Shooting at elementary school in San Bernardino

[Blue Wren]

It was a local event that had no reason to be commented on at the federal level. Do we really want the president to politicize the death of a child?

This is one of the most ironic posts.

The message, his silence on it, sends to those outside of the US, is that such school shootings, murdering children, they're so common, they aren't even worthy of a Tweet.

 

[Aldebaran]

This is one of the most ironic posts.

The message, his silence on it, sends to those outside of the US, is that such school shootings, murdering children, they're so common, they aren't even worthy of a Tweet.

People complain when he Tweets, and now they complain when he doesn't. What does that say to those outside the U.S.? BTW, how does this "school shooting" compare with a shooting anywhere else? It was about a spat between a man and his estranged wife! If this incident occurred in their home, people wouldn't even be talking about it.

 

[Blue Wren]

Called it!

​

Please don't ignore this point.

The President has just as recently as last week shown he has no problem politicizing dead children. As such, he has no excuse for not having a word to say about American children being shot and killed in an American classroom by an American gunman. This is almost an exclusively American problem and the American President should have something to say about it. Anything. Just an acknowledgment that it even happened would be nice.

But he doesn't have to. Why?

Because there are plenty of people like you in this country who will continue defend him no matter what he does. No matter how low he goes, there will be someone to hold him up high.

I should have read your post, before I wrote my last one, as I do do think, that's entirely true. Most especially, the last paragraph. Trump, and his people, they've talked about imaginary crimes, but, he cannot utter a word of compassion, for a real crime, a child and a teacher, murdered by a gunman, in a public school. I do think what others said, it's very true. Had the murderer, been an immigrant, or a Muslim, instead of a Christian American, he would have been very happy, to politicize it.

 

[RDKirk]

"The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

Most people in the US don't want that tree to be planted. Almost none want the kind of "tree husbandry regimen" that would be necessary to keep that tree alive--the kinds of police actions that were necessary in Australia and Britain would not be welcomed even by most liberals in the US.

 

[SolomonVII]

America has a strong gun culture. That used to be somewhat true in Canada too, but without a second amendment setting things in stone, the argument for safety takes precedent over the argument for individual freedom.

In this particular case, no laws short of confiscating all guns would be really sufficient to prevent this man from having a gun. "Known to police" is a different order of affairs that "convicted for domestic abuse".

It is not just laws that determine gun ownership though. It is legal to own a gun in Canada too, but the rate in America is two and a half times greater than in Canada. As close as Canada and America are in many respects, there is a different set of beliefs. In America, owning a gun is seen to be a means of taking care of yourself, and being responsible for your own safety. Canadians by and large just don't see gun ownership as making themselves any safer.

 

[Armoured]

The shooting in San Bernadino that killed 2 kids was not aimed at them.

Who possibly could have foreseen shooting in a school might have hit children?

 

[RDKirk]

So explain why the rest of the developed world doesn't have similar problems?

The rest of the developed world doesn't have the knifing or bludgeoning murder problems that the US does, either.

 

[RDKirk]

Australia is at least as diverse as the US, if not moreso We have large cities, too... *looks at stats* hmmm, I guess something other than diversity or large cities is the variable you're after. What could it be?

Oh, heck, everything in Australia is already trying to kill you, including koalas if you let them run out of eucalyptus.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

But since he's Donald Trump, then people would be here complaining that he put up a phony Twitter statement up in order to make it look like he cares. Either that, or to "politicize this poor kids untimely death by a gun nut", or whatever.

No one said being President would be easy.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

The shooting in San Bernadino that killed 2 kids was not aimed at them. It was an issue between a man and his estranged wife. Nobody says anything about them though, but I'm surprised that nobody so far has said that it's because they were both black. But I digress. I understand that people get emotional when children are killed. As part of that emotional response, they want someone to say something about it. But what's really different about these 2 kids being killed that sets them apart from all the other children being killed every day in various ways that it becomes an issue that warrants a statement from the president of the United States?

I actually want someone to do something about it but because I know that isn't going to happen, I'll settle for someone simply acknowledging the event even happened at all. But now I realize, shouldn't even expect that.

We cannot just treat this as a normal Monday morning in America. This isn't normal anywhere else in the world, and it shouldn't be normal here. It should garner attention from our highest representatives, including the President... There should be outrage over such a pointless tragedy, but the fact that it doesn't and there isn't is very distressing and disheartening, to say the least.

