CHIT CHAT in VOLTVILLE

[cindycated]

TURN OFF THE NEWS.......

Morgan Freeman's brilliant take on what happened yesterday :

"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed
people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."

I love Morgan Freeman. I also think everybody should be tested for mental health regularly, like renewing your driver's license. There are so many undiagnosed people out there, and you just never know when somebody's gonna snap, especially now when life's so stressful.

 

[dwsizme]

Oh DW, everyone has their own style,,,,yours are surely gorgeous!!!!! some of my favorite cards are a friend of mine's cards,,,,,so elegant and simple and just stunningly gorgeous. she can take all white paper (no colors!) and make the most GORGEOUS creations using different textures,,,,,,just so different from mine,,,,,

and just stunning.

I went to a couple classes....card making get togethers....whatever they're called. My cards are "cute".....not gorgeous. But they are fun to do and hand made things (I knit better than I create cards) are better to give to people than store bought sometimes I think. To those who like hand made things anyway. I do.

 

[SandySu]

I think Morgan Freeman has a point,,,,,,,,about how we treat celebrities in this country,,,,even ones who shouldn't be celebrities,,,,like people who are implanted with 8 babies just to break records and get tv shows, etc etc,,,,,,

and I think you have a good point too,,,,,,,,,we don't know his reasoning yet, although the police said they were working that out,,,,,

he may simply have been sick,,,,,,,in the head. Some people are saying they think he was schizophrenic he was the right age to start coming down with that,,,,,,,,,

eta: after we DO know the reason, I hope, as a society, that we marginalize him as much as possible while celebrating the lives of those amazing people,,,,,,,,,some of the stories of heroism by teachers and admins are starting to come out, and they are simply amazing.

I think we can all agree that anyone who does something like this is sick mentally, and it was mentioned that he might have had a personality disorder, whatever that means. I wonder if anyone will ever know why he did it. Apparently, he didn't leave a note explaining or say anything while he was shooting up the school. We can only imagine what might have gone through his head. A lot of anger, I'll bet. They are talking about stricter gun control, but I wonder if the focus should also be on how to detect and avert these problems in people before something like this happens. I'm not sure how that could be accomplished, though, without infringing on people's rights to privacy and avoiding discrimination for having mental problems. Making mental health counseling free and absolutely anonymous to everyone might be an answer, but then that gets expensive in a time when the government is trying to cut the budget.

 

[SandySu]

I went to a couple classes....card making get togethers....whatever they're called. My cards are "cute".....not gorgeous. But they are fun to do and hand made things (I knit better than I create cards) are better to give to people than store bought sometimes I think. To those who like hand made things anyway. I do.

Before the computer era, I made Christmas cards by hand. It was a legacy from my mother, who did it, too. I often made linoleum block prints, and when my daughter was little, she helped. And later, when she was grown, some of her cards were block prints, too. And one year I used a method I learned in elementary school. I got a piece of evergreen from a tree, pressed it in a fat phone book, then laid it on dark green paper and spattered white paint over the sprig of evergreen. Then I carefully removed the evergreen and did another card. To spatter the paint, I used poster paint, an old toothbrush, which I dipped in the paint, then ran my finger across it to make the spatters, like snowflakes falling. Easy and nice, in case anyone ever wants to try it. No artistic skills needed.

 

[SandySu]

I love Morgan Freeman. I also think everybody should be tested for mental health regularly, like renewing your driver's license. There are so many undiagnosed people out there, and you just never know when somebody's gonna snap, especially now when life's so stressful.

I'd hate to be tested for mental health and be found wanting. I'm not going to shoot anyone, but I'm certainly wacky enough to scare some people. I'd be afraid of tests that could discriminate against anyone who wasn't "normal," whatever they decided normal is. I'm probably not. Then again, most creative people, geniuses, inventors, authors, etc., are probably a little off the beaten track, too. What would happen to society if everyone was afraid to exhibit any weirdness? Would this make it a better world, even if it was safer?

