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wheelsonthebus
member
I don't want to start a huge thing: Gun Control
wheelsonthebus
member
I'm not trying to start a big argument, but I'm curious. I'm not asking what your thoughts are on gun control, but what have you been seeing? I thought for sure that after the tragedy on Friday, people would be more anti-gun. I was surprised to see how many people are saying that it has nothing to do with gun control and that if anything, we should arm teachers with guns. This is just not the direction I saw this going in. I live in Massachusetts. So, what are the opinions you've been seeing, and what part of the country do you live in?
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Re: I don't want to start a huge thing: Gun Control
Gun control discussions are really heating up here - on local news, the paper, and on FB and in social settings.
I am a lifelong Republican and this issue might seriously put me over the edge to becoming a Dem, or at least an Independent. All of the R politicians I have seen talk about this (which isn't many, because most are hiding) are either deflecting the issue to solely being about mental health, stalling by saying "this isn't the time" or stomping their feet about people trying to take away their rights
DS 3.12.08
DD 7.11.09
DD 8.01.13
I also think we need to focus on the failing mental health system in our country. Yes guns are an issue, but no sane person shoots up a school. This is not a one issue problem and to make it that way is naive at best.
Totally agree. It is a complex problem that is going to take a complex solution.
DS 3.12.08
DD 7.11.09
DD 8.01.13
IDK, but I think its crazy that all people are taking about is gun control this week, or how gun control was mentioned in the presidents speech at the prayer service for these kids.
I think this week should be about grieving these beautiful lives that were lost. Not politics.
I had an amazing job in a restaurant/bar that was right on University of Tennessee's campus and during football season and especially on game days I'd leave with tips over $400 some times. But the week TN approved gun carry in bars, and I saw someone pull a gun in our bar during a game was, was the week I quit.
I don't think my friends and I have really discussed anything else but this tragedy since Friday. As the mom of a Kindergartner, there has been endless discussion (with my friends, classmates parents, teachers, principal, etc) about school safetey and what our schools are doing. Endless discussion on if we should or shouldn't tell our 5 and 6 year olds what happened. And if we do, how to we phrase it. The discussion of WHY this happened - its obviously a combination of many, many, many factors, including the mental health system. But in my opinion, the fact that assault weapons are legal in this country is ludicrous. All I know is that if this person hadn't had such easy access to those legal guns, things may have been different. It is sickening that you can legally purchase a weapon like that. You don't need a freaking assault weapon to hunt. It is designed for mass murder.
And yed, I am putting my opinion here even though you said not to. I am angry. If the butchering of 20 first graders by a legal assault rifle doesn't change public opinion on gun control, then what will?
The worst school massacre of all time happened in the 1920s with bombs, no guns. Where there is a will there is a way. Banning assault riffles will not make us safe from individuals who are mentally ill and intend to kill.
I am so, so angry about this subject, and I could debate all day. But, I am going to pick up DS1 now from school. And like I did on Friday and yesterday, when I pick him up I will hug him so, so hard.
I think the whole thing has been blown way out of the water, media and public officals getting the facts twisted. First it was the brother Ryan then if was confirmed it was the other son. My whole thing on this is how secure did the mother keep her weapons. People are calling for restrictions on AR/AK, when the weapons used were pistols and it was already confirmed.
No matter how tight of a restrictions you have people will find ways to make weapons out of anything. I worked in the Medical Unit of a Prision here in FL., it is amazing how inmates would make weapons out of the things you would never think of. If people want tight resticitions they should consider how the weapons a stored not on they type. People are also calling for a mental health screening, but working in the psychology field, the screening would not be that benificial since some people undiagnonosed or can be in some cases misdiagnosed. Any weapon can instantly become a weapon of assult.
I like the idea of arming teachers, with both my aunt and uncle being teachers in Miami- Dade, I think it's a good idea. I was raised with the idea that unless your defending yourself, you don't use it. If something can be solved with out show of force then do it. DH is consently at work getting ask why he or his dad or even my uncle who are collectors would want an AR/AK, for the same reason someone wants to collect a old car. I could care less about them honestly, as long as they are secure and locked with only one person having the code. We made sure that the safe is high tech enough that only he can get in.
In honesty I thought they would start tightening the rains a little, but I think right now the President and Congress want to take one step at a time. They are trying to get the whole fisical cliff out of the way.
I am also in MA and also surprised by what I am seeing. I have seen many posts that are angry towards people that are focusing on the gun aspect of this tradegy. One friend (that I didn't even know had a gun) was posting about how sick she is of all this and people making her feel guilty for owning a firearm... and that the real issue is mental health. I was shocked that I did not see any negative comments on her post and a bunch of thumbs up.
I'm positive that my response is not going to be popular. I think if more people owned hand guns, we would see less of these mass shootings. There is a lot of research/data that supports the fact that when gun control is in place, gun crime actually goes up. I live hear DC and that is definitely the case. Also - did you know that the murdered in Aurora, CO drove past two larger movie theaters and sought out the one that had a no gun policy? And this shooter in Newtown, he shot himself as soon as he knew the police were there and would either shoot him or take him in.
I was a public school teacher for 8 years before becoming a SAHM. My classroom was in the front of our building and had two doors. Every time we had a lockdown drill, I was more convinced that if I were allowed to carry a hand gun, I would sign up without hesitation. People who want to do evil are going to get guns no matter what. They don't care whether it's legal or not. If one person in Aurora, CO had been carrying a gun, there might not have been as many deaths.
