[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wauzrPn0cfg[/youtube]
I usually don’t comment about this stuff, because the best solutions to our problems are obvious.
Cartoonist Ombre, Hector Curriel says it best;
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wauzrPn0cfg[/youtube]
I usually don’t comment about this stuff, because the best solutions to our problems are obvious.
Cartoonist Ombre, Hector Curriel says it best;
It needs to be said.
The problem is gun show personal sales. No transfer requirements person to person. Retail sales require strict checks. Any gun sold should have maximum 10 round capacity. Most comply but you can by a 30 round clip in the next aisle. It’s not enough but the NRA may now accept these terms.
I’ll not accept not being allowed to possess guns. From experience, I’ve learned to have a loaded gun handy in case city code enforcement showed up. They’ve earned their reputation and should not be surprised people are ready with loaded rocksalt.
The city has no right onto your property without a court order. With present ordinances they can’t get one. Gun ownership is meant to protect yourself from trespassers & anarchy. I didn’t start hoarding guns and ammo until the city attacked me for 8 years. I want to be sure I have enough for myself and to pass out to neighbors ready to defend democracy.
Glocks are intended to kill many — spray the victims. Must a civilian need to own an assault weapon?
What gets me on FB is the old arguments after *every* tragedy. “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” and “Now is not the time … We must mourn the victims….” then count on our good ol’ American Short-term Memory to hold off until the next shooting spree.
The memes that get to me more is the “This wouldn’t happen if God was allowed back in schools” crap. The responses I want to type before sitting on my fingers are:
“Which God do you want in there? Vengeful Old Testament God? Buddha? Fox News White God that endorses Glocks as his weapon of choice?
and
“Why are gun rights so holy but separation of Church and State not?”
Seems to me we are revisiting this issue far too often. They say the mother of the shooter owned all these rapid fire high capacity weapons and took her kids to firing ranges with these military style weapons. WHY????
I’ll just do a cut and paste from the last time l3wis opined on it….
….My real issue is with rapid fire, high caliber, easily obtainable weapons. There is no room, in my opinion, for these in our society.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?amp=&gl=FR&feature=related&hl=fr&v=dpNGeyEp5kM
Jack.. Again as usual you have no idea what you ar talking about. Glock is a handgun, no diferent than a 6shooter that that the lone ranger used. Pull the trigger once and it fires once.
I don’t own hand guns as they have little use to me. This and most of these atrocities have little to do with the weapon. There is 3 household chemicals that when poured together would have killed that entire school or movie theater in seconds.
Semi auto handguns have been around since the thirties.
When you keep eroding the religion and/or the basic teachings of good and evil in all public places, what replaces it? EVIL. You can blame this on guns, mental health, intolerance or whatever you choose but it is simply EVIL. Keep desensitizing children to violence, ridiculing religion and neglect to give them the ability to deal with harsh reality of the post adolescent word and this will be a weekly event.
Jack you can’t wait to take a swipe at religion and it sounds so bitter. You’ve replaced the the hope that faith can give you with the burning hate for those who use it to help themselves. Sounds lonely.
You need to google the origination of the words “separation of church and state” before you continue to use it. Heres a hint: it’s nowhere in our laws, and only in a letter from President Jefferson to a baptist church.
http://www.usconstitution.net/jeffwall.html
Our constitution says: The Goverment Shall Establish No Religion.
Ban guns. Prisoners don’t have guns but our prisons are some of the dangerous places in our communities. I see you left Canada out of your list. Canada has twice the gun to per capita ration than the US but half of the murders per capita.
Try this
A. The number of physicians in the US is 700,000
B. Accidental deaths caused by physicians per year is 120,000
C. Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171 (US Dept of Health & Human
Services).
A. The number of gun owners in the US is 80,000,000.
B. The number of accidental gun deaths per year is 1,500. Deaths by gun violence 8,775(all age groups)
C. Deaths per gun owner is .000128
HMMM.
God bless those little souls, their families and all that were affected by this disgusting tragedy.
God help those who use this to push a misguided agenda.