 

[abracadebra]

after my husband took my 2 youngest children..my oldest son...fell into deep grief..he turned to violent video games to numb his pain...then came black metal music...I tried to show him that this was not good for him...these satanic lyrics were no good for his mind and soul..but being a teenager how do you stop them...if they want this in there lives ,they will get it else where.at the age of 18 he became schizophrenic...I could talk forever and a day on the heartache and grief that followed....my doctor told me if I wanted to live I had to walk away...my son was totally mad..... I tried for years to help him.......he tried to kill me one night..and that was the last I saw of him...I believe in some young minds playing these video games that allow our children to soak up death killing..satanic lyrics in music plants a seed in...weak minds...who are sad or lonely...who don't know how to reach out for help..i believe they become like puppets on strings.while these games and satanic music is the norm we will continue to see this horror of yesterdays

 

[JoAnnW]

OMGosh! 10 days - I've missed 82 pages! LOL!

Just poppin in to say hello again! Hope all is well with everyone! Just 1/2 day packing fruit on Monday ... Helping my brother some w/ cement.

I have two co-workers interested in trying the Ecigs! So the lil '78's will be out for a while! I'm glad I picked up a few more samplers to share!

OMGosh! Has anyone else tried any of the NEW USA juices? I love the Smoothenol! The Lime was a nice change of pace too! Hmm - forgot what others I have now! Take care all -

Hi Kico. Glad you stopped in to visit. Sounds like you have been very busy. The new juices are really good, very clean taste. I like most that I've tried so far... just ordered a 5-sampler pack directly from Niquid which includes Smooththol and I'm very curious about Bahama Blizzard. As long as I don't vape menthol too long it's great. The Southern Freeze is very good and I will reorder. Had to get the 30ml size of Strawnanna Smoothie, that's a keeper next to SI's RY4. Exploring all the new juices makes it easy to stay away from cigs. Hope you stop in more often... I missed you.

 

[Raynes]

I'm not sure what the killer's motives were, but assuming it was for fame could be a reason, and then, maybe not. No one seems to know why he did it. I think the reason they don't focus on the victims is because the victims' families want to mourn in peace and privacy. After all, the press was criticized for pouncing on children who survived and questioning them, so going after the families and publicizing info about the victims might be even more offensive.

So it comes down to the question: Should news like this be hushed up? If it was, then there'd be an outcry about that, too.

I don't think there would be an outcry if it wasn't made public. Personally,I think Mr Freeman makes a valid point,no we will never know why the killer did it, but to me his reasoning makes sense.

 

[JoAnnW]

Congrats Joann!!! you deserve to treat yourself to something nice Maybe a new outfit or some jewellry or some new vaping supplies!

Ok, you talked me into it Actually I just treated myself to a 400 mini setup that I can't wait to get for stealth vaping. Got a large cart sitting in SI's website waiting for the mythic T3 and take advantage of the sale... is that enough treating?

 

[CommaHolly]

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY JOANN!!!!!!!!!

I think we may POSSIBLY know why (or have a good idea why) he did it,,,,,,

no, he left no letter, but they are going through his computer, his belongings, his car,,,,,,,if there are any clues, they'll find them.

 

[CommaHolly]

Before the computer era, I made Christmas cards by hand. It was a legacy from my mother, who did it, too. I often made linoleum block prints, and when my daughter was little, she helped. And later, when she was grown, some of her cards were block prints, too. And one year I used a method I learned in elementary school. I got a piece of evergreen from a tree, pressed it in a fat phone book, then laid it on dark green paper and spattered white paint over the sprig of evergreen. Then I carefully removed the evergreen and did another card. To spatter the paint, I used poster paint, an old toothbrush, which I dipped in the paint, then ran my finger across it to make the spatters, like snowflakes falling. Easy and nice, in case anyone ever wants to try it. No artistic skills needed.

you were ahead of the game LOL. Today, that is called "masking" and it's a technique used with paint and spritz color sprays

 

[Raynes]

How would you test for mental illness? We have screening tools for depression but a clinically depressed person that doesn't want help can lie and pass them.

