Riding the Alligator

Ms. Ertl,
This is very interesting, and I admire the great work you are doing in this field and also in child abuse. But I wonder why you don't express any view here about the widespread ARMING of our society. Obviously the psychopaths who become "active shooters" can inflict such enormous damage because it's pretty easy for them to get their hands on a gun. (The military psychopath being something of a different situation than the run-of-the-mill psychopath.) Why do we ensure that cracking up (which will always be with us) has to be so unbelievably dangerous to others? With your widespread experience in these matters, I would be interested in knowing your considered stance on gun control issues.

Ruth -- my thoughts run along similar lines to yours. Except that the focus on gun control is (IMO) too narrow. The trouble really is that the US is in love with violence, and needs to understand itself and its history more. This vein runs right through almost everything, from the extremity of your ideological struggles, to the daily aggression on your streets, to the public squalour (compared to mainstream Western countries), to the way you treat your poor, to your entertainment, to the way you lock up vast numbers of your own citizens.

In history and current practice, the US is wedded to violence in a way that to the visitor from more civilised countries is obvious, but it has become blind to. Gun control more in line with the mainstream West may be part of the solution, but it'll need to be in the context of some serious and probing self-reflection. Personally, I suspect the will and courage is lacking, and long-term decline has already set in. Just look at Detroit (and try and think of a single other wealthy country where such squalour and destruction would be tolerated).

Tracy - another great post with lots to think about! My feeling is that your time can come any day, any where, and only God knows when that is. And God also gives us the brains and tools to be careful and prepared. We can only hope to not be part of a tragedy.

It happen to be my day off, on the day of the Ft. Hood incident, but I was still affected. I felt a "let down" (for lack of a better explination)and guilty because I wasn't there, I felt helpless. I'm trained for days like this yet, I wasn't there. I sent a text to my supervisor (because,understandably I knew the admin phones would probably go unanswered) but I wanted to offer my help and support. I heard everyone on my shift did and outstanding job, I'm sorry I wasn't there. Another way I was affected was because my husband is on the SWAT team for the Sheriff's Office and he got activated. He was told to go home early, suit up, and stand-by for further instructions. Soon after he got dressed, he got the call. When he left, I cried, silently and away from the kids, I wanted to stay strong for them. I sat on the couch, with my eyes glued to the TV, watching for him and rest of the SWAT team to appear in the background on the news (see, there is some good in the media :) ) After about 1 1/2 hours of waiting and watching he called me. He called a lot earlier than I expected but I was relieved to see his name show up on my phone. He said when he left home everyone was to meet at the Sheriff's Office, and he was still there. He said he wasn't called out to Ft. Hood, his squad was on standby to be SWAT on the East side of the county in case anything was to go down.

the above title "ft hood" was submitted by me

Good reminder on the danger of the denial mindset. "That wont happen to us" or "We don't have em here" is thinking that just leaves one unprepared and vulnerable.

Bad things dont always happen to other people far from where we live that we just see on TV

Great article!!