Althouse: "A month after a gunman killed 26 people at an elementary school, some Newtown parents say the building should be demolished..."

January 29, 2013

"A month after a gunman killed 26 people at an elementary school, some Newtown parents say the building should be demolished..."

"... while others believe the school should be renovated and the areas where the killings occurred removed."

29 comments:

SGT Ted said...: As long as the folks demanding the demolition/rebuild or remodel pay for it, I guess it'd be OK.; 1/29/13, 7:39 AM
Anonymous said...: Everyone has good ideas of what to do with other people's money.; 1/29/13, 7:43 AM
Brian Brown said...: My gosh, can we stop talking about Newton already?

The North East of the United States is not the epicenter of the universe...; 1/29/13, 7:43 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: I think the association would fade over time, but I'm sure for the next few years the images are just too fresh and inescapable. I wouldn't want to go into that building, ever again, and I'm a (fairly) rational adult. The decision is theirs to make, but I sympathize with those who want to see it torn down or at least those parts of the school renovated differently. A changed room configuration and paint colors and so on might trick the brain to not fill in the images.

Also--I hope they don't make it into a sad memorial that will get shabby and rundown and neglected over time as people move on. That's depressing in its own way.; 1/29/13, 7:45 AM
Unknown said...: I hope it gets resolved and over soon. Endless speculation and bickering would be terrible.; 1/29/13, 7:45 AM
MadisonMan said...: Are the parents' fears are being transferred to the children?

In reality, this is something that the Residents of the town should decide.; 1/29/13, 7:46 AM
CWJ said...: I said it with regards to guns in an earlier thread. Some people have become fetishists. Deal with bad events by blaming, lashing out, and destroying the inanimate objects which have the voodoo-like power to control your life.; 1/29/13, 7:49 AM
Sydney said...: When a gunman killed all those kids in an Amish school several years ago, the community tore down the school. I can see why they would want to do that.; 1/29/13, 7:54 AM
Stephen Taylor said...: Bath Township rebuilt. New London rebuilt. Their communities somehow found a way to move forward, and Newtown needs to do the same thing.; 1/29/13, 8:01 AM
Paul said...: Keep up with this concept of demolishing anyplace where a tragedy happened and sooner or later WE WILL HAVE TO DEMOLISH WASHINGTON D.C.!

You know.. that isn't a bad idea. I'm sure from 1812 on there has been lots of tragedies in D.C.; 1/29/13, 8:06 AM
dmoelling said...: I'm a resident of CT and the Politicians are shameless in their exploitation of the Newtown Parents. But interestingly the governor has stopped getting updates from the State Police Investigation Committee. Their report is due in March and odds are it will report some things not favorable to the Democrat's gun control agenda.; 1/29/13, 8:11 AM
SGT Ted said...: For 3 months, I slept in a cell where Saddam Husseins goons tortured Iraqi dissidents.

The answer to those that cannot handle the sight of the building is therapy, not the destruction of it to appease their emotional state.

People need to be in charge of their emotions and not slaves to them.; 1/29/13, 8:14 AM
Jason said...: The people of Osweicim turned Auschwitz into a tourist destination!

Hey, when life gives you lemons...; 1/29/13, 8:15 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: Sgt Ted, do you think that elementary school children should be held to that standard of fortitude?; 1/29/13, 8:28 AM
Known Unknown said...: They should build a mini Freedom Tower and fill it with racist and sexist graffiti.; 1/29/13, 8:40 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Some disinfectant and an exorcism should suffice.; 1/29/13, 8:57 AM
Bryan C said...: I think it's a mistake to pay tribute to a murderer of children by making their crime scenes into sacred ground.

If you're going to give one homicidal maniac that kind of power then you might as well just rename the place Adam Lanza Memorial Elementary School and make it official.; 1/29/13, 9:03 AM
Leland said...: do you think that elementary school children should be held to that standard of fortitude?

I think so. Why not? Children already tend to have less fear than adults. Why re-enforce fear?; 1/29/13, 9:04 AM
SGT Ted said...: I say you use it as teaching moment that you don't let your fears run your life and that moving on in the face of tragedy is normal.

You also don't let the desires of traumatized children run the adult world.

You also don't project your notion of what the children might be feeling or nor feeling to guilt other people into supporting your desires. Simply because someone has a strong feeling does not give them right right to dictate to everybody else.

This catering to "feelings" over sober common sense has it backwards.

This is much like using feelings to push gun control before the bodies have even assumed room tempurature.

It is an emotionally manipulative tactic. It is abusive as well. "You don't care about little kids feelings, because you disagree with what I want, you hater."

I care about the kids feelings AND I disagree with tearing down the building. Tearing down the building is misplaced anger and fear. Catering to it teaches the children that if they have strong enough feelings, they can be destructive with public property and it's OK.; 1/29/13, 9:51 AM
Thorley Winston said...: As long as the folks demanding the demolition/rebuild or remodel pay for it, I guess it'd be OK.

Agreed but I think we both know that isn’t going to happen. There will be some form of federal subsidy either direct funding or a tax subsidy through tax-free financing used to build a new building.; 1/29/13, 10:01 AM
edutcher said...: OK, once they raze the building, how do they purge the land of all those restless spirits?

/sarc; 1/29/13, 10:11 AM
Wince said...: Some kid will go all "Sixth Sense" on the place.; 1/29/13, 10:13 AM
Cedarford said...: Jason said...
The people of Osweicim turned Auschwitz into a tourist destination!

Hey, when life gives you lemons...

================
And who are most of the wealthy tourists arriving, throwing money around that neck of Poland, buying souviners, paying tour guides and for "solemn ceremonies"?
Hint: The tourists are not Germans.; 1/29/13, 10:49 AM
Cedarford said...: Bryan C said...
I think it's a mistake to pay tribute to a murderer of children by making their crime scenes into sacred ground.

If you're going to give one homicidal maniac that kind of power then you might as well just rename the place Adam Lanza Memorial Elementary School and make it official.
----------------------
I heard the father of Lanza eventually claimed the little monsters body, had it cremated, and the ashes dumped without ceremony.
Had the right attitude.
His son was not worth anymore than that.

It is media, gun-grabbers, and liberals that seek to make him famous, keep his name alive - for their own ratings and agendas.; 1/29/13, 10:55 AM
Amartel said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/29/13, 12:12 PM
Amartel said...: Wallowing in emotion costs money and ruins lives.
Maybe it's the right thing to do for the town, demolish or renovate the building as a symbolic gesture. Not even going to weigh in on that since I don't know. What I do know is that avoidant behavior only serves to draw out the emotional distress; you must face your fears and the things that trigger your fears. Also, and even more importantly, if the parents are hysterical about the building then the kids will be too. Nice parenting there.; 1/29/13, 12:16 PM
Jason said...: C-fudd:

Fuck you.

That is all.; 1/29/13, 1:21 PM
Sigivald said...: And the rest of us think they should just move if it bothers them that much that a building remains unchanged despite their personal tragedy.

Not to minimize it - it's the worst thing that's ever happened to them, quite literally.

But that puts no obligations on anyone else, let alone the public pocket.

(IOW, what Sgt. Ted said.); 1/29/13, 1:26 PM
Known Unknown said...: I agree with Sgt. Ted.

The building did nothing wrong.

Put up a plaque and be done with it.

This country needs to toughen up.; 1/29/13, 2:39 PM