 

[JoAnnW]

I am so excited

I won first place in a contest for one of the cards I made

I have to share

Oh Wow Holly!! CONGRATULATIONS! That card is gorgeous!!!

 

[SandySu]

after my husband took my 2 youngest children..my oldest son...fell into deep grief..he turned to violent video games to numb his pain...then came black metal music...I tried to show him that this was not good for him...these satanic lyrics were no good for his mind and soul..but being a teenager how do you stop them...if they want this in there lives ,they will get it else where.at the age of 18 he became schizophrenic...I could talk forever and a day on the heartache and grief that followed....my doctor told me if I wanted to live I had to walk away...my son was totally mad..... I tried for years to help him.......he tried to kill me one night..and that was the last I saw of him...I believe in some young minds playing these video games that allow our children to soak up death killing..satanic lyrics in music plants a seed in...weak minds...who are sad or lonely...who don't know how to reach out for help..i believe they become like puppets on strings.while these games and satanic music is the norm we will continue to see this horror of yesterdays

I think schizophrenia is some sort of imbalance in the system, maybe hormonal, and there's some evidence it might be inherited. So think of it more like diabetes than that some sort of cultural input provoked it. It probably would have manifested at some point, even if your son lived on a desert island. Perhaps troubled teenagers like angry music as a way of expressing their own anger, but the music isn't a cause. I've often wondered if drug use might provoke it in susceptible people, but it's hard to say, since drug use usually occurs in teenage years, and schizophrenia is known to blossom during those same years. See NIMH · What causes schizophrenia? for what may be going on. I doubt heavy metal, or whatever music your son listened to, actually caused it, since millions of teenagers listen to the same music and don't wind up with mental problems.

Still, dealing with a child with a problem like this is not easy, and my heart goes out to you. It sounds like you haven't had an easy life -- harder than most.

 

[JoAnnW]

I'm not sure what the killer's motives were, but assuming it was for fame could be a reason, and then, maybe not. No one seems to know why he did it. I think the reason they don't focus on the victims is because the victims' families want to mourn in peace and privacy. After all, the press was criticized for pouncing on children who survived and questioning them, so going after the families and publicizing info about the victims might be even more offensive.

So it comes down to the question: Should news like this be hushed up? If it was, then there'd be an outcry about that, too.

No I don't believe it should be hushed up but they should at least have accurate information before giving it to the public. The story changed so many times that you really couldn't be sure what was true. If anything, it would be better if they waited for the police chief or other official to give a news conference and report on their findings... and just periodic updates as more information comes in. There is no need to have cameras and mikes in the faces of terrified children, adults and their families. Sometimes the media oversteps boundaries that should be respected. Of course, this is just my opinion.

 

[abracadebra]

like I said sandy.....some kids...........im talking about black metal....death music.........have you ever sat and listened to the lyrics...they are singing about how to kill....in great details.............I believe it starts a seed....that grows...in weak minded people..........yes im sure there was drug use....but none I witnessed....its all part and parcel.....in a sick mind.....like pieces of a jig saw puzzle..these violent games..hey I havnt seen them for years...but recently my younger friends are buying them for there 10yrs olds...omg..........I was with what I saw.......there so real like worse then ever....

 

[JoAnnW]

I love Morgan Freeman. I also think everybody should be tested for mental health regularly, like renewing your driver's license. There are so many undiagnosed people out there, and you just never know when somebody's gonna snap, especially now when life's so stressful.

I don't know what the solution would be but even if there was a test, then what? Put them on medication? Lock them up? Even if there was a database of all the mentally ill, you couldn't take away their rights to live among us, especially if they have never broken any laws. If a mentally ill person decided to stop taking their medication, how would you know until they started acting strangely but even then they cannot be hospitalized against their will until it's PROVEN that they are a threat to themselves or to others... it's a catch 22 situation. There are no easy answers or no quick fixes to prevent something so tragic.

