Prayers for the Children....

[Hunni Bee]

I have been teary all day

I have four and five year olds....I have been just watching them, and just thinking how funny they look when when they run, and how sweet they sound when they sing....how could anyone put those little lights out, and in such a horrible, violent way...

I just want to put them all in a bubble forever....very sad today.

[Hunni Bee]

No disrespect to anyone, but I really don't understand "guns don't kill people, people kill people". Yes, but people with access to guns (legal or otherwise) have an easier time killing people. That man in China stabbed 22 young girls, but they will all still be here for Christmas, if he had chosen a gun as his weapon it very well could have been a different story.

I have yet to hear a valid reason why someone needs high-powered, military-grade weapons in their home. Your home will not be invaded by 45 people at once, and you certainly don't need it to kill a deer. And the fact is these type of tragedies happen far less in countries with stricter gun control. It seems like a no-brainer to me.

We can not control what happens in people's minds. We need better help for people with mental illness, but that doesn't mean gun control isn't part of the problem.

I agree wholeheartedly.

[MyAngels]

Thought this might be appropriate to this thread: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-lu...b_2302548.html

[Unregistered]

No disrespect to anyone, but I really don't understand "guns don't kill people, people kill people". Yes, but people with access to guns (legal or otherwise) have an easier time killing people. That man in China stabbed 22 young girls, but they will all still be here for Christmas, if he had chosen a gun as his weapon it very well could have been a different story.

I have yet to hear a valid reason why someone needs high-powered, military-grade weapons in their home. Your home will not be invaded by 45 people at once, and you certainly don't need it to kill a deer. And the fact is these type of tragedies happen far less in countries with stricter gun control. It seems like a no-brainer to me.

We can not control what happens in people's minds. We need better help for people with mental illness, but that doesn't mean gun control isn't part of the problem.

I think many people have this idea of people who own assault rifles as right winged gun nuts. Most of us are normal, everyday people. I attend church, have my own kids, am a loving wife, volunteer regularly, etc. I drive a nice car and live in a nice house in the suburbs. I don't think my home will ever be attacked by 45 people at a time, and even if someone is break in, and God forbid, threaten my family, an assault rifle would be the last gun of choice.

I can see that people think that by limiting access that it may help keep a few psychos from getting their hands on them. But honestly, if you remove those guns from everyday good people like me, then only the criminals and the government will have them. An the black market will increase the demand for them, causing more crime. And the psycho will still find a way to execute their evil plan, probably by purchasing one from a criminal on the black market.

I don't mean to take away from the heart of this thread. What happened broke my heart, and has me considering home schooling my kids and keeping them in a bubble for the rest of their lives. It does frustrate me that people blame guns though. We need to blame society, and evil, and look at why these young men commit these crimes, and the motivation behind them.

[Sugar Magnolia]

The same reason someone would want 550 horsepower in a vehicle. Or the same reason people collect stamps, or teapots. The "need" is neither here nor there. Each and every one of us has items in our lives that we do not "need."

Personally, I am a collector. I like to go and shoot at pieces of paper. Do I need to do this? No, but it is fun, and a hobby. Many people do not understand this hobby, just like I don't understand knitting, or crochet, or excessive alcohol consumption.

Unfortunately, there are psychos in the world who act out and break the law. It's illegal to drink and drive- people still break tht law. And more people have killed innocent people and children while driving drunk behind the wheel, than using assault rifles in a massacre.

We need to stop blaming guns, and start looking for real solutions. A gun ban is not going to prevent a criminal from commuting a crime. Do you remember the stabbing
massacre of children in china? We need to increase our awareness of mental health issues.

Um, first of all, teapots and stamps and 550.horsepower cars don't contribute to mass murder. I own a .22 ruger rifle that I too occasionally like to shoot paper with. In your line of reasoning, if I want to create a "hobby" or "collection", maybe I should be allowed to have "fun" by launching grenades, firing tanks and shooting paper with surface to surface missiles. Its a dumb argument. High powered, automatic assault rifles should be used by our MILITARY to fight the Taliban, etc. Collecting these weapons is just plain unnecessary!

[Crystal]

This thread was intended to honor the children and staff that were victims of this tragedy. The unregistered member who began a debate about gun control....please start a new thread if that is what you wish to discuss.

Why was unregistered's post apporved for this thread, when it is completely off topic???

[Unregistered]

Um, first of all, teapots and stamps and 550.horsepower cars don't contribute to mass murder. I own a .22 ruger rifle that I too occasionally like to shoot paper with. In your line of reasoning, if I want to create a "hobby" or "collection", maybe I should be allowed to have "fun" by launching grenades, firing tanks and shooting paper with surface to surface missiles. Its a dumb argument. High powered, automatic assault rifles should be used by our MILITARY to fight the Taliban, etc. Collecting these weapons is just plain unnecessary!

