Is it time for a serious conversation about Gun Control?

[Ouchyfish 67]

Dig deep--the Department of Defense throws cash to help develop some of these games...

I'm not making movies or video games the scapegoat. I'm just saying if kids see enough material like the clip I posted earlier, it will desensitize them and glorify the act.

Better parenting like an earlier poster said could help a lot of this.

[alexava 6,973]

get ready, assault rifles, high capacity clips are going away. more thorough testing and accountability are going to be required for handgun ownership. its going to cost $. it is time for it. i will gladly pay to prove i am competent enough to own my guns and be responsible that they dont end up in the wrong hands. im not predicting an all out ban like some conservatives will cry. just some common sense adjustments. it will take years, decades to see the benefits but it has to be done now.

[Ouchyfish 67]

Great. Tie the hands of all would-be gun owners. Street thugs don't buy them legally, my friend. Your ideas of regulations won't do diddly. Yeah this crazy kid got his moms guns but would it really have been that hard to find elsewhere if he had to?

[Raven_tiger 5]

What is the purpose of civilians owning assault weapons with 30 round mags? None. I don't have an issue with handguns even Glocks were targeted to reduce magazine sizes. Although you can still buy high capacity clips. Why the fixation on owning assault weapons?

[autigeremt 6,601]

What is the purpose of civilians owning assault weapons with 30 round mags? None. I don't have an issue with handguns even Glocks were targeted to reduce magazine sizes. Although you can still buy high capacity clips. Why the fixation on owning assault weapons?

All weapons are assualt weapons when the intent is to assault another individual.

As in the 1790's, the basic musket was considered the "assault" weapon of it's time. When the people have their rights infringed upon the government rarely stops at just one thing. Automatic weapons are already illegal. Next, the government wants to restrict magazine size.....next it will be semi-auto....until finally it's handguns and shotguns.

When will people learn that bad people do bad things and the tools they use doesn't keep them from being bad people. Oklahoma City comes to mind.

[autigeremt 6,601]

get ready, assault rifles, high capacity clips are going away. more thorough testing and accountability are going to be required for handgun ownership. its going to cost $. it is time for it. i will gladly pay to prove i am competent enough to own my guns and be responsible that they dont end up in the wrong hands. im not predicting an all out ban like some conservatives will cry. just some common sense adjustments. it will take years, decades to see the benefits but it has to be done now.

Criminals don't give a rats ass about it, because they will never follow the rules.

[3rdgen 2]

This argument over assault weapons is stupid. It is simply a buzz phrase to scare people. Any weapon is capable of doing as much damage. Anyone has access to a 12 gauge pump shotgun capable of firing double 00 buckshot. Each shell holding between 8-18 pellet each the equivalent of a 32 caliber pistol bullet. So with a single cycle through the magazine with no reloads 56-136 32 caliber bullets are being fired. In a confined space or in the hands of an inexperienced shooter that is much more dangerous than any semi automatic rifle which is prone to jams if not properly maintained or if firing large numbers of rounds at one time. Also if you intend to ban all semi autos as the Australians have done you have the problem of rifles like the British smle which in semi proficent hands is capable of achieving rates of fire of 30 aimed shots a minute. If it is the caliber that bothers people then you still have a problem in that you can get rifles and pistols in 22 long rifle. These rounds are small cheap and still capable of killing at a mile distance. Also if you are thinking of outlawing detachable magazines there are 22 rifles that have tube magazines capable of holding 19 rounds more if you are using 22 shorts. All this boils down to the fact that outlawing specific types of guns won't limit these incidents. It also won't decrease the lethality. It will just give a different boogeyman for those to point at as they use these incidents to advance their agendas under the guise of increasing safety by limiting the freedoms of law abiding citizens.

[3rdgen 2]

As to those who can't see the use of these weapons or high capacity magazines in civilian hands. I would point to things like Katrina, the LA riots, or any other various instances when the rule of law breaks down. When the police aren't coming and single person may be faced with a mob of people. In which case these weapons are extremely useful for one to have around.

[Ouchyfish 67]

Not to mention the zombie apocalypse...let's not overlook it.

Seriously, though, the lack of a response team in an emergency (terrorist attack, natural disaster, etc) makes the guy with the "assault" rifles my new best friend.

Stop disguising the destruction of the second amendment as a nice little "ban" on some ridiculous fringe detail. Like others have said, it starts with one thing and then pretty soon we're back to bows and arrows.

