Thanks for the kudos. I’d like to see more adoptions happening too. Starting with the fundies who keep trying to make safe abortions illegal…

I think you’re probably right about the nesting sentiments. The MSNBC pic of the Iraqi woman holding her dead son really had an effect. It would have in any case, but I suppose I noticed it more thoroughly.

Heh. “Package.” A new euphemism for the ol’ womb and accoutrements.

The utter depravity of those who abuse children is beyond belief. I can assure you that if reading about such acts is heart-wrenching now, it will be worse later. When my buns were in the oven, I’d get awfully weepy when such news came to my eyes and ears. After I popped them out of the package and bonded with them, it was several orders of magnitude worse. Not to be presumptuous, but it seems like you’re going through a similar process as you prepare yourself and the nest for Yoshi.

Special ed comes in all sorts of flavors. Sometimes it’s a pull-out program. But the least restrictive environment is often favored, i.e., inclusion. The kids’ needs are incredibly varied, too. My younger demon-spawn is on an IEP. She’s wicked smart, but has a particular illness that presents a challenge.

At the risk of sounding all gushy and sentimental, what you’re doing - fostering/adopting an older child - is fabulous, Warren! The world needs more fellows like you.

Oh, and Yoshi will appreciate that real mattress.

In case you missed it, the kid had one grenade as well, was assembling more, and had attempted to recruit at least one other individual in a killing spree. Nor have you made any attempt to defend the mother’s choice to buy her obviously-disturbed son an assault rifle; rather than doing so you’ve attempted to turn a lengthy, barely-firearm-related post into a personal discussion about your rights.

But I suppose elective attention to reality goes along with the other lacunae in your worldview.

The article you refer to states, in fact: “I do not think an attack was imminent and I am not certain that an attack was going to occur at all,” Castor said at a news conference. “It could have simply been big talking…”