What can you do to Honor the Memory of 17 Innocent Americans ?

Convict the killer.  Florida will be fighting for the death penalty.  

We live in a day and age when no lives matter think of all the senseless killings around the world and with abortion we teach our youth that life really doesn't matter at all. What is the answer I would bet no one knows on either side of gun control. Morals are not taught or shown I remember a time when kids would be scared to see a dead body on TV and even in my own life when we watch bodies stacked up on the piers during Hurricane Fredrick but now with video games and Holywood making killings actually fun and even romantizing it to a point. I just wonder ...  

It’s a very sad situation, I can’t imaging what the parents, siblings, friends and community must be feeling.

Even one kid killed in these senseless acts is one too many!!!\

Why anyone of any age needs an assault weapon is beyond our comprehension.  The senseless deaths at Sandy Hook were not enough to get the attention of national government leadership. Twenty seven people lost their lives....20 of them  6 and 7 year old children. 

I'm so glad you wrote this because I hadn't heard about it. Brings tears to my eyes just reading it. Lots of great comments here too!

So horrible, horrible, horrible. I will take those 17 minutes today, and hope that the conversation continues so that something will FINALLY be done to protect all!

Any injustice disturbs me...

Hello Sally and David. Thoughts and prayers are definitely not enough.

Hopefully these minutes of silence will give many time to think, Sally K. & David L. Hanson ... politicians included.  It's time for real action on this issue ... and many more.

I'm so proud to say you are my fellow member of ActiveRain.  Finding your voice and expressing your heartfelt opinion on this topic is not an easy one ... your bravery is admired and your friendship is cherished ...

Gene

Michael, I agree ...Prayers are not enough ...

Right to bear arms ...  is an automatic acceptance by the Lawmakers that we live in violent society and there is an imminent threat and we (majority) likewise agree it cannot be eliminated by OUR Administration. So the community (majority) has accepted the right to bear arms and be ready to defend themselves from the rest of us.

Outcomes are in the headlines

DONE.  The NRA time is UP!  The 2nd Amendment was written over 250 years ago as a means to deal with oppression from the British Militia showing up at your doorstep with muskets, while it was illegal for citizens to defend themselves from that.

WE ARE NOT THE COLONIES ANY MORE, and the government doesn't show up at our doorstep with muskets any more.  The 2nd amendment must be modified so that semi-automatic killing weapons can not be purchased at trade shows!  Hello?!!  Owning a hand gun is one thing.  Owning a semi-automatic killing machine is quite another and INSANE.  Do not allow the NRA to gaslight everyone into thinking that making modifications to gun laws to stop the mass killings is going to result in leaving you unsafe.  That is just pure fear mongering for their own agenda while masses of people and children continue to die.  Absolutely vile and disgusting.

TIME'S UP!

Ralph: Having a permission to do something and having no restriction for doing the same thing is TWO different aspects. The most important issue is how it “matters to others”. We all are in the “others” shoes under varying circumstances. There is no restriction to own a big hat, but if we keep it on in the movie theater … there is a concern.

Again concern and problem are viewed differently. Now the leadership wants school teachers and school staff to bear concealed weapons … soon we would like to permit students to bear arms so they can defend themselves from School Teachers and Staff. Then we would like to encourage residents around schools area to bear arms … eye for an eye, is it the lifestyle?

So agree, had seen the photos of the installation on Twitter and there is something about shoes that touches your soul seeing the different sizes, colors and types of shoes from sandals to sneakers. It makes a point, very persuasive and emotional.

Seventeen minutes is too long to waste on this subject and I applaud Sally K. & David L. Hanson for writing passionately about such a controversial matter in these troubling times for a young man exercising His 2nd amendment rights.

Never before have the students been so vocal and people are listening. We all feel the pain and something needs to be done.

Hi Sally and David...It is about time that we stopped wishing, thinking, praying, hoping, etc. and started to actively work towards making some changes. These tragedies happen over and over again and nothing changes. That has got to stop and only by each and everyone of us that wants to see change actually do something to make it happen.

Kate

Let's get to the crux of the problem for this specific incident.

You mentioned that we need to educate people on how to identify and report such crazy and dangerous people.

Read this story showing the texts that Cruz had sent to some classmates.  These texts were shown to the school security people and nothing was done.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/remysmidt/cruz?utm_term=.uo6R793BE#.jverAb390

I read that he actually was expelled for bringing a gun to school.  If he would have been charged he would have had a record and he wouldn't have been able to purchase any more guns. 

Why wasn't he charged?  Because they passed a law in Florida that incentivized schools not to report and press criminal charges.  So the crime stats look good but nothing is then done to stop someone like Cruz.

In this case, there seems to have been many  people reporting concerns about Cruz.  But nothing was done.  So what's the point of educating and reporting if nothing is then done about it?  

It's easy to focus on the big bad guns and feel good thinking that you are doing something to help.  But has making drugs illegal stopped everyone from being able to buy whatever drugs that they want?  Banning all guns isn't going to 

Also, if kids are not to be trusted with certain guns until they are 21, then I think they shouldn't be able to be drafted or be able to vote until they are 21.  

They say that the brain isn't fully developed until the age of 25.   Maybe that should be the age at which full citizen privileges kick in.

There are some incredible comments here with lots of food for thought Sally K. & David L. Hanson 

I agree we need to find a solution but walking out of school is not the answer!  How do you differentiate the kids that just wanted a chance to skip school verses those that were there for any other reason?  If you get a kid to show up AT school on a Saturday for a cause, then I would be truly impressed!

It is kind of like the Woman's March that took on so many different themes (Anti-Trump, Equal Pay, Sexual Awareness, Same Sex Marriages, etc.) that many of the marchers couldn't agree on why other people were there.

I'm glad to see so much support and coverage of the events since this horror took place. It's such a complex issue and the solution, if there IS one solution, is not a simple one nor likely an easy one to implement effectively.