Jon Wright….if it really makes you that “SICK”, you can go north, south or west and be outta Virginia pretty quickly.
Once upon a time they incarcerated the mentally ill for their own protection, but we decided they were better off freezing to death on city streets — and besides, we spent the money elsewhere, and it is not coming back. Remember, Montgomery County is just a METRO ride away…

– Hazgray

I agree in that closer scrutiny on the individual in that case may have prevented a tragedy but unfortunately there is no way to predict what any individual sane or otherwise will do in the future. You are correct in that blaming the weapon is an easy explanation for an otherwise inexplicable event. In defense of those who work in the mental health field however, they can only do as much as state laws, regulations, policies and budgets will allow. I’m sure if you asked any one of the individuals, who have dedicated themselves to a career few others of us want to enter they would tell you emphatically that they would love to have more resources, better operating regulations etc. that could allow them to do their job more effectively. I also am a bit uncomfortable deriding an entire department for the actions of one crazed individual. Unfortunately, the outrageous action of one gets all of the ink rather than the success stories that happen on any given day. But then again, good news doesn’t sell any newspapers which comes back to my theme of valueing money more than life.

You got it! When Cho killed everyone at Va. Tech…..the Gov.’s response….Oh! Let’s make sure the the “crazy folks” can’t get guns. Let’s improve the reporting system so the nuts can’t get guns. There are how many guns in circulation in the US? 400 million? So Virginia’s response to the break down in the mental health treatment system is… Let’s make sure the nuts can’t get one of 400 million guns out there! Right, good thinking. The response is simply the CHEAPEST way to explain or try and correct the lack of mental health resources in the state. WE are third from the bottom in mental health expenditures and Kane wants to limit the “evil guns” from the crazies. How about making sure that the sick people get treatment so they won’t want to use the “evil guns” to kill innocent people? Or if they do, the sick people are locked up where they can’t hurt anyone? Uh..OH Sounds expensive!! Let’s not go there. Wouldn’t want to spend any money on the sick people. Look ..personally I hope the victims’ families don’t take any puny 100k settlement. I hope they sue the crap out of the state and make the negligent bastards pay for the unnecessary deaths of their loved ones. If the state mental health folks were doing their jobs, in my opinion, Cho would have been ID as needing significant help long before he went off at VT.

Hazee-
No answer to the fact that Virginia ignores its mentally ill citizens? 47th…Hazee….47th from the bottom in the entire nation. Does it make you PROUD to be a Virginian? It makes me SICK!

But the Gov’ner has money for preschool preschool. It is nothing but state paid childcare. Money that could be better utilized such as mental health, etc.

People in positions of power are promoting the view that the role of the children’s social worker is to support families and provides services for those in need. In recent years social services departments have been re-focusing services from child protection to family support. The new organisational frameworks being put in place by the Every Child Matters agenda aims to develop a needs-led approach but this has been associated with a loss of clarity and focus on child protection matters.
http://www.radical.org.uk/barefoot/scandal.htm

The justice system seems to go lighter on criminal actions when placed in the “family problems / social services” category. When crimes are committed within a “family unit” repeat offenders get multiple chances to prove they are undeserving of second chances. This conveys the message to the perpetrator that -we are here to help you overcome your dysfunction. But to the victim it conveys the message - we support your abuser.

We are still 47th in the country in spending on mental health. Got that? 47th…Only three states are more backward than the Commonwealth in treatment of our sick and needy citizens. Call the CSB up and see if they have adequate funds for the needs out there. Sure hope no one you know needs help.

First, Parents need to reassert control over the schools. As we have seen in PWC, when faced with a parents vs. teacher’s union scenario, it is more often the teacher’s union who wins in the struggle. They are the ones who are driving all the multi-culti garbage and perpetuating mediocrity. Parents are guilty of allowing it to happen. They are too busy dealing with work and other things, and trust in the schools to raise their children. There is a reason that homeschoolers and those who attend private schools, tend to be better equipped for success in adulthood.

Second, Parents need to set the example. They can’t allow their children to succumb to the liberal brainwashing of pop-culture. One example if the “hip-hop” culture that is drving attitudes among children in suburban public schools. This is a culture that glorifies mediocrity. The music. The clothes. Sometimes I just want to hold up a mirror and say to this kid: “I am the owner of a company. Do you think I would hire someone who dresses, speaks and acts like you?” The pressure to conform to societal norms is great for kids and teens. No problem if the “societal norm” is determined by well-adjusted parents. Big problem if it is set by liberal popular culture. Look at the “Brats” line of dolls, formerly marketed by Mattel. Liberal, pop culture society is trying to sexualize girls as young as 3. Sad. Girls are pressured by other girls and boys to send sexual pictures to others via the internet and cellphone. These things get passed around like lighting, scandalizing these girls. Social networking sites like MySpace have redifined the term “friend”, and the pressure to push the envelop is always there for teens.

Folks, we are in a state of societal decline, driven by a liberal/secular agenda. It is up to us, not the government to fix this. Government institutions are prone to fail. When they do, we have tragedies like the death of this little girl.

You are looking at this through rose colored glasses, everyone is responsible, so therefore we only have to be responsible for ourselves. We don’t live in that can of world.

There are abusive people out there and the sheriff and police are trained to reconize signs of abuse. How this sliped by both agencies and social services is a shame.

When I grew up in Northern Virginia, there was a term for this behavior: “trash.” It had nothing to do with income, and everything to do with character. Perhaps we ought to start using it again where appropriate…..

How about this? Let’s blame our societal collective selves for allowing government to become the parent to us all….it frees us from all responsibility.