Why No Sandy Hook in Detroit

[Johnnny5]

W.
I ask why these massacres seem to happen in suburbia, not in Americas urban cores. Yet image of Detroit for many is gangs and guns. Sandy Hook, Columbine not so much.

My guess is that there is drastic difference between how mentally disturbed children progress through well off schools in suburbia compared to the inner city. These guys probably would not have been able to remain outside of the legal system long enough to commit these acts had they lived in inner city Detroit or another poor urban area. Without the coddling of parents with means or a district willing to work through their issues they would probably end up in jail or worse in short order.


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[Ray1936]

When I retired from the DPD in 1984, most of you know I moved to Las Vegas. I also quit carrying a weapon at that time; figured 25 years of that was enough. And I've not carried one since. However, in view of the randomness of these recent events, I'm seriously considering applying for my CCW here in Nevada. I'll let you know. I sure would hate to be at a mall or casino or some such if the shit hit the fan and not be able to take appropriate action. Not to save my own ass, what the hell, I'm old, but hopefully to save others.

[GPCharles]

Parent's everywhere don't know what to do with problem children.

This is a good read on the subject...

"This problem is too big for me to handle on my own. Sometimes there are no good options. So you just pray for grace and trust that in hindsight, it will all make sense." [[From the attached article.)

http://now.msn.com/i-am-adam-lanzas-...ntally-ill-son?

[Islandman]

Because no one has ever come to Cass Tech with an automatic rifle and tried to shoot up the school.

Actually, this is not true. It wasn't during school hours, but there was an incident during an ice breaker where a couple of people were arrested with submachine guns in their trunk that they were preparing to pull out because of an altercation at the dance. Not sure of the year, but it sometime between 86-88.

[canuck]

There are the properly trained nutcases [[Timothy McVeighs) who also commit crimes with little advanced notice.

I 1984, a canadian military officer Denis Lortie stormed through Quebec's parliament and killed 3, injured 13. No one was in the assembly at the time so no politicians were killed. He was paroled in 1995...

A hundred days ago, a hunting lodge owner came down to Montreal on election night and tried to get into the Parti Quebecois' assembly. Two scenic technicians stopped him but one was shot and badly hurt, the other shot and killed.

[Meddle]

I sure would hate to be at a mall or casino or some such if the shit hit the fan ...

You mean, like it did the other day?

[aj3647]

With nothing but sympathy to those who lost loved little ones in the senseless massacre in Sandy Hook...

I ask why these massacres seem to happen in suburbia, not in Americas urban cores. Yet image of Detroit for many is gangs and guns. Sandy Hook, Columbine not so much.

Why no Sandy Hook in Oakland County? Why no Sandy Hook in Grand Rapids, or Traverse City?

With the exception of the Bath bombing in the 1920's, Michigan has NEVER had a "Sandy Hook" type massacre in any school in any city or town...urban, suburban, or rural. This lack of a "Sandy Hook" isn't unique to Detroit.

[Wesley Mouch]

Why no Sandy Hook in Oakland County? Why no Sandy Hook in Grand Rapids, or Traverse City?

With the exception of the Bath bombing in the 1920's, Michigan has NEVER had a "Sandy Hook" type massacre in any school in any city or town...urban, suburban, or rural. This lack of a "Sandy Hook" isn't unique to Detroit.

Thanks all for the perspective. There seem to be two major schools of thought:
1) Urban America has other ways of venting, and
2) The events are so rare, you can't draw any conclusions.

Both make sense.

Yet I still find it odd.

[Tig3rzhark]

I graduated in 2003. I never heard of that incident. If it happened, it did.

There's no easy solution to school shootings. After living in Detroit all my life, nothing really surprises me anymore.

One thing I do know, is that as far as the city is concerned, we have some hard times ahead.

[detroitsgwenivere]

We have had a few workplace spree killings, like the Royal Oak post office shooting for example.

[laphoque]

Detroit is a mass murder desert.

[Detroitnerd]

Oh, there have been shootings at schools in Detroit. At Mumford in 2010. At Central in 2009. At Henry Ford High in 2008. And that's just the last three years.

I think in order for the national media to pay attention, the death toll has to be a little higher, the killings less crimes of passion and more premeditated, and -- most importantly of all -- they must provide lots of photogenic weeping white children hugging each other.

[Tig3rzhark]

Oh, there have been shootings at schools in Detroit. At Mumford in 2010. At Central in 2009. At Henry Ford High in 2008. And that's just the last three years.

I think in order for the national media to pay attention, the death toll has to be a little higher, the killings less crimes of passion and more premeditated, and -- most importantly of all -- they must provide lots of photogenic weeping white children hugging each other.

