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MOST CHILDREN in the Connecticut town of Newtown returned to classes yesterday for the first time since last week’s massacre, but survivors of the shooting stayed home and their school remained a crime scene.
Four days after a disturbed 20-year-old shot his mother, then 20 first graders and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the debate over America’s lax gun laws hit a new pitch with President Barack Obama coming out in support of a new bill that would ban assault weapons.
Adam Lanza’s principal firearm in Friday’s massacre was a military-grade Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle, exactly the kind of gun that would be banned if the Obama-backed bill gets past Congress – something far from guaranteed.
But in Newtown, a small suburban town, there were more immediate worries, as yellow school buses rolled through thin drizzle at the delayed start of the school week.
It was only a baby step back toward normality in a town that had been known for low crime and a tight sense of community until the shootings.
Classes began up to two hours late and extra security was posted outside buildings.
At Hawley Elementary School, a couple accompanying their young son held hands and hugged the policeman at the entrance.
“He was very happy to get back with his friends,” one mother said, declining to give her name. But the father said he could not describe his emotions on what should have been an ordinary school run.
“There are no words. Just tears,” he said.
Another school, Head O’Meadow Elementary, was closed after an undisclosed threat, according to ABC News, which said police had turned away parents and students arriving for what would have been their first day back.
Police did not specify the threat, saying the school – a few miles away from Sandy Hook – was closed as a “precautionary measure”, according to ABC.
Survivors of the Sandy Hook massacre stayed home.
Bill Hart, of the Newtown Board of Education, tweeted that “no date has been set” for reopening the school, adding: “We are evaluating on a daily basis.”
US media reported that Newtown Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson had sent a letter to Sandy Hook parents, inviting them to visit the former Chalk Hall school in neighbouring Monroe and saying classes would start there for survivors in January.
“We need to tend to our teachers’ and students’ needs to feel comfortable after this trauma in this new place,” the letter said, according to Fox News and CNN.
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Party based voting is a perversion of the democratic process. It should be illegal to force a TD to vote a certain way. They are supposed to represent their constituents views.
They are elected on a party platform as opposed to their own views. Therefore its reasonable to assume that most people voting for them are also voting on the party platform. It would then be wrong for them to suddenly decide that they don’t want to represent that platform. If that’s what they want they should go as an independent before the electorate.
There’s nothing wrong with party based voting, per se. It’s party based speaking time in the Dáil that’s the problem. The smaller your party, the less time you have to speak. If you’re an independent, you’re screwed unless you put together a technical group.
Is the catholic church or the government running this country ?
Or in other words ‘Is the catholic church or the government RUINING this country?
We have no idea how much the catholic church runs the government. Any politician that is catholic could face excommunication on these matters. Thats the gun being held to their head.Do we really want to live in a state run by an organisation without credibilty. This is a fight to the death for the catholic church. They see their power slipping away.
Since all the Sunday collections have nearly stopped the Fs (FG/FF) have directed larger amounts of tax payers money into church controlled charities (Ruhama, Immigrants Council of Ireland…).
Those charities in turn use their citizen paid PR departments to push church policy from an ‘independent’ advocacy position. The local TD gets to cut the ribbon at the next charity event, they get elected for ‘doing good for the community’ (non-church groups don’t have a chance) with the aid of the few votes the church can muster.
The whip ensures that there is no free vote and the church/government policy/finance/vote loop is closed.
There should be no obfuscation or waffling on this matter. We need to legislate with safeguards for all. Its a disgrace that we have, after all this time, exported our problems abroad as if it never happens. Typically Irish solution to an Irish problem, stick our heads in the sand and hope it goes away. We need “Savita” legislation now.
We need to legislate with safeguards for all…………………what in all that’s holy could this mean?
Meanwhile over 4,000 women still travel to the UK, it’s really time we face the reality instead of continuing to stick our heads in a sandbox
Another insult to our intelligence by the masters, Fine Gael. They haven’t the nerve to vote as a party on the matter after Savitas death,so are hoping to weasel around it with a free vote.
Don’t believe me? Where was Shatter calling for a free vote back in April on the same matter?
“an insult to our intelligence”…….mmmmmmm?
Has the Dáil ever had a free vote recently, it must be one of the world’s most whipped parliaments.
Any TD who votes no is blocking the democratic will of the people. No TD should even countenance voting no.
In terms of abortion in general, I don’t think parties should have policies other than a commitment to hold referenda or not. That said, every candidate should state the way they would vote on such matters before the election.
Dame Edna has said NO.
A free vote for all TDs is essential. Otherwise we will have a dictatorship headed by Dictator Enda!
Some say that the Supreme Court decision on the X case is probably incorrect and unconstitutional. If true why has the Expert Committee of Advisers not recommended a review of the X case before recommending legislation.FG gave a or election commitment that it would NOT legislate for abortion.It is now doing so. FG has adopted the policies of the Labour Party on abortion. If the government do not reassess its position FG will be wiped out at the next election. Remember the VAT on children’s shoes! Sad!
have your say