[billethkid]

the guns as already stated are not the problem.
We have become, like it or not, an anything goes society....swearing is common place in public, movies, television....killing in entertainment is common place in the news, the movies and on television...ditto sex....ditto people slaughtering people.

AND GOD forbid anymore that we try to do something about and bring into action every political, special interest group, minority group (not referring to race) who MIGHT object. And as a result the now all too common place linguine spined leaders at every level who fear to offend somebody for something.

We continue to allow the degrading of core valuesthat actually punish those who do wrong.

It is not the guns....look in the mirror....we the people have become so permissive we have no idea anymore what to do when something bad happens or when someone does something bad.

GOD forbid we try to use dicipline...punishment...or law enforcement.

IT IS NOT THE GUNS.....that is a cop out, political issue that will solve absolutely nothing.

Does anyone think for one minute that gun control would have prevented the lunatic of today from employing some other means of accomplishing the need to do some killing? Of course not.

IT AIN'T THE GUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

btk

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by billethkid

the guns as already stated are not the problem.
We have become, like it or not, an anything goes society....swearing is common place in public, movies, television....killing in entertainment is common place in the news, the movies and on television...ditto sex....ditto people slaughtering people.

AND GOD forbid anymore that we try to do something about and bring into action every political, special interest group, minority group (not referring to race) who MIGHT object. And as a result the now all too common place linguine spined leaders at every level who fear to offend somebody for something.

We continue to allow the degrading of core valuesthat actually punish those who do wrong.

It is not the guns....look in the mirror....we the people have become so permissive we have no idea anymore what to do when something bad happens or when someone does something bad.

GOD forbid we try to use dicipline...punishment...or law enforcement.

IT IS NOT THE GUNS.....that is a cop out, political issue that will solve absolutely nothing.

Does anyone think for one minute that gun control would have prevented the lunatic of today from employing some other means of accomplishing the need to do some killing? Of course not.

IT AIN'T THE GUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

btk

You are right - to a degree. It is not JUST the guns!!!!!! Most of what you say is contributory, but add to those issues the easy access to guns and you have a volitile mix. I know dozens, maybe hundreds, of hunters and gun owners, yet I know no one that owns an automatic weapon or "assault weapon". I think the position that it is not the guns, fails to recognize a part of the problem that is key, and seems to justify the mentality of troubled people who amass weapons intended to do harm to people. I have heard the catchphrase, guns don't kill people, people kill people. Sounds reasonable, but I would revise it to say, guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people.

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by billethkid

the guns as already stated are not the problem.
We have become, like it or not, an anything goes society....swearing is common place in public, movies, television....killing in entertainment is common place in the news, the movies and on television...ditto sex....ditto people slaughtering people.

AND GOD forbid anymore that we try to do something about and bring into action every political, special interest group, minority group (not referring to race) who MIGHT object. And as a result the now all too common place linguine spined leaders at every level who fear to offend somebody for something.

We continue to allow the degrading of core valuesthat actually punish those who do wrong.

It is not the guns....look in the mirror....we the people have become so permissive we have no idea anymore what to do when something bad happens or when someone does something bad.

GOD forbid we try to use dicipline...punishment...or law enforcement.

IT IS NOT THE GUNS.....that is a cop out, political issue that will solve absolutely nothing.

Does anyone think for one minute that gun control would have prevented the lunatic of today from employing some other means of accomplishing the need to do some killing? Of course not.

IT AIN'T THE GUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

btk

Too bad you're not in Newtown CT tonight to preach your sermon to the parents of those 20 young children or the families of the adults that died today.

[shcisamax]

If the guy had to reload instead of getting off 100 rounds at a time, there is a chance the outcome may have been different. For sure, with the weapons, there was no possible outcome other than what happened. I honestly don't understand WHAT the defense is for having assault and automatic weapons. Just because the constitution gives us the right to bear arms, does that include nuclear bombs? Where do you draw the line to have a reasonable right to bear arms versus unrealistic absurdity. THERE IS NO REASONABLE REASON TO HAVE AUTOMATIC WEAPONS.