Why aren't people this crazy about drunk drivers? Why aren't they filling their pants with feces every time someone dies from that? Why aren't they screaming to ban alcohol..or cars??

You solve that problem then come talk to me about these horrible "assault" weapons.

In 2010, drunken drivers killed 13,000 people. According to the CDC there were 10,400 firearm homicides in our country. Reviewing the statistics, we find that the majority of these gun-related deaths were criminal on criminal violence or justified police shootings, not innocent people killed as is the case of a death by a DUI. You and I have a far, far greater chance of being killed by a drunken driver than we do have of being killed by a person like James Holmes, the Aurora shooter.

Why aren't people screaming about banning cigarettes? How many children die or become terminally ill from second-hand smoke or from outright smoking? An estimated 88 million nonsmoking Americans, including 54% of children aged 3–11 years, are exposed to secondhand smoke. Even brief exposure can be dangerous because nonsmokers inhale many of the same poisons in cigarette smoke as smokers.

Each year, an estimated 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking.

Yet....you all want to continue to uncontrollably expel excrement when you hear about gun crimes..or "assault" weapons...

Amazing....

One last thing. Twelve Americans are murdered every day by illegal aliens, according to statistics released by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. If those numbers are correct, it translates to 4,380 Americans murdered annually by illegal aliens. That’s 21,900 since Sept. 11, 2001.

Make no mistake, people. We are being invaded every day by foreign attackers. Do you think they are just waltzing in here with a bag of oranges or a bag of tools innocently looking for a chance to make it in the world?

Keep thinking we don't need guns...keep thinking we aren't at risk from some invading "army".

[Raven_tiger 5]

As to those who can't see the use of these weapons or high capacity magazines in civilian hands. I would point to things like Katrina, the LA riots, or any other various instances when the rule of law breaks down. When the police aren't coming and single person may be faced with a mob of people. In which case these weapons are extremely useful for one to have around.

seriously? It must be sad living in a state of constant fear; Government tyranny, poles swapping, civil unrest, natural disasters, walking dead...nothing a bushmaster can't fix right? These people that claim that all guns are assault weapons is nothing more than a scare tactic based on a spurious argument. The fact is there is no reason for a civilian to own an AK or AR assault weapon, none. If you live in constant fear of zombies, riots, floods and/or mass civil unrest then there are medical treatments available to help you.

[Ouchyfish 67]

As to those who can't see the use of these weapons or high capacity magazines in civilian hands. I would point to things like Katrina, the LA riots, or any other various instances when the rule of law breaks down. When the police aren't coming and single person may be faced with a mob of people. In which case these weapons are extremely useful for one to have around.

seriously? It must be sad living in a state of constant fear; Government tyranny, poles swapping, civil unrest, natural disasters, walking dead...nothing a bushmaster can't fix right? These people that claim that all guns are assault weapons is nothing more than a scare tactic based on a spurious argument. The fact is there is no reason for a civilian to own an AK or AR assault weapon, none. If you live in constant fear of zombies, riots, floods and/or mass civil unrest then there are medical treatments available to help you.

What a narrow view to have. I also like how you take the sarcastic point of my post and completely ignore all of the others.

Ban alcohol and cigarettes first. There is absolutely no reason for any civilian to own those either.

(I am not against tobacco or alcohol-just making a point)

Would you have felt better if the kid had assaulted the school with a shotgun? A pistol? A bat? A crossbow? A machete? A shard of glass? or maybe just mow them down with his car while they await their parents at the end of the day? Or the ever popular car bombs in Europe, etc.

Take away the guns and they find new ways to plot out their craziness! Are you going to ban everything that can be set on fire or combusts? Good luck getting that hair spray from the Mrs. Better find new ways to fuel your car or lawnmower, etc.

Stop asking the government to be your friggin parents. Stop asking the government to put more and more control over the people. Take responsibility for your freakin lives. I do not need nor want the government telling me what I can or cannot have like I'm some child asking for candy at the checkout in Wal-Mart just because some folks go crazy and do stupid things.

Go back and read the statistics! There...are...bigger...problems...than...the...guns...you're...so...afraid...of.