 

[JoAnnW]

I think we can all agree that anyone who does something like this is sick mentally, and it was mentioned that he might have had a personality disorder, whatever that means. I wonder if anyone will ever know why he did it. Apparently, he didn't leave a note explaining or say anything while he was shooting up the school. We can only imagine what might have gone through his head. A lot of anger, I'll bet. They are talking about stricter gun control, but I wonder if the focus should also be on how to detect and avert these problems in people before something like this happens. I'm not sure how that could be accomplished, though, without infringing on people's rights to privacy and avoiding discrimination for having mental problems. Making mental health counseling free and absolutely anonymous to everyone might be an answer, but then that gets expensive in a time when the government is trying to cut the budget.

Yes I agree. He killed his mother first. That's rage. A person would have to acknowledge that they need help and want it whether free counseling was available or not.

 

[SandySu]

No I don't believe it should be hushed up but they should at least have accurate information before giving it to the public. The story changed so many times that you really couldn't be sure what was true. If anything, it would be better if they waited for the police chief or other official to give a news conference and report on their findings... and just periodic updates as more information comes in. There is no need to have cameras and mikes in the faces of terrified children, adults and their families. Sometimes the media oversteps boundaries that should be respected. Of course, this is just my opinion.

I agree, but the facts, early on weren't clear, so news people, being who they are, have to report what they found out, and later the facts changed. If they waited till all the facts were in, then people would have gone to different news sites with more info. News reporting, right or wrong, is about getting the scoop. And you can't make laws saying people can't report the facts as they know them ASAP. That would limit freedom of speech and be unconstitutional. So that's the way it is.

The media can certainly be obnoxious, but the public rewards this by wanting to hear all the details ASAP.

Think of it this way. I'm into horses, so I'll use an example from them. In horse nutrition, you don't have to supplement vitamin C or iron, as you do for humans. Horses make their own vitamin C unless they are supplemented, in which case, with an overload, their mechanism for making vitamin C shuts down. So, in most cases, it's actually not good to give a horse extra vitamin C. Same with iron. Horses have plenty unless thy have very rare cases of iron deficiencies, such as excessive bleeding or a rare disease. So giving iron, which gets stored, can make a horse have an excess of iron. That can be harmful to a horse. Most people don't know this, because they don't study horse nutrition in depth. So if they see a supplement that leaves these out and another one that includes them, they are likely to think a supplement with vitamin C and iron is better. Should we forbid horse supplement manufacturers to add vitamin C and iron? There is so little regulation of supplements that it would be impossible.

People have to exercise their own will and knowledge and not look at the news if they don't want to, or choose supplements without harmful or useless things in them. We need to take some responsibility for what we allow into our lives, no matter what is out there. We all have the choice, and getting upset that others are not making the choice for us is unreasonable.

 

[SandySu]

like I said sandy.....some kids...........im talking about black metal....death music.........have you ever sat and listened to the lyrics...they are singing about how to kill....in great details.............I believe it starts a seed....that grows...in weak minded people..........yes im sure there was drug use....but none I witnessed....its all part and parcel.....in a sick mind.....like pieces of a jig saw puzzle..these violent games..hey I havnt seen them for years...but recently my younger friends are buying them for there 10yrs olds...omg..........I was with what I saw.......there so real like worse then ever....

I still think that, to some extent, your son would have had problems anyway, and the music and video games were probably a symptom, not a cause. I remember going through a phase, myself, when I was a preteen, where I read lots of books that had unhappy subjects, like concentration camps -- Anne Frank, etc. I seemed to need that then. I may not want to read such unhappy stories now. I didn't become mentally ill or violent. Maybe I'm a little different than my neighbors, but I'm basically an upstanding citizen who pays my taxes, helps people, etc. I think trying to suppress all forms of communication like books, songs, video games, whatever, might be harmful to society, too. Instead, we should teach our children discrimination, how to choose tasteful stuff rather than trash. Sometimes, a teenager has to try out stuff in order to learn that it's not what he/she is interested in having. Maybe I had to read horror stories to get it out of my system and go on to better literature -- or at least happier literature.