Demand A Plan to End Gun Violence

It’s time. Join more than 750 mayors and 750,000 grassroots supporters to demand that President Obama and Congress step forward with a plan to end gun violence. via Demand a plan

Gun control: Piers Morgan vs. John Lott

Controversial dispute Morgan vs. Lott

Law of gun control : IMO I support following statement about the liability question.
As for the person who sells or gives a gun to a person without a gun permit, make that person responsible civilly and criminally for any crime that the recipient commits with that gun.

Asperger’s Does Not Explain Connecticut Shooting

Good to know!

Planned, social violence is not a feature of autism. Indeed, autistic people are far more likely to have violence done against them than to do violence to others. No one knows as of this writing what drove the Connecticut shooter to kill 20 children and 7 adults, point blank, although obvious candidates are rage, hate, a huge grudge against humanity, and some triggering event. But if he turns out to have been someone on the spectrum, I’d like to remind everyone that autism is not an explanatory factor in his actions. And that autistic people like my son are fully, fully capable of empathizing with those who were the target of them.

This post originally appeared on Emily Willingham’s blog.

Left Brain Right Brain

Autism Speaks has issued the following statement on the Coonecticut school shooting yesterday:

Statement on Newtown, Connecticut

Statement on Newtown, Connecticut

Our hearts go out to the families and town of Newtown, Connecticut in the wake of this heartbreaking event. Several media outlets are reporting that the shooter might have had an autism spectrum disorder. Some have also inaccurately reported that there is a linkage between autism and planned violence. We ask that blame not be placed on people with disabilities or disorders in the midst of these types of tragedies and that everyone keep the families of Newtown in their prayers.

Elizabeth Feld
President, Autism Speaks

Edit to add: I posted this statement in full without asking permission of Autism Speaks. It is short enough to make it difficult to pull sections out for a discussion. I greatly appreciate Autism Speaks making this statement. I am not associated with…

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Ein lesenswertes Statement zur vorauseilende Berichterstattung der Medien, die schon nach wenigen Stunden eine Erklärung liefern wollen für das Wieso und Weshalb der Tragödie von Newtown. Ungeachtet der Tatsache, dass eine ärztliche Diagnose der Schweigepflicht unterliegt und wir den abschließenden Bericht der ermittelnden Behörden abwarten sollten, sollten Journalisten selbstkritischer und zurückhaltender sein.

Aber es wird eben gerne spekuliert und der ungreifbare Autist ist eine gute Projektionsfläche, hypersensibel, hyperintelligent und hypereinsam – so sollte der Cocktail aussehen, der hier gebraut wird. Genauso gut könne man unterstellen der Täter hat ein Schilddrüsenproblem, vielleicht das seltene Refetoffsyndrom. Hyperaktiv, mager, intelligent und unangepasst. Auf die Pferde und los galoppiert  schauen wir doch wer seine Pferde zu erst im Stall hat? – mehr dazu via FAZ vom 17.12.2012

Ich bin Autistin - Asperger-Syndrom bei Frauen

Es ist schrecklich, was gestern in den USA an einer Grundschule geschehen ist. Ein junger Mann hat bei einem Amoklauf 27 Menschen – darunter viele Kinder im Alter zwischen 5 und 10 Jahren – getötet und am Ende dieser unvorstellbaren Tat sich selber erschossen. Unbegreiflich, wie ein Mensch zu einem solchen Verbrechen fähig sein kann. Weil die Menschen begreifen wollen, suchen sie nach einer Erklärung, nach dem „Warum“?
Und dann steht es plötzlich in nahezu allen Medienberichten:
„Der Täter war Autist. Er litt am Asperger-Syndrom.“
So weit ich informiert bin, sind das bisher nur Vermutungen. Vermutungen, die lediglich aus dem Verhalten des Amokläufers geschlossen werden. Aber sie verbreiten sich schnell. So schnell, dass sie nicht mehr aufzuhalten sind. Überall liest man, dass der Täter emotionslos war, kamerascheu. Dass er wenig sprach und von Klassenkameraden als unauffälliger Einzelgänger beschrieben wurde.

Macht ihn das zum Autist?
Und – macht ihn das zu…

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Guest Post: Thinking the Unthinkable After Newtown & Utoya

Today I found via Twitter the following honest commitment written by Liza Long a mum of four childrens, published in her viral blog –The Anarchist Soccer Mum -, and I will recommended this warmly to you. A mom’s perspective on the mental illness conversation in the USA. In my opion this is an import issue we have to discuss after this horrific tragedy. Read the full text, ‚I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother‘

Friday’s horrific national tragedy — the murder of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut — has ignited a new discussion on violence in America. In kitchens and coffee shops across the country, we tearfully debate the many faces of violence in America: gun culture, media violence, lack of mental health services, overt and covert wars abroad, religion, politics and the way we raise our children. Liza Long, a writer based in Boise, says it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness.

While every family’s story of mental illness is different, and we may never know the whole of the Lanza’s story, tales like this one need to be heard — and families who live them deserve our help. 

This is incredibly tragic to read, but this is also what people need to be made aware of. We need to improve the quality and availability of mental health care in this country. Not just for the sake of those who suffer, but for those around them. We already know all too well the consequences of failing to act.

Another story is the following about Janni written by Michael Schofield. He thought his young daughter was a genius, until he realised her bright mind masked an inner darkness.  Read the full text

Read more: The New Yorker WHAT OBAMA MUST DO ABOUT GUN

 

Obama told the nation that he reacted to the shootings in Newtown “as a parent,” and that is understandable, but what we need most is for him to act as a President,(…)

Read more: The New York Times
Nation’s Pain Is Renewed, and Difficult Questions Are Asked Once More