[alexava 6,973]

why is ammonium nitrate no longer available to me? why is it that it is such a hassle to board an airplane? why do people who appear to be of middle eastern descent seem to be randomly pulled out of terminals and double searched for possible weapons? its because when tradegy strikes people with common sense react accordingly. will it stop all mass murders? no. but doing nothing just invites it. you folks who are against limiting the most destructive weapons are not gonna wake up and think differently all the sudden, i know that. but to those of us who can see that there is no need for high capacity assault rifles, you seem very stubborn. i have not seen any reasonable response as to why these weapons should be legal or available to us. if this kid had been more thoroughly trained that number of 26 would have one more digit in it and you folks think the weapons are not the problem? i bet less than 0.5% of the population own these anyway, so why are so many people against banning them?

[Raven_tiger 5]

As to those who can't see the use of these weapons or high capacity magazines in civilian hands. I would point to things like Katrina, the LA riots, or any other various instances when the rule of law breaks down. When the police aren't coming and single person may be faced with a mob of people. In which case these weapons are extremely useful for one to have around.

seriously? It must be sad living in a state of constant fear; Government tyranny, poles swapping, civil unrest, natural disasters, walking dead...nothing a bushmaster can't fix right? These people that claim that all guns are assault weapons is nothing more than a scare tactic based on a spurious argument. The fact is there is no reason for a civilian to own an AK or AR assault weapon, none. If you live in constant fear of zombies, riots, floods and/or mass civil unrest then there are medical treatments available to help you.

What a narrow view to have. I also like how you take the sarcastic point of my post and completely ignore all of the others.

Ban alcohol and cigarettes first. There is absolutely no reason for any civilian to own those either.

(I am not against tobacco or alcohol-just making a point)

Would you have felt better if the kid had assaulted the school with a shotgun? A pistol? A bat? A crossbow? A machete? A shard of glass? or maybe just mow them down with his car while they await their parents at the end of the day? Or the ever popular car bombs in Europe, etc.

Take away the guns and they find new ways to plot out their craziness! Are you going to ban everything that can be set on fire or combusts? Good luck getting that hair spray from the Mrs. Better find new ways to fuel your car or lawnmower, etc.

Stop asking the government to be your friggin parents. Stop asking the government to put more and more control over the people. Take responsibility for your freakin lives. I do not need nor want the government telling me what I can or cannot have like I'm some child asking for candy at the checkout in Wal-Mart just because some folks go crazy and do stupid things.

Go back and read the statistics! There...are...bigger...problems...than...the...guns...you're...so...afraid...of.

Strawman argument. You never answered why civilians need assault weapons.

[alexava 6,973]

and he will never be able to answer it. there is no answer and he knows it.

[Ouchyfish 67]

I have answered it. You just refuse to read. I have actually answered it a few times, in fact. You guys are just too busy covering your eyes and ears and screaming "no mean guns! no mean guns!" to have seen it.

Since I'm feeling charitable today I will save you from all that tough reading. I'm sure it would hurt.

First: I don't want government telling me what I can or cannot have. I don't want some liberal hippies picking and choosing how we get to enjoy our constitutional rights.

As with anything else, as long as you aren't effing with someone else's rights, you should be able to have whatever guns you like. So far, this has not been a problem for 99% of the population, yet you chicken littles always start to come out of the barn whenever stuff like this happens.

Second: I do not trust this government to always do the right thing. Jefferson didn't. Why should I? They have big guns by the way.

Do you HONESTLY think that ammonium nitrate is the only explosive ingredient out there?

Get your heads out of your butts. You guys are worse than the supposed "gun nuts" with your ridiculous slant on reality.

Ever fear that if the guy had used explosives there would be even more dead kids? Crazy people will just keep finding new and inventive ways to do crazy things. They don't need guns to do it. Did you know the reason this wasn't the worst is due to the fact that it was surpassed by an explosives attack?

I'm sick of repeating myself so I'm done. I've basically said all that I can. The liberals are going to sit there and repeat "nuh-uh nuh-uh guns are bad we need to all live happily in peace using our words" and it's pointless for me to discuss any further. I'm not too fond of talking to brick walls.

Long live Ron Paul. Long live freedom. Long live those who fight to protect it from all threats foreign and domestic.

[Ouchyfish 67]

Side note: It's ironic how most of the hippies yelling for tighter gun control to protect the poor children with their whole lives ahead of them have no problem with all of the babies being aborted.

[AUloggerhead 2,229]

and he will never be able to answer it. there is no answer and he knows it.

Defense (e.g. self, family, neighbors, hearth & home.)