LJL — you are correct, Glocks fire a shot at a time, however, have high capacity (10 to 20) rounds. It’s not like allocating Barney Fife one bullet — but it is much easier to get multiple kills in a short time — such as AZ shooting episode. In that case, an elderly woman was able to prevent more carnage by grabbing at the magazine and not letting go at reload time.
Project much on the “lonely” & “bitter” commentary?
Golden rule and respect is taught at school. Religious upbringing is a family and individual responsibility. Public education is diverse — no one religion should be forced or pushed. To blame the shooting — as the memes indicate — on lack of God in schools or God forced out is ridiculous. No one is slapping hands and telling kids they can’t pray before tests or discretely go to call to prayer. Heck, First Priority (Christian group) serves food to kids Friday AM before school to students. I have to wonder if there would be outcry or phone calls if a Muslim group did the same….. Again, when reading the memes, which God do they want invited back into the schools?
Society wise, it is easier to obtain a gun than to have access to mental health access — heck, easier than being able to vote in FL. Why is that?
There is now talk from the right about allowing teachers to pack heat. Sure, we can’t trust ’em with curriculum, they are socialist parasites that get paid too much and shouldn’t be allowed collective bargaining …. but they are good enough to pack heat around our little darlings?
I do agree, we’ve got to look at other countries re: gun violence statistics and examine issue on many fronts.
Forgot to add this to cartoon round up:
http://cognitivedissonance.tumblr.com/image/37927134023
As a grandfather of a first grader, I am profoundly affected by the Newtown massacre of innocent children. If this kind of mass murder can occurr in a small city, it can happen anywhere, including Sioux Falls. Every child should be able to go to school and, every parent should be able to take them to school with the reasonable expectation that the little ones will be safe. Such is not the case in America.
The right to own any kind of gun and unlimited amounts of ammunition trumps the right of kids to be safe in school. Twenty young lives have just been laid upon this altar of freedom.
We need to engage in a national discussion on the gun rights issue and insist that the federal government take action to protect school children. I feel certain that the moral outrage over the incident will spark debate, but it is unlikely that anything will be done to curb the sale and use of guns that are made solely for the purpose of killing others. The gun lobby is too strong and no one has the guts to take it on.
So we will simply do what we always do: clean up the mess. Make it nice, neat and tidy. That is what we are good at in America. A lot praying and hand wringing to mask our unwillingness to address gun violence.
To buy and own a car – title with your nam,e on it registered with state – requires annual renewal – state approval for transfer – driver training ; written test; pratical test; validation of health/vision and licensing required to operate – liability insurance required – inspections and renewals required at regular intervals.
Apply these standards to guns and gun users.
Require membership in an organbizaed militia. require militia to actuall be functional – not simply nominal (NRA).
Require reporting by militia of member’s actual particpation.
Don’t care if you want to own an assault rifle, a mortar, a tank – whatever – but you better be trained, qualified and licensed to do so.
And BTW – making threats of violence against public officials in a public venue would – IMO – DISQUALIFY you.
Here’s an idea… how about we mourn the victims instead of using this as excuse to push a political agenda.
I don’t really care what anyone thinks about guns or God or police officers or government because this isn’t about them. This about the victims. Nothing more.
“There is 3 household chemicals that when poured together would have killed that entire school or movie theater in seconds.”
It scares me that you know that.
“So we will simply do what we always do: clean up the mess. Make it nice, neat and tidy. That is what we are good at in America. A lot praying and hand wringing to mask our unwillingness to address gun violence.
I would agree Wayne, we are good at masking the real issue here.
Jack.. Again as usual you have no idea what you ar talking about. Glock is a handgun, no diferent than a 6shooter that that the lone ranger used. Pull the trigger once and it fires once.
You are comparing these weapons to those used by the Lone Ranger? This is exactly the kind of response l3wis is talking about. From CNN News just one hour ago….
All the victims died from gunshot wounds and were struck more than once, according to H. Wayne Carver II, chief medical examiner for the state of Connecticut.
Lanza was found dead next to three guns, a semi-automatic .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle and two pistols made by Glock and Sig Sauer, a law enforcement source told CNN. All belonged to his mother.