I hate to say it, but you might be right.

If this incident ever occurred here in Detroit, the news would never have made in onto CNN.

[JVB]

I hate to say it, but you might be right.

If this incident ever occurred here in Detroit, the news would never have made in onto CNN.

You are out of your fucking mind if you think the murder of 20 children in a Detroit school wouldn't make the news.

Now a missing black college girl is gonna get treated different than a missing white college girl - no doubt about that, and that is grossly unfair and happens all the time. So I get your point about the difference in coverage there and that's a damn shame.

But if you think 20 murdered children of any color doesn't make national news you need your head examined because your grasp on reality is fucked.

[Tig3rzhark]

You are out of your fucking mind if you think the murder of 20 children in a Detroit school wouldn't make the news.

Now a missing black college girl is gonna get treated different than a missing white college girl - no doubt about that, and that is grossly unfair and happens all the time. So I get your point about the difference in coverage there and that's a damn shame.

But if you think 20 murdered children of any color doesn't make national news you need your head examined because your grasp on reality is fucked.

Then explain why didn't those shootings at the DPS high schools didn't make the national news?

[JVB]

Then explain why didn't those shootings at the DPS high schools didn't make the national news?

How many kids died?

[Meddle]

Then explain why didn't those shootings at the DPS high schools didn't make the national news?

Because they were one or two at a time, not ten or twenty.

If the national media picked up on every single of double shooting in the city, there would be little time to report anything else.

[Hermod]

Then explain why didn't those shootings at the DPS high schools didn't make the national news?

Because they are one black kid killed at twenty different schools on twenty different days. No drama, no chance to pontificate, no ratings.

[Wesley Mouch]

Oh, there have been shootings at schools in Detroit. At Mumford in 2010. At Central in 2009. At Henry Ford High in 2008. And that's just the last three years.

I think in order for the national media to pay attention, the death toll has to be a little higher, the killings less crimes of passion and more premeditated, and -- most importantly of all -- they must provide lots of photogenic weeping white children hugging each other.

I think the death toll is a big factor. As well wacko mass murder different than random single deaths from rampant gun use. The white/black thing you cite is just your prejudice showing through. Or maybe you have a point. If in Detroit, the press would have focused on the culture of the city. In Sandy Hook, innocence was assumed.

[cla1945]

Wow, the race card is everywhere isn't it?

I was wondering when it would be tossed into the fray on this thread.

[iheartthed]

You are out of your fucking mind if you think the murder of 20 children in a Detroit school wouldn't make the news.

Now a missing black college girl is gonna get treated different than a missing white college girl - no doubt about that, and that is grossly unfair and happens all the time. So I get your point about the difference in coverage there and that's a damn shame.

But if you think 20 murdered children of any color doesn't make national news you need your head examined because your grasp on reality is fucked.

What happened in CT was truly tragic and I feel very bad for all of the people affected. That said, I don't think 20 kids being killed in Detroit gets treated as a national tragedy. Especially if the killer is a "Detroiter." It would be headline news for sure, but it would be a statement about black America... not a statement about America. But this is all just speculation because there have never been 20 kids massacred in Detroit during a single incident.

[coracle]

Oh, there have been shootings at schools in Detroit. At Mumford in 2010. At Central in 2009. At Henry Ford High in 2008. And that's just the last three years.

I think in order for the national media to pay attention, the death toll has to be a little higher, the killings less crimes of passion and more premeditated, and -- most importantly of all -- they mhappens everyust provide lots of photogenic weeping white children hugging each other.

Killings in Detroit are not News They happen every day with sickening regularity and are reported in between fires, carjackings, robberies, scrappers et al. You can write the News the night before it happens in Detroit [[just change the names on the day). Nothing like your snide racist crap based on the color of children. Thank God that Sharpton and Jackson haven't shown up to add to your agenda

[Dexlin]

The irony of you, you of all people, calling someone else a racist is almost too much to bear. lol Decades of change have trained people like you in what shouldn't be said in polite company, so you drop cues and codes. Jackson and Sharpton have nothing to do with this conversation, yet you drop the name like subtle slurs. Stay klassy.

You can all that Wesley for asking such a stupid and disingenuous question, BTW. Yes, there are such things as stupid questions.

[Detroitnerd]

The white/black thing you cite is just your prejudice showing through.

This is a neat trick. If you dare bring up the actual prejudice against people of color in the United States, you are prejudiced. Against what, I wonder, though? Nice try, Wes.

[jackie5275]

We have had a few workplace spree killings, like the Royal Oak post office shooting for example.

Plus, the Dearborn post office shooting a year or two later.