It doesn't give me much hope for a much "greater America" if we can't get things like this in order and especially if there isn't even the political or social will to do so. We can have all the money and jobs in the world with the world's greatest economy and have defeated ISIS but if kids can't even be safe in their classrooms, then we will never truly be great.

Actually, I won't defend him about everything he does. There's plenty of things he's done and said that I don't agree with. I think the cruise missile attack wasn't thought out very well and was done too quickly. I think his aggressive approach to North Korea could trigger something bad, although I'm not exactly sure what else can be done at this point where NK is on the verge of being able to nuke us, and has indicated that they intend to. He's also too quick to attack people who say something against him, even to the point that he seems to be willing to turn friends into enemies at the drop of a hat. The Twitter thing is a little much as well.

Fair enough. I apologize for characterizing you as a partisan.

 

[Aldebaran]

No one said being President would be easy.

Now you're just dismissing what I said. Instead of stating that being president isn't easy, why don't you address the point of what the president is obligated to do about local events and why you feel you're right about it?

 

[Aldebaran]

I actually want someone to do something about it but because I know that isn't going to happen, I'll settle for someone simply acknowledging the event even happened at all. But now I realize, shouldn't even expect that.

We cannot just treat this as a normal Monday morning in America. This isn't normal anywhere else in the world, and it shouldn't be normal here. It should garner attention from our highest representatives, including the President... There should be outrage over such a pointless tragedy, but the fact that it doesn't and there isn't is very distressing and disheartening, to say the least.

It doesn't give me much hope for a much "greater America" if we can't get things like this in order and especially if there isn't even the political or social will to do so. We can have all the money and jobs in the world with the world's greatest economy and have defeated ISIS but if kids can't even be safe in their classrooms, then we will never truly be great.

It may not be "normal" for these things to happen, and they are indeed tragic. That still doesn't mean it's the president's job to make comments about it. I'm pretty sure he's aware of it. But he doesn't have to go on camera to make a statement about it. I certainly don't want politicians thinking they have something to say about everything, especially local level events. When they do that, they usually do it to score points with their political base. Obama did plenty of that in situation such as what we're talking about. You know why? Because "gun control" was one of the things his political base liked. When a guy who is mad at his ex-wife goes to her place of work and shoots her, I don't believe the POTUS has an obligation to be involved one way or another in it.

Listen, people killing each other is something that happens, and it's tragic. But people have talked endlessly about "doing something" to stop it. I'll say it bluntly: You can't. People are going to do things if their mind is set on doing it. I'll use myself as an example here. I'm a gun owner. Now, what prevents me from loading up mine, putting it under my belt and then going to the nearest shopping mall, pulling out the gun, aiming it a people and repeatedly pulling the trigger? Is there some law that will prevent me from doing that if that's what I wanted to do? I can't think of any other than the ones that would punish me after the fact. There's also my faith that gives me a conscience against doing such things. So the things that stop me are my conscience, my values, and legal incentive (not prevention) to not do it. Other than that, what do you propose in a country that already has 300,000,000 guns that be done to actually prevent a guy from shooting his ex-wife, or even someone who pulls up along somebody walking on the side of the road and shooting them because he didn't think his own life was fair?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Now you're just dismissing what I said. Instead of stating that being president isn't easy, why don't you address the point of what the president is obligated to do about local events and why you feel you're right about it?

If you think a teacher and two students being shot in a school, regardless of who was actually targeted or why, if you think that is just mundane, normal violence that needs no further address than that of local, ordinary law enforcement and then we simply move on, then that is fine. I disagree on that point. I believe the President should have something to say about this but I'm not at all surprised he didn't. It doesn't fit the agenda to recognize that, even without the illegals and the Muslims, there's still plenty wrong with America.

 

[Aldebaran]

If you think a teacher and two students being shot in a school, regardless of who was actually targeted or why, if you think that is just mundane, normal violence that needs no further address than that of local, ordinary law enforcement and then we simply move on, then that is fine. I disagree on that point. I believe the President should have something to say about this but I'm not at all surprised he didn't. It doesn't fit the agenda to recognize that, even without the illegals and the Muslims, there's still plenty wrong with America.

But why do you think this about this case? Pick up a local newspaper from every single community in every state in the nation every single day and I'm sure you will find plenty of local stories that you would think the president should comment on. I hope you can understand how impractical that is.

 

[SolomonVII]

The presidency has become a celebrity reality star, whose main goal is to ride the media story du jour. This was what the presidency of BHO was all about, and with the election of an actual reality TV star, it seemed that is what the modern presidency was going to devolve into.

