Goudie a master of 20-20 hindsight

I can't believe how lucky we are to have Chuck Goudie. His column in the Feb. 18th paper spells out all the "red flags" of the NIU shooting in such detail that even the village idiot can see that there was going to be trouble.

So where was Mr. Goudie two weeks ago?

Oh wait, all his observations are with the benefit of perfect 20-20 hindsight.

He goes on to blame the shooter's parents, his sister, his girlfriend, the Army, his doctors, his employer, the gun shop -- pretty much everyone who had contact with him over the last year.

Each of these people had a piece of the puzzle. It wasn't until the shooting that the pieces came together.

I notice Mr. Goudie had no suggestions for how to gather all these pieces before something tragic happens.

That being said, perhaps we can put him in charge of a new national database. Anyone exhibiting one of the "red flags" that are listed would be entered into this database. If someone starts accumulating multiple red flags, we send the police to arrest them.

After all, Mr. Goudie has already determined that they are a "bad onion."

I think we all understand the problems and the tragic results. Let's see some solutions, not finger pointing to assess blame.

Pete Mayhew

Rolling Meadows