okay, so I live in Council bluffs, right across the river. I haven't posted in a long time so many may not remember me but here goes. I have been following this quite closely with all the local news as has most of the community. We have all been deeply affected, even those who knew no one who was there. We started out believing only 2 had died. Then during the news conference everyone was watching the death toll suddenly jumped to nine and although I was by myself it was like the whole city fell silent. We had no idea it was that bad. I have friends that work in the two trauma hospitals (Creighton and UNMC) where people were transported to. One works in surgery and she said it was a "like a bloody hell" in there. She had never seen anything like it. There is a lot of little bits of information that we are getting here that are not being released to national news and I will try to post a few links.
www.wowt.com and
www.ketv.com are the two main news stations with all the newest information. The national sites are not as accurate and not nearly as quick. These sites now have lists of all the victims and pictures of most of them. An interesting point that has been made is the amount of
money that the state of Nebraska had previously spent on the shooter for care of his mental health and such more that $245,000. That is HUGE. I don't even know how to wrap my head around this. They spent sooo much money and yet this could still happen. What does that mean? I don't even know. My guess is the inadeqate transition from state care to the "real world" that some children get when they age out of the system (he was "discharged" or some other term in Aug of 06 I believe). Just one of the MANY aspects of this whole ordeal.
Another HUGE point that many people on the radio are talking about is the amount of coverage that the shooter has
gotten. THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED!!!!!! WHY ARE WE GIVING IT TO HIM!! For godsakes - his picture is on the front page of CNN and he said he did this to "go out in style" and cause he wanted to be famous. I feel (and MANY in the community feel) the media has sold out our community by publicizing the shooter and his life, instead of focusing on everything else. Why cant it be left at a "19 year old male"???? I know it may not be realistic. But just think - if it was left at just that - and these people did not get publicity for THEMSELVES would we have all these shootings? These shootings arn't done because the person is just depressed. If they were they would shoot themselves. There is a huge selfish aspect of wanting to be famous.
Ever since Columbine and all the publicity - these lonely kids know that this is a way to show that they are hurting. If they understood that their voice (their identity) was not going to be known, would some of them choose another route???
Thoughts??
Yes. It was a bloodbath also In Austin, Texas in 1966. The hospital was totally unequipped to handle it; nothing like this had ever happened before. The had to put the injured on the floor; and take the injured according to the "worst injured", most of whom were mortally so. These things happen in nice, normally calm towns. Blacksburg, Austin, Denver suburb, Omaha, Utah (?)
That's a good point about the money already spent on him - I didn't know that; need to read up but he was taken from his parents at age 3. Are you sure that money does not include all his custodial and mental health care.
In spite of everything, YOU CAN"T MAKE A PERSON TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS; or drugs for biipolar, etc. IF they don't want the help or are embarrassed, the psychiatrists or psychologists can't make them. He was 18.
Maybe they were poor psych docs for the State; they often are. I don't know but someone made a big error not gettting him into some kind of custodial situation. Had he ever served in juvenile jail?
Getting attention is part of it - going out in a big way -(Columbine); ;but they're not interested in getting their picture in the news (how would they SEE it when they're dead) - it's not rational, it's ideation and they're are mentally ill. People who go on shooting sprees are mentally ill.
Timothy McVeigh had a political ideology - that was evil, planned. Even the terrorists of 9-11 weren't mentally ill - they had a politcal/religious ideology and planned to carry it out.
There's a huge difference. We need to recognize the warning signs - quiet, upset, disturbed, depressed males who can't hold a job, lose a job, etc. They need to be caught early by teachers, juvenile court, psychiatric hospitals, etc. Follow up is necessary.
Unfortunately all these workers get exhausted, and people fall through the cracks. Parents need to be vigilint, it's too easy to ignore, watch TV, drink a few beers and not talk to the kids.
http//www.timetotalk.org
She likes the 9mm a lot better and quicker to reload. Also, the vest she wears is not that good stopping high powered ammo. I worry about that going up against an automatic rifle. She's only been shot at once through a door by a rifle, the vest stopped it. She got a cracked rib. The vest she wears also has a molded steel plate insert. We do a lot of praying for her.