Carver, who performed autopsies on seven of the victims, said the wounds he knew about were caused by a “long weapon.” Asked by a reporter whether the rifle was the primary weapon, he responded, “Yes.”
The weapon of choice in this instance, ONCE AGAIN, as in recent shootings, was the semi automatic rifle.
This one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FdhkNy2USw
Here are the three weapons found by his body. And this, to you, is the same stuff used by the Lone Ranger?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ct-school-shooter-made-combat-weapon-article-1.1220431
We have a gun culture in this country that needs to be dealt with. Take a casual stroll thru Gary’s Gunshop sometime and tell me how many weapons are for sale that are rapid fire with high capacity clips. Too many. That’s how many.
Here’s an idea… how about we mourn the victims instead of using this as excuse to push a political agenda.
Do you really believe this is about a political agenda? Should we just mourn the slaughtered children and go on business as usual? No Craig. This is a gun happy nation that has exceeded it’s bounds. Rapid fire, high capacity weapons need to be talked about NOW. If not NOW, WHEN?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/opinion/why-we-let-the-school-shootings-continue.html?smid=fb-share
Haw about you stop blaming guns and actually blame the POS that committed the crime. He broke about 41 laws! 41 and that didn’t stop him. So laws won’t stop a criminal. More useless laws will just confuse and convict innocent people. Registration doesn’t do shit. All it is a big money pit and makes targets out of people when the government needs a scape goat. And Wayne I will have all the Ammo and Hi capacity magizines I want and I don’t need to give you a reason why. Maybe America should be shooting back and arm the teachers like they do in Israel. I least then they are not making it an easy tiem for the shooter.
I don’t delete comments often, let’s play nice kids, stop the name calling.
XD – did you see the above graphic? And you don’t think this nation has a problem with gun violence?
First off. Go to Gary’s Gun Shop. Online version. Do a little shopping around. Under Rifles. Under Handguns. Search for magazines in his search engine. I can put most any arsenal together that I care to in their “basket”. I personally find most of the products should be banned. But that’s just me. To Gary’s credit, any purchase I make must first be shipped to a FFL dealer. Like Gary. Keeps things on the up and up. I’d pass that test with flying colors. As easily as purchasing a book on Amazon.com. Problem is, I can turn around and sell my arsenal to any “squirrel” hunter I want. No questions asked. No checks. No balances. That is how 40% of all gun sales go down. Easy as reselling that book anyone can purchase at Amazon. I can even resell that arsenal at gunshows. I don’t have an FFL. Don’t need one. BUT I should need one. ANY weapon resold, or gifted, or whatever, NEEDS a paper trail. It’s called Universal background checks. Right now, only six states require one.
l3wis- Buying a gun is a little more complicated than purchasing from a vending machine.
Poly 43-I am at a lost what “Arsenal” you can put together. If you mean AR-15 platform yea. You still need to go through the NCICS system. I will have to take your word that you can pass, but is it really Gary’s fault that he can’t read your true intensions with whatever weapon you purchase from him? If you read the news, the perp tried to purchase from a FFL dealer and refused to do the background check and the dealer didn’t sell. The system worked. Anti- gun extremists should be proud. The only persons at fault are the mom for not securing her weapon and obviously the perp himself. The NRA had nothing to do with this one.
Steel. Changing gears for just a second. How many C&C license holders are there right now? Do you believe the six women teachers who were also killed should have been C&C?
Poly 43-I am at a lost what “Arsenal†you can put together. If you mean AR-15 platform yea. You still need to go through the NCICS system. ….
You know what I mean by arsenal. Pretty obvious when you go thru all the rapid fire high capacity clip weapons available for online purchase at Gary’s.
It would be very scary to know just how many rapid fire weapons Gary has sold just since the election. Same for high capacity mags.
Following up on that last post steel. 40 percent of all gun sales are not conducted by a FFL holder. Do you agree this country needs Universal background checks?
Poly-Canging gears for just a second. How many C&C license holders are there right now? Do you believe the six women teachers who were also killed should have been C&C?
Don’t know how many off hand.
