Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Days after the Newtown tragedy, Virginia-based gun advocacy group announces plans to offer “meaningful contributions.”
The National Rifle Association, the nation's most prominent gun lobbying group, will speak out Friday in Washington on the Newtown school shootings. “Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting,” stated an NRA press release four days after the shootings. Since the Aurora, CO, shootings in July 2012, media outlets have sought a response from the NRA, a Fairfax, VA-based nonprofit that, according to its website, is “widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights.” The group has stayed silent and suspended some of its social media, including a 1.7 million fan …
It's your turn to share your thoughts on the media's coverage of the nation's latest mass shooting.
In the immediate aftermath of the shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, CT some people thought the news media coverage of the event was overkill, if not completely invasive. There was criticism of cable TV networks for interviewing kids coming out of the school following the massacre, and incorrect information was reported in the hours immediately following the news breaking. But others argue that it’s the job of the news media to be aggressive in telling these stories, and that the misinformation was only the results of erroneous information provide by officials. How would you rate the media coverage of the of the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings? Tell us in comments.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
When our collective heart is so broken, how do we carry on?
I wanted to write about Christmas shopping this week. It was going to be frivolous and silly and fun. Then an evil thing happened—a deep, angry evil thing that ended with the deaths of 20 children and six of the brave teachers and school staff who tried to protect them. I know that life must go on—joy must go on—but frivolous and silly and fun seem really hard right now. As a parent, I am intensely rattled. When I heard the number and the ages of the children killed, I was stunned and horrified. Children. My God. Children. What kind of a monster can look at a child and aim a gun at him? People are broken about this; I am broken about this. We want to find something to blame, something that caused this, something we can fix, so that it won'…
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Well-wishers worldwide send thoughts, prayers and other support to Newtown.
The Newtown, CT, shootings have sparked an outpouring of support from across the country and the world. In New Hampshire, a student created a makeshift candlelight memorial for the victims. On Long Island, a neighborhood turned off its holiday lights in the wake of the shooting that killed 26 people, including 20 school kids, at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. A blogger from Atlanta wrote a riveting Christmas poem in which he asked Santa to "take my presents and change them into hugs. And throw them down their chimneys with all your Christmas love." More than 1,000 Facebook users have shared Brandon Kelley's post. As of Sunday, more than 1,400 Patch users have posted this four-word comment—"I want to help"—on an article created for…
Friday, December 14, 2012
Although there's no indication of any threat in Montgomery County, police were visible at schools Friday "for the comfort of the community."
Montgomery County police increased presence around schools at dismissal time Friday afternoon “for the comfort of the community” following a mass shooting at a Newtown, CT, elementary school. School and police officials, and parents expressed sadness and horror in response to the event. Susan Burkinshaw, a Germantown mother of three, seemed to express what other parents were feeling at the news that a gunman shot and killed 20 children Friday morning: "I have been crying listening to WTOP all day. I finally had to turn the news off. Can't wait to get home from work to hug my kids." Police Chief Thomas Manger spoke with Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, said …
Buck Harmon
9:33 am on Thursday, January 10, 2013
America will never be perfect....it's like trying to maintain a beautiful,weed free lawn while being surrounded by others that don't really care....from time to time big ol healthy dandelions will pop up...goes with the turf...no matter how many times we spray the lawn with chemicals to keep the weeds out, they will always regrow...to many chemicals are very dangerous. more ›