pretty sad
 

I think its pretty sad that you can only put three slugs in a shotgun when your hunting deer but you can put a hundred round it a semi-automatic gun for protection. I think the deer are safer than we are.:sad:

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

It appears that the folks with unstable minds as seen in this recent horrific shooting and the minds of criminals who are also unstable have the interest in assault rifles and automatic pistols with mega fire clips. I think you will find that normal hunters and sportsmen do not have the desire for these destructive fire arms. When I hunt, I can kill any thing I am after with a 12 gauge shot gun or one of two rifles, a 30-30 or a 22. There are exceptions, but if you feel the need for these automatic killing machines, I would hope you take it upon yourself to have an outside evaluation to verify your mental capabilities.

I for one do not want to take guns out of the hands of responsible hunters or target sportsman, but something has to be done and fast about the weapons designed and used to kill mass amounts of human beings. We should all be ashamed of a government that continues to allow these mass executions.

In 2009, 31,347 Americans were killed by guns. In the UK 39. You can google "gun control" and get all kinds of similar data. All assault weapons are illegal in the UK. The assault weapons Ban Act of 1994 was not renewed in 2004---thanks largely to the NRA. The NRA sort of reminds me of some Labor Unions that some place in time have lost their way and no longer seem to have a common sense approach to today's issues and problems. Hopefully, some common sense gun control will come out of the Newtown massive murder of our innocent children.

I don't believe it's a gun issue. I believe it's a mental health issue. I think the changes that need to be made have to do with getting and paying for mental health care, not changing the number of rounds in a clip. A mentally stable person would not shoot up a school, mall, church or workplace even if they had access to 500 round clips

Why does anyone need an assault weapon.??

Many more people were also killed by drunk drivers in the USA than were killed in the UK lets take away cars, golf carts, motorcycles and then we won't have to worry about being killed by drunk drivers either. Actually more people in the USA were killed by cars than guns, so that proves we need to take away cars

It's a right to bear arms afford by the US constitution and sealed by the blood of many citizens. It doesn't matter if some don't see the need, that's why it's a right

What a horrific tradgedy...i agree with you....Why would any civilian person need an automatic weapon.
You may never be able to control all the people who are not stable and should not own or have the ability to own a weapon, but you sure could lower the casualties by not allowing these high volume weapons to be in the hands of the civilian population.
Common sense needs to prevail. If you cannot eliminate the problem then at least attempt to control it.
Just my simple mind working as logically as possible.
Very very very sad..:cry:

If you carefully read the "Assualt Weapons Ban Act of 1994" you will find that it was a feel good law. The only thing it did was "BAN" some items from the firearms it covered. Read it, it is and still is a joke.

I guess it's because of an uncertain future. Ask those living in Rwanda, Egypt, Libya, and Syria to name a few, the same question and you might get a better answer.

Been to Rwanda(see gorillas) Egypt (to see Pyramids) and both countries were surprising safe. The media here had us scared but it turned out the people were friendly and we felt safe. Rwanda is especially in a new building mode.

The topic of guns never came up.

But I'm sticking by my position and stepping away from this debate. This debate is nation wide and can go on forever.

There were no assault weapons available when the constitutions was written, and I doubt if any of the framers forsaw them coming. Another ridiculous argument promoted by the NRA.

Yes there were assualt weapons available when the constitution was written. They were the most advanced for the time. Same as there were no computers, airplanes, cars, phone, etc., we could go on forever, but it seems that the US Constitution covers all our rights pretty good.

I usually agree with most everything you say but to say there were no assault weapons is not true and would it also be ridiculous to say since TV's and radio's and computers weren't available our right to free speach isn't covered when using these forms of communicating?

Florida CWL Instructor
NRA Certified Law Enforcement Handgun/Shotgun Instructor
NRA Certified Civilian Handgun/Shotgun Instructor
NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
NRA Certified Home Protection Instructor
Retired Army Military Police Investigator - 20 years, 4 months, 13 days
Retired Deputy Sheriff/Corrections Officer
IDPA Safety Officer Instructor
All skill is in vain when an Angel weewees in the flintlock of your musket.

I want people like the above to own and carry weapons, but if you do not have at least some of those type qualifications, I don't want you to own and carry a BB gun. AGAIN: Don't ban guns, but cut out the assault rifles and automatic pistols and all guns from the millions that are un-educated, un-qualified and un-fit mentally to own and carry them.

Now that make sense!

Great point, but still just a play on words. The Gatling gun was designed in 1861, and even if it was available in 1776, it would have been difficult to carry it into an elementary school classroom. I truly believe that the framers of the constitution never intended for the average citizen to OUT ARM the police or military. If so, should we make nuclear bombs available to the average Joe on the street.

Sure and while we are at it lets not let people vote in less we think they have a certain level of qualified education and I think only people that have a certain level of qualification should have freedom of speech, lets not forget how many people in history have died or been killed for speaking what others feel are the wrong words. Actually lets give total control of every aspect of our lives to someone else that knows better and can protect us from harm. Does it not mean anything that the rights we have are rights that other people died earning for us? Lets fight to get the people that need mental health help, the help they need and not throw the baby out with the bath water

Again, great points, but Again, just a play on words. Speaking your mind or voting are both less likely to inflict a fatal wound as is a Glock pistol loaded with hollow points in a 33 round clip.

I just realized, I should apologize for the plagiarism of FB. I did just cut and paste those stellar accomplishments. I salute your background FIGMO.

