Another mass murder

[Andrew]

I have a friend who lived not far from the school, he has friends with kids in that school. He has not heard any news yet.

Jared moved to another state a couple of months ago.

[Phone]

rob,

 

We are persistently knee jerk phobic on guns. Very good news or very bad news spikes gun sales. Can't stop it! We already have two and a half guns for every citizen - man, woman and child

 

Capt.,

 

Thank you, as is often the case it is the children who will suffer most.

 

Andrew,

 

NRA, National Rifle Assoc. (extremely powerful gun lobby).

 

All,

 

The telly "coverage" stopped after 13 straight hours for regular programing and will pick up again at 5 am. (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) The "news" stations are still non-stop as I type (2am).

 

Phone

 

Phone

[Old geezer]

For most of my life, I have been a keen shooting man, both hunting and target. The people I have mixed with have been safe, responsible people. Events in the last couple of years have sickened me. So much so, that I don't want to shoot agan.

 

I cannot condone the murder of innocent children for the sake of trying to save the sport. I intend to just fish and remember the days when life was better.

[ayjay]

I cannot condone the murder of innocent children for the sake of trying to save the sport.

 

I'm not sure that most gun ownership in the US has anything to do with sport.

 

It seems to me that the majority have a gun because others have a gun; any arms race (for want of a better phrase) will always escalate and always end in tears.

 

Someone over there needs to grasp the nettle, get the guns turned in, introduce draconian punishments for possession and help put a stop to these relentless atrocities.

[Ken L]

There ae voices of sanity like this one from before this entirely predictable tragedy unfolded but they aren't going to be listened to.

[robtherake]

ayjay,

 

The evening news has been expanded from one hour to two hours. All about the "event" (started 9:30am NON-stop, every channel - now 6:30 pm my time and going strong).

The majority of "expert" opinion is hinting that we simply MUST turn our school into confinement prisons for children. We, all America, are in a state of irrational hysteria.

 

The President cut his remarks short and couldn't take questions. Reported, as a parent of school age children he couldn't continue.

 

Phone

 

The reportage may be driving hysteria, but the States seems to lead the world on internationally reported shooting incidents. There are plenty of nutters over here, but most would find access to weapons a bit more difficult. It's hard to stop a determined lunatic with a plan of action, but with restricted access to guns, there has to be less chance of "heat of the moment" shootings where an individual has a rush of blood to the head.

Your gun lobby has far too much power; more guns = more incidents. It's a simple enough equation.

 

Look at the weapons used. Things have moved way past the little snub-nose in the bedside cabinet for protection - these are weapons used by professional killers in the police and armed forces, yet they're available to any Tom, Dick or Harry. What madness!

Edited December 15, 2012 by robtherake

[Phone]

rob,

 

Yes

 

Phone

[snakey1]

A terrible tragedy indeed.

 

There ae voices of sanity like this one from before this entirely predictable tragedy unfolded but they aren't going to be listened to.

 

interesting statistics Ken funny how they missed these years out though

In Japan, annual firearm homicides total

 

2008: 11

2002: 47

2001: 56

1997: 34

1996: 36

1995: 42

 

when you consider that Japan has a civilian firearms ownership rate of 0.6 per 100 people these figures suddenly don't read so well, especially when compared with other countries such as Finland for instance where the civilian ownership rate is approx 45.7 per 100

In Finland, annual firearm homicides total

 

2008: 30

2007: 23

2006: 17

2005: 11

2004: 30

2003: 18

2002: 20

2001: 30

2000: 32

1999: 33

1998: 22

1997: 40

1996: 34

 

Or Iceland that has civilian ownership rate of 30.3 per 100 people and annual firearm homicides totals of

 

2007: 1

2006: 1

2005: 1

2004: 0

2003: 0

2000: 1

1996: 1

 

So if you really want to be safe move to Iceland

Edited December 15, 2012 by snakey1

[robtherake]

rob,

 

Yes

 

Phone

 

Phone. As a citizen, how do you see the reasoning behind handgun ownership in the US. If you got into a conversation with a gun nut, what would be their angle? Personally, I've never owned a firearm, although I spent many happy years hunting responsibly with an air rifle so I can understand the attraction from the point of view of a hunter with a scoped outfit.

 

It's the ownership of so many handguns that freaks me out (just watching the bit in "A River Wild" where the character played by Kevin Bacon passes a gun to the kid in the movie almost made me sh!t my pants- I had to switch it off, I was so affected). No-one in their right mind hunts with a handgun so presumably the vast amount are bought, ostensibly, with self-defence in mind. Is the level of paranoia really so high, or is it some kind of macho-movie tie-in? I really don't get it. The US isn't anywhere near the top of the league tables for gun homicides, but it seems to be open season as far as crazies are concerned. Doesn't it give you grave concerns, as an individual, for your own safety?

[snakey1]

There are plenty of people (myself included) who would disagree with your statement that no-one in their right mind hunts with a handgun, todays large bore handguns (in calibres like .454 casull, .475 linebaugh .500 linebaugh and .500 S&W) have been used to take all forms of game up to and including elephant.