The horrible events at Western Psych yesterday overshadow everything else. Details are still so sketchy. The shooter is dead but still unknown. It’s not believed he was a patient, but he sure wasn’t well. Prayers and good thoughts for the family of Michael Schaab who was killed as well as to the injured. UPMC is not releasing the names of the injured, but is providing updates on their conditions.
A week and a half ago, the shooting took place at Chardon High School. Some 20 miles away from where I live. Everyone around here is still trying to process that. Trying to make sense of the senseless. I don’t know if it’s really possible.
How do you explain a sickness that manifests itself in such a violent way against others? Maybe we learn some details that explain part of it. Individuals with some understanding, education, or training may be able to vaguely comprehend the breakdown. But that final step. That point where the horrible act is performed. When the full break happens mentally. How do you make sense of it?
Even those with extensive background and education. There’s nothing simple and easy to offer in the way of explanation. Or solutions.
The small gestures of wearing ribbons or a band on the wrist doesn’t seem enough. It sometimes feels lacking and not nearly enough to express support and sympathy. But sometimes that is all we can do. Show that we care. That we are not merely nodding our head and making sympathetic sounds. Taking some step to show we care about others and our community.
Nod our heads and make sympathetic sounds, yes, there is not a lot we could do.
You could post on your blog, and we could comment on it, to at least say, even if for a few seconds, wherever we are, we do care, and it does matter.
Good post Chas.
Hail to the Pitt Police that acted quickly and heroically. While even one life taken is a horrible tragedy, they saved many more.
I never felt unsafe, and the University handled it as well as possible I think, but I the senselessness and unpredictability of the act was a bit scary.
Thats not the point
This is a disturbing situation and my thoughts and well wishes go to the victims and their families.
Let’s just keep them in our thoughts and prayers and hope that they can overcome during this time of tragedy.
Please go find a political blog somewhere else to spout off on. This is a Pitt blog.
Before I even opened this thread I was wondering how long it would take for someone to get their pound of flesh.
It was under 5. What a sorry lot we all are that we can’t take one moment to stay off of political debate.
I apologize Chas, I am just sick of all of this crap of making every tragedy a moment to get on a soap box (which ironically enough is what I am doing now…so I am doubly sorry).
Let’s just agree to pay respect on this thread.
DaveD
The issue I have is the attitude towards guns these days. When I grew up, it seemed that people had a lot of respect for the handling and use of guns … and the NRA was known most for its hunter safety courses.
Nowadays, it’s all about the freedom of acquiring guns and taking them nearly anywhere without restrictions … not to mention the radical web site alarmists who are totally paranoid about maintaining the use of their precious firearms. You may remember that guy in Pgh a few years ago who shot 3 Pgh policeman was totally convinced that the new liberal president was going to ban all firearms.
Then of course, there is the case of the 12 year old from New Beaver (near Wampum) who shot and killed his father’s pregnant girlfriend.
The only commonality in all of these school killings is that guns were prevalent in their households … as t was in mine, but I was taught to respect firearms (and life.)
while I would be happy with the 5 star center (same high school, DeMatha, as new recruit James Robinson) or the 5 star PF (same high school. Chester, as Nasir Robinson), maybe we need a dose of ‘Goodluck’
Very sad day.
I am sorry for your loss. Be sure that the Schaab family are in my prayers. As well as the other victims.
DaveD
Here is a tally only up to the 2007 VA Tech shooting.
That’s 36 until 2007 and there have been numerous shootings and deaths since then.
Notice that in the majority of cases the shooters are minors under 21. This is the problem I have with our gun laws, they are too weak to ensure that legal owners protect their guns from use by others.
Some states are now holding them partially responsible if the guns is used by someone else because it was accessible outside of a gun safe.
The US attitude about guns is changing drastically as you say and not for the better. I believe that somehow this has become a Republican vs Democrat issue when it should be a national safety and health issue.
America is getting to be very crazy place. Just about everyday now, someone is freaking out and killing indescriminate (sp) ppl. What is going on here. Mass Insanity ?
