Shooting

Today's shooting had an impact much larger than many previous shootings to me. Three days ago three people died in another shooting in an Oregon mall, which I have been to many times. That was scary, however, I did not feel much, which I should. I think we had so many shooting before, that one more shooting with three death did not seem "bad." It was just another nut case. However, today's shooting in Sandy Hook Connecticut is different. These are kids.

In the past we try to reason the killing, the killers were bullied, the killer was fired at work, the killer acted out some movie fantasy. Whatever the reason was, there seemed some connection to the killers. We at least could understand that a crazy person would think other people were responsible their bad luck, bad live. But how could kindergartners be responsible to anything?

When Columbine shooting happened, I was still young and the event seemed remote. Partially it was because I only stayed in high school for two years in the US, so I do not feel very attached to the school life there. But today I have a 5 year old and 8 year old, I know happens and we talked to the teachers, went to the conferences, such an event seemed unimaginable in such a place. I also think if I were in the situation, I could have done this or that. I could try to protect myself or try to fight back. However, when my innocent kids were being killed, it felt to me that I could not do anything if that happens. These kids are just so innocent. The first thought in my mind when I heard this on the radio is to skin the bastard.

Another reason is that Sandy Hook and the school is very similar to our town. Both are small towns, with a school of about 600 students, very low crime rate.

Now let's talk about what to do. From what is reported by the new media, the school recently installed security systems and require visitors to go through the office. That could be by the school principle and psychologist were killed. The killer must have shoot through some windows. So the obvious thing the schools can do is to use bullet proof glasses. However, this does not protect some parents or people can go through the security to get in a do something like this. Maybe a divorced parent want to take revenge on kids, whatever.

The next thing of course is gun control. I have been against banning of guns and more gun control. I all for the right to bare arm and defend ourselves. After the Virginia Tech and Aurora movie theater shootings, I argued that if more people have guns, the shooter could not have killed so many people. However, I start to change my mind. How could kindergartners protect themselves. And do we need armed teachers and principles in school, elementary school? And do we want the schools to look like jails?

To prevent this, I think only a total ban of guns could helped, but I don't see that happening. The reason is that there are so many other legitimate use of guns, hunting, self-defense, etc.. Ban assault rifles would not here, because most of the killings were done by hand guns. Ban handguns prevents reasonable self-defense use. Track and ban mentally unstable persons from buying guns would not help either in this case, because the guns in this case were registered in the killer's mother's name and her record was clean. Really, most of the half way solution do not work.

Related, today we also learned 22 school kids were injured in China by a person wielding a big knife. China bans any guns (with some very limited exceptions) and even require ID to buy big knifes. The difference here is that the Chinese kids are not dead. They were hurt but still live.

I am not willing to suggest a total ban on guns, because I think the other danger was citizen's right to defend even against police and the government.