another school shooting in U.S. of A. :(

[ioan]

Guns help though. I for instance have never heard of a drive-by stabbing for instance.

The problem is indeed bigger than guns. The problem is a basic lack of self-control. Most people have trouble limiting the use of forks near their face.

How come the mythical NRA concealed-carry heat-packing hero never seems to be where the maniac with the assault rifle is?

This is entirely telling:
http://tobacco.health.usyd.edu.au/as...uryPrevent.pdf
In the 18 years before the gun law reforms, there were 13 mass shootings in Australia, and none in the 10.5 years afterwards

Exactly.
In a bare hand confrontation the chances to get away alive is so much higher then when both the aggressor and the victim are allowed to have guns, mainly because the victim will be dead long before thinking about his/her own gun.

[ioan]

I think they've already decided, it's so engrained into their culture. Gun ownership is a right, healthcare a privilege. What a crazy backwards messed-up country.

Fully agreed. Absolutely messed up society over there.

[ioan]

Costas is an idiot. By what standard does a sports reporter, and not a very good one either, have standing to comment on these things? Above the right of every citizen to free speech that is.

And by what standard do you have the grounds to comment on Costas? Are you a better sports reporter?

[loowisham]

Almost no one is advocating that and you know it.


Costas is an idiot. By what standard does a sports reporter, and not a very good one either, have standing to comment on these things? Above the right of every citizen to free speech that is.


Oh yes, blame it on the politicians. They do what those who elect them want them to do. While influence groups can sway votes, if enough people want something done, it will get done or they'd be out of a job. The people have not voted that way.

This post is an absolute disgrace for someone that is moderating a forum. It is written with venom and not even an attempt at sympathy for the many people affected by this horror.

In addition to your comments Mr.Starter could you please explain how Bob Costas is A/ a bad reporter and b/ an idiot. Imagine, he was speaking just two weeks ago about another senseless killing and you once more are pointing the finger at everything but the gun.
As stated in one foreign newspaper Mr Lapierre (sic) of the NRA should be digging all 26 graves personally.

[SGWilko]

I am not convinced that allowing gun ownership is the issue. I don't see the same gun laws in the UK as in the States, but we still have shootings - albeit, thankfully, nothing on a similar scale.

You have to have a combination of gun ownership (legal or not) and a will or desire to commit mass murder.

No-one, in their right mind, would take out classes of kids with a gun.

So, is it a drug/psychological issue that led this terrible tragedy?

As has been mentioned earlier, better more thorough psychological evaluation of the proposed gun holder before granting a license......?

As to how you tackle the drug issue, we have the ongoing debate over here of decriminalising drug use. I don't know if that is a plausible avenue.

All this aside, it is a terrible thing to wake up to on the news, and thoughts go out to all the families.

[ioan]

Well, the guns might be only the tools that make all these killings much more prolific.
The root of the issue is certainly psychological, or maybe drug related, however there are crazy people everywhere not only in the US, yet there are far less shooting of this scale in other countries.
The causes that I can think about right now are two:

1. Either there are so much more crazy people in the US, I doubt this is the case.
2. Owning a gun (or several) makes it so much more easier for this crazy people to go out and realize their 'dreams'.

IMO the gun still plays the most important role in this all affair as it is the tool which makes it possible to kill those people, without it the whole affair would either never happen or it would end after maximum a couple of victims. It is the tool which makes killing easier and less personal as the killer is pulling the trigger from a distance instead of having to get into close contact with the victims. It also allows for a far higher killing rate then any other tools available to population.

Just my 2 cents, but these might be worth quite a few human lives in the long term.

[anthonyvop]

This notion keeps getting trotted out: that somehow it's good to have guns because somebody could shoot the gunman. It's never really worked, though, in real life, has it? ?


.

Actually it does. Millions of times a year. It just isn't covered heavily by the mainstream media because they play politics and suck up to the Police who don't want the public to know that they neither can't nor under any obligation to protect the citizens.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/po...otus.html?_r=0

http://gunrightsalert.com/documents/...444_A_2d_1.pdf

If if they did have an obligation the average response time is 8 minutes. I for one ain't gonna wait.

[anthonyvop]

I think they've already decided, it's so engrained into their culture. Gun ownership is a right, healthcare a privilege.

We cherish and live FREEDOM. You guys not so much.

[Mark]

That's your choice but I do think that we practice 'freedom' in a different way that's all.

Ultimately you can't have perfect freedom; no laws, no taxes. Government throughout human history has had to impose rules in order to make sure society functions properly.

[Dave B]

Actually it does. Millions of times a year. It just isn't covered heavily by the mainstream media because they play politics and suck up to the Police who don't want the public to know that they neither can't nor under any obligation to protect the citizens.

Aaah, the mainstream media and the police are in a conspiracy. Of course...