[tgr4lfe 220]

why is ammonium nitrate no longer available to me? why is it that it is such a hassle to board an airplane? why do people who appear to be of middle eastern descent seem to be randomly pulled out of terminals and double searched for possible weapons? its because when tradegy strikes people with common sense react accordingly. will it stop all mass murders? no. but doing nothing just invites it. you folks who are against limiting the most destructive weapons are not gonna wake up and think differently all the sudden, i know that. but to those of us who can see that there is no need for high capacity assault rifles, you seem very stubborn. i have not seen any reasonable response as to why these weapons should be legal or available to us. if this kid had been more thoroughly trained that number of 26 would have one more digit in it and you folks think the weapons are not the problem? i bet less than 0.5% of the population own these anyway, so why are so many people against banning them?

There already are laws against assault style weapons. Those laws so stop people from getting their hands on them and using them. Even if there wasn't one already in the home, what's to say he wouldn't have gone out to find one somewhere or just used the Glock and Sig or just got a Remington 1187 semi-auto shotgun?

The "you's" in the below rant are not directed directly at alexava.

The Second Amendment gave us a right to have firearms, but those that will never and don't want one, want the government to step in an infringe on my right to want to purchase one. I would want one for the fun of going out to the range, for self protection, and the protection of my family, IF/WHEN something happens I want to be able to protect them, myself and our belongings. So many of the left, want to just keep on trampling on the Constitution. I think what this 20 year old maniac did was despicable and I know he will rot in hell, but having been in law enforcement and still in the public safety field at a major university, it is pretty much impossible to predict these things.

It's the mis-use of these weapons that is the problem. It's the people and society that have let morality break down to the point that someone would even think that this was what they should do b/c they have had a bad life or been picked on or what ever the excuse is, insert it here. Yes, I know bullying is bad, but how much worse is this? The gun was just laying around in the closet until the moron picked up and made the choice to use it to kill innocents. Blame society as things perpetually break down to where people think this way. The mentality of "I want to die, so I'm going to take out a bunch of other people with me." Are you kidding me?!? Just off yourself and leave everyone else alone, especially the children!!! Restricting gun laws is not going to solve it, illegal weapons will ALWAYS find there way into society, hell, our own government is doing it and getting LEOs killed by doing so!!!

People need to wake up and see that more government control is NOT the answer!! We don't need the government dictating EVERYTHING we do! If you feel this way, then grow up!!

[Raven_tiger 5]

Is this really any surprise to anyone???

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2249185/Nancy-Lanza-Did-paranoid-gun-crazed-mother-trigger-Sandy-Hook-Connecticut-killing-spree.html

[Raven_tiger 5]

I have answered it. You just refuse to read. I have actually answered it a few times, in fact. You guys are just too busy covering your eyes and ears and screaming "no mean guns! no mean guns!" to have seen it.

Since I'm feeling charitable today I will save you from all that tough reading. I'm sure it would hurt.

First: I don't want government telling me what I can or cannot have. I don't want some liberal hippies picking and choosing how we get to enjoy our constitutional rights.

As with anything else, as long as you aren't effing with someone else's rights, you should be able to have whatever guns you like. So far, this has not been a problem for 99% of the population, yet you chicken littles always start to come out of the barn whenever stuff like this happens.

Second: I do not trust this government to always do the right thing. Jefferson didn't. Why should I? They have big guns by the way.

Do you HONESTLY think that ammonium nitrate is the only explosive ingredient out there?

Get your heads out of your butts. You guys are worse than the supposed "gun nuts" with your ridiculous slant on reality.

Ever fear that if the guy had used explosives there would be even more dead kids? Crazy people will just keep finding new and inventive ways to do crazy things. They don't need guns to do it. Did you know the reason this wasn't the worst is due to the fact that it was surpassed by an explosives attack?

I'm sick of repeating myself so I'm done. I've basically said all that I can. The liberals are going to sit there and repeat "nuh-uh nuh-uh guns are bad we need to all live happily in peace using our words" and it's pointless for me to discuss any further. I'm not too fond of talking to brick walls.

Long live Ron Paul. Long live freedom. Long live those who fight to protect it from all threats foreign and domestic.

In case you haven't realized the govt already places limits on your "rights"...