Just my two cents...
We are making this all about gun control. Well if we just pass these laws blah blah blah. This situation happened because of a gun AND a mentally unstable person. Fight for gun control all you want, but solving half the problem seems like a shitty solution to me and one that will not work. Fixing half a leak will still flood your bathroom.
The only thing issue with the mental health argument people bring up is. 1) you have a group of people who are non- complaint with medication, tech. we can't force them to take medications, they have the right to refuse per patient bill of rights. We can chemically or Physically restrain them due to other regulations. 2) People are misdiagnossed everyday, they could be diagnosed with mild depression and actually be much more severe like Schizophenia or Schizoeffective. 3) Another thing is states are begining to shut down Mental health hospitals and pushing them more into state prisions. Prisions don't always give the best treatment for mental health, if anything from the doctors I've seen working for DOC they are cheap doctors who could care less, I've only worked with one who actually took his job serious. There are only around 500 Pyschiatric hostials nationwide left. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/asylums/
As an educator I don't want to be armed and neither do any of my friends. It would be a cold day in hell before I would keep a gun in my classroom.
Thank You. Anyone remember Jonesville if not granted it was before my time, but I watch enough documentaries to know about this. Jonesville massacre killed more then 900 plus people and that was by drinking chemicals not guns, knives or bombs.
I feel like after the Colorado movie shooting I've heard more, "people would've survived if everyone in the theater had a gun." type of comments than I have about cracking down on gun control.
I think that's an interesting point of view because when I look at it like that, all I see is one crazy person and a bunch of scared/panicked people shooting back and forth and bullets whizzing everywhere with no regard to who is shooting at who. I feel like it would get even worse the more guns involved. More room for mass chaos and confusion.
I've mostly been seeing a mix of stricter gun control laws, better security procedures at schools and better access to mental healthcare. I live in CA.
What she said.
I think people are hung up on the "assault" rifle part forgetting there are other weapons that can do the same amount of damage. banning particular guns isn't the fix to this problem.
I think if the legacy of this tragedy is a ban on assault rifles, we're going to see another shooting of this magnitude again.
The NRA has a long arm.
shame.
Oh my freaking god. That was a cult! He didn't run up to innocent people and throw poisoned Kool Aid in their faces!! Mass suicide in a cult and a guy running into a school with a gun to kill kids...yeah, no comparison.
Little lost about the last half. I know his mom was a compation shooter, but she was found dead in her bed wasn't she.
My thing was with her, if she couldn't handle her son why did she attempt to get him Baker Acted, neighbors and sitters stated that he was a difficult child his rages were impossible to control.
It doesn't matter how responsible you are with a weapon, have some common sense and lock them up specially when you have a child even a 20 year old that has massice tantrums. I don't know how many times I've heard on the news a 5 year old shot himself or a sibling, because the parent did keep it secured.
My rule with DH is you keep a weapon in the house it's stays locked up and the magazine is seperate from the weapon never together. His safe is a finger print only access him and his dad are the only ones with the ablility to get in it.
Still it proves that people will use anything to kill. Seveal people tried to leave and when they refused to let them go they forced them to drink. One of the surviors talked about how this guy forced woman, children and men to do this. His only regret was not being able to rescue his 3yr old son.
Exacty, a 20 year old is going to find a way to get the gun and is capable of doing whatever it takes to get a safe open. In my eyes, the only say to prevent these issues is to remove the weapon.
Of course she doesn't.
I'm an excellent driver.
In the end excuse the blunt term they are both nut cases. anyone who shoots up a school, movie theater or forms a death cult is a nut.
To clearify my position I am not a gun owner nor do I want to own a gun. If I want to defend myself I using physically force not man made. I find looking at gun boring. The only reason I like the idea of a teacher have some form of defense in the classroom wheather is pepper spray, a knife or a gun. They have the right to choose if they want to carry it. What about putting more law enforcement officers in schools? My high school we had a deputy that lived on the campus of every school. I want to know that my children and the teachers are not being left defensless. If it were me as the teacher or school worker I would be doing everything I can to charge that person knowing that I did what I could to stop them even if it ment my death.
I think if your going to own a weapon of any kind, you should take responsibility in securing the thing, a box that can be open with bolt cutters is not secure. If your spending the money to buy the thing at least spend the money to get better security. Spend the dang money on a safe like convience stores and businesses have.
Lastly if we ban all guns or weapons, what about the black market? They are still going to get here some how. Heck we try and banned drugs but they still get in.
About the same here.
I haven't heard anything about letting teachers have guns in their classroom. That seems absurd. What if the teachers goes off the deep end? What if a kid gets a hold of the gun? Surely this will never be allowed.
Except that atomic bombs were only made to kill large amounts of people. Guns are used to hunt game. People compete in competitions over accuracy. The overwhelming majority of people who use guns use them responsibly.
I have no issues with having policies and procedures to obtain a gun. I just get frustrated when this is people's response to this tragedy. This happened because of a mentally ill person. The focus should be fixing our very broken mental health so people who have the kind of disease to carry out this are treated appropriately. If we make the legacy of this tragedy a ban on assault rifles, the next person who wants to do this will use another weapon. It wont change anything.
People hunt a lot more game than deer.
Also, in parts of the country feral hogs cause billions of dollars a year to the agricultural community and are a danger to humans/the environment.
Speaking of hyperbole...
Not to mention, a hunting rifle is more than adequate to take one down.