Massacre in the Connecticut Classroom

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Dec.14, 2012
All Rights Reserved.                                         

           Murdering his mother and twenty school children at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., 20-year old Adam Lanza’s rampage ended with a fatal bullet from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Armed with Swiss-made Glock and Czech-made Sig Sauer semiautomatics and a .223 caliber rifle, Lanza was clad in a bulletproof vest attesting to the premeditated rampage, killing 20 school children and eight adults.  Lanza’s mayhem was the worst killing spree in the U.S. since 23-year-old Virginia Tech undergraduate student Seung-Hui Cho massacred 32 students and faculty April 16, 2007.  Where Lanza obtained the weapons is anyone’s guess.  There’s “not a parent in America who does not feel the same overwhelming grief that I do,” said President Barack Obama, wiping away tears at a White House press conference.  Initial reports suggest Lanza may have suffered from Asperger’s disease, a mild form of autism.

             When incidents like this occur, Second Amendment advocates always blame irresponsible gun owners, not all-to-easy accessibility of guns to legally-aged individuals, even with severe mental illness.  Current gun laws, requiring Department of Justice background checks and 14-day waiting periods, do not take into account the mental health histories of gun buyers.  Reports about Adam’s mental state comes largely from his 24-year-old brother, Ryan from Hoboken, NJ, whom Connecticut police have questioned extensively.  State police Lt. Paul Vance confirmed that 28 people were presumed murdered by Lanza. While no one knows a motive yet, mental illness accounts for a big part of how otherwise law-abiding citizens engage in horrific violence.  Whether Lanza was high on drugs or alcohol, or taking prescription drugs at the time of the rampage isn’t yet known.

             Mental illness, drugs and alcohol account for a good portion of the ballistic episodes that periodically claim so many lives.  “Our hearts are broken today,” said Obama, vowing to work toward some “meaningful action,” through bipartisan efforts to help prevent future incidents.  Murdering his schoolteacher mother and pupils in her own classroom speaks volumes about the sick motive behind Lanza’s actions.  Unlike other workplace or school rampages, targeting his mother’s classroom speaks volumes about serious family problems.  While nothing justifies such violence, severe child abuse and neglect often accompanies the backgrounds of serial killers and mass murders.  With Lanza dead, profilers must piece together what’s called a post-mortem psychological autopsy to determine what snapped in the 20-year-old to prompt one on the most gruesome killing sprees in U.S. history.

             Focusing on the motive or Lanza’s personality won’t bring back the lives of children and adults in the latest chapter in American gun violence.  Since the April 16, 2007 mass murder at Virgina Tech, U.S. gun laws haven’t changed one iota.  Second Amendment advocates consider it encroachment to require the mentally ill to undergo special background checks before buying guns.  While it’s not known where Lanza acquired his weapons, there’re still plenty of gun collectors’ shows or swap meets to circumvent federal, state and local gun laws.  When the dust settles from the latest incident, Republicans and Democrats on Capital Hill need to deal with how mental illness wreaks havoc on today’s society.  While it’s true that most Asperger’s victims don’t commit violent acts, it’s also true that too few people have adequate mental health insurance coverage.

             No matter how advanced our society, prevailing notions of mental illness are still in the Dark Ages.  “Evil visited this community today and it’s too early to speak of recovery, but each parent, each sibling, each member of the family has to understand that Connecticut—we’re all in this together.  We’ll do whatever we can to overcome this event,” said Gov. Dannel Malloy.  Calling Lanza’s horrific acts “evil” detracts from the kind of madness that destroyed the political career of Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) Jan. 8, 2011 when a deranged gunman shot her through the brain and killed six other innocent victims, including Ariz. District Court Chief Judge John Roll.  When the White House and Congress put the finishing touches on Obamacare, they need to make sure that mental health is treated no differently than medical conditions.  Calling Lanza’s actions “evil” doesn’t do it justice.

              Today’s massacre should sound a loud gong on Capital Hill that gun ownership isn’t a right for the mentally ill.  While it’s certainly difficult to predict and control violence, it’s also possible to prevent the mentally ill from getting firearms, at least legally.  Congress has a duty to respect the Second Amendment and to tweak gun laws to prevent mentally disordered gun buyers from committing mayhem   “The district is taking preventive measures by putting all schools in lockdown until we ensure the safety of all students and staff,” said Newtown Public School Superintendent Kathy June.  School superintendents, principals, school teachers—both private and public—have a sacred duty to protect school personnel and children from wanton violence.  Government must do its part to assure that the mentally ill get treated and can’t get their hands on semiautomatic handguns.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.