I don't trust nutjobs that have easy access to assault weapons with 30 to 100 magazines. Why do civilians *need* that capability? I'm I against all guns? No. Assault weapons yes. Background checks on ANYONE buying a gun, even private sales. Stronger state gun laws that would prevent mentally ill people from obtaining weapons, see mobile and bham shootings this past week.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

It is not time to talk gun control. Everytime the gubermint want's to pass legislation they do something like this. Every single time.

Sources:

A clumsy 20 year old autistic kid -

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/justice/connecticut-shooting-suspect-profile/index.html

dressed in camo -

http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/14/suspected-conn-elementary-school-shooters-parents-found-dead/

and full body armor -

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/what-happened-newtown-connecticut-elementary-school-shooting

drives to another state -

http://www.inquisitr.com/438753/adam-lanza-connecticut-school-shooting-suspect-reportedly-killed-both-parents/

Gets into a locked school looking like rambo-

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0'>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

kills 26 people with dead on accuracy -

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/15/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html

at a school his mother, (a retired teacher no one ever heard of before) used to work there in years before - http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57559420/connecticut-town-mourns-as-police-look-for-answers/

after allegedly killing her ...-

http://www.niticentral.com/2012/12/us-school-shooting-how-it-happened.html

with the gun that belonged to her in the first place -

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/15/us/connecticut-lanza-family-profile/index.html

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/14/massacre-of-the-innocents-chilling-details-about-the-gunman-in-the-schoolhouse/

Then takes his own life

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.secretsofthefed.com/facebook-now-suspending-accounts-which-question-mainstream-media-reportingaccount-of-events/

And who shot Kennedy and why?

[Weegle777 78]

Side note: It's ironic how most of the hippies yelling for tighter gun control to protect the poor children with their whole lives ahead of them have no problem with all of the babies being aborted.

Extremely well said.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

It is not time to talk gun control. Everytime the gubermint want's to pass legislation they do something like this. Every single time.

Sources:

A clumsy 20 year old autistic kid -

http://www.cnn.com/2...file/index.html

dressed in camo -

http://dailycaller.c...nts-found-dead/

and full body armor -

http://www.motherjon...school-shooting

drives to another state -

http://www.inquisitr...d-both-parents/

Gets into a locked school looking like rambo-

http://www.nytimes.c...wanted=all&_r=0

kills 26 people with dead on accuracy -

http://www.cnn.com/2...ting/index.html

at a school his mother, (a retired teacher no one ever heard of before) used to work there in years before - http://www.cbsnews.c...ok-for-answers/

after allegedly killing her ...-

http://www.niticentr...t-happened.html

with the gun that belonged to her in the first place -

http://www.cnn.com/2...file/index.html

http://newsfeed.time...he-schoolhouse/

Then takes his own life

http://www.nytimes.c...?pagewanted=all

http://www.secretsof...ount-of-events/

And who shot Kennedy and why?

He'd been shooting guns and going to gun ranges for years. His mom took he and his brother to them herself many times.

Your tinfoil hat meme is wrong.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Interesting that everyone always jumps to the guns. But nobody ever jumps on the media. Within minutes of this happening you had:

- media trying to contact friends of Adam on FB and Twitter

- media shoving cameras and mics into the faces of traumatized children

- media using the story for total link bait and revenue increase

- media sensationalizing the story with obvious falsehoods

- media today doing slideshows of the funeral images

EVERY SINGLE TIME one of these deals happens, the media sensationalizes and over reports the damn thing. They drive it into the ground. And they make these killers more than famous. They elevate them to levels of epic infamy.

It's not even the video games. We didn't have the saturated media coverage 30-40 years ago that we have now. We didn't have a media constantly focused on their revenue model absent of any morals or virtue, so this stuff didn't get sensationalized like it did now.

Why is nobody beating this drum?

We had guns 40 years ago. We had crazy people. The only things different are:

- over saturation of media motivated by profit

- a culture and society that drastically values life less than it did 40 years ago

[alexava 6,973]

first of all im not a liberal hippi. i am a democrat but in no way radical. i own at least a dozen guns myself. i used to hunt a lot but now i have 2 small kids and rarely have time. i have a registered pistol that i never carry but just because i dont want my kids to get their hands on them. i have no problem with sane people carrying guns. i do want a totally new system to decide who is or is not sane. none of my guns will hold more than 6 or 7 rounds i think, i dont need any more than that. why do you? by the way this kid was no criminal his mom was no criminal. he was an effing nut and if he had a gd nuclear bomb he would have used it. wake up.