>>> FIVE YEARS AGO, THIS COUNTRY
SAW A DEVASTATING MASS SCHOOL
SHOOTING AT SANDY HOOK
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN NEWTOWN,
CONNECTICUT.
MANY, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER,
BELIEVED SINCERELY THAT THAT
WOULD BE THE BREAKING POINT IN
DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND
GUNS.
BUT SADLY AS WE HAVE WITNESSED
YET AGAIN, WE ARE STILL SEEING
YOUNG MEN IN PARTICULAR STRUGGLE
AND DOING VERY LITTLE, IF
ANYTHING, ABOUT IT.
AFTER NEWTOWN, SOME OF THE
FAMILIES THERE FORMED SANDY HOOK
PROMISE, VOWING TO TURN THAT
TRAGEDY INTO A MOMENT OF
TRANSFORMATION.
THEY MADE A PSA THAT HAS A
CHILLING MESSAGE.
YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS.
PLEASE WATCH THIS.
[ BELL RINGING ]
* I GOT SOME NEWS TODAY
* FROM THE RADIO MAN
* HE SPOKE THE WORDS SOMBER AND
AS SOFTLY AS HE CAN *
* THE WORLD STOOD STILL
* AND THE SKY OPENED UP
* I MADE MY WAY TO FILL UP MY
COFFEE CUP *
* THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME AS THE
DAYLIGHT SKIES SHONE BLUE *
* TODAY'S THE DAY THAT JOHNNY
MET YOU *
* HE WAITED AWHILE
* HE KNEW THAT HE WOULD
* HE WAS GOING TO HANG AROUND
HERE FOR AS LONG AS HE COULD *
* THE DAYS WENT BY
* AND HOURS THAT HAVE PASSED
* HE WAS NEVER SURE JUST HOW
LONG HE WOULD LAST *
* BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH LOVE IN A
LONELY ROOM *
* TODAY'S THE DAY THAT JOHNNY
MET YOU *
>> HAVE A GOOD SUMMER.
>> YOU TOO.
>> THANKS.
>> HEY, THIS IS THE GUY THAT I
RAN INTO AT THE LIBRARY.
>> GUILTY.
>> SO YOU LIKE TO WRITE ON
DESKS.
>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I DO.
[ SCREAMING ]
* NOW WE'RE STARTING OVER
* OH HOW I STILL LOVE TO HEAR
YOU SING *
* OH AND EVERYTHING YOU EVER
HEARD ABOUT IS TRUE *
* TODAY'S THE DAY THAT JOHNNY
MET JUNE *
* TODAY'S THE DAY THAT JOHNNY
MET JUNE *
>> IT'S POWERFUL, RIGHT?
WE'RE CONTINUING OUR DISCUSSION
WITH PSYCHOLOGIST JENNIFER
HARTSTEIN AND PSYCHOTHERAPIST
AND FAMILY COUNSELOR TOM
KERSTEIN.
SANDY HOOK PROMISE IS A GREAT
ORGANIZATION THAT -- THEY'RE NOT
ANTI-GUN, THEY'RE ANTI-VIOLENCE
AGAINST OUR STUDENTS AND OUR
KIDS.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO
DRAW ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING.
THE WARNING SIGNS WITH RESPECT
TO A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL.
THEY'RE NOT JUST NO GUNS.
IT'S LOOK AT THIS KID AND HIS
FOCUS ON THEM, HE WAS BULLIED.
THIS IS THE KID IN EVAN, IF YOU
WANT TO SEE IT ON YOUTUBE, IT'S
CALLED EVAN.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN FLORIDA
ALREADY, FACEBOOK POSTINGS WITH
GUNS AND OTHER WEAPONS, THE
THREATENING LANGUAGE.
HE WAS EXPELLED FROM THE SCHOOL.
CLEARLY THE SCHOOL SAW AN ISSUE
WITH THIS GUY.
>> AND LOOKING AT HIS HISTORY,
RIGHT, HE'S LOST BOTH HIS
PARENTS.
I THINK I READ THAT HIS DAD DIED
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HIS MOM
RECENTLY DIED SO HERE HE IS
ALONE.
WHAT OTHER HISTORY DID HE HAVE,
JUST KIND OF GRIEVING OF THAT.
WAS THERE BULLYING?
THERE'S A LOT OF WARNING SIGNS
IN THAT VIDEO ARE THINGS THAT
WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THIS YOUNG MAN.
SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW
THAT IS IMPACTING OUR BOYS
ESPECIALLY, BECAUSE NO ONE IS
ENCOURAGING YOUNG MEN TO BE
TALKING ABOUT THAT STUFF SO WE
KIND OF PUSH IT ASIDE AND THAT'S
REALLY AN ISSUE.
>> THE THING IS YOU LOOK AT THE
WARNING SIGNS IN EVAN, THE SANDY
HOOK PROMISE VIDEO, THEY WERE
HERE.
THEY APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN HERE IN
FLORIDA.
AND YET HE WAS FREE.
HE WAS NOT GETTING THE HELP HE
NEEDED, OBVIOUSLY.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS, OKAY, A,
WHAT ARE THOSE SIGNS OFFICIALLY,
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN B, WHAT CAN WE DO?
>> WHAT'S PERPLEXING IS ALL OF
THE STORIES OF STUDENTS THAT YOU
HEAR POSTING THINGS SAY THEY
KNEW THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS
CAPABLE OF THIS.
SO THERE WERE PLENTY OF SIGNS
THERE.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, ANYBODY
LISTENING RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY
PARENTS AND SCHOOLS, WE HAVE TO
EMPOWER OUR KIDS THAT IF THEY
SEE -- WE HEAR THE TERM SEE
SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING, BUT
IT'S GOT TO BE MORE THAN THAT.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT
JIVING RIGHT, THEY HAVE TO BRING
THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF AN
ADULT SO THEY CAN LOOK INTO
THIS, INVESTIGATE IT AND PREVENT
A TRAGEDY LIKE THIS FROM
HAPPENING.
>> I WONDER IF WE NEED A
NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER WHERE
IT'S A NUMBER THAT YOU CAN CALL
AND WE HAVE EXPERTS WHO PROFILE,
FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, WHAT
THEY -- I MEAN YOU LOOK AT
VIRGINIA TECH, HE WAS A
23-YEAR-OLD STUDENT.
NEWTOWN, HE WAS A 19-YEAR-OLD
YOUNG MAN.
HERE IT'S A 19-YEAR-OLD.
>> AND YOU THINK IT'S A
COMBINATION OF TWO ISSUES,
RIGHT, THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING
WITH.
ONE IS THE MENTAL HEALTH PIECE
OF THIS AND ONE IS GUN CONTROL
AND ACCESS TO GUNS AND ALL OF
THAT.
SO THERE ARE TWO SIMULTANEOUS
AND PARALLEL ARGUMENTS.
THE ISSUE FOR ME AS A
PSYCHOTHERAPIST IS HOW DO I MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
STABLE MENTALLY, WHO ARE NOT
THINKING CLEARLY OR MAKING GOOD
DECISIONS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO
THE THING THAT CAN KILL SO MANY
OTHER PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HAVING A
CHALLENGE.
IN NEW YORK, IF I BELIEVE THAT
SOMEONE IS SUICIDAL, I CAN CALL
A REGISTRY AND SAY THIS PERSON
NEEDS TO GO ON A NO GUN LIST
BECAUSE THEY COULD BE AT RISK
FOR HURTING THEMSELVES, BUT IT'S
NOT A NO GUN LIST BECAUSE I
THINK THEY'RE AT RISK FOR
HURTING SOMEONE ELSE.
>> THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE TO THIS
ALSO THAT REALLY WILL RESONATE.
WORLD WAR I, THE AVERAGE COMBAT
SOLDIER, ONLY 10% OF COMBAT
SOLDIERS WERE CAPABLE OF PULLING
A TRIGGER AT POINT BLANK RANGE.
BY VIETNAM, 80% WERE.
THE DIFFERENCE WAS THE TARGETS
THEY USED DURING WORLD WAR I
WERE PAPER TARGETS AND THE ONE
THEY USED TO TRAIN FOR VIETNAM
WERE SILHOUETTES.
THINK OF THE DESENSITIZATION.
NOW LOOK AT KIDS PLAYING FIRST
SHOOTER VIDEO GAMES, BEING
EXPOSED TO VIOLENT CONTENT ALL
DAY LONG.
THINK ABOUT HOW THEIR MIND IS
ABSORBING THAT AND PERHAPS THAT
PLAYS INTO WHY WE'RE HAVING
THESE TYPES OF THINGS HAPPEN.
