to notice that the killings in the USA

[butisthismyname]

Are HUGE NEWS, but the children who are being shot and killed every day in syria, the children who live on the streets and die every day in south america and the children who are dying in third world countries are 'part of the furniture'? I know what has just happened is horrific and sad and awful, but it's just so fucking unfair. It's like the twin towers - OMG the USA is in trouble, lets be outraged ( not negating that but just an example) When will we be as understanding and sympathetic and make what is happening everywhere else in the world as important and newsworthy as this?

btw OP I did see your follow-up posts and I'm not responding to you directly.

I haven't read the whole thread but I think the OP is in poor taste.

Yes terrible things are happening all over the world. That doesn't make this terrible tragedy any less awful.

Can I just say in the politest way possible.
RTFT.

What does that mean Lady?

I believe it has to do with what is more likely to sell: news about an English speaking western country or some 'uncivilized people' somewhere in the world.

Alis I think Lady is saying to read the thread, the OP has since come back and her updates should be considered when responding.

Alis. RTFT means read the fucking thread.

Neither of my posts were personal attacks. Telling someone that to call compassion is "grief wank" is vile is not an attack. It's the truth.

Yes, Alis.
It means Read the fucking thread.
Op came back with a very gracious apology, but if you didn't read the whole thread you will have missed it.
It's my only bugbear on MN, I don't always read very long threads, but I get the gist of them by looking at the highlighted Op's posts before I reply.

Oh I see

I was typing my comment on my phone so didn't see OP had come back just before I posted. OP has been very gracious,as others have said.

Quite agree LadyBeagle.

I am saddened by all needless death personally. However things about this tragedy appear on my news feed, and so are more in the forefront for me, I'm not an avid follower of world events, and know nothing about syria.
The story in america has struck me Particularly the story of one teacher murdered after she hid all of her first graders in cupboards an told the gunman they were in the gym.. And the other who managed to hide her whole class in one tiny bathroom and as shots rang out just told them she loved them and they were wonderful as "she didn't want gunshots to be the last thing they heard".. Both of these have reduced me to tears, its the idea of the terror I think, and the heroic actions of everyday people.

Its a sad world we live in. Part of the reason I dont really follow world events, or even the news, closely.

(And no i am not attacking the OP merely stating how the event has affected / made an impact on me personally)

I have 7 little Syrian nieces and nephews aged from 12-2 yrs.

It makes me very, very sad that some here seem to view them as so different from their DC.

Prior to the war, Syrians weren't living in tents you know. They had homes, electricity, toys, television.

They liked to go the park and play, do their homework before dinner. Watch cartoons, play with their toys.

I don't see my daughter as being so different from them, just because she lives in a different country. It is just accident of birth, that we were fortunate to be born/live in politically stable countries.

As for the US. They refuse to ban guns. These mass shootings are a horrific tragedy, but one the US authorities, whether at a state or federal level refuse to do anything about.

As for Syria, the people did ask for peaceful reform, but the government starting killing them and ordinary people are caught up in this.

All the people want is for the regime to go and the fighting to stop. Is that so hard to relate to?

Goth you are the first person to tell me anything about syria. It sounds incredibly sad and unjust

I too think the "grief wank" comment is a foul thing to say. I've observed before that solidgold often posts on threads like this making deliberately insensitive, crass comments and mocking peoples genuine distress. What her motivation is, well who knows.

I think the day we cease to be shocked and distraught by events like this is the day we lose our humanity and decency.

I also understand the point butthis was trying to make. The timing wasn't great but then when is after something like this. Emotions are (understandably) tuning high and people react in all sorts of ways.

grrrr, for the record, the difference between the tradgeties in the us and china, is that all twenty american children died. i think that is worthy of more coverage. op, i have rtft and realised you have apologised after being chastised but i need to say the twn towers made the news because thousands of people died. in one day thousands died from all over the world, do you even have a clue how many british citizens died that day? how many british families your post would offend. bit of research please.

I find the events in Syria incredibly distressing as well. I can understand in a way why people switch off from it, or how else would you cope with all the horrific things that happen in the world?

Excellent post GothAnne

Thank you santas. As I said, I reacted in a stupid and unthinking way and should have engaged my brain. In the cold light of day I realise what a complete tit I was - like someone said, acting like a reactionary 14 year old! It's all horrific - all of it. Love your insightful post too gothanne I think we do kind of find it difficult to imagine the children we see fleeing war zones as having been ordinary children like our own, as we haven't seem them in their normal lives, as it were. Like everyone in the world, I want it all to stop. All of it. :(

I don't understand the "but" in these statements. It's a horrific tragedy, "but" authorities don't ban guns.

It's horrific that children die, "but", US foreign policy statement here.

Syria, it's a horrific tragedy that children die there, "but", the government could just stop waging war on the people.

Shootings in areas with more gun control, are those allowed to simply be horrific, without a caveat? Or will it be, Well that was horrific, "but", we should ban video games/ action films/ religious groups?

Yes, shootings happen more frequently in the US. Yes, more gun control would possibly reduce these incidents. However, it's not as simple as that. My home city doesn't allow gun ownership but there are regular shootings there. Even with gun control, someone such as the shooter in this case would not have been flagged as he doesn't seem to have had a criminal record.

Because these mass shootings in the US are preventable tragedies. We do the victims a grave injustice to pretend otherwise.

61 mass shootings since Columbine.

Again:

61 mass shootings since Columbine

Just saying "How horrible" is not enough.

goth, how do you propose we take thw guns away? we can push for better gun control now but there are literally millions of guns in the country. I suspect most would be unregestered, the really crazy people have bunkers full of guns. I would love it if people would givwe up their guns, but the people who the gun control laws would affect are the sane law abiding citizens,the ones who are scared of the guy with 500 unregistered guns in a bunker.

I thought Obama was very good to listen to including saying something about how action was needed to prevent these tragedies - US needed to think seriously about what that would be, also that when he heard his first response was as a parent and not a president.

i haven't got a gun, and we'll be moving back to Europe as i hate the gun culture but i have yet to see a workable way of going back