Gotta feeling things are going to get worse. Perhaps I will start Pitt alumni chapter in say Argentina or Chile. You guys can visit.
My only political comment isnt to do with guns or media exploitation but that this (and the other instances of similarly terrible events) should be a sign that we need to raise the awareness, importance of and improve access to mental health treatment. It’s no trivial thing.
To pk’s point: let’s prioritize. In 2010, there were approximately 33,000 deaths in the US. Let’s ban driving. That, of course, is beyond stupid. Here is something that we can do. The same year, over 10,000 auto deaths were blamed on alcohol. Let’s ban alcohol. If alcohol is illegal, no one would drink because they could not get any alcoholic drinks. Ergo, no alcohol related traffic accidents.
Currently, there are more drug-related deaths than deaths from automobiles. I say that we make drugs illegal. If we ban the use of drugs, they will not be available to anyone. Ergo, no drug-related deaths.
If you are referring to my post, nowhere did I say guns should be banned nor did wbb from how I read his post. But I also don’t believe that there shouldn’t be any laws governing their ownership and use either. Some factions want zero responsibilities attached to gun ownership and IMO that just isn’t enough.
I’m very familiar with both handguns and rifles as I had to qualify twice a year at military shooting ranges to keep my Marksman and Sharpshooter qualifications current over the last 33 years. I worked in a law enforcement agency where I had to carry a sidearm on many boarding parties and have had to draw down on others also. Luckily I never had to shoot, but I sure as hell knew what the responsibilities and consequences involved were had I done so.
So I respect guns very much and abhor that they are so easily available to people who have no idea what guns are capable of and who have no respect for the right to own one. To me the ‘right to own’ doesn’t matter as it is such a huge issue, it is the responsibility of the gun owner/user I am concerned with.
I say start with the firm concept that if one owns or uses a gun then they are directly responsible for it in every way. Set minimum stands of the ‘chain of custody’ for each individual gun. Start with having to own and use a gun safe in the home:
Many states are going this way now and I think it should be across the board. That should be a starting point and one that I can’t see any reasonable person arguing with.
Second, any gun owner in the US should be required to take a and pass a gun safety course and (possibly) keep that current on a time period basis. We do it with drivers licenses, pilot licenses, etc… for safety. We should do it with gun ownership/use also.
Third, we should take a hard look at our state’s current gun laws and enforce the ones we have on the books. States should be awarded Federal monies based on their track record in enforcement much like the Transportation Department withholds Federal highway funds to states who chose non-compliance with speed limit regulations.
None of these ideas advocate taking guns out of responsible citizen’s hands and none of these are overburdening to the individual themselves. At the very least they, or some variation of them, should be on the table as conditions of ownership.
The recent tragic events in Ohio and Oakland are examples of our society failing individuals who became homicidal actors. We as a society need to figure out a way to become more aware of those around us that need more help, those around us that have become disenfranchised from the mainstream. We need to focus more on the individual and not the resultant action.
also, in most states, you have to be 21 to consume alcohol
Again, I’m not against gun ownership …. I’m against the cavalier attitude toward gun ownership / usage that seems to have permeated throughout this country over the past couple of decades
“This is the problem I have with our gun laws; they are too weak to ensure that legal owners protect their guns from use by others.”
I believe that intelligent, responsible people are going to act intelligently and responsibly irrespective of whether the law says that they must. On the other hand, the passing of a law won’t make an irresponsible person suddenly be filled with common sense.
On a side note, I find the case of Plaxico Burress upsetting. He carried a concealed weapon into a restaurant.
Someone hearing the news in Texas, Wyoming and other states: “Yah. So, what’s the issue?”
Someone hearing the story in NY: “OMG! Plaxico was carrying a concealed weapon! Throw his ass into prison and let him sit for a few years.
Same country. Different reactions and different laws.
Ensuring someone understands the value and responsible of being a legal and safe gun owner isn’t legislating morality, it’s making sure that they understand the seriousness of what they are doing.
This discussion is timely given the circumstances of what happened at PITT.
I live 10 minutes from Chardon and from the time I spend there and the people I know from there (including my boss), it took me by total surprise that this would occur.