Gun Control

[Crystal]

In light of many recent mass shootings, and because the great gun debate was started in a thread meant to honor victims, I a starting a new thread dedicated to gun control.

I am with those that beleive there needs to be limits as to which weapons are available to the public. I see nothing wrong with being able to own a weapon for protection or hunting, however I see no reason for the general population to have access to high powere assault weapons.

While there is always the (lame) argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people" the truth of the matter is the people who are the perpetrators of mass shootings could not have killed more than a couple of people as opposed to dozens of people....THAT is why there needs to be limits to the type of weapons that these poeple can legally get their hands on.

[Brent]

Guns Make People Do Stupid Stuff... Really?

I know that when something like this happens we need to react and hopefully it is a positive result from that action. When you say assault weapons, can we not consider every gun an assault weapon? Assault is an action. Many vehicular incidents can result in a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. A knife, hammer, scissors many tools/instruments can be used to assault, even a baseball bat.

Do you know that the Bushmaster that the killer used is not near as powerful as most hunting rifles?

Taking away something every time a tragedy like this happens will eventually take away all things that can assault others.

What we need IMO is to take care of ourselves/towns/state/country/world…our love, our spirit, our soul. What “makes” people do this is what needs our attention.

[SunshineMama]

I know that when something like this happens we need to react and hopefully it is a positive result from that action. When you say assault weapons, can we not consider every gun an assault weapon? Assault is an action. Many vehicular incidents can result in a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. A knife, hammer, scissors many tools/instruments can be used to assault, even a baseball bat.

Do you know that the Bushmaster that the killer used is not near as powerful as most hunting rifles?

Taking away something every time a tragedy like this happens will eventually take away all things that can assault others.

What we need IMO is to take care of ourselves/towns/state/country/world…our love, our spirit, our soul. What “makes” people do this is what needs our attention.

Agree.

[MarinaVanessa]

I have to politely disagree with the assault rifle opinion. I am one of those that owns an AR-15, several hunting rifles and quite a few handguns. Licensing knows that we own them and we have showed them where they and the ammo is kept. I am a responsible gun enthusiast and follow all laws including following the requirements to owning the AR-15.

I think that instead of pointing fingers to place blame on gun control laws or to ban assault rifles our focus should be more on better access to mental health care for the general population. Or if anything, place blame where it is due ... such as the aggressors and perhaps parents if the agressor is a child.

If making something illegal will reduce or remove unwanted behavior and actions then why is that we still have a drug problem in america? Just because drugs are illegal does not make them inaccessible. I don't think that banning assault rifles will help matters because if someone determined to hurt someone can't get a hold of one then they'll simply use a handgun, a shotgun, a bomb, a knife, a brick, a baseball bat, a kitchen knife, a piece of rope ... anything they can get their hands on.

[MamaG]

In light of many recent mass shootings, and because the great gun debate was started in a thread meant to honor victims, I a starting a new thread dedicated to gun control.

I am with those that beleive there needs to be limits as to which weapons are available to the public. I see nothing wrong with being able to own a weapon for protection or hunting, however I see no reason for the general population to have access to high powere assault weapons.

While there is always the (lame) argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people" the truth of the matter is the people who are the perpetrators of mass shootings could not have killed more than a couple of people as opposed to dozens of people....THAT is why there needs to be limits to the type of weapons that these poeple can legally get their hands on.

Sure bet you'd change your mind if we had a civil war and had to fight the oppression of a tyrant in office at the White House. Just sayn.

[Country Kids]

I urge everyone to please look up and read semi-automatic. It was invented as a hunting rifle in the 1800s, not as an assult rifle. It has been around as a hunting rifle for 100+ years. All it took was 1 and I will repeat it again 1 person to use it wrongly and automatically the gun is a bad thing, not the person.

Throughout time there have been many semi-automatic guns including pistols. These are not automatic weapons as the military uses hence the word semi-automatic.

The mom in this story was a prepper. I'm sure everyone here has heard of the show "Preppers". All those people are armed and most to the extreme. Funny thing you could have one in your neighborhood and never know it. Alot of them don't want people to know they are preppers. Doesn't mean though they will go through and shoot up your neighborhood.