I own a couple of guns myself---I use to hunt a bit----mostly with my father when he was alive. My grandfather use to talk about during the 30's hunting to put food on the table. When our Constitution was written a lot of hunting for food took place. Times change. Besides the obvious population difference, explain why the total deaths from guns would be U.S. 31,347 and UK 39??? I must admit that I am not the brightest bulb in the ceiling but my common sense tells me that we need to consider some common sense gun controls in America. The right to bear arms did not mean the right to weapons of mass destruction IMHO.

Makes no difference they are all important and equal rights earned through the blood of others. So I guess some rights are more important than others? How many people through history have been killed because someone spoke their mind? Ask people in other countries that face death and still stand in line to vote, if the act of voting is safe. Is a death only important if it comes in multiples or if thousands die because of an idea or spoken word that's not important because they weren't all killed at the same time by a few weapons. The people in my family that died in past wars didn't just die for a few rights afforded by our constitution, they died for all of the rights afforded by our constitution

I don't want to add fuel to this debate, but why is this all about assault weapons? Everything I read about this tragedy the shooter had a Glock and a Sig which to the best of my knowledge are hand guns. No assault weapons were involved except those law enforcement had. Those hand guns have clips that hold between 9 and 17 rounds. And even the 17 round clip for a Glock is a special type clip not readily available. He also had a high powered rifle (I read this as deer type rifle) which he did not bring into the school. He may have had those extra round clips, I don't know or have not seen those details in anything I have read.

This is just an honest question about the direction this discussion has taken. Maybe I missed something in the reading and what has been reported.

This was a terrible tragedy and we should make sure we have the facts before we go off on tangents that are not relevant.

Gun control is a hot issue when these things happen and it is a part of the problem, but only a part. Yes, we need more funding and education in regard to mental health but again, that is only a part of the issue. We live in a culture that glamorizes violence through movies, TV, music and video games. We live in a cyber world where young people are losing social and coping skills. This is a multiple dimensional problem. Just mt opinion.

I hope that all the posters on this forum who are in favor of everyone being able to have an assault weapon, just listened to the coroner's press conference on TV. It was so horrific that I wouldn't even attempt to summarize it.

A seasoned reporter, who had been an FBI profiler for many years, broke down in tears while he was trying to report.

"As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State:
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." (My emphasis).

It would appear the reason for our right to bear arms is to protect the state. Along with that right goes the responsibility to muster in a state militia unit when called upon.

Amen

I know nothing about guns, but I believe the coroner that did the autopsy on some of these children, said they all died after being hit several times by semi-automatic weapons at close range.

Thanks Chris. Always the voice of reason.

Everyone is upset and this whole discussion is an attempt to figure out something...anything to bring this old world back into some semblance of order.

There just aren't any easy or pat answers. None that I can see.

This is the best post I have read! I agree!

Umm...actually they did. Part of the argument over the second amendment was that the people should be able to protect themselves from a government that has run amok and become tyrannical.

One of the first things that Hitler and the Nazis did when they took over in the 1930s was to confiscate all the gun.

It might appear that way to some reading only this quote, but after reading all the supporting papers and arguments of the founding fathers, the US Supreme Court has decided that your interpretation is incorrect. In fact one of the arguments that was made at the time of the constitutional convention was that the people have the right to keep and bear arms in order to protect themselves from the government should it become a tyrannical force. Even by the short sentence that you posted it is apparent that the founders felt that freedom was tied directly to the right of the people to keep and bear arms. They believed that a people whose right to bear arms was taken away would not be truly free.

By the way, in the USA there are 88.8 guns per 100 people. In Iran there are 7.3 guns per 100 people.

Doesn't matter what side of the isle I'm on or what position I take here but this thread is walking the line of Politics.
Gee, isn't that banned from "Talk of the Villages"?

Bow and arrow/musket, knives etc in the days the second amendment was written are a far cry from the weapons of today. Your points are well taken but a bit out of context IMHO. It is a huge stretch to think that the right to bear arms include many of the weapons of today.

The cars of today are much different then the horse and carrage of yesterday. Would you like to go back to the horse and carrage? Times change.

Please, lets not start the gun thing again. It's the law live with it.

Here's a Glock 19 and a Sig Sauer P238, there is probably at least 500 to a 1000 of each right now among the 40,000 homes in TV. Both are very popular and well made handguns that sell for about $600 apiece. Each and every gun has a safety, and that starts between your ears, not with something you hold in your hands.

Florida will soon issue it's 1,000,000 concealed weapons permit. That means 1 in every 18 Floridian is probably carrying a gun legally. I believe that's one of the reasons we don't see events like this in florida.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CsNAB1sCKN...Glock%2B19.jpg

http://higher-power-outfitters.com/s...ig%20sauer.jpg

Hunting deer with a shotgun seems awfully inhumane, I much rather you use a single shot from high powered rifle if you have to kill wildlife. At least the deer would be dead before he even hears the shot. I wonder how many would be hunting if the deer shot back, it seems like it's not a sport if only one side knows they're playing.



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doc - i pretty much agree with the argument re protection from a tyrannical govt...but...in reading of the supporting arguments, i could not find one that promoted or protected the keeping of guns for the purpose of assault. protection from - yes...assault - no. did i miss a supporting argument for assault?

While we are banning assault weapons and high-capacity "clips" (The correct term is actually "magazines"), perhaps we should ban the sale and use of heroin and other hard drugs. That will eliminate the addiction and deaths they cause, as they will no longer be accessible. Oh, wait they are already illegal aren't they? How's that working out? There are already over 18,000 firearm regulations, why not add a few more?

It's been reported that one of the children was shot 11 times at close range with this assault weapon. There will be 28 funerals in Newtown, CT before Christmas. I just hope that no poster on this forum had a grandchild killed.