2 questions

[Sandtrap328]

I just saw that the student who shot others and himself had said on Twitter that he had bad problems that were overwhelming him. The shooter in Canada had pages of ISIS material on his Facebook page. Other killers have posted social media information about their bizarre issues or of their intent to hurt others.

My question is "Aren't these Twitters, Facebooks, and other social media being read by their friends or family - and why don't the friends or family get in touch with some authority if they have an inkling of the danger that is proposed?"

Also, isn't there some way of blocking access to our country from terrorist websites aimed at converting some ignorant youths into joining terrorists?

[redwitch]

I don't know about canada but I can tell you that getting help for a troubled youth is exceedingly difficult. I know of one family whose son was having hallucinations and threatening to kill himself and his family at age five. The parents were told the only way the State would help them was if they relinquished full parental control. Sadly, their case is not the exception but the norm.

I think most parents want help for their children when they see posts such as those you mentioned, not incarceration, which is what normally happens if the child is over 16 and making threats regardless of the underlying reasons.

As to the second question, the answer is a simple no. I'm sure someone with far more expertise than I could explain it. The reality is these websites are created in the USA as often as they are created overseas. Even with parental blocks, disenfranchised youths will find way to get to websites they want to see, whether at home, at friends' home, in school, etc.