Another Shooting
 

There was a shooting at Columbia Mall in MD. My granddaughters were planning
on going there this afternoon. Three people killed. Looks like all these shootings are never going to stop. So easy to get gun today.

Floridagal your note gave me chills. I'm happy that your granddaughters were spared and sad for the other innocents.

Relieved that no harm came to your loved ones and sad that harm came to someone else's.

A gun in the hand of a coward or a bully is an awful thing.

Not as long as the NRA writes the gun laws of this country. A point missed by the those that believe that: "people kill people not guns" is it takes skill, strength and nerve to kill someone with a club, a knife or your hands. BUT IT TAKES ONLY A COWARD TO KILL AN INNOCENT PERSON WITH A GUN. The only reason I keep a loaded gun on me is because so many others do. Get rid of guns and these ridiculous murders will stop.

Guns or no guns, people will find ways of committing mass murder if they are so inclined. Any idiot can make a pipe bomb, for example.

Anyway, the problem with trying to outlaw guns is that only honest law-abiding people would turn in their guns. That would leave a large criminal element free to do as they please. Proof of that is the high rate of shootings at gun free zones, like schools.

That makes sense.

I have been to Columbia Mall countless times during the years I lived in the DC 'burbs.

It still is a nice shopping mall but has gone the way of many in the past several years. It is a major hangout for teens and young adults. There are some very nice stores but lots of youth oriented stores (hey, it brings in the kids who bring in the money). It has a huge food court area, too.

There are groups of kids that are not exactly gang related but ones from adjoining schools are not welcomed in the same area. Kind of a turf thing.

I have no idea of whether or not this shooting could be the turf thing or a grudge thing or just a random shooting.

Just too bad these things are settled with guns.

I respectfully disagree with you. I will not turn in my guns nor should any law abiding citizen. The issue is that guns are sold to any unqualified person with the money to buy one. Stop that practice. Make it very veryveryvery difficult to purchase a gun and the criminals will run out in time. Make you and I secure our guns or take them away from us. IT IS GUNS IN THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS AND PHYCOS THAT KILL PEOPLE. Make rules that makes it harder for them to get them. I sincerely believe that 80 % of murders would stop if we find a way to slow down the sell of weapons to criminals

people get murdered by golf clubs. (Goggle) Point is people going to get killed regardless.. So I guess we need to ban guns, knifes, axes, ice picks, steel pipes, two by fours, and yes golf clubs. "O" don't forget the car when drunk driver kills some one. Now I blamed every thing except the person doing the murdering. Problem is we let the axe/gun murders live nice long life in prison. I don't want to hear they were crazy. DAAA why do you think the did what the did. All the more reason to fill them full of the happy go sleep for ever juice.

"Anyway, the problem with trying to outlaw guns is that only honest law- abiding people would turn in their guns. That would leave a large criminal element free to do as they please. Proof of that is the high rate of shootings at gun free zones, like schools."

No one is trying to outlaw guns. There should some be gun-free zones and this includes schools. Currently, most states have gun free zones at schools, churches, and bars. In Florida, if you carry a pistol into a bar or the bar area of a restaurant, you can be arrested. Very good idea, too. Do you want to be sitting in a bar when a drunk next to you pulls out his concealed pistol?

In the USA, it would be impossible to outlaw guns and to require them to be turned in. No one is even talking about that as an option for gun violence.

I am very glad your family was not there. And I am very sad that anyone got injured or killed. However guns are not the problem. There are 12727 times as many people killed with vehicle incidents every year as with guns. Maybe we need to eliminate the private ownership of cars and trucks. Than probably golf carts as some get killed in those. Lets go back to horse and wagons. Or just walk everywhere. Eliminates obesity as well.

Until we recognize what the root cause is, good jobs, education, drugs, and respect as taught by family, this problem will continue. Continue with guns, knives, bombs, baseball bats, and any other way people can figure out to harm others. Guns are not the problem, our society and lack of rules and respect for others is the root cause.

Just go back to when we were kids. Did your parents ever go to the school and take your side with any issue? Never. And in fact mine would ALWAYS take the side of the teacher. Thank about getting stopped by the cops and having beer in the car as a teenager. Yes, I did. Did your parents come to your defense against the police? Nope, I had to take the punishment given.

Our world has changed and unless we move backed to our core values, these problems will get worse, guns or no guns.

Guns are responsible. They are easy to for cowards to get and kill people. The thought that bats, knifes and many other things would be used is false. The cowards that kill with impunity with guns would run in fear before attempting that with any other weapon. Please use your common sense and get beyond the silly statements you hear from a drunk at the CLUB ABOUT PEOPLE KILLING PEOPLE. It is guns in the hands of cowards.

I guess until we know more about the facts of the matter of the shooting there will only be opinionated expression (not intended as a negative comment) affected by one's personal view of guns (also not negative).

The criminal element has proven throughout history to be an uncontrollable element. Yes stronger rules and filters regarding gun ownership will help but will not eliminate those who want a gun allowed to or not.

Our current permissive stance on so many issues all aimed at not hurting someone's feelings or the alleged abuse of personal freedom is a perfect environment for those intending harm.

