Changing gears for just one day

[Marsh01]

F these school shootings.

 

[moqui]

on this day, it has to be

 

[dasher]

I am just sick to my stomach. Why?

 

[Marsh01]

I am just sick to my stomach. Why?

As a parent of 2 kids myself I echo this. No reason.

 

[dasher]

As a parent of 2 kids myself I echo this. No reason.

f these school shootings.

 

[jordoo]

All of these shootings are horrible but the school ones hit very close to home during the holiday season.

 

[SourShoes]

This is why I have zero faith that the human race will survive. This whole species is on borrowed time...and the world will better for it when we are all gone. The sad part is that deep down we all know this to be true

 

[Rocco]

F these school shootings.

Amen brother, F these school shootings.

Big CT fan today...

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I am just sick to my stomach. Why?

This is why I have zero faith that the human race will survive. This whole species is on borrowed time...and the world will better for it when we are all gone. The sad part is that deep down we all know this to be true

So about that...

Let me preface this by saying that I wish to treat the horrible events today with respect, and hope that the following comments are philosophical thoughts and not judgments of any kind.

I have a theory that with societal advancement comes an increased tolerance for naturally "unfit" individuals. In the earlier days of human history a naturally "unfit" individual's greatest potential for harm was to themselves, and in the absence of harming themselves they had to fight an even more uphill battle to survive. But, as society learns to care for those with natural disadvantages (physical limitations, mental imbalance, etc.) those "unfit" individuals are prevented from harming themselves or having themselves fall under the regular rules of survival of the fittest, are given a place in society, and so their capacity for adversely affecting others increases due to opportunities that never existed or were permitted before.

For a simple example, I'm vision impaired. My glasses level the playing field, but it's a disadvantage I always have, and may have passed on to my son. It's an unnatural condition that makes it so that I can see, but society tolerates that I'm "unfit." A thousand years ago I'm probably hosed.

I mention this because people often struggle to make sense of these kinds of tragedies, but in a very terrifying way I think they make a lot of sense. I actually expect that these types of events will worsen as society marches forward. Progressive society finds a place for everyone, even the really bad ones that might not have lasted in a less developed society. If society progresses in my son's lifetime, he will and should be even more scared for his kids than we are for ours.

So... yeah. That thought probably just makes things even more depressing.

 

[billsin01]

have a buddy -- huge uconn fan -- who's kids go to that school. they are fine. that is too f-ing close. he said he hasn't stopped shaking. unreal.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

have a buddy -- huge uconn fan -- who's kids go to that school. they are fine. that is too f-ing close. he said he hasn't stopped shaking. unreal.

That's brutal. I'm glad to hear they're ok.

 

[zls44]

Thanks guys. Sports are really pretty meaningless, eh?

Have a friend from Newtown. Thankfully he and his family are ok. He's one of the lucky ones.

 

[dasher]

Thanks guys. Sports are really pretty meaningless, eh?

Have a friend from Newtown. Thankfully he and his family are ok. He's one of the lucky ones.

Zls, I have been sick about this all day. I have so many friends that are teachers. I think about this sort of thing all the time.

 

[zls44]

I think we're all pretty sick about it.