I think they should have been. But being teachers they would not have been able to carry to their job because it is against the law to carry within 1000 ft of the school. State and Federal law. It is a catch 22. They carry and stop the perp they get convicted of a federal crime and get hung out to dry by the public or they try to survive and hope they live through it.
Limiting the amount of rounds a magazine can hold doesn’t stop evil. A “high capacity” magazine doesn’t prove anything except the person likes to use that accessory. I have many magazines like that and plenty of ammo. Doesn’t mean anything. And I don’t have to justify it to anyone.
Limiting the amount of rounds a magazine can hold doesn’t stop evil. A “high capacity†magazine doesn’t prove anything except the person likes to use that accessory. I have many magazines like that and plenty of ammo. Doesn’t mean anything. And I don’t have to justify it to anyone.
Right. But it can limit the destruction. This latest gunman had many weapons to choose from at his mothers home. Two were conventional deer rifles. The kind I used when I hunted. He took the semi autos. Why? We both know why.
The kid killed himself when he heard the responders arrive. If they had not arrived when they did, how many more might have died? Be interesting to see how much ammo he still had at his disposal when he ended it.
And I really do believe you should have to justify the number of rounds and clips you have in your possession. I can’t have more than six chickens, yet you can have an unlimited supply of high capacity clips? What is wrong with this picture.
Did you need to take a written test for C&C? How about a hands on “driving” test? You know. Kinda like we all take to get a drivers license.
Poly-40 percent of all gun sales are not conducted by a FFL holder. Do you agree this country needs Universal background checks?
No. I Do not agree.
Do you really believe this is about a political agenda?
Yes, because that is exactly what you are making it. Read your comments again… seven comments every one of which is about guns. I missed the seven comments pointing out the names or ages of the victims. I missed the comments speaking about funding to treat mental disease. I missed the comments about broken families dealing with the holidays or how the schools will be handling the emotional wreckage this tragedy has caused.
No… It is just about guns right? That is the real problem here so if we take away all of the evil high capacity guns then children will all be safe right?
Tell that to the families of the 168 people who died in Oklahoma City including 19 kids. I guess we should ban rental trucks, fertilizer, and diesel fuel too.
Or maybe just maybe we could look at why these things keep happening even though many other nations have just as many evil guns and don’t have the same problems. Read up about Switzerland and learn how many fully automatic weapons (not only semi automatic like the evil guns you keep talking about) there are in private homes, yet as the graphic above shows they have but a fraction of the gun deaths that we do.
So yea I do think it is disgusting how people use a tragedy to push a political agenda whether it is anti-gun, pro-gun, anti-religion, pro-religion or anything else. I think we should focus on the families, try to determine the root cause of why someone would decide to do something like this, and then address the root cause.
But hey that’s just me. Don’t let me stop you from taking advantage of a national tragedy or anything.
XD – I asked if you looked at and read the ‘graphic’ not the ‘cartoon’. When you compare apples to apples, you can’t tell me we have a much greater gun violence problem in this country then they do elsewhere.
Craig. It is YOU who has chosen to ignore the root cause of ALL the recent mass killings this country has had to endure. They revolve around rapid fire weapons and how easily they are obtained. Be it gun shows, trunk sales. You name it. National tragedy indeed. And we need to start to put an end to it now. Rapid fire, high capacity clips and universal gun checks are a good place to start.
Poly-And I really do believe you should have to justify the number of rounds and clips you have in your possession
Well as it so happens I don’t have justify it to you anyone else. Just entertain me and list what your justifications would be?
poly-But it can limit the destruction
So what you are saying is that you would feel better it only ten were dead instead of 26? And what is to stop another person from just carrying more magazines? Nothing really. Just feel good laws that are all they are.
Poly-Did you need to take a written test for C&C?
Not in South Dakota. Hell you don’t even need a Conceal Carry Permit to open carry. Just need to pass the background check conducted by the local law enforcement agency.
Craig, Steel. You two really are “delicate flowers”.
http://thismodernworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/TMW2011-01-12acolorlowres-copy.jpg
Over 250,000 legal gun sales over the Black Friday weekend this year in the US, most ever. This tragedy will just drive more people to buy assault weapons before they are banned. Even if they are banned, can not one just go buy a lower receiver from a FFL and build your own anyway.
