commentaries

I'm not sure why Obama's name is thrown in here and there, as this isn't a political issue. Part of the problem in our society started 20 or 30 years ago when teaching your child good morals and values along with discipline for bad behavior was considered abuse. It's no wonder we're seeing kids and young 20's doing these sort of things. Our entire moral fabric has disintegrated.

Civil rights indeed. Can we protect them from themselves when they grow up? This issue is so multifaceted, where do I begin. I do agree with daveseavy, the teaching of morals and values isn't what it used to be. Even when they are taught, do parents realize, or have a clue, if their kids are the ones doing the bullying, and do they actually do something to address it with thier kids? Then there's the whole mental health issue. The need to balance individuals' rights swung the pendulum to the other side, now families can't get much needed help for their loved ones when even when they recognize they need it. What about those whose families don't really care, or who really don't really have close family around? Face it, if someone is so disturbed that they plan out shootings like these, they are not going to recognize that they need help, let alone go and get help for themselves. How do we fix this broken system? And then there is the whole gun issue. You can't have a serious discussion about mass shootings with out having some talk about guns. If the shooters had no access to guns, they wouldn't have been able to go on the killing sprees. Some of these shooters never applied for the guns, the got them from someone else who obtained them legally. Just saying that they already have back ground checks required doesn't seem to make a whole lot of difference. The guy who shot the firemen in New York State, his neighbor bought the guns and gave them to him. We have tragedies in smaller numbers as well, small enough that they don't make national news. A young girl sitting at her dinning room table doing homework is shot and killed by a bullet that comes through the wall of her house (came from outside her house). A four year old gets a hold of a gun and accidentally shoots and kills his younger brother, There are many stories like these. The reasons for them happening are many, lack of morals, mental illness, senseless accidents. Yet all of these mentioned involve guns. Yes, we need to add a discussion of gun control, education, security to the list of things needed to protect America's children.

"We don't need to watch Syria each morning on CNN to see young children assassinated. " Seems a little exaggerated.

Gregory Clay wrote: "Whoever would have thought the United States couldn't protect its own children on a daily basis?"-------------------------I know this would make for a weak headline but let's not lose sight of the fact that about 70 million American children were not injured or killed that day in Newtown.

Actually what is many times considered bullying used to act as a counterbalance to bad behavior. When you acted out in public (school, events, etc) you were called out on it and expected to conform to some normal standards of behavior. Today, no one can be criticized without it being you're infringing on their civil rights or being a bully. Thus, kids grow up thinking any behavior is okay, and we wonder why they do destructive things.

What is a civil right is the right of self defense. Remember, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Draw your own conclusions but while police are great and do assist, they are not always there when things happen. Legislators of course are strong believers in "feel good" legislation that is ineffective. The masses have migrated to a society of "please, take care of me!" Again, what is not only a U.S. Civil Right but a human right is the right of self defense.

Yes we do need a civil rights movement for children in this country. One contributing factor not mentioned here is the violent way we discipline our children. If an adult hits another adult, we call it assault. If a child hits another child, we call it aggression. If an adult hits a child, we call it discipline. But you can’t change the fact that it is violence by changing the victim from an adult to a child. The violence we perpetrate on our children in the name of discipline is an assault on their spirit. You cannot tell me you would not feel humiliated if another adult hit you and angry if you were powerless to do anything about it. You cannot teach nonviolence by being violent. If we want a peaceful society, we must begin acting nonviolent, by discussing and promoting nonviolent disciplinary alternatives for our children.

What is the source of rage? Adults are liars. We've built a world of dishonest institutions. The promise of fairness and opportunity has been broken. Young people have no hope of an earnest and meaningful life. Most don't even know what it would mean.

Discipline for bad behavior in America is considered abuse...no wonder some of our perfect snowflakes become defective.

I cannot even read the article... civil rights for children? So, children don't have any rights in this country? is this a satire piece out of The Onion?