Gun control discussion

[RICHARD]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...gun-shame.html

...... and that ain't Bull Stuff, people!

Well, at least we don't shame people into suicide for passing on a prank phone call?

It's always a huge story when it happens here in the States, yet we kinda pass off the story about kids and other innocents getting slaughtered in places we can't find on a map?

The Brits are an amusing bunch, they have the answers but refuse to share them with us.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Yes...let's not look at the results of gun violence! It might offend the sensibilities of the much-cossetted gun lovers!

We prefer death and carnage pretty? Come back tomorrow night and the person who was shot will be perfectly healed.

Oh please.

[Alysser]

The guns were legally registered in his mother's name:
-In CT, you can't possess a handgun under the age of 21.
He was 20.
-You must complete a handgun safety course, give fingerprints and have your background to obtain a firearm in your name.
He didn't. He stole them all from his mom.

His mom, a responsible gun owner, had her guns stolen by a psycho who clearly didn't give a rats a$$ about laws of any kind, let alone small petty ones like that.

I don't understand what you anti-gun people think stricter gun laws or bans are going to do, I really don't. They are called criminals for a reason, I don't get what you think a few laws are going to do. That really makes no sense to me, whatsoever.

[Edwina's Secretary]

What makes you think his mother was a "responsible gun owner?" She had a son with mental illness and three accessible instruments of death ...aka guns. If THAT is responsible gun ownership...god help us all.

[chocolatepuppy]

I don't understand what you anti-gun people think stricter gun laws or bans are going to do, I really don't. They are called criminals for a reason, I don't get what you think a few laws are going to do. That really makes no sense to me, whatsoever.

Agree 100%. My gun is still sitting on the dresser.

[RICHARD]

"Richard" is brimming with specious reasoning.
There are none so blind as those who will not see.

Those dang motes.

[Lady's Human]

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

Agreed, especially when filled with bias which precludes them from seeing the other side of the discussion.

Gun control is impractical, especially in the US. Guns don't bother me, they are inanimate objects with no will or motivation of their own. It bothers me far more that mental illness is brushed under the rug and ignored. Easier to go after the low hanging fruit than have a serious discussion about solving the real problem. The FBI can set up sting operations which "catch" people in the act of plotting possible terrorist acts, (when in many cases it's questionable whether the person would have gone down that particular road without "help" from the sting op), yet we do nothing about ensuring those who are mentally ill are taken care of. Easier to clean up the mess and ignore it until next time.

We trample all over some people's rights under the aegis of stopping terrorism, but ignore societal issues like mental illness treatment because fixing that particular issue would be too messy. Much like the current budget issues, we prefer to just stick a bandaid on the problem and let someone else come up with a solution at a later date.

I'm willing to bet that someone failed to follow school security protocols, but the AAR won't come for some time. By that time the Media will have moved off the story and gone back to whatever the Kardashians are doing.

[cassiesmom]

School security protocols- my mom told me that the school principal and psychologist tried to head off the shooter and he just shot them and kept going. I know at the schools where my family members teach, there is one entrance to the building that isn't locked after school begins. If anyone needs to get into school during the day you have to go through the front door and be checked in.

A question for those of you who understand this better than I do. What was the intent of the writers of the Bill of Rights when they included the Second Amendment? Was it to allow people to have guns in case they were needed for military service? Was it to allow an individual citizen, not necessarily a militia member, to have a gun? Now we have modern police forces and extremely efficient guns and rifles. They couldn't have seen either of those coming.

And another question. All the news reports have said this is an idyllic suburban community. Why, then, did the shooter's mother have guns in her possession?

I read a column by Mel Robbins in which she argues that taking a look at mental illness needs to be a part of ending these types of shootings. I think she's on to something.

[pomtzu]

If this guy's mother was the gun(s) owner, and was a "responsible" gun owner, I can't help but wonder if this responsible person had the guns under lock and key. If she did, she might still be alive - along with the 20 children and 6 adults that are dead because of her guns!

[Alysser]

I'm sorry, I misworded that. I should have added presumably in front of it to prove my point. They never said if the guns were locked up or not. He killed her at home, I think he would have stopped at nothing to get these guns, and I'm sure she could not have prevented that after he showed up at her house.

You honestly think if they were this wouldn't have happened? I am sure this would have happened either way, unfortunately.

[phesina]

A person in a small town in Connecticut has a Glock, a Sig-Sauer, and an AR-15 type rifle. This is heavy duty stuff. Jack Reacher would not have such an arsenal. But we still have the right to have them on our dressers, don't we? More likely to shoot a family member or companion animal in any case.

A kindergarten teacher in an idyllic small New England town.. Instead, the family member shot her.

[Lady's Human]

A kindergarten teacher in an idyllic small New England town.. Instead, the family member shot her.

Scratch the surface of that small, idyllic New England town and you'll find the same puss and corruption as anywhere else, and in some cases worse.

[Lady's Human]

A person in a small town in Connecticut has a Glock, a Sig-Sauer, and an AR-15 type rifle. This is heavy duty stuff. Jack Reacher would not have such an arsenal. But we still have the right to have them on our dressers, don't we? More likely to shoot a family member or companion animal in any case.

Heavy duty stuff? Really?

Please, that's not even serious target shooter levels of stuff.

Nowhere near avid collector stuff.

Media, media, media.......

You're living proof of how easy it is to sensationalize and "put the skeer" in people.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I REALLY hope these are facetious comments, otherwise there is just no hope.

This is just someone who really really loves his guns trying to put the "skeer" in you while he sneers at you.

I fear there is no hope. We, as a nation, will just allow the insanity to go on. Too, too many people are more in love with guns than they are with their neighbor.

[Lady's Human]

I REALLY hope these are facetious comments, otherwise there is just no hope.

They aren't facetious at all.

I have a strange feeling that your definition of hope and mine are two radically different things. There is always hope. However, hope is not a method, and you cannot legislate evil out of existence.