I am pro gun ownership, but would like the owners to have required self defense training.
That would not stop tragedies from happening as people will still get their hands on guns that someone else owns, as in this case.
Any person who says we should arm teachers is a person whose opinions on any subject I will ignore.
This discussion is not going to go away this time. All the major networks on their Sunday morning shows focused primarily on gun control. Now I’m sure those of you who rely on Faux news heard a completely different take on the issue.
Oh. And like I said, It aint goin away this time. Get used to it.
I’ll go with this commentary.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/kristof-do-we-have-the-courage-to-stop-this.html?smid=fb-share
Yeah – let’s just not talk about it.
THAT’s the answer.
Here’s the real problem – IMO – this country has been in a contuinual state of war (undeclared – but war none-the-less) since 1948 -with SOMEONE somewhere on this earth. That’s for as long as I’ve been alive. 64 years of war. THAT – our violence and the threat of our violence – seems to be the only answer we have to any issue. That attitude is the problem.
“Arm Teachers”
Much rather have a couple of armed teachers with military background and/or extensive defensive tatical training with weapons that a couple of unarmed security guards monitoring a metal detector as was the case in the Red Lake, MN massacre.
The problem is not guns but insane people walking the streets. These people need to be put in an institution that monitors them and sees that they are taking medication.
I am also in favor of teachers getting firearm training. No one wants to ever use a weapon against another but if it means giving a teacher a way to protect children from harm every single one of us would do whatever we had to do.
Having teachers with firearm training would also be much more of a deterent than a security guard who is forced to wander the halls or sit in one idle location.
If worst comes to worst why can’t teachers have the means to protect children?
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-death-rate-per-100-000
Notice DC leads the nation in gun violence by a very wide margin and also has among the strictest gun laws in the US.
I am also in favor of teachers getting firearm training.
Wow!!!
How about we train people to stop having violent tendencies toward each other?
Detriot. to your comment :It scares me that you know that.
A man committed suicide on the side of the interstate near Watertown just 3 years ago. 5 firefighters were taken to the hospital because thy opened the door to the car he used the chemicals to kill himself. I know why you didn’t know this…It wasn’t politically charged or an easy subject for you to poach from the headlines. No new ideas from here.
No one was able to dispute that prisons have no guns but prisoners are killed by other prisoners every day.
every parent of these monster say the same thing and it’s not I wish there were no guns… They say ” I wish I would have listened more to my child, I have no idea they were capable of this. EVIL lives in every plae were goodness is void.
3wis said it best… train people how to deal with one another…. We tell our children not to be bullies, but we don’t tell them how to deal with their own self appointment. Bullies and misfortune will always exist no matter if your 14 or 44 years of age. You better teach your children to deal with life’s problems using a good moral compass and faith. That faith can come from God, Allah, Mohammad, Buddha or the sun for all I care. As long as you find the faith to not harm other with your rage.
Jack… when does it end with you… When the “Golden Rule” become the new teachings of faith, that will be your new hate crusade. The christian crusade ended long ago. If you don’t want faith NO ONE GIVES A SHIT. But you need to realize you are out numbered 8 to 1 so you should be surprised when you are called out on it. All atheist I know say nothing about religion in conversation. Your like the racist you continues to use the N word. And every time you spew about faith hating you prove that you are intolerant. If we continue to evolve from a faith tolerant society into a faith intolerant society than expect more evil acts.
To all those who think that holding more rounds make it an assault rifle. Your just a moron. When EVIL is the only person in a classroom of tiny children it wouldn’t matter if it were using a muzzle loader. Columbine happened during the last weapons ban that limited the amount of rounds that could be inserted. Guess that didn’t work.
So with line of logic if the person only shot 5 kids because he had only 5 bullets than that wouldn’t deserve this kind of outcry. THAT IS JUST A *#CKING SICK WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS.
3 toddlers were killed in Minneapolis this year to stray bullets. I am sure all of those gun users were licensed, trained and had the proper amount of rounds. Where is the outrage over those deaths on this blog? There is no rage to be found, because it was in the hood and not on your TV’s.
