I wonder how many people are violently killed or murdered each day. It's probably in the thousands easily?

Guess it's about appreciating that most of us commenting here are probably rather lucky all in all.

That's all it really is. Luck.

how did we ever survive

Depended on your line of work I guess.

My father for example was a policeman. I recall him looking at a picture of his "class" from the year he joined, going down the rows of faces pointing out those who had been killed or maimed. Let's just say it was more than a "few".

I love Ireland but its a sad place when you start to remember the stuff you'd rather forget...

Mawkishness is not a new thing.

This could be extended to "News vultures". It has become so available and morphed into a kind of entertainment. There was recently an article about people becoming addicted to news, when in fact, so much of it is irrelevant to one's daily life. I speak from experience, unfortunately!

I know. The US needed a draft went they invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. That would have focused their attention a little.

I can't believe how bad the news has been reported during this event.

There were 3 bombs...No there wasn't!
There were 7 bombs...No there wasn't!
They've made an arrest...No they haven't!

I heard there were at least twelve people killed! (in the early afternoon radio news)

That's what the Post newspaper reported in the immediate aftermath. Thankfully it seems to have turned out not to be correct.

I'm sure someone was commenting about such inconsistencies earlier in the thread.

The sales of assault rifles went through the roof after the massacre of school children in Connecticut so are people more or less likely to buy a pressure cooker after this tragedy?

Knowing the americans, you'll now probably have to have more background checks when buying a pressure cooker than with an assault rifle.

Well after yesterdays vote in Congress they even defeated the proposed bill wanting background checks on US residents buying guns.
Ah the US and their guns.

They should make sure they don't get in the hands of people on anti-depressants.

Almost all the headline-making incidents (including Newtown) have been carried out by people on prescribed, mind-altering drugs (which is what anti-depressants are) who have guns. It's not a clever combination.

Of course such a restriction would call into question the wisdom of prescribing this drugs and jeopardise an industry which is extremely profitable and buys and pays for an awful lot of US politicians, so it will never happen.

[/politics_rant]