There is some very interesting reads in this thread. Further thoughts on my part are these.
You still need to look at the facts:
1) In most of the case there was some one or multiple someone's that knew the shooter had a mental problem. Yet they did nothing or actually enabled the shooter to obtain a weapon. This fact does not point to new laws but to more education and involvement by the people that know the potential shooter. Some one needs to intervene or inform law enforcement. In one case it did show that current background check system needs to be fixed as they missed the red flag. The system needs to be fixed so that the data is consistent and universally available. Background checks are already the law of the land its just that the current system is not very well implemented. I personally do not have a problem with closing the Gun Show Loop Hole. All sales should have a background check and I own guns.
2) Its time to do away with the gun free zones. They do not prevent shootings. That's not to say I want every one to carry a gun without proper training. I believe everyone has the right to protect themselves in their home, in their car, and while in public. They have a constitutional right to use a gun for that protection, and they have a right to use what ever is the current standard of weapon used in the general population. This is not my opinion but the opinion of the Supreme Court. The local governments have the right to set the standards of safety for being able to carry that weapon in public. Again not my opinion but the opinion of the court. Hence the training required to get a concealed Weapons Permit. Now obviously you cannot have grade school students or high school students carrying weapons. But you can arm teachers if they care to take the challenge on and you can provide security guards.
3) It's more then a mental health issue. It's a decay of moral fiber issue. Do you really believe that the violence displayed on TV, Video Games, In Music, lack of parental supervision, the war on religious beliefs, sexual perversion, and the desecration of life before birth does not have a negative effect on society? When you no longer believe you are accountable to a higher power, or you see corruption in society go unanswered will have a positive effect on society? Really?
The answer to this is not in legislation, the answer is with in ourselves, our attitudes toward each other. In the next election take a good hard look at all these candidates and pick the one you believe will have the morality to help this nation not the political connection. Because we need leaders today not political operatives. We need to quit yelling at each other your making my ears hurt.
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