The way I look at is the more people that have guns in a given location, no matter how well trained they are, means more people are going to be injured/killed in the crossfire. As far as the right to bear arms goes, the second amendment was meant to form an armed militia, before there was an army. There is absolutely no necessity for anybody that is non military or law enforcement to have these assault type rifles/guns or even to be able to buy them, or the clips that hold many bullets, or to be able to buy the equipment to make their own guns. Also this morning, on the Sunday morning news/talk shows, not one NRA person consented to attend. I wonder why.
Does anyone see the pattern that is happening with our young people besides me.
From today’s headlines:
Mennonite women attacked: Pa. man charged with hate crime. ( he is 20 years old they were 80’s and 90’s)
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20121216/NEWS/121216010/Mennonite-women-attacked-Pa-man-charged-hate-crime
I’m appalled that we have to imprison children in their schools (lock them in daily). Sandy Hook elementary was doing this for the last few years and it was still not enough to protect the children, teachers, and staff.
Anyone telling you that their SD school is “safe” from attacks like this are willfully blind and liars.
Joan,
Let’s use your line of logic to fix other problems we face.
Drunk drivers kill far more children than guns and our drunk driving laws haven’t solved it. Stop selling alcohol.
House fires kill far more children than guns. Lets stop selling electricity and matches.
Playground equipment kill far more kids than guns. We need remove all the playgrounds.
Until we all begin to use common sense and stop pointing fingers nothing will be fixed and this WILL come to every community. Look at the people who commit these crimes and what led them to it.
These parents knew he was mental unstable and knew that he had an arsenal. He lived with his mother who was a teacher and all the guns he used were registered to her.
“Police say the guns used in the rampage were apparently owned and registered to Lanza’s mother.”
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/gunman-computers-may-key-connecticut-school-shooting-investigation-174438304.html
OMG this was preventable…. BY the PARENTS…….
Craig. It is YOU who has chosen to ignore the root cause of ALL the recent mass killings this country has had to endure.
Really? So you think the root cause is guns?
So again, how do you explain all the guns Switzerland has including fully automatic weapons, yet they don’t have the same problems with gun violence? Is their chocolate just so good that nobody thinks about shooting their neighbors?
Oh well – I guess I’ll just go with your theory. Guns are clearly the root cause. Here all this time I thought it was mentally unstable human beings. I was thinking we really need to figure out a better way of handling these situations so these people aren’t turned into media sensations and so it stops happening, but now that I’ve been informed the guns are the root cause my views obviously need to change.
Then again I suppose the term “recent” is rather convenient because it allows us to totally ignore the most significant massing killings in US history… namely the OKC bombing, the events of 9/11.
Here is the deal though… I can actually understand both views both those that feel there should be no restrictions on firearms due to that pesky Constitution, and I can understand the view of those who call for reforms including training, licensing, limiting the types of weapons and features such as high capacity magazines etc.
That said I still don’t think this is the time and I think it is disrespectful. That’s my view – but obviously others disagree and feel this is the perfect time to push their view about firearms or about God in schools.
I’m not about to debate this any further however, because I don’t believe anything will change. There is ALWAYS a reaction after such a disaster, but we still have a Constitution, a conservative SCOTUS, and a population that adores their firearms. So maybe we could focus all of this energy on something that isn’t so controversial like how to handle those with obviously mental disease.
More Americans die in gun homicides and suicides in six months than have died in the last 25 years in every terrorist attack and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.
There are more gun shops in the US than there are Starbucks outlets in the entire world.
Pakistani kids morn Connecticut deaths.
When have any of our kids morned the hundreds of Pakistani kids killed by our drones?
But we don’t have a general cultural attitude problem in THIS country right?
Today we are way beyond colonial muskets, cannons and horses of the 1700s. The idea that anyone can oppose a modern military — trillion dollar budgets, supersonic aircraft and missiles, GPS satellites and communications for millions of soldiers — with a gun is childish Hollywood at best. Back to reality, we have an enemy that is killing thousands of Americans every year, wounding many more than even our wars. If this were a direct attack on us, like 9/11, we would respond. Are we unable to respond to this threat because we are afraid that lobbyist or politician will throw an irrational temper tantrum? Weapons, like everything in life, have limits. America is no longer the colonial frontier of 300 years ago, but a large technological society of 300 million. Time to grow up and plan for today.
