You are not logged in. Please register or login.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
- A Private Eye
- Rep: 77
Re: Elementary School Shooting in US
^ Heartbreaking
I'm starting to understand a little more about the mentality of guns in the US and see why any gun control would be a nightmare. Having said that things could change over time, it may take several generations but just to sit there and say well this problems too big for us now as a nation as long as my family's ok it's the price you pay for freedom. Try explaining that to little John above.
Assualt weapon ban would be a start, another thing to consider as it may be easier to pass, would it possible to impose a limit on the number of guns people had? Say one handgun per household? As many people have said there's no need for assualt rifles owned by the general public, is there any need to have four handguns in your house like this nutjobs mum had? What the fuck are they all for?
It's not a complete solution, far from it, but how many of these kids might not have died if he'd only had one handgun?
Re: Elementary School Shooting in US
Buzz you say we can't have an intelligent discussion because the guns already exist.
In my opinion it's more unintelligent to declare the situation an unsolvable nightmare just because the guns already exist.
Right now there is a culture of gun acceptance and a lot of guns in circulation. RIGHT NOW.
These are factors that could change culturally over time.
There are many things that could be implemented slowly - gun buy backs, Stop selling new guns, stop selling ammunition, incentives for people to surrender weapons, strict consequences for continuing to own weapons and so on.
I agree we shouldn't have knee Jerk reactions.
But that's just it - this isn't - it's another episode in a statistically provable and avoidable cultural phenomenon.
You just don't understand the US. The gun culture is never going to change. It was one of the main principles this country was founded on. The only thing that's been statistically proven is that gun crimes didn't go down with an assault weapon ban for 10 years. There are major cities that have banned guns and are having more gun crimes than ever. If you don't understand these things, it's difficult for you to participate in a realistic discussion about the subject.
Re: Elementary School Shooting in US
^ Heartbreaking
I'm starting to understand a little more about the mentality of guns in the US and see why any gun control would be a nightmare. Having said that things could change over time, it may take several generations but just to sit there and say well this problems too big for us now as a nation as long as my family's ok it's the price you pay for freedom. Try explaining that to little John above.
Assualt weapon ban would be a start, another thing to consider as it may be easier to pass, would it possible to impose a limit on the number of guns people had? Say one handgun per household? As many people have said there's no need for assualt rifles owned by the general public, is there any need to have four handguns in your house like this nutjobs mum had? What the fuck are they all for?
It's not a complete solution, far from it, but how many of these kids might not have died if he'd only had one handgun?
He wouldn't have had one handgun. That's where the disconnect is. People that obtain guns illegally aren't going to stop at one because that's all they are "allowed" to have. You have to erase the people are going to do what their told mentality because that just doesn't happen here. People do what they want to do. We're selfish. We're greedy. All the things that make this country great make us weak in some ways as well. Obviously I'm painting with a very broad brush and there are many exceptions to the rules, but everything that the rest of the world thinks we are is pretty much spot on. There's absolutely a sense of entitlement too, and taking something back that we've had does not go over well. I'm not anti-American or anything like that, but I call it as it is. I love it here, and I can live with the few things I don't like, but I'm well aware of our weaknesses.
The second amendment isn't about hunting or protecting your home from home invasion; it's to protect your home from the gov't or some other entity. This country had to fight to gain its freedom and it had to fight again to stay together. I know people say that's not going to happen these days, but who knows? It's happened all over the world over the past 100 years and is still going on in several places. I don't think it's going to happen (one of many reasons I don't own a gun), but if it became a real threat, I'd have to think seriously about getting one. I get that it sounds ridiculous, but if you really stop to think about it it's far from impossible.
Re: Elementary School Shooting in US
A Private Eye wrote:^ Heartbreaking
I'm starting to understand a little more about the mentality of guns in the US and see why any gun control would be a nightmare. Having said that things could change over time, it may take several generations but just to sit there and say well this problems too big for us now as a nation as long as my family's ok it's the price you pay for freedom. Try explaining that to little John above.
Assualt weapon ban would be a start, another thing to consider as it may be easier to pass, would it possible to impose a limit on the number of guns people had? Say one handgun per household? As many people have said there's no need for assualt rifles owned by the general public, is there any need to have four handguns in your house like this nutjobs mum had? What the fuck are they all for?
It's not a complete solution, far from it, but how many of these kids might not have died if he'd only had one handgun?
He wouldn't have had one handgun. That's where the disconnect is. People that obtain guns illegally aren't going to stop at one because that's all they are "allowed" to have. You have to erase the people are going to do what their told mentality because that just doesn't happen here. People do what they want to do. We're selfish. We're greedy.
I'm not so sure that would have been the case in THIS instance. I get what you're saying, and agree with you for the most part. But THIS gunman tried to obtain a gun legally and was denied. So he then went and took what he could from his mother's collection, which included the assault weapon. IF she wasn't "allowed" to have that or was limited to one handgun, the shooter would have had to go through other avenues to acquire guns illegally. Could he have still done it? Sure. But not with the ease that he did.
Re: Elementary School Shooting in US
I'm not so sure that would have been the case in THIS instance. I get what you're saying, and agree with you for the most part. But THIS gunman tried to obtain a gun legally and was denied. So he then went and took what he could from his mother's collection, which included the assault weapon. IF she wasn't "allowed" to have that or was limited to one handgun, the shooter would have had to go through other avenues to acquire guns illegally. Could he have still done it? Sure. But not with the ease that he did.
From the way this appears to have been planned, I find it hard to believe he couldn't have/wouldn't have found more weapons. It's not like he would have not killed his neighbors if that was his path to the weapons he needed.
However, I will say that it is possible that the whole plan was launched knowing he had easy access to what he did have access to.
I find it a little frustrating that I have to come off as a gun nutjob to defend something I see as a basic right in this country. I've shot a gun once in my life when my uncle took me out to his shooting club. I was probably 12 or so. I just didn't get it. It wasn't fun. It wasn't cool. So I haven't touched one since then. I do have a bb gun, but it's not even an air gun...it's basically spring loaded. I know I've brought this up several times in the discussion, but I'm trying to make a point about how we view our "freedoms" here in the US. Even if I have no interest in having one, I like the fact that I can get one (legally) if I decided I wanted to. I would be agreeable to (if there were a way to do this without violating HIPAA) more thorough BR checks on gun permits including a mental history, not that it would solve the problem. I really don't think there is a viable solution as frustrating as that is.
Re: Elementary School Shooting in US
Re: Elementary School Shooting in US
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/artic … nd-himself
That ^ is the problem with America's right to bear arms. Some of you are going to be pissed when I say this but keep in mind I'm not talking about YOU as an individual. The problem with America's right to bear arms is that America as a whole, as a society lacks the common sense to understand the responsibility that comes with that. This story here is just an example of how irresponsible far too many Americans' are when it comes to guns and their attitude towards them. THAT is the problem.
Again I'm not attacking individuals but from the outside looking in, this is a clear case of America as a nation simply not being mature enough to have the right to bear arms.