More innocent people die from daily car crashes than massacres, yet we don't ban cars.

We will just have to agree to disagree.

[My3cents]

This should not be a debate about gun control. Crazy people will get guns, just like drug addicts get drugs.

The way we protect our children in schools needs to change. People should not be in the school during the day, unless they work in the building. Doors should not be made of glass. Secretaries should not be responsible for manning the door. Our tax dollars should go towards having a security guard at every school in this country.

Teachers, administrators and school staff wear many hats during the day. Bodyguard should never be one of those hats.

but also feel that value of life should start when children are young- just everything around them is a view of the opposite.

I shouldn't turn on the tv and see some of the commercials that I see, and movie previews anytime before 10pm, after ten should be adult time or up to the parent to control the tv, control should be the parents responsibility in the first place. but..... why is it I put the tv on a family station and I get stuff that scares me come up so fast that I couldn't possibly change it fast enough to not see it. We used to have more respect for this at a country- What has happened that we are an anything goes country?

I see it in my childcare that kids hold no value to anything. You see it in general play. UGH

So Sad. My heart aches for these victims. Aches

[Unregistered]

This thread was intended to honor the children and staff that were victims of this tragedy. The unregistered member who began a debate about gun control....please start a new thread if that is what you wish to discuss.

Why was unregistered's post apporved for this thread, when it is completely off topic???

I was just responding to a pp, who brought up the issue first. Censoring a response to a previous post isn't really fair. People are constitutionally protected to the right to freedom of speech, and the right to bear arms. If you don't like it, move to a different country.

I'm done making my point anyway. I don't want to involve Crystal in another long, controversial debate. Goodness knows she is involved in enough of those in this forum.

[Michael]

I was just responding to a pp, who brought up the issue first. Censoring a response to a previous post isn't really fair. People are constitutionally protected to the right to freedom of speech, and the right to bear arms. If you don't like it, move to a different country.

I'm done making my point anyway. I don't want to involve Crystal in another long, controversial debate. Goodness knows she is involved in enough of those in this forum.

Was a comment deleted? If so, by whom?

[Crystal]

I was just responding to a pp, who brought up the issue first. Censoring a response to a previous post isn't really fair. People are constitutionally protected to the right to freedom of speech, and the right to bear arms. If you don't like it, move to a different country.

I'm done making my point anyway. I don't want to involve Crystal in another long, controversial debate. Goodness knows she is involved in enough of those in this forum.

My apologies, I do see that you did not make the first post about guns. I did not see the first post about it. You did, however, which is HIGHLY offensive in a thread about children being murdered, liken the collecting of assault weapons to collecting teapots and crocheting.

And, I am not involved in ANY long, controversial debates. Have been, but, alas, so have most here. However, I will take you up on the one you just started. Why would those of us who disaprove of assault weapons being placed in the hands of potential mass murderers need to move to aother country? I would prefer to challenge that a centuries old document (our constitution) should be updated to meet the current state of affairs in our country. I assure you that when it was placed in our constitution that it was not intended for every tom, dick and harry to have access to assault weapons. It was meant to allow people to protect themselves and their family and to hunt for food to feed them. When the time comes ( as it has) that people, on a FREQUENT basis, are killing multitudes of PEOPLE because the constitution protects their right to carry a weapon, then it is time for that to be changed.

I wonder, if you were greatly impacted, God Forbid that your child was one of those victims, would you still argue for the right to own assault weapons? We are not talking about simple handguns, we are talking about ASSAULT weapons that were intended for military use.

I would love it if you would register so that we may have these discussions off of the forum.

Sorry to everyone else that I ended up involved in this going off topic

[Michael]

I think this thread is fine talking about both issues since it seems that is where this topic will eventually grow with our national conversation. Please be polite.

[Country Kids]

Please really learn about guns. These guns are not assult military guns that are being used! The are hunting rifles. They are not intended at all for military use.

From what I have seen and heard it was a semi-automatic gun and those are hunting guns. Not the automatic assult guns the military uses.

[Crystal]

Please really learn about guns. These guns are not assult military guns that are being used! The are hunting rifles. They are not intended at all for military use.

From what I have seen and heard it was a semi-automatic gun and those are hunting guns. Not the automatic assult guns the military uses.

Well, knowing that, then I guess I change my mind to banning all citizens from owning ANY semi-automatic weapon.

[My3cents]

Well, knowing that, then I guess I change my mind to banning all citizens from owning ANY semi-automatic weapon.

Crystal- the sad part of all of this is it could have been any weapon or way to hurt another person that was used. I don't think gun control would have stopped this lunatic mad man. If someone wants a gun bad enough to do this type of destruction they will find a way to get one in the underground market.

Horrific- not debating, just saying-