My answer: so we can have endless stupid threads about this incident on Free Republic, with nothing but somebody’s passing thought to start them.
Its not pointless or stupid...It is a discussion and I already have learned a lot and rethought some of my opinions and attitudes.
It raises other issues, safety, our society, gun laws, parenting...
and it is a way to deal with the anxiety or sadness about this situation...to try to cope with the reality that sometimes stuff, awful stuff, happens in life and we have no control over that.
Some of these “stupid passing thoughts” as you call them are echoes of what some people do and train for in order to protect innocent American civilians. My own service was almost ridiculously modest but I hardly discount the opinions of the men and women of this forum many of whom are hardened individuals and worthy of careful attention.