Should guns be banned?

[Skydyvyr]

for the bad guy, he doesn’t know which airplane he’s getting on, if the pilot is armed or not.”"[/B]

^^^ The trick is to stop the schools from being an easy target.

Do you think that the shooter in Conn chose the school because he thought it was an easy target? I doubt it. I have no idea what was going through his mind in the hours leading up to that final round that put him out of our collective misery, but I don't suspect much of it was rational. I believe he did not expect to walk away from the school. He expected to die. The best thing armed teachers could have done would have been limit casualties, but there would be an equal possibility that armed teachers would have increased casualties.

Way to generalize an entire occupation

Generalization or not, the role of pilot requires the ability to think clearly in an emergency when everything is falling apart. Pilots receive special recurrent training in making snap decisions in a crisis where lives are in the balance, and teachers do not. I expect the pilots of the plane I'll be boarding tomorrow morning to have this training and be competent in it. I have completely different expectations of my children’s' elementary school teachers.

If someone around my children is going to be armed and expected to defend them, then in my opinion they should be required to have specific recurrent tactical training and be certified to a level of competence in that training.

--Sky

 

[mysql]

Do you think that the shooter in Conn chose the school because he thought it was an easy target? I doubt it.

The aurora shooter picked the theater he shot up because it was in a no gun zone. He had to travel further away and skip around 6 or 7 theaters to get to it. The Oslo shooter picked an area where there would be no weapons and the police would have a difficult time arriving quickly. I can go back further if you need, but you get the point.

In the Connecticut shooting, it appears that he had some reason to shoot up the specific school. We have no way of knowing what he would have done differently (if any) had we not made schools gun-free-zones.

Just think about it -- the shooter is mentally ill. He plans to kill himself when it's over. Does anyone here really think he gives a crap if what he's doing is illegal? Of course not, so gun free zones can only make a target even MORE attractive and prevent anyone from being able to help stop a mass murderer in action.

 

[skydivr]

It's really hard to stop a guy that is willing (and wants) to die for his cause....

 

[twotonevert]

Can only speculate on an answer. I strongly suspect that if he did not have easy access to guns on that day, it would have changed the course of events.

I disagree, the fact that he had to kill his mother to gain access to them indicates the fact that he was going to do that no matter what.

 

[MC MUSTANG]

I disagree, the fact that he had to kill his mother to gain access to them indicates the fact that he was going to do that no matter what.

James I just said this specific thing to someone this afternoon when they commented on his "legally obtained" weapons...

 

[mysql]

China was hit by a spate of knife and cleaver attacks that targeted school children in 2010.

A number of measures were introduced at the time, including increased security at schools across the country and a regulation requiring people to register with their national ID cards when buying large knives.

Just a glance at what would have happened here if the media paraded knife killings non stop on TV after a few years. Yes, get rid of guns. Then knives. Then outlaw thumbs.

Politicians are stupid, and so are the voters. No one does any thinking. It's always eliminate the symptom. To hell with rights or logic.

 

[GsxrBots]

Yes, get rid of guns. Then knives. Then outlaw thumbs.

Then cats will rule the world..

 

[jphilipson]

I disagree, the fact that he had to kill his mother to gain access to them indicates the fact that he was going to do that no matter what.

But suppose there were no guns at her house? I suppose he would have just grabbed a handful of kitchen knives, cleaver and wooden spoons and loaded up his trunk. In which case, I suspect a lot less children would have died.

 

[mysql]

But suppose there were no guns at her house? I suppose he would have just grabbed a handful of kitchen knives, cleaver and wooden spoons and loaded up his trunk. In which case, I suspect a lot less children would have died.

He regularly went to the range. He had access to a car and likely knew some of the other gun range shooters. It's all speculation on my part, but if he's willing to kill his own mother (and children), he shouldn't have too much trouble going to a neighbor's house or gun range buddy and murdering them for their weapons too. He could even just park his car at the gun range and stab someone in the neck as they packed up their car.

Remember, he's not worried about the law, ethics or morals of his actions. That means you'll have a hard time containing him regardless of what you throw out there.

 

[GsxrBots]

But suppose there were no guns at her house? I suppose he would have just grabbed a handful of kitchen knives, cleaver and wooden spoons and loaded up his trunk. In which case, I suspect a lot less children would have died.

You are still acting like this was random or nowhere near pre-meditated.. This wasn't something this guy woke up and decided to do, I guarantee it...

