Some nutcases think that one solution would be for teachers and administrators to start packing heat in the schools. I can't think of anything more ridiculous. Aside from what this is telling students, it would probably lead to more violence. I can easily imagine large male students assaulting teachers in order to get their gun. A terrified teacher may feel they need to shoot a student ("stand your ground?"). Let's not lose sight of the fact that, in a country of over 300 million, 99+% of our schools are safe.

Jim - Your notion of the '15 minutes of fame' is far too simplistic. Also, in a free society how can this not be reported? Do you want the heavy hand of gov't to control the media?

Correction: Last sentence should have read 'prevent that.'

If it is true that Lanza was on psych meds, then that means that he already DID receive professional care. Maybe he did not do anything in the past to warrant being institutionalized. It has been said that there is darkness in the heart of all men. Most, thankfully, keep things under control. However, no society can stop ALL crime. If we lived in a total police state that was able to prevent do that, I don't think most of us would want to live there.

I should have phrased the last sentence "Bin Laden is dead - why is the Afghan War continuing?" I am not questioning that he is dead.

Reginald10 - Happened to catch your comment while passing thru. Just so I'm not misunderstood, going after Bin Laden and his henchmen in Afghanistan was necessary and the right thing to do. Too bad GWB took his eye off the ball in his haste to invade Iraq, which had nothng to do with 9/11 in spite of your comment that "THEY' did it. That said, why is the Afghan War continuing - Bin Laden is dead?

In the article, Jacoby refers to an article written by Thomas Friedman in the NY Times when he writes about the 'superstition' that 'the Earth is already too full.' I would encourage all readers of this article to also check out Friedman's essay. Friedman makes much more sense to me.

Mr Jacoby's premise is that there is no limit to the Earth's carrying-capacity. In a finite world, this is a logical impossibility. I believe in the many scentists who know through study that there are limits to growth. Utopians like Jacoby are, I believe, very short-sighted, as are those who believe that we must increase immigration due to a declining birth rate. It is not necessarily a bad thing to cut down on consumption and learn to live with less.

Could not agree with your analysis more, Jeff. However, the prejudice in the law against marriage, I believe, started with LBJ's hubristic 'Great Society' in the 60's. Both political parties know what the problem is (except maybe for those Dems on the very far left). The larger question is why neither party has had the guts to really tackle the problem. When GWB and the R's had control from 2001-06 they did nothing except start two unnecessary and unpaid for wars of empire. GWB told us to go shopping!

Except for your large amount of children (which is unsustainable in the long run), I totally agree with your more communal, non-materialist ideals. However, the US economy is built on the exact opposite premise. As we have given away much of our industrial base, 70% of our economy is now based on consumption by consumers. If the US moves toward your model (which would be a good thing and will be ultimately necessary) it would spark a depression such as we have never seen before. However, I fear bad times are coming no matter what we do.