Susan Miller and Kevin McCoy USA TODAY Published 11:14 AM EST Nov 8, 2018 When the thunder of gunfire broke through the revelry of a country music dance hall packed with young people kicking back on "college night," Thousand Oaks, California, added its name to a dark roster: The site of the 307th mass shooting in the U.S. this year. The Wednesday night massacre at the Borderline Bar and Grill, which left 13 people dead, including the gunman, became the nation's latest mass shooting, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, a not-for-profit organization that provides online public access to information about gun-related violence. In all, 328 people died in those incidents, and 1,251 were injured, according to the data. The numbers include incidents in which four or more people were shot and killed, not including the shooters. The rampage also came during three weeks of hate and terror that have jolted the … [Read more...] about Thousand Oaks, California, bar shooting: 307th mass shooting in 2018
South carolina elementary school shooting
Kellyanne Conway blames ‘anti-religiosity’ and late night comedians for synagogue shooting
As politicians and the media scrabble to assign blame for Saturday’s synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway came out with a novel take: It’s the fault of liberal, atheist comedians. After gunman Robert Bowers murdered 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday morning, President Donald Trump blamed Bowers’ well-documented anti-Semitism, calling it a “wicked act of pure evil and anti-Semitic.” Meanwhile, a handful of left-wing Jewish community leaders in Pittsburgh partly blamed Trump for the attack, claiming that Trump’s “policies have emboldened a growing white nationalist movement.” On Monday, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway offered her own take on who is to blame for the tragedy: late night atheist comedians. “The anti-religiosity in this country that’s somehow in vogue and funny to make fun of anybody of faith, to constantly be making fun of people who express religion - … [Read more...] about Kellyanne Conway blames ‘anti-religiosity’ and late night comedians for synagogue shooting
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting: Too late for Trump to be credible on hate
opinion Jill Lawrence USA TODAY Published 3:15 AM EDT Oct 29, 2018 "It’s a terrible, terrible thing what’s going on with hate in our country, frankly, and all over the world. And something has to be done." If only the person who said that had any self-knowledge or credibility. If he had the first, he’d start by apologizing for all he has done to fuel hatred in the past three years, and he’d cancel his remaining political rallies or tone them way, way down. If he had the second, we’d believe him. But he doesn’t. There’s no way to trust what President Donald Trump says, especially on civility and reconciliation. After the horrific Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh by a gunman shouting, “All Jews must die,” after a white supremacist who couldn't break into a black church settled for killing two black people in a supermarket (and assured a frightened man in the parking lot that “whites … [Read more...] about Pittsburgh synagogue shooting: Too late for Trump to be credible on hate
Our kids are ‘worried about getting shot’ in classrooms as back-to-school season starts
Caroline Simon USA TODAY Published 5:53 p.m. UTC Aug 23, 2018 Lesley Kluchin, who taught school for 36 years and still volunteers at her grandchildren's elementary school, is struck by the singing. The kindergartners and first-graders have special songs that help them remember what to do if their cheerful classroom suddenly becomes a danger zone and where to run if their school is next in a seemingly endless string of mass shootings. “These children are growing up so that they sing a little song and they get into hiding places – it's just terrifying to watch," Kluchin said, describing the frequent active-shooter drills in her grandchildren's school in Florida. It's not far from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 17 people lost their lives in a shooting in February. “I think what scared me the most is being in my granddaughter’s kindergarten classroom," she said. "And all these babies, … [Read more...] about Our kids are ‘worried about getting shot’ in classrooms as back-to-school season starts
Bulletproof backpacks, reinforced doors and perimeter fencing – a depressing look at how US schools are bracing for another bloodbath
BULLETPROOF backpacks, reinforced doors and perimeter fencing – these are some of the extraordinary measures being taken to protect US kids from gun violence. With the new academic year fast approaching, some American schools are starting to resemble maximum security prisons – and not sanctuaries of learning. Yesterday, one distraught teacher posted pictures of a bulletproof shield which she found in one of her student’s pack packs. The woman claims the child is only in pre-school. She tweeted: “You know how sad it is to open up a kid’s backpack to grab his lunch and see a bulletproof shield? “He’s in PRESCHOOL. A preschooler should not have to be carrying this around in his backpack. Seeing this broke my heart” Charleston County School District has revealed it is piloting new bulletproofed doors – which are still light enough for a six-year-old to open. Schools in the county in South Carolina already have school bus cameras, campus … [Read more...] about Bulletproof backpacks, reinforced doors and perimeter fencing – a depressing look at how US schools are bracing for another bloodbath