From Lenore Skenazy at CNN:

In the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings, we are suffering from a very American malady: Post-Traumatic Stupidity Syndrome.

Folks in the throes of PTSS are so traumatized by a tragic event that they immediately demand something – ANYTHING – be done to prevent it from ever occurring again. Even if the chances of it happening are one in a million. Even if the “preventative measures” proposed are wacky, wasteful, ridiculous – or worse.

I wish I had thought of that term.  It happens after every calamity in the U.S.  It’s a like contest to see which government official can come up with the dumbest ideas, supposedly meant to protect us in the future, but really intended to do nothing more than allow some political parasite to get his name into the headlines.

The world is a different place than when I was a kid.  Safer, yes.  But also much more paranoid.  It looks like the fear of pedophiles behind every tree is giving way to the belief that video games and guns are the root cause of killing sprees.