THe lack of enforcement of the existing laws is a major contributor to gun violence. This lack of enforcement is the catalyst for many other ills that currently plague this country.

We are controlling buying a big big soda or what not to say to offend some one!;)

A shift in priorities and some spine would go a long way.

//////

Gun deaths = 30,000 per year
All others. =. 1,000 per year.

Get rid of the guns!

A little complex post, but of the parts I can interpret and understand, I agree with.

Make a gun crime a FEDERAL CRIME.

Commit a crime with a gun and the gun is not fired, 20 years Federal Time (no early out)
Commit a crime with a gun and the gun is fired, no one dies, 35 years. (no time off)
Commit a crime with a gun, someone dies, life. (No time off)

Commit a crime with a gun and two or more people hurt, 35 years plus 17 for each additional person shot.

Now if you get life, you may ask to be put to death if you don't like life in a Federal Prison. You may request firing squad, electric chair, lethal injection or you may elect to become an organ diner. Put to sleep and your organs removed.

Do this and people will not use a gun to commit a crime. Or at least it will be greatly reduced.

In addition, STOP the TV coverage. These people want to be known for what they do. Take away the coverage.

The knee jerk reaction to gun control stemming from an incident such as this is nonsensical and ignores the true causes and hence ignores the remedies.

If gun control is the issue of why people are dying here then why is it people are being slaughtered in other countries with machetes? Is it the weapon or is it the cause specifically the mind set of these killers something society should be addressing but has not ethnic cleansing, people not receiving proper mental care, etc

If education and stricter licensing is the issue then why in the world would we allow two people to raise children who have not been properly prepared or educated. Parents can and do as much and perhaps more harm than a person bent on mass killing .

and if licensing and education are the issue then why would we allow just anyone to vote and without proper photo ID's

Gun control is a canard used by politicians when they don't care, don't have an answer, or simply want to garner votes.......and too many of us fall for it every time

Sounds like a better plan than we're using now.

:22yikes::22yikes::22yikes:
God help us, we sure need help and guidance.

I have the answer. Let's sell our guns for scrape metal, use the money to buy and smoke some grass, start a commune, bake and eat cookies, hug and sing sounds. Anything has to be better than being macho and killings each other the way we do now.

I recently returned from Singapore. It is a tiny country of only 250 square miles but has 5.5 million people.

Private gun ownership is forbidden.
Commit a crime while carrying a gun - Automatic life in prison.
Fire a gun while committing a crime - Automatic death sentence.

Very strict rules in Singapore but extremely safe country.

It would never be entertained as a possibility in the USA nor would it even be possible. Would YOU want those high penalty rules as a tradeoff for security?

The United States will never follow Singapore. But. there is no punishment in going to prison. It's a free sex change, free college education, free health care, etc, etc. Make prison a place people DO NOT WANT TO GO for ANY reason.

MD is a very hard state to get a gun. When I travel north, it is the only state were I have to off load my handguns into the trunk as I travel through the state.

Not to get political here but the Bad People will ALWAYS have access to guns. Those who think no one should have guns are foolish. Everyone has a right to protect them self and their family. Enough said.

TNLAKEPANDA

I agree! It's not the gun. It's the people.

We now live in the world the NRA wanted for us: school, mall and movie theater shootings are commonplace, and there's no hope of any legislation preventing these things from happening.

It is the people? A retired police captain who helped set up a SWAT in the county shoots a man in a theater for texting and tossing popcorn on him?

The retired captain was well traind in guns - maybe went to training at Gleynco?

Having a gun in your home is fine for protection or for hunting - not to be carrying it at the movies or when out for the evening.

I am remembering why I like you.

But, What about my theory that without a GUN, most would not commit the crime?

I believe it is the gun that gives cowards the courage to kill. Without the GUN, killing would almost disappear,
.

Really, what happened before guns? How many were killed in the Crusades?

For that matter, if the dark side of human nature was gotten rid of, murders and crimes would also stop.

Amen to that. I grew up in Texas and everyone had a gun. This kind of stuff almost never happened. I think our degrading culture and morays have a whole lot more to do with it than the physical weapons per se.

As I recall from my misspent youth, this idea was tried numerous times in multiple communities -- none of which succeeded as far as I know.

"Gun Free Zones" are a joke. Almost all of these shootings occur in so called gun free zones (Schools, malls, etc).

Yep, more guns is always the answer, at least that's what the mighty, all-knowing NRA would like us to believe. Makes as much sense as trying to put out a fire with gasoline.

All good ideas, Jim, but most Federal prisons are like country clubs.
Color TV's, good food, etc.
Punishment should be much stricter.

It's NOT about guns. It's about the state of the heart. People are angry. Guns have been around for centuries. We've never seen what we're seeing today.

Look at the Garden of Eden...four people and one murder right from the beginning. What was the cause? It wasn't a gun issue but a heart issue. Cain slew his brother's throat most likely with a sharpened rock. Why? Because he was angry at God. Anger is at the root of this. The gun is just the weapon of choice.