Something has changed.

Another school shooting has proved our society is failing. There is no discipline, no respect, no moral code, no responsibility, and too much hatred and bigotry. We still do not know the latest mass murderer's “motivation.” Does it matter? This familiar pattern difficult to track and stop. We have had a plethora of firearms in the hands of the public for generations and they were generally easier to acquire than now. There has also been a plethora of mentally unstable people but with no mass murders. Something has changed.

Could it be our attempt to be more inclusive by trying to blend the mentally ill into society and closing institutions, proven to have perpetuated homelessness? Could it be one-parent households? Could it be litigious parents making it impossible for teachers to maintain discipline in the classroom while failing themselves at home?

Connecticut has some of the most rigid gun laws in the U.S. and yet, we had Sandy Hook. Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, but its body count is as bad as Guyana. Something has changed. Until we address what that “something" is on a societal level, there will be repeat performances. Treat the disease, not just the symptom.

Ted Genard

Uncasville