Letter to the Editor: Review Civil Commitment Laws In the Wake of Sandy Hook Tragedy

Letters to the Editor are published as a courtesy and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Insider staff.
Letter to the Editor:

The dialogue in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shootings has focused on regulating guns. There are other issues associated with Sandy Hook that have received no attention, but are equally important. There is no dialogue regarding the fact that had the shooter, Adam Lanza, lived he would not have faced the death penalty for killing twenty children and six adults because Connecticut repealed its death penalty last year. It could be argued that Lanza was mentally unstable, but there is no discussion about the impact of changes in the laws with respect to civil commitments. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1979 decision in Addington v. Texas raised the bar for civil commitments from a fair preponderance of the evidence to a clear and convincing standard thereby making it extremely difficult to commit mentally unstable persons. In fact, the homeless epidemic of the 1980’s coincided with the ruling in Addington. It is not unfair to wonder whether Addington set the bar for civil commitments too high. James Holmes, who killed twelve people in Colorado, was also mentally disturbed. Yet, dialogue on dealing with people who are dangerously mentally ill seems to be off the table just as much as the death penalty.

Wyatt Kopp, CT Resident

Donate Directly to the Families of Victims: Sandy Hook

Submitted by K. McClellan

From "The Newtown Bee" 

Mailing Address Established For Families Of Victims

12/20/2012
Newtown Post Office has set up a special address for those who wish to send cards, notes or gifts to the families of the victims of the December 14, 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Cards and gifts should be mailed to:

For The Families Of Newtown,

PO Box 3700,

Newtown CT 06470.

Postmaster Cathy Zieff says that any mail received at that address will be forwarded to the Board of Education, along with any mail that has been sent addressed to Sandy Hook School.

“We spoke with the board this morning and they told us they have crews of people who are working on sorting all of that mail,” Ms Zeiff said Tuesday, December 18. “They will open outer envelopes only, to determine which family the contents should go to, and make sure each family receives the mail that is meant for them.

Support Advice from SCSU: Dr. Peter F. Troiano

Dear Students,

     My office has received numerous telephone calls and e-mails asking questions and offering suggestions on how we, as a campus, might respond to the terrible tragedy in Newtown last Friday.  As we prepare to depart for the holidays and perhaps an extended period of rest and relaxation, I want to address three major areas of concern.  I am happy to continue these conversations during and after the semester break.

     First, many of you are looking for resources and support.  As always, any SCSU student who is feeling overwhelmed and would like to speak with a counselor should contact SCSU Counseling Services at (203) 392-5475.  If you are looking for resources to help you and your family manage the sorrow and distress you may be experiencing, the American Psychological Association has put together some excellent resources, available at: www.apa.org/index.aspx.  In addition, for information on how to talk to small children about this type of tragedy many are turning to the wisdom of the late Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) at: www.fci.org/new-site/par-tragic-events.html.

     Second, many of you are interested in helping to organize a campus-wide response and have raised important social and political issues that a national event such as this one is bound to bring to the forefront.  The Dean of Students’ Office will be working with individuals and departments on campus to address these issues and to consider ways we, as a campus, might reach out to the families of the victims.  In the meantime, a memorial services is scheduled for tomorrow, December 19, at 3:00 p.m. outside the Adanti Student Center Ballroom.

     Finally, many of you have raised concerns regarding safety on campus.  I want to assure you that the safety and security of every individual on campus is our most important concern.  University Police are highly trained to respond to potential threats and emergencies and have established strong partnerships with the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments, as well as the State Police and FBI.  These agencies have trained our personnel to deal with a variety of situations, including incidents that may involve an active shooter.  SCSU has a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan which is managed by the University Incident Management Team, comprised of University Police, administrators, faculty and staff from all segments of the campus.  The plan may be accessed at: www.southernct.edu/emergencypreparedness and contains detailed instructions on what to do in a variety of emergency situations. In addition, SCSU has several methods of communication used in campus-wide emergency situations and drills, including the SCSU Alert system (text, e-mail and voice) and a siren/public address system.

     During a tragic time like this, I think of the values that bind our university together.  One of the most important is our compassion for one another.  Many of you are grieving, especially those of you who knew the victims.  This is a time to reach out to each other, talk to each other and try to help each other cope with the senselessness that too often is a part of our daily lives.  Our thoughts go out to the families, friends, neighbors and all the members of the Newtown community who are so deeply wounded by this unspeakable tragedy.  We pray for their comfort and well-being, as we honor and remember the victims.

Dr. Peter F. Troiano

Interim Vice President for Student and University Affairs

Southern Connecticut State University

501 Crescent Street

New Haven, CT 06515

(203) 392-5550

How to Talk to the Kids: Community Health Centers

Talking with children about the recent school shooting in Sandy Hook 12/14/12
Dr. Tim Kearney, Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Community Health Centers, Inc.

All of us as parents and those who work with children wish that we could protect them from the knowledge of the tragedies that occur in the world around them and from the impact that this knowledge has on them. Unfortunately we cannot; especially in this age of constant news feeds and social media. We must therefore help them to develop the skills to cope with what happened and structure their world to make their response as manageable as possible.

Like adults, children need accurate information about what happened. Give them the facts as they are know, and correct details as more information becomes available. Deliver this information in age appropriate ways. Young children just need the basics – “someone came into a school in Sandy Hook and shot some of the people there, adults and children were hurt and some died”. Be guided by their response as to how much information to give them beyond that. Older children are more likely to be curious and ask more questions, again, let their interest be your guide as to how much to go into it.

