Tragedy

I hope that no one in out group at Chess.com has been effected by the slaughter of 18 children and 8 adults in a Connecticut school today. I cannot come to grips with the massacres occurring in the US. Its terrible, made even worse do to the proximity of the holidays and that most of the victims are children. My thoughts go out to the families.

Just awful.

Mike

I don't advocate shooting anywhere, but what makes this matter 100 times worse than Columbine or Virginia Tech is the fact that we are talking kindergarteners!  They are completely helpless!  While not every highschool or college student survived in past shootings, they at least had a standing change, hiding under desks and tables.  We are talking absolutely helpless 5-year olds that were probably running aimlessly away from the gunman.  How much more low can you be than to shoot helpless children?

Supposedly the shooter was the son of the teacher in that kindergarten class, so apparently she was the primary target, but he also took out 7 other adults, one of which it sounds like was the school principal.  The killer is dead, but I haven't seen if he shot himself, or was shot by law enforcement.

I swear.  You combine this with the Virginia Tech, Columbine, Oregon, Georgia, and Arkansas shootings, along with lower profile incidents that take place at schools, and it makes you wonder.  Has this freaking country not figured out yet that we need stronger security?  How many more people must die before the message is gotten across?  Add all the Domestic Violence, Serial Killers, Rapes, and Fiscal Cliffs due to the greedy top 1% of the country not willing to pay their taxes that they should be paying, sheltering their income, and forcing the middle class to pay more instead of their own damn selves, and what you have is one of the worst damn countries on the entire planet!

Welcome to The Disgruntled States Of America

My heart is broken today. We lost our 30 year-old son 3 1/2 years ago, and he left two beautiful children who are now 6 and 8. When I think of the crushing grief those parents are suffering; when I think of my own two grandchildren, the same age as those little lost angels, I just can't get my mind around it.

Yes, I know the pundits and the news reports are going to report that the killer(s) are troubled, disturbed, unbalanced, etc., but there isn't a circle of hell low enough for someone who would murder those innocents.

God bless those lost children and their families and friends.

I can bet one thing for sure the killer was not a chessplayer, because he never excercied his brain!  If he was capable of reasoning, this act he committed makes no sense, a very bad move! I always read the comments others make after, just to get a feel for  what the populous are feeling. It seems to be a lot of the gun did it, or the person holding the gun did it?  I hear the person had a mental problem and his mother had guns he could come by.  This is why I like to come here at chess.com when things are going bad my get a way, also my boat when I am on water by myself or with my dogs. I feel so sorry for those kids not getting a chance to grow up, and maybe even be chessplayers?

Here is my opinion. Agree/disagree, whatever. We are a nation of spoiled a--holes. If things fail to go our way we brew, simmer, blame our parents, blame the boss, blame society, on and on. We are a society where the notion of everyone succeeds, everyone gets their way, nothing is impossible if you work hard enough at it...etc. has warped our sense of life perspective. Nonsense! I work 60 h a week and I still don't know where my career is leading me! I don't feel bitter because I realize life is unfair. I saved a few hundred dollars for Christmas this year and ended up pouring it into my wife's car just two days ago when it broke down! No Christmas for us! That's the way it is.....Period. Do you notice this crap only happens in the US.....why do you think that is......

I'm just waiting for the day I am in front of a lecture hall with 180 students and some ahole comes in with a gun. I think about it all the time now.

Last thought...It is absolutely unnecessary for ANYONE to own an assault rifle. Furthermore, who the hell checks the people buying AR-15's, Kalishnakov's, full body armor, banana clips and a thousand rounds of ammo. Call me crazy, but I think this is a pretty damn big warning sign!Im not getting into the politics, but I think we need to wake up. 

I agree. I defy ANY member of the NRA to explain to me why a sportsman, hunter, or target shooter needs an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. I'm all for keeping guns in the hands of responsible citizens, but there is absolutely no need for any citizen outside of the police or the military to own a weapon whose specific purpose is to kill large numbers of people very quickly. It boggles the mind.

Sorry but I disagree with banning hand guns. If the bad guy can have a hand gun because he does not abide by the no hand gun law then the good guy is at his mercy!  Multi-ammo clips, that we can do without. Most people that use a weapon on full auto cannot really shoot well. When I was in the military I was given weapons to protect this country. Now, as a civilian, you need a gun to protect your home and loved ones, because a cop is not going to get there in time, but after the deed is done!  Basically I am saying if I can have a gun to protect you, and your family, and the whole country, why not be able to protect my home, as well? I am not good at begging or crying for the bad guy to show me mercy, kill the F ker!  Now back to my game

MSteen, pellik: I'm not an NRA member, but if you miss or don't achieve a fatal hit on especially dangerous game or in self-defense (handguns), additional shots can save your life.

Like GhostNight said, the police cannot get there in time, and banning guns only disarms responsible citizens, not the criminals.