Katy Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 He blew himself up: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/21/austin-bombing-suspect-dies-after-detonating-explosive-in-his-vehicle-police-say/?utm_term=.e1631658f0bc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 And he's from a homeschooling family. That will be what the news hones in on. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I am glad he is gone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 I hope they find any additional bombs he set up before anyone else gets hurt. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 That is some impressive police work they did over the last few days. Well done, Austin PD and the federal agencies they were working with. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I kind of figured that he would get caught after he sent boxes through Fedex since there are surveillance cameras in all their locations. I am hoping that there are no more boxes floating around with bombs that he sent out before his death. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I was impressed with how quickly the police solved this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 And he's from a homeschooling family. That will be what the news hones in on. Seriously?!!! It's like the universe is scheming against us. Wonder what led him to this. Off to read up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desiree77 Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 My kids know his sister. They are really freaked. I'm freaked. What in the world? They were just like all the other families that we hang out with. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 My kids know his sister. They are really freaked. I'm freaked. What in the world? They were just like all the other families that we hang out with. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk I'm so sorry. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 My kids know his sister. They are really freaked. I'm freaked. What in the world? They were just like all the other families that we hang out with. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk Poor folks. Please, if you can, let them know there's not universal harsh judgement of them. Who knows how this young man's problems started, but they sound from the very little I've read like a supportive family. I hope they can help everyone understand how this happened, but also ultimately find some peace themselves. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 How is this not terrorism? 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Maybe it is. Doesn't terrorism imply an ideological or political agenda? I don't think we know yet. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 How is this not terrorism? Local radio talk show had the same question. Personally, I don't think serial bomber and domestic terrorist are mutually exclusive. Perhaps it depends on whether or not he was targeting a specific demographic vs causing general mayhem? It will be interesting to see how this progresses. I am sorry for all involved, victims, perpetrator, perpetrator's family.... I imagine there are lots of shock and lots of questions all around, and that an apparently bright young man went down this road, that's both sad and scary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I’m not feeling anymore sympathy for this perpetrator or his family than I would for any other self-radicalized terrorist. Good riddance. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I’m not feeling anymore sympathy for this perpetrator or his family than I would for any other self-radicalized terrorist. Good riddance. Innocent lives were taken away. My heart breaks for the human potential lost in the deaths and the terror that the city of Austin went through. I agree with newspaper columnists who say that someone would have seen something or known something and they should have alerted the police. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I’m not feeling anymore sympathy for this perpetrator or his family than I would for any other self-radicalized terrorist. Good riddance. Was something up with his family? Is there any evidence they knew what was happening? Just wondering why you would include them. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 How is this not terrorism? Don't be ridiculous: white Christians cannot be terrorists! That's just for Muslims and other minorities. Duh. :001_rolleyes: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 How is this not terrorism? I'm so tired of labels, what does it matter? The outcome is the same. I get that it matters for prevention purposes. But I'm tired of people arguing about labels just to either minimize or exploit a tragedy. (not saying you are doing that, hornblower, I mean in general). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I’m not feeling anymore sympathy for this perpetrator or his family than I would for any other self-radicalized terrorist. Good riddance. I feel sadness for all of them, in the vein of how tragic it is when any human inclines himself (or herself) towards evil in such a way as to deliberately inflict pain and suffering upon others. I'm sad about that person's "could have been." But I do not feel sympathy to the extent of not serving justice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I wish they had been able to catch him alive. A lot of good work could have been done in studying him..what led to him making these decisions. Of course Texas has the death penalty and I am sure they would have exercised that power, but still, it could have been worthwhile. He may have been good at making bombs, but not so good at disguises. The pictures of him from FedEx are pretty darn memorable. He was wearing an obvious blond curly wig and gloves. He was definitely going to be remembered and caught after that. And FedEx has cameras all over the place. I'm not certain if he thought he could outrun the police or if he felt so powerful by then that he though the cameras didn't matter. But, yeah, the homeschooling aspect is not good. And it makes me crazy that today everyone on social media is suddenly an expert on homeschooling. If you try to address anything as, you know, an actual homeschooler, no one wants to hear what you have to say. I've long ago stopped saying a word. I wonder if his family knew that he was dangerous or if they every considered trying to get him help. And that poor first victim. The family said that he had been murdered but LE publicly floated the idea that he killed himself. They have since apologized, but there is going to have to be a reckoning. Weeks passed and nothing happened, leaving the bomber emboldened to kill again. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I think they aren't saying that it's terrorism - yet - because they don't know a motive behind it all. If an ideological motive becomes clear, then it will be labeled terrorism. According to the Statesman, he was a homeschooled, lonely teen, who was raised in a Christian home and expressed anti-abortion, anti-gay views on his blog. Source: https://www.statesman.com/news/crime--law/the-suspect-mark-conditt-rough-around-the-edges-friend-says/CQUCcXNJ9nb2iFs8sSq0pK/ 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 How is this not terrorism? It might be, but until a motive is known it cannot be labeled as such. The definition of terrorism is " the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims." He may very well have had some political aim, but only if they determine he did can it be labeled terrorism. I agree with newspaper columnists who say that someone would have seen something or known something and they should have alerted the police. It sounds like there were people alerting the police. They had many tips called in the last couple days that made this guy a person of interest and then their #1 suspect. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Which is not to say that any of the above was his ideological motive. Only that it unlikely he would be labeled a terrorist, IMO. More likely, "a lone wolf" or generic "serial bomber." 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 According to the Statesman, he was a homeschooled, lonely teen, who was raised in a Christian home and expressed anti-abortion, anti-gay views on his blog. Source: https://www.statesman.com/news/crime--law/the-suspect-mark-conditt-rough-around-the-edges-friend-says/CQUCcXNJ9nb2iFs8sSq0pK/ He was 23 now, no longer a teen or homeschooled. His blog was from 2012 when he was 17 (and appears to be for or in response to a government class he was taking at the community college). On that blog, he described himself as conservative and not into politics and not able to really defend his stance on things yet. It is possible he was just a horrible person with no ideological reason for blowing people up but instead maybe boredom and access to youtube. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 He was 23 now, no longer a teen or homeschooled. His blog was from 2012 when he was 17 (and appears to be for or in response to a government class he was taking at the community college). On that blog, he described himself as conservative and not into politics and not able to really defend his stance on things yet. It is possible he was just a horrible person with no ideological reason for blowing people up but instead maybe boredom and access to youtube. Read my follow up post. Your response is exhibit A for why I do not expect he will be labeled a terrorist. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Was something up with his family? Is there any evidence they knew what was happening? Just wondering why you would include them. I’m including his family for the same reason that every other terrorist’s family is scrutinized. Good for geese, good for gander. It disgusts me to see the pity party rolled out for these folks in a way that would never happen in other cases. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I wish they had been able to catch him alive. A lot of good work could have been done in studying him..what led to him making these decisions. Of course Texas has the death penalty and I am sure they would have exercised that power, but still, it could have been worthwhile. He may have been good at making bombs, but not so good at disguises. The pictures of him from FedEx are pretty darn memorable. He was wearing an obvious blond curly wig and gloves. He was definitely going to be remembered and caught after that. And FedEx has cameras all over the place. I'm not certain if he thought he could outrun the police or if he felt so powerful by then that he though the cameras didn't matter. But, yeah, the homeschooling aspect is not good. And it makes me crazy that today everyone on social media is suddenly an expert on homeschooling. If you try to address anything as, you know, an actual homeschooler, no one wants to hear what you have to say. I've long ago stopped saying a word. I wonder if his family knew that he was dangerous or if they every considered trying to get him help. And that poor first victim. The family said that he had been murdered but LE publicly floated the idea that he killed himself. They have since apologized, but there is going to have to be a reckoning. Weeks passed and nothing happened, leaving the bomber emboldened to kill again. Which had everything to do with who the initial victims were. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I’m including his family for the same reason that every other terrorist’s family is scrutinized. Good for geese, good for gander. It disgusts me to see the pity party rolled out for these folks in a way that would never happen in other cases. Well, personally I feel sympathy for anyone's family unless it is proven they don't deserve it. There are cases where the family knew nothing, others where they were involved, and others where there was a lot of suspicious activity. Each case is different. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) Well, personally I feel sympathy for anyone's family unless it is proven they don't deserve it. There are cases where the family knew nothing, others where they were involved, and others where there was a lot of suspicious activity. Each case is different. Seeing as how no one knows what this family did/didn’t know at this point, the effusive sympathy seems misplaced. JMO. Edited March 21, 2018 by Sneezyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 Well, personally I feel sympathy for anyone's family unless it is proven they don't deserve it. There are cases where the family knew nothing, others where they were involved, and others where there was a lot of suspicious activity. Each case is different. this. I did a little facebook stalking and it seems there are at least 3 minor sisters. I can't imagine explaining this to other children. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Terrorism would usually involve a message or a political goal. He said on reddit that he just wanted to watch the world burn. That is not necessarily terrorism. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Well, personally I feel sympathy for anyone's family unless it is proven they don't deserve it. There are cases where the family knew nothing, others where they were involved, and others where there was a lot of suspicious activity. Each case is different. I do too.....unless the family was somehow involved or knew of the person harming others, I feel sorry for them. His homeschooling had nothing to do with the actions he did as a 23 year old adult. I would guess that as homeschooling becomes more common, we will hear about more formerly homeschooled people involved in all kinds of things, both good and bad, just based on the increased number of homeschoolers. I really don’t think where a person receives their education ultimately determines how they will decide to live their lives or whether or not they’re “good†people. We (as in humans) want to understand why someone does something like this or any other crime, because if we can find something to point to, we feel safer in our own lives and think we can avoid such things.....not really rational, but just human nature. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I am reading more and am impressed with the law enforcement. They analyzed the components in the bombs and figured out that the items were available in home improvement stores and went through store receipts for the items at all the local stores to find a list of people to narrow in on. They also traced the powerful batteries that were sourced from china to the killer as well as tracing his cell phone signals and google searches etc. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I'm not taking away from these kids' rights to feel this way, and have no idea of what their situation was, but this quote made me cringe. We already catch so much flack where I live about homeschooling now, and now this is just going to build into it more- especially coming from a homeschooler. Definitely making me go have a conversation with my kids to make sure I'm not overlooking any feelings of something similar in terms of isolation........ Do you think maybe the above had to do with why one homeschools? A lot of these kinds of sentiments from former homeschoolers seem to come from the tupes who homschool as a way to be separatists. The religious beliefs of the parents require rheir kids be separated from the world at lage because of its evil, corrupting influence. I haven’t seen as many of those sorts of stories from those who homeschooled for educational reasons or for religious beliefs that didn’t also make that distinction. It seems like if homeschooled kids are also connected to the culture and society around them, then they feel less alienation. I still think it’s wise to have those discussions with kids just so that the lines of communication are open and kids have healthy, supportive relationships with the adults in their life. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I'm not taking away from these kids' rights to feel this way, and have no idea of what their situation was, but this quote made me cringe. We already catch so much flack where I live about homeschooling now, and now this is just going to build into it more- especially coming from a homeschooler. Definitely making me go have a conversation with my kids to make sure I'm not overlooking any feelings of something similar in terms of isolation........ I cringed a little at this, too. Though this guy really doesn’t sound like he was isolated. And that quote was from someone who knew he m when he was a teen. It didn’t sound like he’d kept up with him. Someone can change a lot on 5-6 years, especially in young adulthood. We don’t know if he was lonely. Lots and lots of people are lonely and have no inclination to blow people up. He was also described as “quietâ€.....same thing. Being quiet or introverted does not equate to being a murderer. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I'm not taking away from these kids' rights to feel this way, and have no idea of what their situation was, but this quote made me cringe. We already catch so much flack where I live about homeschooling now, and now this is just going to build into it more- especially coming from a homeschooler. Definitely making me go have a conversation with my kids to make sure I'm not overlooking any feelings of something similar in terms of isolation........ It was an open conversation we had pretty much every year if DD was okay with homeschooling. Her second year, she said, "I need more people". We got more people, and it was good. I did warn her when we started high school that it wasn't going to be easy to switch after that, but that she would have community college available. I have to say that I know a ton of public school kids with those same troubles, and a ton of homeschoolers without any. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 According to the Statesman, he was a homeschooled, lonely teen, who was raised in a Christian home and expressed anti-abortion, anti-gay views on his blog. Source: https://www.statesman.com/news/crime--law/the-suspect-mark-conditt-rough-around-the-edges-friend-says/CQUCcXNJ9nb2iFs8sSq0pK/ I think this quote is also very disturbing: “So you have a guy who committed a crime. Will putting him on a (sex offender) list make it better? wouldn’t this only make people shun him, keep him from getting a job, and making friends? Just for a crime that he may have committed over 15 years ago as a adolescent? On a side note, one fifth of all rapes are committed by a juvenile,†Conditt wrote. I hope this guy isn't another Josh Duggar who molested his sisters and then got kicked out of the house. He hadn't been living at the family home but in a house purchased with his father. (Sorry, but I have a big problem with someone who has sympathy for a sex offender!) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Do you think maybe the above had to do with why one homeschools? A lot of these kinds of sentiments from former homeschoolers seem to come from the tupes who homschool as a way to be separatists. The religious beliefs of the parents require rheir kids be separated from the world at lage because of its evil, corrupting influence. I haven’t seen as many of those sorts of stories from those who homeschooled for educational reasons or for religious beliefs that didn’t also make that distinction. It seems like if homeschooled kids are also connected to the culture and society around them, then they feel less alienation. This is very true. I have a friend who was homeschooling at the same time I was. I asked her if she was interested in some group, and she said, "I homeschool so kiddo doesn't have to be around those kind of people, why would I start seeking them out now?" DD needed people and activity. Peer influence was ONE of the reasons we homeschooled, but certainly not the only one. And I still felt I had far more control over the amount and level of peer influence picking and choosing as a homeschool parent rather than just dropping her off each day for weeks at a time. If I had not provided people and activity, DD would have been lonely and bereft, no doubt about it. I also feel very strongly that homeschooling can't be used to try to shelter kids from every bad thing in the world. Control the flow, yes. But keep them in a bubble? No. So yeah, the reasons have a lot to do with it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I think this quote is also very disturbing: “So you have a guy who committed a crime. Will putting him on a (sex offender) list make it better? wouldn’t this only make people shun him, keep him from getting a job, and making friends? Just for a crime that he may have committed over 15 years ago as a adolescent? On a side note, one fifth of all rapes are committed by a juvenile,†Conditt wrote. I hope this guy isn't another Josh Duggar who molested his sisters and then got kicked out of the house. He hadn't been living at the family home but in a house purchased with his father. (Sorry, but I have a big problem with someone who has sympathy for a sex offender!) That caught my attention too. Considering his other very conservative views, this one seemed out of place and made me wonder if something about this applied to him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 That caught my attention too. Considering his other very conservative views, this one seemed out of place and made me wonder if something about this applied to him. I've had a lot of thoughts this way since seeing how my cousin and her family have struggled because her husband has problems finding a job due to being on the sex offender list. She ended up having to go back to work to support the family due to this. And yet I understand why the law was made in the first place. It is easy to see why folks that get out of jail might find it easier to commit crimes though because just having that on your record definitely makes things harder. And not just for the person themselves, but their family around them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I think this quote is also very disturbing: “So you have a guy who committed a crime. Will putting him on a (sex offender) list make it better? wouldn’t this only make people shun him, keep him from getting a job, and making friends? Just for a crime that he may have committed over 15 years ago as a adolescent? On a side note, one fifth of all rapes are committed by a juvenile,†Conditt wrote. I hope this guy isn't another Josh Duggar who molested his sisters and then got kicked out of the house. He hadn't been living at the family home but in a house purchased with his father. (Sorry, but I have a big problem with someone who has sympathy for a sex offender!) Was this also from 6 years ago? I hesitate to give any weight to what an adolescent wrote 6 years ago. That said, those are relatively mainstream thoughts as there is a movement against sex offender registries. It is a position held by many on the right and the left. (I don't agree with the position and it's kind of off topic for this post; just pointing out that this position isn't really a red flag IMO.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Was this also from 6 years ago? I hesitate to give any weight to what an adolescent wrote 6 years ago. That said, those are relatively mainstream thoughts as there is a movement against sex offender registries. It is a position held by many on the right and the left. (I don't agree with the position and it's kind of off topic for this post; just pointing out that this position isn't really a red flag IMO.) Especially (if it was on that blog) as it appears to be a standard assignment at the local community college. On our Community pages: "That isn't a blog. Its an assignment at ACC for their Texas Government course. If you read my blog for the same assignment, I'm against legalization of marijuana, for the inclusion of Pflugerville in the ACC district, against the death penalty, and have no issues with racial profiling which are all not true. I was the opposing viewpoint for fellow classmates and main topics in the media." 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desiree77 Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 The homeschool community is pretty close in this area. We stick together and stick up for each other. While I didn't have personal interaction with this family, I have had personal interaction with other families who did. This family did not have a reputation for being "out there" or "overly religious" or anything else. We all probably know some irl homeschoolers who we might think, "That's the family I would pick to end up on the news." This family was not like that. I am sure things might come out, but I don't like hearing people make assumptions about them. They aren't isolated either. Their kids are in sports and activities. They go to community college. Just like most of us. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 The homeschool community is pretty close in this area. We stick together and stick up for each other. While I didn't have personal interaction with this family, I have had personal interaction with other families who did. This family did not have a reputation for being "out there" or "overly religious" or anything else. We all probably know some irl homeschoolers who we might think, "That's the family I would pick to end up on the news." This family was not like that. I am sure things might come out, but I don't like hearing people make assumptions about them. They aren't isolated either. Their kids are in sports and activities. They go to community college. Just like most of us. I agree.....no family is immune from horrible things happening. I wish there was a perfect formula to guarantee if we just do/don’t do things with our dc, everything will be fine. From what I’ve read, this was a pretty “normal†family who likely had no idea their son was capable of such atrocities. I can’t imagine how they feel. And of course, I have complete sympathy for the victims and their families. So much senseless hurt. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 One article I read stated he’d been on the police’s radar for 3 weeks. If so, it’s very unfortunate he was able to keep terrorizing people. Three weeks? I thought the headline I read said it took 19 days to solve the case. Were they onto him before the first bombing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Seeing as how no one knows what this family did/didn’t know at this point, the effusive sympathy seems misplaced. JMO. There are always a lot of emotions surfacing immediately in the aftermath of such a tragedy. I suppose I can wonder if his parents are much like dh and I having raised a son and never dreaming that anything like this could happen and why? The other thought is that usually such behavior does not emerge from nowhere without signs of mental illness or disorder(s). I don't know TX law on this subject so I don't know if they could have done much if they saw warning signs but could not force a 20 some year old man into treatment. In some states it is very difficult to urge someone into treatment against their will. This is nothing but horrible for all involved. I am glad the terror is (hopefully) over but the damage is done, lives were lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I can't really say I wish he was still alive, but I do wish we could find out what he was thinking and why he did it. From all early reports, this was a very nice family and he seemed like a normal guy. In many of the recent high profile cases, there were all kinds of red flags and the people weren't really all that normal. What makes someone decide to go to the local hardware store and buy bomb making materials and then set them off in his community? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I agree.....no family is immune from horrible things happening. I wish there was a perfect formula to guarantee if we just do/don’t do things with our dc, everything will be fine. From what I’ve read, this was a pretty “normal†family who likely had no idea their son was capable of such atrocities. I can’t imagine how they feel. And of course, I have complete sympathy for the victims and their families. So much senseless hurt. I agree I think most of us like to think we can control the outcome for our kids and have an unfortunate tendency to assign blame when something doesn't work out for other people's kids. We just don't have the control we think we do over the future. Sure we can do our best to create a healthy environment, but there is so much out of our control. It isn't just as simple as nurture vs nature. There are other influences and mental illness (or is that nature?). I also agree that as more kids have been homeschooled, we will see more of homeschooled kids doing things. NOT b/c of homeschooling--but bc of numbers. Homeschooling does not protect our kids from making poor choices or from mental illness. I would LOVE it if it did. And lots and lots of schooled kids are lonely. I had a lonely 12th grade year after all my friends graduated. I know a lot of others who were lonely for different reasons. We absolutely need to check in with our kids to make sure they have a social life that nurtures them, but I say check in with all our kids, even the public schooled kids. Then make changes to head in new directions if you need to. I can't even begin to see how being shy or lonely would lead someone to what this young adult did, even if it were true. The most troubled child I know is a very social narcissist with some disturbing political views and a lack of empathy. He is not shy or lonely. I don't think he would do something like this, but if I were to name the person I knew who I thought might, possibly. . . .(and really,no, I see no signs of him being dangerous like this at all--so don't start telling me to report him. There is nothing reportable. I promise. I'm just saying that shy and lonely does not mean unstable. Unstable can come in many packages.) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) There are always a lot of emotions surfacing immediately in the aftermath of such a tragedy. I suppose I can wonder if his parents are much like dh and I having raised a son and never dreaming that anything like this could happen and why? The other thought is that usually such behavior does not emerge from nowhere without signs of mental illness or disorder(s). I don't know TX law on this subject so I don't know if they could have done much if they saw warning signs but could not force a 20 some year old man into treatment. In some states it is very difficult to urge someone into treatment against their will. This is nothing but horrible for all involved. I am glad the terror is (hopefully) over but the damage is done, lives were lost. Indeed there are, like anger at the fact that the first place I saw multi-day coverage of the two deaths (including the victims' names) was in FB posts by Sean King. I have not seen widespread efforts/attempts to empathize with the families of other terrorists. Edited March 21, 2018 by Sneezyone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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