Why should the people who use their guns responsible be punished for what the people that have mental issues do? That would be saying ok, all daycare providers can't have stoves because they may put a pan of oil on the stove and leave to go shopping. Would that be fair? Just because someone owns a gun does not mean the will go around shooting people and also they are not heartless. This tragedy is affecting even people that hunt and own guns. I bet some of the children that were killed had guns in their own homes.

There are people who get behind the wheel of a car after drinking-illegal- and can kill a whole family in a car wreck. In some cases the drinker walks away from it. Are we pushing to make alcohol illegal? We should ban that also! How would that go over. In fact I'm sure there are 20 people that die a day in drunk driving cases but its not medized because it wasn't 20 at one time.

Washingington state has now made pot smoking legal. That should add to the wrecks on our highways! Guess who made it legal-the people because from what I heard it passed some ballot or something. So we are going to let people know get hooked on drugs legally. Interesting!

I have had two instances with the swat team in my town. One there was a standoff and the guy ended up killing himself. The scary thing was they had just moved across town from our neighborhood. You could actually see their house from ours. We lived here for years and had never seen him. He was unstable and lived with his parents. That could have been in our neighborhood just as easily. Once again another unstable person that no one knew about.

The second was on my street. The swat team/police tape/bull horn/the whole bit. They were trying to talk a guy out of something.I think another instance where the guy was off his medication or something.

Once again though, I wonder why its always young men that do this. I don't think there has ever been an instance where its an older man or woman. Its always a guy that is no older then 25 years old. That is another mystery I think that needs to be looked at.

My heart breaks from this tragedy. I had nightmares all weekend from it and cried numerous times. My own child didn't want to go to school today but I did my best in reassuring but after they left the tears rolled down my face. We never know when are time is or how we will go. I also pray for the children in China who were attacked with a knife. I wonder if they will push to ban them know in that country?

[MarinaVanessa]

I know that when something like this happens we need to react and hopefully it is a positive result from that action. When you say assault weapons, can we not consider every gun an assault weapon? Assault is an action. Many vehicular incidents can result in a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. A knife, hammer, scissors many tools/instruments can be used to assault, even a baseball bat.

Do you know that the Bushmaster that the killer used is not near as powerful as most hunting rifles?

Taking away something every time a tragedy like this happens will eventually take away all things that can assault others.

What we need IMO is to take care of ourselves/towns/state/country/world…our love, our spirit, our soul. What “makes” people do this is what needs our attention.

You and I are of like minds . I must have been typing mine as you were posting yours.

And what you said about the Bushmaster is true. I would never dream of going hunting with one or even my own AR-15.

Sure bet you'd change your mind if we had a civil war and had to fight the oppression of a tyrant in office at the White House. Just sayn.

This got me to thinking ... what if we were ever invaded? I'd sure hate to have this happen and suddenly find myself not nearly as well armed as the bad guy seeing as to how popular and well-liked the US has become globaly <--- sarcasm. I mean yes we will have our military to protect us and fight for us but if I can't have my own unit posted at my front door then I prefer to have my own weapons capable of keeping me just a little bit safer.

[MamaG]

I have to politely disagree with the assault rifle opinion. I am one of those that owns an AR-15, several hunting rifles and quite a few handguns. Licensing knows that we own them and we have showed them where they and the ammo is kept. I am a responsible gun enthusiast and follow all laws including following the requirements to owning the AR-15.

I think that instead of pointing fingers to place blame on gun control laws or to ban assault rifles our focus should be more on better access to mental health care for the general population. Or if anything, place blame where it is due ... such as the aggressors and perhaps parents if the agressor is a child.

If making something illegal will reduce or remove unwanted behavior and actions then why is that we still have a drug problem in america? Just because drugs are illegal does not make them inaccessible. I don't think that banning assault rifles will help matters because if someone determined to hurt someone can't get a hold of one then they'll simply use a handgun, a shotgun, a bomb, a knife, a brick, a baseball bat, a kitchen knife, a piece of rope ... anything they can get their hands on.

Exactly. Banning some guns only means law abiding citizens can't own them but criminals can and will continue to use then. How does that make sence!

