I am writing this fast, as I have a ten minute window between getting the breakfasts out and loading the car for the school run.

The dreadful shooting of the two policewomen is all over the news, but because the journalists need something to "discuss", the tragedy has turned into a debate about whether the police should be armed; yeah right, like in America, where you're much safer...

Every time I have to look, with a shudder, at the face of the man they assume is the killer, I want them to tell me what happened to him as a child.

I have to say this next bit to avoid any flak, even though I would hope it's obvious: 

There is no excuse for violence of any kind, most especially the ultimate act of violence; murder. 

But sometimes there are reasons, which can be understood, and maybe acted on.

I will never forget at a Blue Sky training session, the lecturer pointed out that while the the boys who killed James Bulger were demonised, Baby P was universally mourned. His point seemed to be that had Baby P lived he would probably have become a big problem, maybe a menace to society. The public wouldn't be shocked and saddened by what happened to him as a child, only angered by what he did later, as a result.

I haven't put this as well as I'd like, being on the hoof, I hope you get my point about why we need to know what happened to the man who killed those poor women; not because we need to care about him; he's past that, but to improve our understanding, do our job of looking after children who may be on the edge, even better.