Common concerns children will raise include:
1. wanting to know where it happened. Younger children will assume it is right around the corner, and may think that a police car or ambulance going by their window is responding. Given them an accurate sense of the distance and if possible tie it into a reference that will make sense to them. “Do you remember the mall with the merry go round in Danbury? That is about an hour drive from here. It happened in a town near there.”

2. Wanting to know if it is over or not. Seeing the news over and over children may think it is still going on, or has happened in lots of places or lots of times. Reassure them with accurate information. “There is just one shooting today but the TV keeps talking about it and it seems like there are many different ones. There is only one and it is over now.” Turn off the TV and do not subject your children to more information that they need about this.

Good Job Westfield Fire Department: Over $8,000 Raised for Sandy Hook

WESTFIELD- On December 16, 2012 approximately $8,800 was raised by members of  Middletown and surrounding communities as a donation to the victims' families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.  The event was set up by the Westfield Fire Department which adapted their customary "Fill the Helment" style way of raising funds for this very serious cause.

 According to www.westfieldfire.net: 

"The principal architects of the event were Lt. Matt Holmes, Lt. Matt Caffrey, FF Jake Peterson, FF James Figueroa, FF Kevin Mosca, EMT Lucas Kennedy, EMT Ed Bonviso and Alysia Bonviso. Safety Officer Stephen Hughes provided a significant amount of logistical support. The event received the full support of Chief John Lockwood, Deputy Chief Joe Augeri and Assistant Chief Bill Balch.  Additionally, Commissioner Sid Harmon was on hand to provide the full support of the Westfield Fire District."

 The site also adds that there are a couple of funds set up for the Sandy Hook families, but the WFD wants to call on the Sandy Hook fire chief before a decision is made on what charity to donate to.

From: Debbie Kleckowski- Re: Support on Monday

For those who need a place to pray, or to have someone to talk with, Pastor Clow of Grace Luthern Church on Randolph Rd will be available at 9am. The Church will be open for people to relect, pray or to talk with the Pastor.

Thank you to Grace Luthern for hosting a Vigil this evening. Those who attended were very appreciative.

God Bless,
Deb

Coping: What Do We Tell our Children- From ABC NEWS.com

Published on Dec 16, 2012

ABC News' Dr. Richard Besser, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, and Father William Hamilton.

Mayor: Safety Message via Honeywell Alert

This weekend, we held a joint meeting with the mayor’s office, Middletown Public Schools’ central office administration and Middletown Police Department command staff to review and improve our existing plans to secure our children’s welfare and safety.

We reviewed our existing emergency response protocols in light of the heartbreaking tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School and made additional plans to increase security at each of our schools. Some changes will be visible and some will not.

Students, parents, faculty and staff will witness an increased police presence in and around Middletown’s schools in the coming weeks. We have also formulated additional plans for increased police presence in and around Middletown’s schools on a permanent basis. Additionally, a number of other security measures are being implemented.

Our top priority is to provide our students, their families, our staff, and our community with a safe learning environment.

The tragedy suffered in Newtown puts into perspective the preciousness of our loved ones and that we must never take for granted their presence. We mourn for the children who were taken in the dawn of their lives, the families whose unimaginable grief can never be assuaged, and the community whose heart will bear enduring scars.

We can only hope and pray that they find comfort in the memories of those they have lost and in their spirit of unity. We invite you to join us for a vigil on the South Green Monday at 7 p.m., in memory of the people who lost their lives.

Sincerely,

Mayor Daniel Drew
Superintendent Patricia Charles
Police Chief William McKenna

Sympathy Over Connecticut Shool Shooting Stretches Globe

Note: This article originally appeared in USA Today's December 16, 2012 Digital edition which can be located at www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/

Julia Gillard, Australian Prime Minster on Sandy Hook shooting:"(The attack was a) senseless and incomprehensible act of evil."

BANGKOK (AP) — Images of a tearful President Barack Obama speaking after a shooting rampage in Connecticut resonated around the world, with many outside the United States expressing hope Saturday that America's latest school massacre would prompt the country to strengthen gun control.
Shock and sympathy were the initial reactions to the rampage that left 28 people dead, including 20 children at an elementary school. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the attack as a "senseless and incomprehensible act of evil."
"Like President Obama and his fellow Americans, our hearts too are broken," Gillard said in a statement, referring to the U.S. leader's emotional expression of condolence.
The gunman killed his mother at their home before opening fire Friday inside the school in Newtown, Connecticut, where he killed 26 people, including 20 children, police said. The killer, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, then committed suicide.
Australia confronted a similar tragedy in 1996, when a man went on a shooting spree in the southern state of Tasmania, killing 35 people. The mass killing sparked outrage across the country and led the government to impose strict new gun laws, including a ban on semi-automatic rifles.
Gillard's sentiments echoed those of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who said he "was shocked and deeply saddened" to learn of the "horrific shooting."
"My thoughts are with the injured and those who have lost loved ones," he said. "It is heartbreaking to think of those who have had their children robbed from them at such a young age, when they had so much life ahead of them."

No Words. Tragedy in Newtown.

We at the Middletown Insider are deeply saddened to hear of the shooting that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Ct  that took 26 innocent lives.

There are just no words for such a tragedy of this magnitude.

Prayer Vigil held by Grace Lutheran Church: Grace Lutheran Church-Randolph Rd. Sunday December 16 at 5pm.

The congregation has graciously opened their doors and is welcoming parishioners and non parishioners to attend a special service Sunday evening.