So it is kind of nice when the president drops out of the latest news cycle, and focuses on the things that presidents can actually do something about.
Trumps two cents worth on this are about as irrelevant as Madonna's would be.

 

[Armoured]

Oh, heck, everything in Australia is already trying to kill you, including koalas if you let them run out of eucalyptus.

Almost everything tries to kill us. We haven't had a problem with mass shootings for a while though.

 

[Aldebaran]

Almost everything tries to kill us. We haven't had a problem with mass shootings for a while though.

Here in America, we don't have to worry about Koalas trying to kill us either. But Australia certainly isn't the safe haven so many try to make it out to be: AUSTRALIA: MORE VIOLENT CRIME DESPITE GUN BAN

 

[Ada Lovelace]

I don't think it just politicizing a kids death. It's more he doesnt care. If the guy was from a different country. He would be ready to tar and feather more illegal immigrants. But since it wasn't. It's not worth his time. If the whole world's talking about it. It's an on going issue. He should had at least put a phony Twitter statement up. About it.

As of yesterday, Trump's 90th day in office, he's posted 886 Tweets to his personal handle and the official POTUS one, on a myriad of topics. At odd hours of the day and night and in the time in between he's Tweeting out misspelled rants, accusations, praise, complaints, taunts, edicts. The overarching theme is that it relates to the narrative he wants to advance, and what matters to him. Those who love him, those who loathe him, and those who simply want to remain current on what's happening look to his Twitter because what he posts there has ramifications. He realizes the power he has with it, and relishes it. It would be wonderful if he would harness the site for good. The family of Jonathan Martinez, the 8-year-old special needs boy who was killed in this shooting, has expressed their desire to promote awareness of the rare medical condition he had, Williams Syndrome, and educate the public about it.
Educating others about Williams syndrome in honor of San Bernardino school shooting victim

Jonathan’s father asked the superintendent, in honor of his son, to educate others about Williams Syndrome, a condition with which Jonathan was born.

Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder, according to the Williams Syndrome Association, every 1 in 10,000 people are affected. There are only 20,000 to 30,000 in the US with the disorder, according to the Williams Syndrome Association website.

The disease has symptoms such as cardiovascular disease, developmental delays and learning disabilities, but those symptoms can also vary greatly, according to NORD, National Organization for Rare Disorders.

Children with Williams syndrome are also extremely sensitive to sound, according to NORD.
Social interaction for children with the disease is very important, according the Williams Association website, and the structure of being in the classroom at school and later in life, work, helps with development.

With one Tweet, Trump could significantly aide the family in their goal.

Trump's White House claimed the "San Bernadino" attack (they misspelled the name of the city) didn't "receive the media attention it deserved", even though it dominated local and national news, and was reported widely and extensively around the world. I think the shooting that took place in a San Bernardino elementary school that claimed the lives of Jonathan Martinez and his teacher Karen Smith, critically wounded another child, traumatized their classroom, terrified parents and community members, and caused the entire school to be evacuated and closed for the remainder of the week, deserved some acknowledgement.

I am glad that at least citizens have been generous in their care. A cousin of the Martinez family set up a Go Fund Me page hoping to raise funds to cover the costs of Jonathan's funeral, with a goal of $10,000. They've received more than $132,000.

Edit to add:
This discusses the charitable contributions to the Martinez family:
San Bernardino elementary school shooting: GoFundMe page for murdered boy raises more than $100G

This about the beloved teacher, Karen Smith, fatally shot in her classroom at the school by her estranged husband:
How To Help Karen Smith's Family, Because The North Park Elementary Teacher Touched So Many Lives

 

[GoldenBoy89]

But why do you think this about this case? Pick up a local newspaper from every single community in every state in the nation every single day and I'm sure you will find plenty of local stories that you would think the president should comment on. I hope you can understand how impractical that is.

When did I say the President has to comment on every news story across the country?

I specifically said this story deserves mention because it's not something that happens everyday in America. Treating it as such is incredibly offensive to all the people affected by it. This is a community that is still in large part recovering from a terrorist attack that at the time, Trump had no qualms about mentioning, tweeting about or using to push his agenda when he was campaigning.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

So it is kind of nice when the president drops out of the latest news cycle, and focuses on the things that presidents can actually do something about.

Yeah, like golfing at his Florida resort.

Trumps two cents worth on this are about as irrelevant as Madonna's would be.

How or why anyone would vote for someone as irrelevant as Madonna still baffles me. I'm glad you realize that, though... It gives hope.