(quoted from several individual/friend sources with personal comments mingled in.)
Craig – why should we avoid the controversy. That’s like saying – when you’re having a heart attack – first thing you should do is go visit your barber. I say screw the avoidance – let’s get right to the heart of the controversy. Don’t be chicken.
I think we should outlaw murder.
I now see that some psycho in China stabbed 22 children.
What is wrong with people? And I also read that the Newtown killer also stabbed some of the victims.
There is something seriously wrong with society that goes way beyond guns and more toward violence and mental stability.
I get it, knee jerk reaction. Laws don’t change what criminals/crazies will do. We have laws against drugs…how’s that working? We have laws against drunk driving….how’s that working? We have laws against bestiality…how’s that working? We have laws against tax evasion…how’s that working? For the law abiding citizen, it usually works. For the one’s who don’t abide, it doesn’t. No law will change that…EVER!!!(notice I capitalized that) We need to deal w/the problem not the tool. There are plenty of tools that can kill people, lots of people quickly in the hands of the person intent on doing it.
Lots of comment. Gun control and psychological help seems to be the focus. Society has decayed from cocooning. Children grow into a make believe action figure because they live in video games and isolated from normal life. Parents do cannot give attention because they must work harder to just get by.
I can see merit in both sides arguments as well, but I agree the most with the premise that more laws won’t stop someone from doing evil – ie OK City or Japanese subway gas or even the car/alcohol in the hands of that twat who almost killed officer Steen.
As a parent of school age kids, including one in Kindergarten, you’re correct that our Schools are not safe nor equipped to stop this from happening again. Hell, this school in CT had to buzz this kid in and did so only because they knew him from his Mom. Even if he didn’t do that, he could’ve just as easily hid in the forest outside and opened fire at the peak recess time from a 1/2 block away and done as much damage. Also, as also pointed out, the Mom owned these guns and might very well have passed all the background checks with flying colors, she didn’t secure them properly even though she apparently knew full well her black trenchcoat-clad son wasn’t playing with a full deck.
It’s not a cure all, but I hear the “100,000 new cops” sound byte a lot, meaning people who’ve been focus grouped like that number and associate it with meaningful action; put a new, armed officer at every one of our 100K +/- schools would be a good start and cost us a mere $10 billion a year. Probably about the same amount we spend trying unsuccessfully to stamp out that evil Marijuana plant.
I also don’t think arming teachers is a good move, although I have no problem with a vet who’s had his or her training becoming a teacher or even a janitor and being allowed to carry concealed on school grounds, not much different than a sky marshall on an airline flight. We have something 4000 in service and they make an average of like 4 arrests per year. Statistically those are expensive arrests but at the same time between the airport security measures and the sky marshalls the ability for your average psycho to take over a plane has been greatly diminshed. Unfortunatly, we’d need a series of high profile news stories about the perps getting air holed by the officers before they made it in the school before the deterant would take hold.
Also, the technology is there so the gun will only operate in the hands of the licensed user, maybe that’s the next step?
Oh good grief – so because SOME -or even ONE crime might still occur we shouldn’t do anything about ANY crime? The issue isn’t about how fdo we stop ALL crime from occurring. The issue is tat this country – THIS COUNTRY as a whole is FAR more violent than than any other society onm earth. 0f the 25 mass murders that have occurred world wide since 2007 – 15 were in the US. Next closest country? Finland – with 2. HALF of all firearms in the world are in the US (with 5% of the population). We are already heavily armed. Becoming more heavily armed………
FYI 80% of the murders that have occurred in this country since 2007 were done with weapons that were LEGALLY PURCHASED by the perpetrator. What good would “user controls” do there? Almost NOTHING.
This one bears repeating:
More Americans die in gun homicides and suicides in six months than have died in the last 25 years in every terrorist attack and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.
We are at war with ourselves.
