For all the complaints about Joe Biden’s supposed role in and responsibility for the campus protests, I’m still waiting for the protestors to say what they would do differently in a real world where there are no easy answers, each side makes both fair and unreasonable demands of the other, and give-and-take diplomacy is a requirement for…
For all the complaints about Joe Biden’s supposed role in and responsibility for the campus protests, I’m still waiting for the protestors to say what they would do differently in a real world where there are no easy answers, each side makes both fair and unreasonable demands of the other, and give-and-take diplomacy is a requirement for a long-term solution that does not cater eventually to bad actors who ultimately would make a terrible situation even worse. There is no such thing as a coffee house presidency.
On another note, although I recently was accused of “hijacking” our discussion threads by occasionally going off-topic with my posts (despite being relevant to many of our other discussions in this forum) in deviating from what our Morning Shots hosts specifically choose to discuss for the day (or even link to, via “Catching up …”) within their limited space, I wish to share a story with you that I believe we all should consider. It is not reported here, or much of elsewhere, probably because relatively few have heard about it. It is about something that went right yesterday rather than horribly wrong.
In Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin there was not a mass shooting tragedy at a local middle school. It did not happen, because people did what they needed to do in order to prevent it. It did not happen because an armed male teenage student could not get into the school, because local citizens voted via referendum to spend more money in their district to upgrade security, particularly doors and locks, in order to prevent easy access to the building and its vestibules by outsiders. It did not happen because teachers and other personnel, as well as the children, put their active shooter training to good use, minimizing the threat by following established safety procedures both quickly and responsibly. And it did not happen because people outside the school, seeing something amiss and hearing rapid gunfire outside, quickly notified law enforcement, which with the benefit of its own extensive training neutralized the would-be killer before lives could be taken, while others sheltered those who in the interim had fled for safety.
There is much more to the story. The investigation is ongoing, and the school is closed today so that people can process their grief and seek help as needed for what almost went horribly wrong. But the upshot is that yesterday, all of the parents were able to welcome their children home, hold them a little tighter, and soothe their fears. For all of them there is a today and a tomorrow and a future to come. The event will leave scars upon the community. Healing will be needed. But at least they, and we all, were not subjected to more unnecessary human suffering, because everyone did what they had to do in order to ensure the safest possible outcome. Let us celebrate that small victory when all too often we hear about the terrible tragedies of gun violence that never seem to end.
This is spot on. They want some “easy” solution where there is not one, and they don’t really understand the situation in the first place.
UCLA highlighted this yesterday when the protestors there wanted “greater police protection” but have “abolishing / defunding the police” as one of their overall “demands”.
I caught this story briefly yesterday but didn't catch all the details. Thanks for the share. Good job on all the folks in that town for doing the right thing before during and after the thankfully-averted incident.
All but one set of parents, and my heart breaks for them. I simply cannot find much hopefulness in the death of a troubled teen, no matter how many lives were saved and I really struggle with feeling celebratory that this is the new normal.
Fair point. I do feel for the loved ones of the shooter, who I would guess did not encourage him to choose such a rash course of action. Of course one of the burning questions remains: as a teen, how did he gain access to the firearm(s)? Hopefully they did not create an atmosphere of permissiveness that enabled the behavior once things went off the rails within his mind.
I agree that there is little to celebrate, per se, in this moment. I'd save that moment for when the mass shootings were to end altogether. But at least we can take comfort in the fact that established protocol for such situations does work, added school security measures clearly are not a "waste of taxpayer money" as some maintain, and others can learn from the success at Mt. Horeb to strengthen their own preparedness for the next time that unwanted mass tragedy threatens to overtake us.
A sad and tragic situation. Likely we never will know what compelled him to go to a school with a weapon, and firing it, that would cost him his life. Perhaps suicide by cop?
Sorry to be such a bummer but watching governments and communities argue in court for instituting, expanding and defending creating the worst possible world to live in has just taken any glimmer of light out of me at the moment.
Yes, your digression is an important story, and I guess it shows how people were trained to to the right thing and it worked. Still, it also shows how deeply sick American culture is. The MAGA folks are going to court to stop the Biden Administration from closing the gun show loop hole for background checks. You can bet on how the court will rule. It feels as if going to school now might be more stressful than the "duck and cover" days of the '50s and '60s. Terrible thing for kids to fear.
My first reaction was to post a smart alec comment regarding our society's many failures with respect to this topic. You know what, nothing about this is funny. I'm greatful that there is a community that handled a tragedy like this well. Most importantly, I'm thrilled that every parent and child were reunited at home at the end of the school day.
For all the complaints about Joe Biden’s supposed role in and responsibility for the campus protests, I’m still waiting for the protestors to say what they would do differently in a real world where there are no easy answers, each side makes both fair and unreasonable demands of the other, and give-and-take diplomacy is a requirement for a long-term solution that does not cater eventually to bad actors who ultimately would make a terrible situation even worse. There is no such thing as a coffee house presidency.
On another note, although I recently was accused of “hijacking” our discussion threads by occasionally going off-topic with my posts (despite being relevant to many of our other discussions in this forum) in deviating from what our Morning Shots hosts specifically choose to discuss for the day (or even link to, via “Catching up …”) within their limited space, I wish to share a story with you that I believe we all should consider. It is not reported here, or much of elsewhere, probably because relatively few have heard about it. It is about something that went right yesterday rather than horribly wrong.
In Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin there was not a mass shooting tragedy at a local middle school. It did not happen, because people did what they needed to do in order to prevent it. It did not happen because an armed male teenage student could not get into the school, because local citizens voted via referendum to spend more money in their district to upgrade security, particularly doors and locks, in order to prevent easy access to the building and its vestibules by outsiders. It did not happen because teachers and other personnel, as well as the children, put their active shooter training to good use, minimizing the threat by following established safety procedures both quickly and responsibly. And it did not happen because people outside the school, seeing something amiss and hearing rapid gunfire outside, quickly notified law enforcement, which with the benefit of its own extensive training neutralized the would-be killer before lives could be taken, while others sheltered those who in the interim had fled for safety.
There is much more to the story. The investigation is ongoing, and the school is closed today so that people can process their grief and seek help as needed for what almost went horribly wrong. But the upshot is that yesterday, all of the parents were able to welcome their children home, hold them a little tighter, and soothe their fears. For all of them there is a today and a tomorrow and a future to come. The event will leave scars upon the community. Healing will be needed. But at least they, and we all, were not subjected to more unnecessary human suffering, because everyone did what they had to do in order to ensure the safest possible outcome. Let us celebrate that small victory when all too often we hear about the terrible tragedies of gun violence that never seem to end.
https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-mount-horeb-active-shooter-school-8f1a4cb9b428eb4cb863469492625dfd
This is spot on. They want some “easy” solution where there is not one, and they don’t really understand the situation in the first place.
UCLA highlighted this yesterday when the protestors there wanted “greater police protection” but have “abolishing / defunding the police” as one of their overall “demands”.
I thought these were pro Palestinian protests? Why are they saying defund the police?
I caught this story briefly yesterday but didn't catch all the details. Thanks for the share. Good job on all the folks in that town for doing the right thing before during and after the thankfully-averted incident.
All but one set of parents, and my heart breaks for them. I simply cannot find much hopefulness in the death of a troubled teen, no matter how many lives were saved and I really struggle with feeling celebratory that this is the new normal.
One question, where did he the get the gun?
Fair point. I do feel for the loved ones of the shooter, who I would guess did not encourage him to choose such a rash course of action. Of course one of the burning questions remains: as a teen, how did he gain access to the firearm(s)? Hopefully they did not create an atmosphere of permissiveness that enabled the behavior once things went off the rails within his mind.
I agree that there is little to celebrate, per se, in this moment. I'd save that moment for when the mass shootings were to end altogether. But at least we can take comfort in the fact that established protocol for such situations does work, added school security measures clearly are not a "waste of taxpayer money" as some maintain, and others can learn from the success at Mt. Horeb to strengthen their own preparedness for the next time that unwanted mass tragedy threatens to overtake us.
Check out this article from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Mount Horeb student fatally shot by police after pointing pellet rifle at officers, DOJ says
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2024/05/04/mount-horeb-boy-killed-by-police-pointed-pellet-rifle-at-officers-doj/73569482007/
A sad and tragic situation. Likely we never will know what compelled him to go to a school with a weapon, and firing it, that would cost him his life. Perhaps suicide by cop?
I don’t disagree and thank you for understanding.
Sorry to be such a bummer but watching governments and communities argue in court for instituting, expanding and defending creating the worst possible world to live in has just taken any glimmer of light out of me at the moment.
I saw that story, and am glad at the tragedy averted. They need to study what went right, and spread the word about it to encourage replication.
Don’t worry about the haters. Your posts are excellent and worthy of people’s time to read them. They’re thoughtful and informative.
You have nothing to apologize for. Have a great weekend and keep them coming…:)
Yes, your digression is an important story, and I guess it shows how people were trained to to the right thing and it worked. Still, it also shows how deeply sick American culture is. The MAGA folks are going to court to stop the Biden Administration from closing the gun show loop hole for background checks. You can bet on how the court will rule. It feels as if going to school now might be more stressful than the "duck and cover" days of the '50s and '60s. Terrible thing for kids to fear.
It breaks my heart that this sort of training is needed.
My first reaction was to post a smart alec comment regarding our society's many failures with respect to this topic. You know what, nothing about this is funny. I'm greatful that there is a community that handled a tragedy like this well. Most importantly, I'm thrilled that every parent and child were reunited at home at the end of the school day.
The story appeared in today's LA Times. Good read and good news for once.