats including bringing guns to school and shooting/killing, she has a responsibility to act.

Her actions are the opposite of what we complain about after a violent incident.

She went through the proper school channels, then to law enforcement after the school failed to act.

Give her a medal.

Give her a medal.

That is what I was thinking, but instead she gets administrative leave. I admit to not knowing both sides of the story but when I read this something didn't seem right.

My guess is that they think lil' snookems couldn't possibly be as bad as they say - and his parents are/have a lawyer.

Since the teacher has a parent volunteer also witnessing unacceptable behavior - with no consequences for the kid, I'm still on her side.

Years of dealing with undisciplined (until they met me) brats makes me biased though.

Oh yeah, there you go. Wackadoodle city!

Suspect in Giffords shooting smirks in court appearance

Wackadoodle city....hmmmmmmm? :scratch: