America's Battle With Guns
In yet another horrifying mass shooting incident in the United States of America, a 20-year old mentally unsound Adam Lanza opened fire at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut killing 28 people, including 20 children before turning the gun on himself. His mother, who teaches at the same school, is also reportedly said to have been shot down dead. The rampage, the second deadliest in the country's history after the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, comes close on the heels of similar incidents reported early this year at a movie theater in Colorado and a Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin.
While I am overwhelmed and grief-stricken by what's happened, the inevitable question here is why such massacres continue to happen. We are talking about kids between the age of five to ten for God's sake, children who had their full lives ahead of them to look forward to. A visibly moved President Barack Obama, in a speech after the deadly shootings, promised 'meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this' but I am left wondering when that day will come. If a weird sicko can easily acquire guns and use it to his benefit, one cannot help but think about the pro-gun culture in the States. Calls for gun control crop up every time during such shootings but fail to substantially make any dent on the laws governing them.
Firearms have always been a case of curious fascination in the United States and their easy purchase notwithstanding, its legislation in itself follows a liberal gun-ownership policy. Yet one cannot overlook the times they have been employed as a means of defence to avert loss of innocent lives. No doubt it's a prickly issue and a double-edged sword that needs sensitive handling beyond the usual politics. But it's not just the gun control laws that need a facelift, it's also the psychological deterioration in the country that has to be urgently addressed. Every single perpetrator out there in such incidents is reported to be deranged and mentally ill. Adam Lanza was no different. Introverted, nervous and camera shy, Lanza was believed to be suffering from Asperger's syndrome. That's why I feel the culture and the atmosphere where children grow up is of paramount importance.
Dysfunctional families, growing up in a broken home can all affect a child psychologically, and hence parents need to provide their undivided attention to their kids till they are able to fend for themselves. Such a positive and caring atmosphere will ensure their proper development and allow early identification of probable warning signs. Our Indian culture, for instance, fiercely believes in this sort of an upbringing. That's not all, there could be several other social, political and economic factors that can seed in a sudden murderous rage in people, and so it's humanly impossible to forestall every single occurrence. The New York Times has in fact published an analysis of about 102 people who have 'committed rampage killings at schools, job sites and public places like malls'.
"Most had left a road map of red flags, plotting their attacks and accumulating weapons. In the 100 rampage killings reviewed, 54 of the killers had talked explicitly of when and where they would act, and against whom. In 34 of the cases, worried friends or family members had desperately sought help in advance, only to be rebuffed by the police, school officials or mental health workers," says the report. Such heuristic data can definitely come in handy to enable people to be more vigilant and help identify potential signs of impending danger. The world is for all to live and co-exist and let's wish the world remains so forever. My heartfelt prayers to all those affected in the peaceful and calm neighborhood of Newtown, which is now grappling with an unprecedented tragedy.
While I am overwhelmed and grief-stricken by what's happened, the inevitable question here is why such massacres continue to happen. We are talking about kids between the age of five to ten for God's sake, children who had their full lives ahead of them to look forward to. A visibly moved President Barack Obama, in a speech after the deadly shootings, promised 'meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this' but I am left wondering when that day will come. If a weird sicko can easily acquire guns and use it to his benefit, one cannot help but think about the pro-gun culture in the States. Calls for gun control crop up every time during such shootings but fail to substantially make any dent on the laws governing them.
Firearms have always been a case of curious fascination in the United States and their easy purchase notwithstanding, its legislation in itself follows a liberal gun-ownership policy. Yet one cannot overlook the times they have been employed as a means of defence to avert loss of innocent lives. No doubt it's a prickly issue and a double-edged sword that needs sensitive handling beyond the usual politics. But it's not just the gun control laws that need a facelift, it's also the psychological deterioration in the country that has to be urgently addressed. Every single perpetrator out there in such incidents is reported to be deranged and mentally ill. Adam Lanza was no different. Introverted, nervous and camera shy, Lanza was believed to be suffering from Asperger's syndrome. That's why I feel the culture and the atmosphere where children grow up is of paramount importance.
Dysfunctional families, growing up in a broken home can all affect a child psychologically, and hence parents need to provide their undivided attention to their kids till they are able to fend for themselves. Such a positive and caring atmosphere will ensure their proper development and allow early identification of probable warning signs. Our Indian culture, for instance, fiercely believes in this sort of an upbringing. That's not all, there could be several other social, political and economic factors that can seed in a sudden murderous rage in people, and so it's humanly impossible to forestall every single occurrence. The New York Times has in fact published an analysis of about 102 people who have 'committed rampage killings at schools, job sites and public places like malls'.
"Most had left a road map of red flags, plotting their attacks and accumulating weapons. In the 100 rampage killings reviewed, 54 of the killers had talked explicitly of when and where they would act, and against whom. In 34 of the cases, worried friends or family members had desperately sought help in advance, only to be rebuffed by the police, school officials or mental health workers," says the report. Such heuristic data can definitely come in handy to enable people to be more vigilant and help identify potential signs of impending danger. The world is for all to live and co-exist and let's wish the world remains so forever. My heartfelt prayers to all those affected in the peaceful and calm neighborhood of Newtown, which is now grappling with an unprecedented tragedy.
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