Just a thought...

Adam Lanza had a history of mental illness.
We may learn more about what drove him to this kind of violence, but what we do know with certainty is that there are many, many more like him - individuals unable to deal with reality. Some spend their days huddled in doorways and under bridges. A few, sadly, live somewhat functional lives until something snaps and they commit acts of horrible violence.

A small portion of those who become violent on a mass scale crave attention, want the spotlight that will, in their mind, give them validation. "Then they'll know...."

I fear that somewhere there's another young man suffering from psychosis who sees the non-stop news coverage and the long string of Facebook posts and imagines that he, too, could get the attention and notoriety that are rightfully his. The media with all of its resources and insatiable thirst for ratings, and the social media that allow everyone to share their take on these events, moves a horrible event in a rural Connecticut town to center stage not just in the U.S., but around the world.

Already the focus is on the guns. We need to have an ongoing conversation about firearms and their accessibility. But methinks the national media and the millions posting on Facebook need to ask themselves if they bear a share of responsibility for the next event of this sort.

Because there will be another one.