Dear Ms. Robinson,

I think you are absolutely, 100% right in your assessment re: anti-depressant drugs.

Last night I watched a film online entitled, 'The Drugging of our children, by, I think the filmmaker was Gary Null - great film talking about this in relation to the Columbine shootings. Michael Moore was also in it.

The fact that Steven K. was stopping taking his prozac, immediately made me wonder about the effects of withdrawal and all the information we have heard and read about the ensuing propencity towards suicidal ideation and violence.

I write this was a heavy heart and such a sense of grief. The pattern of documentation of so many of these shooters being on these psychotropic drugs......god, it seems pretty clear to me what's going on.

Hopefully, we will begin to understand this as a nation.

Posted by scottface on February 18, 2008 at 10:48 AM

Steve did have a history of mental illness. A long history. Although anyone that knew him personally would never have imagined that he would be capable of killing others. The families of the students of NIU and Steve are in my prayers.

Posted by agraham on February 19, 2008 at 5:42 PM

Of course Dr. Julian Whitaker (never certified in a speciality by the American Medical Association) is so against psychotropic medication he SELLS alternative medicine!

In fact he can help relieve your stress with a 30 day supply for only $54.99 or an easy ship price of $49.49.

There are numerous medical documents and journal articles by certified and licensed psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, and social workers that have done extensive research into psychotropic medications and side effects.

Unfortunately, there are people who have violent tendencies and they do violent things regardless of whether they are on medication or not. Its not the medication driving them its their own issues.

Perhaps we need to advocate for more mental health policies and programs. It seems as though our citizens with mental health issues are not going away. They are letting us know, rather aggressively, that they are in need.

I know I hear them. Do you?

Posted by agraham on February 22, 2008 at 9:33 PM

Didn't Mr. Kazmierczak obtain a FOID (Firearm Owner's IDentification) card so that he could purchase both firearms and ammunition legally? Those actions were done while he was under his "normal" medications, correct? On the application form for the FOID card, under penalty of pergery, there are questions about mental issues that he had to have lied about to receive a FOID card.

Mr. Kazmierczak, over a long period of time, premeditativly carried out actions that ultimately ended with the mass murder/attempted murder of all in the NIU classroom that were killed/injured.

There is no way to stop someone without morals or with mental problems, who is determined to murder/injure as many people as he/she can, unless of course someone in the line of fire at the time has the means to put down or destroy the perpetrator.

Isn't it already against the law to murder or assault someone with a deadly weapon?

agrahm, you state that "...there are people who have violent tendencies and they do violent things regardless of wheather they are on medications or not. Its not the medication driving them, its their own issues."

This is what we have in a free society, that is why we MUST have a moral society, so citizens respect the rule of law as well as the rights of other citizens.

In this great country we have the RIGHT to legally "keep and bear arms" for the purpose of self protection, for collecting, for hunting, or for whatever purpose we choose, except of course in a declared "free fire zone" aka: a "gun free zone" such as college camupus' and most places in Illinois and Wisconsin. The other 48 states have laws that allow concealed carry of weapons for self protection by law-abiding licensed citizens. IF someone who had a CCW license and ability was at the scene of the mass murders, the fatality/injury rate of innocent people would most assuradly been less.

Mr. Kazmierczak chose his place of mass-murder/suicide wisely, there was no one that would/could oppose him until he decided to kill himself. That is not the actions of a crazy person.

Posted by FReRydr on February 27, 2008 at 7:21 PM

It is fortunate for you, FReRydr that you have never had serious mental health issues or have known/worked with those that have.

Perhaps instead of looking at gun laws we should be looking at increasing our aid to mental health programs, residential treatment centers, and other areas that can provide proactive, unlikely but needed, education and care instead of always reactive bandaging.

Posted by agraham on March 1, 2008 at 8:52 PM

Yeah you know that FReRydr has never dealt with those issues based on his post. Give me a break. Maybe he just belives that people are responsible for THEIR actions.

Posted by Kducey on April 30, 2008 at 7:10 AM