Thursday, January 17, 2013
Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would tighten gun control laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services and enhance background checks. Is this sensible, or reactionary?
Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps, or reactionary measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, CT. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. The bill would require gun purchasers to undergo background checks at gun shows, reduce access to high-powered rounds of ammunition, and limit licensed individuals to purchasing a maximum of one gun per month. Punishments …
Friday, December 21, 2012
A week after the Newtown, CT, massacre, schools have reviewed their safety procedures. Now should parents follow up with more coaching?
A week after the deadly elementary school attack in Newtown, CT, that has rocked the the nation, some parents say their kids remain oblivious to the attack—and the danger. Most teens and children are wrapped up in their own worlds. One mom of a middle-schooler told me instead of being worried about how the Newtown deaths would affect her daughter, she is more concerned that the girl is not aware enough of what took place. And there is only so much the schools can do. So this mom will spin out a scenario of danger and ask the daughter to think through how she might best respond. If you are a parent, are you doing the same kind of 'coaching' with your kids? Should parents be following up and expanding on the schools' safety procedures and …
Friday, December 14, 2012
PBS has strategies for talking and listening to your children about the news.
In the wake of the Newtown, CT shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Tewksbury parents may find their children hearing about the tragedy or seeing it on the news and find themselves in a difficult discussion. For parents seeking guidance on how to address the tragedy with their own children, if it comes up, PBS has an article with flexible suggestions for answering kids' questions about the news. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also has a 24-hour hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling at 1-800-985-5990 or by texting "TalkWithUs" to 66746. The hotline is open to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or man-made disasters, incidents of…
Wind Dummy 25
5:14 pm on Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Fatty that's the beauty of having an issue. If you don't have one make one . Look at the latest nut, the guy with the knife the other day on a campus in Texas. Unlike recent high-profile attacks where guns were used, Tuesday's incident likely won't lead to national debates on knife safety or tighter regulations on their sales, said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in … more ›