I have to say...

I've been a reader here since the 04 elections, an occasional poster this time around, and became a paying member (although not a significant amount, all I could afford). My husband is a Viet Nam vet, and a Republican who has never voted for a democratic candidate in his life, until this last election. The reason is that he sees the extremeism on the right...and he just cant abide by what his party has turned into. My father, the same, for the same reasons. We are all shocked, angry and saddened by the murder of the children and those who were teaching them in CT.....BUT....the extremism I've seen here the past couple of days is as batshit crazy in the other direction, as the teapartiers. To call someone a "gun nut" because they simply own a gun is just fucked up. To ask if a gunowner has alcohol in their home, implying that is an accident waiting to happen, is just flat out stupidity. It's alarming to me the total anti-gun extremism. Gun laws WILL NOT STOP TRAGEDIES. Yes, the gun laws do need to be looked at...deeper background checks, longer waiting periods, and perhaps the end of private sales if they cant run a check for whatever reason. But we also need to look at the mental health system in our country. Build it back up along with the ACA....make it accessable and affordable again. We need to have better security in our schools, and somehow balance that fine line between feeling like a jail and feeling like a school for our children. Yes, I'm well aware I will be attacked for this post by the extremists here. My responce to those that do is simply wake up.You are part of the problem....There are no real answers as to why someone would do this horrible thing, but with REASON, we at least have a chance to make needed changes. Extremeism has NO CHANCE.