 

[MC MUSTANG]

But suppose there were no guns at her house? I suppose he would have just grabbed a handful of kitchen knives, cleaver and wooden spoons and loaded up his trunk. In which case, I suspect a lot less children would have died.

Then I suppose a legally armed Teacher would have stopped him from killing at all. In which case, I suspect NO children would have died. Maybe we should stay away from the suppositions.

 

[captain]

Then I suppose a legally armed Teacher would have stopped him from killing at all. In which case, I suspect NO children would have died. Maybe we should stay away from the suppositions.

Wowsers!

 

[Skydyvyr]

Just think about it -- the shooter is mentally ill. He plans to kill himself when it's over. Does anyone here really think he gives a crap if what he's doing is illegal? Of course not, so gun free zones can only make a target even MORE attractive and prevent anyone from being able to help stop a mass murderer in action.

So If the shooter is planning on dying anyway, what does a gun free zone matter?

--Sky

 

[twotonevert]

But suppose there were no guns at her house? I suppose he would have just grabbed a handful of kitchen knives, cleaver and wooden spoons and loaded up his trunk. In which case, I suspect a lot less children would have died.

Well sir, you have made a very valid point. I see that discussing reason with you is a futile attempt. Giving up freedom for security will never work and has been warned against since our founding fathers wrote that by which we live. I will simply bid you, good day.

 

[jphilipson]

Then I suppose a legally armed Teacher would have stopped him from killing at all. In which case, I suspect NO children would have died.

Do you really want teachers carrying guns? I've known some teachers that were serious whack jobs.

Maybe we should stay away from the suppositions.

I suppose we could do that

 

[Skydyvyr]

You are still acting like this was random or nowhere near pre-meditated.. This wasn't something this guy woke up and decided to do, I guarantee it...

I agree -- this guy planned his activities and there are many at that school that survived because his choice of tool was a firearm as opposed to bombs, fire or other method.

The only way to prevent the tragedy would have been to stop him before he got to the school.

--Sky

 

[VaBusa]

How's the war on drugs going?? Think we truly keep drugs from those that want 'em? NOPE...

Think gun control will be any different? Criminals will still get the guns, and criminals will make plenty of extra $$ meeting the demand. I don't even want to start the argument of "they'll be armed and we won't". None of that matters because crime is a money-making business, and criminals will pay, criminals will make money and guns will still get in the hands of those that want 'em...you will NEVER stop that cycle, ever...

What happened on Friday at Sandy Hook, as well as every other massacre in recent U.S. history is NOT a gun control issue...it's a mental health issue. The weapons of choice don't have to be guns; it could have just as easily been an IED strapped to the guy, meant to spray victims with shrapnel. Google "Beslan massacre" and see how a Russian school was overtaken by the use of guns and bombs. Hundreds perished, including 150+ children, many of which where victims of explosions and being burned alive. Google "Chineses school massacre" and take a peek at the number of children that have been killed in recent years by one guy with a knife. Things like this will always creep in to our world, as frightening as that is, but I don't think for one second that gun control will ever stop a crazy person from doing crazy things. They'll just find new ways to obtain guns if they're ever outlawed, OR they'll just find new ways to terrorize their victims. I think an overhaul of our handling of bullying, of how we treat that one kid that just never seems to fit in, of how we allow psychiatric care givers to hear the inner most, often times scary thoughts of a patient and then they don't alert authorities - that entire system needs to be looked at and revamped. It won't stop every random act of violence, but allowing these types of people to just slip through the cracks isn't doing any of us any favors.

This story has rattled everyone I know, and as a parent, I can't even begin to fathon the pain and anguish so many families are feeling right now. All I can do is try to put myself in their place and have empathy for what they're going through. The questions I think I'd have as a parent include "What signs were in this killer's life that may have led to changing the course he took?" It seems there are always signs (the VT shooter for instance). I don't think for a moment this all happened because he had access to guns...it happened because something was wrong with HIM, and therefore, something wrong with society for not recognizing this before it was too late.

 

[jphilipson]

I will simply bid you, good day.

Good day to you as well

 

[racerV]

Someone should utilize the tool shown in their avatar because I really do believe that there is a screw loose.

 

[mestona]

Someone should utilize the tool shown in their avatar because I really do believe that there is a screw loose.

Notice how the people advocating gun banning are also advocating more violence?

Lots of loose screws. I don't see any law abiding gun owners calling for violence...