>> I FEEL LIKE IT HAS TO BE AN
ALL-IN APPROACH.
NOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET HIT BY
THE GAMING INDUSTRY.
PLENTY OF HEALTHY KIDS PLAY THEM
AND DON'T KILL ANYBODY.
WE'VE HAD GUNS FOREVER AND MOST
PEOPLE USE THEM AND DON'T KILL
ANYBODY.
MENTALLY UNWELL PEOPLE, MOST OF
THEM DON'T.
WE GET ALL THAT.
>> ALL OF THAT IS TRUE.
>> TALKING ABOUT A PICTURE, A
PICTURE OF SOMEBODY WHO ALL THE
EVIDENCE IN RAISES A RED FLAG.
IF WE DON'T GET HONEST ABOUT
WHAT THOSE RED FLAGS ARE, WE'RE
GOING TO STAY IN THE SAME
POSITION THAT WE'VE BEEN IN, YOU
KNOW.
ENOUGH.
I WAS AT FOX NEWS FOR 13 YEARS.
I UNDERSTAND VERY WELL HOW PRO
SECOND AMENDMENT PEOPLE FEEL,
HOW THE NRA FEELS.
IT'S NOT ABOUT BLAMING THEM.
IT'S ABOUT GETTING THEM IN ON
THE PROBLEM.
AND THE MENTAL HEALTH, THE ACLU
ON THE OTHER SIDE.
YES, PEOPLE HAVE RIGHTS NOT TO
BE INVOLUNTARILY COMMITTED, NOT
TO HAVE THEIR RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY
WHEN THEY SHOW SIGNS OF MENTAL
ILLNESS.
BUT CAN'T WE HAVE A DISCUSSION
ABOUT WHAT THE SOLUTIONS ARE SO
WE DON'T END UP WITH ANOTHER 17
DEAD KIDS AT ANOTHER SCHOOL NEXT
WEEK.
>> AND DON'T OUR KIDS THAT WE
SEND TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY HAVE
RIGHTS TO BE SAFE?
DON'T THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO
TO SCHOOL AND FEEL SAFE?
>> TODAY I'M TOLD THAT IN OUR
AUDIENCE, OUR AUDIENCE WHO ARE
AMAZING, YOU GUYS, THANK YOU FOR
SITTING WITH US IN A SHOW YOU
PROBABLY WEREN'T EXPECTING TO
SEE, THERE IS A WOMAN NAMED
VALERIE WHO -- HI.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU ARE A
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AT THIS
SCHOOL IN FLORIDA?
>> I SUBSTITUTE FOR BROWARD
COUNTY, YES, INCLUDING DOUGLAS.
BOTH OF MY BOYS GRADUATED FROM
DOUGLAS.
>> DID YOU KNOW THIS SHOOTER?
>> NO.
NO, I DID NOT.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ON PINS AND
NEEDLES WAITING TO HEAR THE
NAMES RELEASED.
PARKLAND IS A FAIRLY SMALL TOWN.
>> OF THE VICTIMS, YOU MEAN?
>> YEAH.
SO CHANCES ARE WE'LL RECOGNIZE
SOME OF THE NAMES.
>> THIS SCHOOL HAS BEEN GREAT
ABOUT DRILLS.
>> YEAH.
THEY'RE WONDERFUL.
IT'S A VERY SECURE SCHOOL.
I HONESTLY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND
HOW THE SHOOTER WAS ABLE TO GET
IN.
THEY DO A GREAT JOB LOCKING THE
GATES AND YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH
OFFICE FOR ENTRY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A MYSTERY TO ME
HOW HE WAS ABLE TO GET ON
CAMPUS.
>> HE WAS YOUNG, RIGHT, SO YOU
LOOK LIKE YOU BELONG THERE.
>> HE WOULD FIT IN, SURE.
>> AND THAT'S THE THING.
EVEN IF WE SPEND ALL THE MONEY
IN THE WORLD MAKING OUR SCHOOLS
INTO FORTRESSES, THERE'S GOING
TO BE A WAY.
EVEN IF WE BAN EVERY GUN IN THE
COUNTRY, A KILLER WILL USE A
TRUCK OR USE SOMETHING ELSE, A
BOMB, AND SO WE HAVE TO START
HAVING REAL HONEST DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT YOU AND
YOUR COLLEAGUES AND THE CHILDREN
YOU TEACH.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
>> THANK YOU, MEGYN.