[Play Care]

I see no reason to have certain types of weapons. The founding fathers were dealing with muskets and bayonettes, not guns that are capable of shooting multiple rounds per second. Had the killer had a knife, he would not have been able to blast his way in to the school, had the Colorado shooter had a baseball bat the chances are good he could have been contained before killing.
No one is saying people can't have guns for hunting, or home defense. But I do find it odd that in a country that has as many guns as we do, we are not any safer for it. In fact our crime/death rates are much higher than most other countries (I think we rank 4th in the world). It says something about a country where it's easier to get a gun then it is to get medication.
And for those who whine "if you don't like it, leave" you obviously have no idea where YOU live. Our country was founded by those who disagreed with the status quo. I will continue to sign petitions and call/write my respresentative to let them know exactly how I feel.

Peace.

[MamaG]

There are people who get behind the wheel of a car after drinking-illegal- and can kill a whole family in a car wreck. In some cases the drinker walks away from it. Are we pushing to make alcohol illegal? We should ban that also! How would that go over. In fact I'm sure there are 20 people that die a day in drunk driving cases but its not medized because it wasn't 20 at one time.

Or lets ban cars!

[MarinaVanessa]

And for those who whine "if you don't like it, leave" you obviously have no idea where YOU live. Our country was founded by those who disagreed with the status quo. I will continue to sign petitions and call/write my respresentative to let them know exactly how I feel.
Peace.

I am one of those that believes that if you don't agree with something you have a right to your opinion ... but you don't have a right to force your opinions onto others that do not agree with you. Banning guns is doing just that, you are saying that because you do not believe in having certain types of weapons that I should have to give mine up even though I do not believe in that at all. And just as you will continue to write to your representative and sign petitions, so will I. The only difference is that you are saying that no one should have these types of guns ... I am not saying that everyone should be forced to own one. I think that if one does not believe in having them then it should be their choice not to have one just like if someone does then it should be their right to own one.

[Brent]

I see no reason to have certain types of weapons. The founding fathers were dealing with muskets and bayonettes, not guns that are capable of shooting multiple rounds per second. Had the killer had a knife, he would not have been able to blast his way in to the school, had the Colorado shooter had a baseball bat the chances are good he could have been contained before killing.
No one is saying people can't have guns for hunting, or home defense. But I do find it odd that in a country that has as many guns as we do, we are not any safer for it. In fact our crime/death rates are much higher than most other countries (I think we rank 4th in the world). It says something about a country where it's easier to get a gun then it is to get medication.
And for those who whine "if you don't like it, leave" you obviously have no idea where YOU live. Our country was founded by those who disagreed with the status quo. I will continue to sign petitions and call/write my representative to let them know exactly how I feel.

Peace.

I respect your right to push for whatever you believe will help this country.

I also believe the founding fathers would have wanted whatever the British had at their disposal. I our case we are ill prepared for a revolution.

I think ol George Washington would have been fine with a better weapon... just in case.

[Blackcat31]

I live in a state that has had several school shootings.
The first being in 1966.
The most "well-known" being either Red Lake or Cold Springs.

None of them used assault rifles. 2 of the more well known shootings included a .22 calibur pistol.

I don't believe that banning certain types of weapons will have any impact on this type of thing.

I personally do not hunt. I grew up in a hunting family. I know how to shoot many different types of guns. I do not personally own any guns. If I could afford to, I would.

Two of my immediate family members died at the hands of guns. Do I blame the guns? Nope.

I agree with what Brent said; "What we need IMO is to take care of ourselves/towns/state/country/world…our love, our spirit, our soul. What “makes” people do this is what needs our attention.

[Country Kids]

Or lets ban cars!

I always think the doggy in your picture is a sheep laying on hay! He's a cutie and looks very lovable-

[JenNJ]

On the same day as Sandy Hook, a man in China killed 22 students in a school with a knife. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2...-in-china?lite

So no, guns don't kill people. Neither do knives. Or fertilizer. Or remote controls. What kills people is mentally unstable people.

In almost every single mass murder case, behind it lies a disturbed person. Until this country wakes up and realizes that we have a TERRIBLE lack of understanding about mental health, we will continue down this road. Navigating the mental health options in the US is a nightmare. Families cannot help and most of the time the individuals themselves are too unstable to help themselves or even realize they need help.

Read this very interesting blog post from a mother of a mentally ill child. It is really eye opening in many ways.

http://anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.com/2012/12/thinking-unthinkable.html