Craig. I understand what you are trying to say. I have seen this type of violence happen way too much over the last few years. I follow these things closely, and am angered that nothing ever comes of it. Sy knows this, as does l3wis. I am not naive enough to think intelligent gun control is the only answer in reducing the violence in our society. Mental health care plays as big a role, prolly bigger, but I am just flat saddened every time I see how EASY it is for these people to get their hands on weapons of horrifying destruction.
On the mental health side, we have a society that has thrown the mentally ill under the bus. Health insurance does not cover it, and in an atmosphere where so called “entitlement” programs are under the microscope, families of the mentally challenged are left with little or no recourse.
On the gun side tho, plenty can be done. Starting with military style semi-automatic rifles, hand guns, and the magazines that go with them. This latest shooting once again featured the most popular rifle in America. The AR 15. The civilian version of the M-16, and M-4. These guns serve one purpose and one purpose only. Killing humans in as short a time as possible.The AR-15, as shown in numerous youtube vids can empty a 30 round mag in under ten seconds. Do we really need that for squirrels and rabbits? The scary part is over the past 15 years 3.5 MILLION of these AR-15’s have found there way into American homes. I’d guess even more than that, prolly double or triple, are semi auto handguns.
Think about that. 3.5 MILLION AR-15’s. At the peak of the Iraqi war we had 170,000 troops in Iraq. We could put over 20 AR-15’s every one of those soldiers hands. I find that whole scenario just a little troubling. And the ammunition. This last episode the kid used hollow point, designed to rip apart the bodies they enter. He also fired plenty of rounds, several in each victim, and still had plenty in reserve when he finally ended his own miserable life. It could have been so much worse. And it never ends.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/us/lanza-used-a-popular-ar-15-style-rifle-in-newtown.html
Why are we where we are?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJyn2rNGEIc
Craig…like you, this is the last I will say on the matter. You and I both know, ain’t much going to change.
LJL wrote:
“Jack… when does it end with you… When the “Golden Rule†become the new teachings of faith, that will be your new hate crusade. The christian crusade ended long ago. If you don’t want faith NO ONE GIVES A SHIT. But you need to realize you are out numbered 8 to 1 so you should be surprised when you are called out on it. All atheist I know say nothing about religion in conversation. Your like the racist you continues to use the N word. And every time you spew about faith hating you prove that you are intolerant. If we continue to evolve from a faith tolerant society into a faith intolerant society than expect more evil acts.”
Dude, chill out and quit making broad assumptions. Public school is for a diverse public. If you want people to get religion, it isn’t the educational system that owes you it. There are churches, temples, sweat lodges — all for a parent / family member to guide their young one. Re: “faith hating” — where the heck do you get that? Personally, I’ve taught Sunday School, enrolled my young ones in Sunday school, and do kind acts quietly, not thumping my chest in public — which Christ instructed us not to do.
Religion is an individual and personal thing and different to other people. Again, this issue of “God not being in our school and to blame for the ills of society” — or the reason why mass killing o curred is flat out. garbage.
How very well you model your faith, though. Gives me such a warm, fuzzy, loved feeling as you accuse me of being like someone saying the “N” word or faith hating because a public school and a place of worship are two different things. Glad you aren’t a teacher.
WOW! – none of the students attacked with a knife in China died. NOT ONE.
Talk about scary.
You can buy a 3D printer for $1400 and download free parts software for a 10 shot semi-auto pistol. Easy assembly. No background check or firearms license required.
It’s nylon so no metal detection. Disassembled, easily goes through TSA, Government, etc..
Sell separate parts at garage sales or flea markets with free assembly instructions.
BULSHIT JACKALOPE …. No one of faith would write this hatreds on a blog. You were the 4th post on this blog with this:
PER JACKOLOPE
“The memes that get to me more is the “This wouldn’t happen if God was allowed back in schools†crap. The responses I want to type before sitting on my fingers are:
“Which God do you want in there? Vengeful Old Testament God? Buddha? Fox News White God that endorses Glocks as his weapon of choice?
and
“Why are gun rights so holy but separation of Church and State not?â€
God Help You Sir: