Hot Topic Tuesday: Gun Control

pepperedmoth · December 2013

Have fun! Try not to make Larry TOO fat.

Here's a list of upcoming topics. Suggest in the comments to add on.

-gun control
-gay marriage
-euthanasia
-legalizing pot
-immigration
-death penalty
-global warming
-affirmative action

katykatykaty · December 2013

I think I've made my point on this pretty clear in the past, but I hate guns and wish they were illegal.

Guns at home are bad enough, but I especially think concealed handguns should be illegal. I can think of no good outcomes from carrying in public.

Also, I hate hunting and don't know how people do it.

clo1982 · December 2013

I am completely on the fence on this topic. I don't believe prohibiting gun ownership will stop tragic crime from occuring. However, I do think it should be made to be very difficult to get a gun; not impossible, but I shouldn't have to go through 3 interviews, a background check, a drug test, pass along multiple references that will be contacted, plus submit to random drug testing just to get a job....but to get a weapon that could end a life you have to fill out a form and pass a quick background check. You need more than that to open a checking account! I think if you do own a gun there should be regular upkeep on safety training that is mandatory. If you own something with the power to take a life, you better dam* well know how to use it and be well versed in maintaining safety while using it.

It does drive me absolutely crazy when people start pulling out the 'this is part of the consitution and these are my rights!!' Yes, it is in the constitution...BUT that document was written in a different time and place. People also have freedom of speech....BUT there are limitations with legal implications so it is not truly, completely free. Why should there be no limitations on gun ownership. Not everyone has the capacity to own a weapon, regardless of what the constitution says so that right should not extend to all citizens regardless of background, capacity, etc.

amdecker1016 · December 2013

Everyone has their opinions on this subject.
I believe that there should be better rules in place to stop convicted felons from obtaining them- i think that everyone that owns one should be educated in gun safety, each house should be required to have a locked safe that only people in the house over 21 can open (we can wish right!)

That being said. I'm a southern girl by birth and its in my blood- i have multiple guns in my house- they are all locked away in a fireproof safe, unloaded. My husband has his CHL, as soon as i am not pregnant i would love to go take the class.
My husband is one of the people that many hate: the red, you can take my guns away when i'm dead type of person. But he also served our country so knows how to properly handle, and take care and store weapons. He more or less collects them. We go to the range only a few times a year.

There is a fine line when it comes to gun ownership. I believe that something needs to be done because so many mass tragedies are happening in this country- however i don't think you should punish everyone for the wrong doings of a few.
Things do need to change but its going to take a long time before that happens i believe. So until then- my children will be educated in gun safety- but will not have access or know where they are in my house.

sopranoali · December 2013

I love my guns

I think people who want guns to be illegal are crazy. The guns would still exist on the black market and people who want to commit crime with guns would find a way to get their hands on them...I mean they're planning on being unlawful ANYWAY!

I also think that teachers in schools should be trained and carry guns. Nothing rings the dinner bell for psychopaths like a "gun free zone" like schools and movie theaters.

I also find the stigma interesting with guns. For example, we blame guns when crime with guns happen...but when the Boston bombing happened, we blamed the bombers?

I think a major issue in this country is the stigma associated with mental illness as well, and the roadblocks associated with getting help.

I do agree that people shown to be unstable should have that record appear during a background check. In the case of Sandy Hook, however, the background check worked. Adam Lanza tried to buy a gun at dicks sporting goods but was unable bc he did not meet the age requirement. The guns he used during the massacre belonged to his mother (a fact that the media conveniently often leaves out). This woman knew her son had these issues, but instead of getting him treatment, she encouraged him to use guns and took him to the gun range, and left her guns unlocked in the house. I feel the Sandy hook massacre is as much her fault as his.

Finally, on a personal note, I was a student at Virginia Tech in 2007 when the mass shooting occurred there. Subsequently, I have spent a lot of time researching Seung hui Cho as part of my healing process. It is interesting that he was actually ordered to MANDATORY psych confinement, but in the state of Virginia, it is the PATIENT'S responsibility to check themselves in. So, basically you tell someone with mental health issues that they have to be involuntarily confined...and then don't enforce it? No police escort, no follow up, nothing.

So he didn't check himself in and no one noticed until after the shooting. Also, when he purchased his guns, nothing showed up on the background check. People complain that VT should have cancelled school after the first shooting that morning in the dorm (and they're probably right). But then what? He would have just killed students in his dormitory instead of in Norris Hall. Too many what ifs to think coulda woulda shoulda. But what I take away most from this story is the complete and total failure of our mental health care system. If half the effort was put into reforming that as is put into reforming gun laws in Connecticut (which has some of the strictest laws in the USA...and he used his mother's guns anyway), I think we'd see better results.

katykatykaty · December 2013

sopranoali said:

I also think that teachers in schools should be trained and carry guns. Nothing rings the dinner bell for psychopaths like a "gun free zone" like schools and movie theaters.

The idea of teachers carrying guns blows my mind every time I hear it... (And I'm in Texas, so I hear it a lot.)

clo1982 · December 2013

@sopranoali, I fully disagree with arming teachers. The weight of possibly taking a life is not part of what you sign up for when becoming a teacher. It is your duty to educate the children in your class, not deal with the potential emotional aftermath of shooting someone who threatens their safety. Armed guards at school entrances and metal detectors...sad but maybe necessary, I don't know. But a teacher should never EVER be made to feel that it is their responsibility to inflict lethal harm on someone as part of their job. We had a shooting here at LA fitness (large gym)...it isn't the aerobics instructor's responsibility to shoot the armed man to protect those in her class. It's not what you signed up for and has no place being part of the job description.

sopranoali · December 2013

Well if teachers don't carry the guns, at least have an armed guard (but that is probably very costly). When people decide to carry out mass shootings like this, they are excited about the glory they will get from the media once they cowardly end their own life. They want to do the most damage possible in the shortest amount of time (before ding ding ding someone with a gun like a cop gets there to stop them). So where can you find large gatherings of people....in small places...where you won't be met with any resistance or any way for them to defend themselves?....gun free zones!

sopranoali · December 2013

I agree. If the teacher being armed policy was ever actually accepted, at the end of the day i think it should be the teacher's decision. They really should have an armed security guard at schools but don't. Not sure if it's policy or budget.

kelley72 · December 2013

I fully support the 2nd amendment. As ops have stated discussion of limiting/banning personal ownership of firearms in response to domestic/individual shootings is ridiculous without discussing other topics including mental health. Believing that limiting the rights of law abiding citizens will stop Criminals from engaging in violent acts is not rational and therefore to me ends further discussion. The laws we have work when enforced. The types of weapons legally allowed to be owned and operated by individuals is within boundaries set to support the necessary needs of a militia not just hunters.

kstar83 · December 2013

I do agree that the constitution was written in a different time. Automatic weapons did not exist. Bullets were handmade, and both were not cheap.

I do believe that it should at least be as difficult to get a drivers license as it is to get a gun permit. Take a safety class, pass a test, etc. I don't believe in having a dangerous weapon if you don't properly know how to handle and store it.

I do have several friends who responsibly own guns, and practice their use safely. I have absolutely no problem with this. I would absolutely own a weapon, but not until I feel I know how to own and operate one safely.

I do not think outlawing guns entirely would solve gun violence. And after living in a state where I could not legal get a gun, and having moved out of state because I felt so unsafe in my home and walking around I will say that I prefer to have the option. Plenty of criminals and other types had guns and used them regularly, but I couldn't get a gun legally.

I guess I don't feel like I have the right answer to solve the problems, and I hate that people have been killed by gun violence or accidental discharges. But I damn sure want to be able to protect my family and property.

katykatykaty · December 2013

kelley72 said:

I fully support the 2nd amendment. As ops have stated discussion of limiting/banning personal ownership of firearms in response to domestic/individual shootings is ridiculous without discussing other topics including mental health. Believing that limiting the rights of law abiding citizens will stop Criminals from engaging in violent acts is not rational and therefore to me ends further discussion. The laws we have work when enforced. The types of weapons legally allowed to be owned and operated by individuals is within boundaries set to support the necessary needs of a militia not just hunters.

How about the kids that find their parents' gun and accidentally shoot themselves or another kid? I think limiting gun rights would help with this problem.

nlane0723 · December 2013

I grew up with guns, but I don't personally own any. I'm not anti-gun by any means (I'm marrying into a police officer/SWAT family), but I do think we need more education and higher restrictions on gun ownership. Outlawing guns won't make them disappear as criminals are going to do whatever is necessary to obtain a gun. My fiancé has a CCW and I feel safer when we are out. Anything can happen and if we were ever in a life or death situation, I could never forgive myself if I hadn't let him bring his gun with him and something happened to one of us or our baby. My fiancé has to qualify once a month for his job as well so he is consistently learning about responsible gun ownership.

sopranoali · December 2013

If the parents followed NRA safety recommendations, that wouldn't happen.

kelley72 · December 2013

dotgirl2 yes I did perhaps I was typing too slowly for all of the comments to be posted prior to me posting mine. I don't have a problem reiterating a point though. Sometimes things are important enough to be stated more than once.

Andreabills · December 2013

As a teacher I am ABSOLUTELY against teachers being armed in schools! Am I supposed to carry it on my hip? Keep it in my desk? What happens if a kid (I teach middle school) is bigger than me and overpowers me and takes my weapon? Am I then as responsible as him/her for the shooting that he performs? I teach at a small school so having an armed guard here probably isn't feasible, but I would prefer that alternative over making teachers responsible for a gun!

kelley72 · December 2013

katykatykaty said:

kelley72 said:

I fully support the 2nd amendment. As ops have stated discussion of limiting/banning personal ownership of firearms in response to domestic/individual shootings is ridiculous without discussing other topics including mental health. Believing that limiting the rights of law abiding citizens will stop Criminals from engaging in violent acts is not rational and therefore to me ends further discussion. The laws we have work when enforced. The types of weapons legally allowed to be owned and operated by individuals is within boundaries set to support the necessary needs of a militia not just hunters.
How about the kids that find their parents' gun and accidentally shoot themselves or another kid? I think limiting gun rights would help with this problem.

It is a tragic event that occurs.. of course more deaths of infants/children occur in car accidents than in incidents such as this. More education and responsability on the part of the parent is actually what needs to occur. Of course one such death is too many so please do not think I am ignoring that fact.

saisongbird · December 2013

I have several points to make on this topic. And I may post and ghost, but I'll be back after 1:30.

1) As a teacher, I would NOT feel safe in school carrying a gun, even with training. There are too many students who are bigger than me, and plenty of students who have severe emotional issues with IEPs who could injure me or overtake me and get the gun. I also feel that in this day and age, when teachers become scapegoats for EVERYTHING that is wrong in the world, it is wrong to ask us to potentially take blame for a shooting. If carrying a gun was a required part of my job description, you can bet your ass I'd be in a different field of employment. As for having a security guard with a gun, let's try actually FUNDING our schools first. You know, with books and technology and elementary school classes that don't have 30 first graders in one room with one teacher.

2) The second amendment was written a very long time ago, in a time where there wasn't a valid police force and military conscription was more common and people legitimately had to defend their homes. This is not the world we live in today. The second amendment was NOT written with hunting in mind. If you want to go back to that world, fine, but get rid of semi-automatics and military grade guns and go back to the world of muskets. If you want to keep your musket in your house, fine by me.

3) There is no need for anyone to have a concealed weapon. At any time. If everyone followed this concept, then those arguments of well he has one so I need one fly out the window.

4) I agree that it is WAY too easy to obtain weapons. There need to be MULTIPLE background checks, employment checks, references, drug tests, mental health checks, etc. etc. in place before anyone should be issued a gun for sport.

5) Finally, I forget which country it is where personal gun ownership is illegal...maybe it's Denmark? I need to check. But their rates of gun violence are almost non-existent. As are most of their other crime rates. They're not unrelated, people. And you're kidding yourself if you say they aren't. Think about most crimes in this country. Are people attacking each other with knives? No. It's guns.

clo1982 · December 2013

katykatykaty said:

How about the kids that find their parents' gun and accidentally shoot themselves or another kid? I think limiting gun rights would help with this problem.

I disagree with this. Yes, it is absolutely tragic; and it's a preventable accident. But, that is what it is, an accident based on carelessness. Much like someone hitting someone due to driving while texting, or getting injured shooting off fireworks, or hurting someone driving drunk, or kids taking pills that were left out and ending up in the hospital. Careless, yes...preventable, yes. But if you limited everything that could potentially harm someone due to carelessness, it'd be pretty impressive how little was left! In that case, the guns weren't the problem...the parent's were the problem as they didn't take proper precautions to ensure their child's safety.I don't think it is the government's place to intervene in these situations.

katykatykaty · December 2013

schlanderer2005 said:

I grew up with guns, but I don't personally own any. I'm not anti-gun by any means (I'm marrying into a police officer/SWAT family), but I do think we need more education and higher restrictions on gun ownership. Outlawing guns won't make them disappear as criminals are going to do whatever is necessary to obtain a gun. My fiancé has a CCW and I feel safer when we are out. Anything can happen and if we were ever in a life or death situation, I could never forgive myself if I hadn't let him bring his gun with him and something happened to one of us or our baby. My fiancé has to qualify once a month for his job as well so he is consistently learning about responsible gun ownership.

This is the scenario that I don't get... If a family is getting robbed at gun point, and the husband goes to pull out a gun, do you not think the criminal would shoot him while he was doing that? I just don't see how carrying a gun helps in that scenario, and everyone always says that doing so makes them feel safer.

saisongbird · December 2013

It is a tragic event that occurs.. of course more deaths of infants/children occur in car accidents than in incidents such as this. More education and responsability on the part of the parent is actually what needs to occur. Of course one such death is too many so please do not think I am ignoring that fact.

Yes, more education is needed - but so is education on how babies are made and parenting and so many other things. If parents don't parent their child to begin with they're not going to properly teach them about gun safety either.

kelley72 · December 2013

-katykatykaty, in my scenario both parents have a gun so the mom is also reaching for her weapon and puts the criminal down ... or perhaps a 3rd party who sees what is occuring, or probably b/c the criminal already has his weapon out the parents do/give the criminal whatever it is they want and hope he leaves them afterwards.

katykatykaty · December 2013

clo1982 said:

katykatykaty said:

How about the kids that find their parents' gun and accidentally shoot themselves or another kid? I think limiting gun rights would help with this problem.
I disagree with this. Yes, it is absolutely tragic; and it's a preventable accident. But, that is what it is, an accident based on carelessness. Much like someone hitting someone due to driving while texting, or getting injured shooting off fireworks, or hurting someone driving drunk, or kids taking pills that were left out and ending up in the hospital. Careless, yes...preventable, yes. But if you limited everything that could potentially harm someone due to carelessness, it'd be pretty impressive how little was left! In that case, the guns weren't the problem...the parent's were the problem as they didn't take proper precautions to ensure their child's safety.I don't think it is the government's place to intervene in these situations.

Yeah, but we have more stringent rules when it comes to driving than when it comes to gun ownership. Granted, driving is dangerous, too, but innocent children would only benefit from stricter gun laws.

sopranoali · December 2013

I'm mobile bumping so my "reply" doesn't work, but to the lady who said "but I would prefer that alternative over making teachers responsible for a gun!"

Alternative being??? You and your students gunned down?

I see that teachers should not be forced to have a gun and I see the validity in thinking it could be dangerous if a troubled student was to overpower you. Being Annie Oakley is not part of your job description, you're right. Your job is to teach, and that is already hard enough with low funding and huge class sizes.

All I am suggesting is something needs to change here. If teachers WANTED to carry a gun for personal protection at work, I think they should be allowed to. I think schools should be better guarded than they currently are.

I have a concealed carry permit and I love it. I have crimson trace on my gun so I will know exactly where my bullet is going to go before I shoot if it ever came to that. I just wish they'd let me carry it when I am teaching but right now that is not allowed.

kelley72 · December 2013

katykatykaty said:

clo1982 said:

katykatykaty said:

How about the kids that find their parents' gun and accidentally shoot themselves or another kid? I think limiting gun rights would help with this problem.
I disagree with this. Yes, it is absolutely tragic; and it's a preventable accident. But, that is what it is, an accident based on carelessness. Much like someone hitting someone due to driving while texting, or getting injured shooting off fireworks, or hurting someone driving drunk, or kids taking pills that were left out and ending up in the hospital. Careless, yes...preventable, yes. But if you limited everything that could potentially harm someone due to carelessness, it'd be pretty impressive how little was left! In that case, the guns weren't the problem...the parent's were the problem as they didn't take proper precautions to ensure their child's safety.I don't think it is the government's place to intervene in these situations.
Yeah, but we have more stringent rules when it comes to driving than when it comes to gun ownership. Granted, driving is dangerous, too, but innocent children would only benefit from stricter gun laws.

I don't think so... It is expensive and inconvienant, etc to get a carry permit in the state of Georgia. Have you ever been on the road here? man I swear they let anybody get a license

jk... I think society overall and obviously we just disagree, would be better off with MORE individuals owning guns (assuming they are trained properly, law abiding, etc...)

katykatykaty · December 2013

sopranoali said:

I'm mobile bumping so my "reply" doesn't work, but to the lady who said "but I would prefer that alternative over making teachers responsible for a gun!" Alternative being??? You and your students gunned down?

I just wish they'd let me carry it when I am teaching but right now that is not allowed.

I personally would rather take my chances that my child's class/school was gunned down over having her teachers carrying guns at school.

I think teachers being allowed to carry guns would be the only situation where I might home school my kids, and I never in a billion years thought I would home school.

kelley72 · December 2013

saisongbird

2) The second amendment was written a very long time ago, in a time where there wasn't a valid police force and military conscription was more common and people legitimately had to defend their homes. This is not the world we live in today. The second amendment was NOT written with hunting in mind. If you want to go back to that world, fine, but get rid of semi-automatics and military grade guns and go back to the world of muskets. If you want to keep your musket in your house, fine by me.

Yes written a while back, your point is wonderful for defending my position. The law was written so that militia could defend themselves against a tyrannical govenment. Obviously a 22 isn't gonna do that if "the government" decided to arm itself against individuals. Automatic weapons and many military grade weapons are NOT legally owned byindividuals.

saisongbird · December 2013

@kelley72 - but those are awfully big assumptions to make. And they can't be made safely. Think about it as a parent - do you not childproof your house, assuming your child will make proper choices? As they get older, do we have to discipline children for lying and breaking rules? People break the law all the time. Assuming that people are properly trained and are law abiding just isn't safe or reasonable.

Andreabills · December 2013

We have guns in our house, but we are responsible gun owners too. They aren't loaded and are secured in our safe.

I am all for stricter gun laws, but I don't think they should be outlawed completely. I was completely shocked how easy it was for my husband to get a gun at a gun show last summer! I agree with several other PPs that the process should be more in depth. Also, unless you are a soldier there is no reason for you to have an assault type weapon in your home.

Hunting doesn't bother me, I grew up with a dad/uncle/cousins who hunted and we consumed what they killed. I see no real difference between getting meat this way versus getting it from the store/butcher. Again, just a cultural thing from how I grew up.

VineyardMel · December 2013

saisongbird said:

5) Finally, I forget which country it is where personal gun ownership is illegal...maybe it's Denmark? I need to check. But their rates of gun violence are almost non-existent. As are most of their other crime rates. They're not unrelated, people. And you're kidding yourself if you say they aren't. Think about most crimes in this country. Are people attacking each other with knives? No. It's guns.

I don't disagree that they're related, but I don't see how you could just go backwards. The guns are here. If people were required to surrender them--and even if most gun owners did--there's no way that you'd get all of them and the people who didn't give theirs up are the ones to worry about to begin with. And...if the guns weren't here people would still find ways to attack each other. Not on the same scale necessarily, but you never know. Bombs can do a lot of damage and I hear that you just have to consult the interwebz for instructions.

I think the heart of the issue stems back to the mental health argument. There's so much evidence that people who commit these mass shootings often acquire their guns illegally anyway. There's definitely no easy solution to the situation and I'm not at all opposed to stricter requirements around legally getting a gun, but I think that's just a tiny piece of the problem. Gun control alone is not going to solve the very complex problem in the US.

(And we do have a hand gun in the house that my (former Marine) husband already had when we got together. It's secured and DD will be taught about gun safety as she gets older in age appropriate ways.)

katykatykaty · December 2013

kelley72 said:

I don't think so... It is expensive and inconvienant, etc to get a carry permit in the state of Georgia. Have you ever been on the road here? man I swear they let anybody get a license jk... I think society overall and obviously we just disagree, would be better off with MORE individuals owning guns (assuming they are trained properly, law abiding, etc...)

I (obviously) disagree that more gun ownership would make us a safer country. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/18/gun-ownership-gun-deaths-study

SmittyPants · December 2013

katykatykaty said:

I think I've made my point on this pretty clear in the past, but I hate guns and wish they were illegal.

Guns at home are bad enough, but I especially think concealed handguns should be illegal. I can think of no good outcomes from carrying in public.

Also, I hate hunting and don't know how people do it.

I absolutely agree.

No one should have a weapon that is able to slaughter 20 little children and six adults in under 5 minutes. That's utter insanity and it is absolutely shameful that something so horrific can happen and we as a country do nothing.

In 1996, a man in Scotland did something similar. The United Kingdom banned people from owning personal firearms. There has not been a school shooting since.

katykatykaty · December 2013

kelley72 said:

-katykatykaty, in my scenario both parents have a gun so the mom is also reaching for her weapon and puts the criminal down ... or perhaps a 3rd party who sees what is occuring, or probably b/c the criminal already has his weapon out the parents do/give the criminal whatever it is they want and hope he leaves them afterwards.

The criminal is always going to already have his weapon out. I think the best chance of survival in that situation is your last sentence - giving him what he wants and hoping he goes away.

sopranoali · December 2013

Friends, all this talk about the 2nd amendment being outdated because of the weapons available at the time vs now is a flawed argument.

The second amendment was written to prevent a tyrannical government. As our private weapons have improved, so have military issued weapons. Politicians on both sides of the aisle understand this.

Edit: can't spell.

sopranoali · December 2013

"No one should have a weapon that is able to slaughter 20 little children and six adults in under 5 minutes. That's utter insanity and it is absolutely shameful that something so horrific can happen and we as a country do nothing. "

It would be really easy to kill 20 children and 6 adults in 5 minutes, especially if your mommy took you to the gun range all the time and gave you open access to her guns. He had a Glock 10mm and sig-sauer 9mm, both hand guns. He also had a Bushmaster which has 30 round clips I believe. Not sure which ones he actually used.

Seung Hui Cho killed more people in less time at Virginia Tech. All of them adults. With simple hand guns.

katykatykaty · December 2013

sopranoali said:

"No one should have a weapon that is able to slaughter 20 little children and six adults in under 5 minutes. That's utter insanity and it is absolutely shameful that something so horrific can happen and we as a country do nothing. " It would be really easy to kill 20 children and 6 adults in 5 minutes, especially if your mommy took you to the gun range all the time and gave you open access to her guns. He had a Glock 10mm and sig-sauer 9mm, both hand guns. He also had a Bushmaster which has 30 round clips I believe. Not sure which ones he actually used. Seung Hui Cho killed more people in less time at Virginia Tech. All of them adults. With simple hand guns.

If he had no guns, it wouldn't have happened.

angelsnight · December 2013

My opinions on gun control are all over the map. For home protection, I think they are pointless. If it's properly locked up and separate from the ammo, it's useless when needed. If it's accessible, it's not safe. Even if I was well educated on how to shoot (I'm not clueless, but far from an expert) I don't think I could pull the trigger on an intruder. I think a baseball bat, can of wasp spray, mace, etc is a much better weapon.

I am not a fan of CCWs. I don't think most people plan to go out and commit a crime with their regsitered concealed weaopon, but in confrontations people get irrational and hot headed. What would be a dissagreement, say in traffic, could turn deadly if a person with a temper has a CCW. There is the argument that tragedies like the Colorado theater shooting could have resulted in fewer tragedies if someone had a CW, but I don't know.....you're out on a date, enjoying a movie and suddenly someone starts shooting. This isn't TV, would most people really be in the right frame of mind to actually start shooting back to save people, and not harm any more people in the process? I think there is a very small percentage of people that a CCW is a good idea for, but not the majority that have/want them.

Rifles in the home for hunting? Sure, go for it. I personally don't hunt, it's too cold and boring and I am way too big of a softee to shoot Bambi, I think I would burst out in tears and it would bother me for weeks if I actually shot an animal. But I see why it needs to be done and for responsible gun owners, have at it.

I don't think stricter gun control will cut down on crime though since most weapons are obtained ilegally in that case, I don't have a solution for fixing that, except maybe crack down harder on first time offenders so they don't become repeat offenders. If you commited a violent crime, there should be no such thing as a plea deal.

The area where gun control needs to be stricter is the way people store their guns in their homes. Far too many kids have access to guns and end up shooting themselves or friends/siblings. If you have a registered gun at home, it needs to be locked up, unloaded and seperate from the ammunition. There should be unannounced home visits for all registered gun owners to make sure the guns are secured properly.

katykatykaty · December 2013

sopranoali said:

Friends, all this talk about the 2nd amendment being outdated because of the weapons available at the time vs now is a flawed argument. The second amendment was written to prevent a tyrannical government. As our private weapons have improved, so have military issued weapons. Politicians on both sides of the aisle understand this. Edit: can't spell.

Nobody ever says they want their guns to protect against a tyrannical government... They say they want their guns to protect their family and property against criminals. I think the 2nd Amendment argument is ridiculous.

SmittyPants · December 2013

sopranoali said:

"No one should have a weapon that is able to slaughter 20 little children and six adults in under 5 minutes. That's utter insanity and it is absolutely shameful that something so horrific can happen and we as a country do nothing. " It would be really easy to kill 20 children and 6 adults in 5 minutes, especially if your mommy took you to the gun range all the time and gave you open access to her guns. He had a Glock 10mm and sig-sauer 9mm, both hand guns. He also had a Bushmaster which has 30 round clips I believe. Not sure which ones he actually used. Seung Hui Cho killed more people in less time at Virginia Tech. All of them adults. With simple hand guns.

Newtown: He used a semi-automatic to murder and a handgun to take his own life

Virginia Tech: He used two firearms during the attacks: a .22-caliber Walther P22 semi-automatic handgun and a 9 mm semi-automatic Glock 19 handgun.^[13]

My point is that no one but military personnel should be able to purchase guns with that much firepower. There's no reason for it. None.

sopranoali · December 2013

Except for the fact that many of us do not want the government having all of the power.

sopranoali · December 2013

@katykatykaty yes if Adam Lanza's mother didn't own guns and leave them unlocked, he wouldn't have had access.

Can't remember who killed more children...Adam Lanza or Timothy McVeigh?

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