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

I have stayed out of the gun control discussion, largely because for some inexplicable reason it becomes highly politicized. Perhaps it is time for all Americans, including the NRA, to agree that assault weapons, oversized cartridge clips and the gun show exeption to gun registration need to be outlawed. Owning guns for personal safety, and/or hunting is a constitutional right that I agree with. However, I see NO reason that any law abiding citizen needs an assault or automatic weapon, or an oversized cartridge clip. We settled long ago on the prudence of requiring registration for those purchasing weapons, so why does the gunshow exemption persist? I own guns and come from a long line of hunters, yet I see no reason that anyone supports the issues I have outlined. The NRA is simply afraid that any control will ultimately lead to complete control of firearms, and that is simply not the will of the majority of the people in my opinion. We need to keep the right to bear "reasonable" arms that make sense for civilians, but not weapons that should only be in the hands of soldiers and law enforcement officers. I expect to hear opposition to this opinion - so be it.

You are correct about the politics of this issue. It already started on MSNBC...very specifilly

I do not like guns, never used guns, and in my gut agree on the atutomatic weapons.

On the other hand, when we look at these sad situations as a gun only problem we really do a disservice to the country. This is BASICALLY a result of the total breakdown in our society and not just guns. BUT ongoing conversations will ignore that aspect and focus on guns only. Those who think this is a GUN problem have their head deep in the sand

[Justjac]

Originally Posted by Mack184

All I know is that anybody over 40 NEVER had to fear this sort of insanity when they went to school. I have all sorts of thoughts as to why this is, but if I write them I will fall into disfavor with the Board Police for being political.

Sadly, gun control becomes the topic of conversation when an incident such as this occurs...

Yet, no one ever looks beyond...i.e., why does a young person turn to such violence...could it be the result of seeing nothing but violence on tv...in the news...in games, on the internet, at the movies...

I agree with some of the above posts...in my day, I never feared someone coming to school with a gun. Then again, the most violent things I witnessed on tv was the light-hearted cartoon "Heckle and Jeckle."

And, the evening news was filled with fact-checked information...not speculation and competitive "breaking" news scripted to gain larger viewing audiences.

Oh what I wouldn't give to see two old crows back on television!

[Mack184]

Controlling guns only takes away freedoms from law-abiding citzens. While it is a trite saying it is true.."If guns are outlawed then only outlaws will have guns". Do you really think that taking away guns from legal, law-abiding citizens is going to matter one whit to the thugs and the crazies who can get them illegally? Every major city in this country has thousands of thugs running around with illegally gotten guns. They cannot legally possess them because they are convicted criminals or head cases but they have them just the same, and they will continue get them if guns are taken from law-abiding citizens. Cocaine is illegal everywhere in the USA. That hasn't stopped it from being a billion dollar illegal business in the USA. Do you want THAT kind of business going on with guns?

Also fully-automatic weapons are completely illegal for private use, so if this guy was using a fully-automatic weapon then he had it illegally. The illegality of it all didn't stop him, did it?

[eweissenbach]

It is not a one or the other issue. Clearly the biggest problem is the gunman, the sociopath. However, that does not preclude the contributory factor of readily available weapons. Both need to be dealt with.

[Villageshooter]

My prayers to those who are grieving tonite. They are living every parents nightmare of laying to rest one of there children ,,, children are suppose to bury the parents not the other way around.. Godspeed

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Justjac

Sadly, gun control becomes the topic of conversation when an incident such as this occurs... Yet, no one ever looks beyond...i.e., why does a young person turn to such violence...could it be the result of seeing nothing but violence on tv...in the news...in games, on the internet, at the movies...

I agree with Justjac. In our society, we need to stop exposing our children to violence on television, in the news, in video games, on the internet, at the movies. Children need to be taught to love and respect others, and that violence isn't normal or permissable.

[lovesports]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

It is not a one or the other issue. Clearly the biggest problem is the gunman, the sociopath. However, that does not preclude the contributory factor of readily available weapons. Both need to be dealt with.

Ed, I so agree.
These mass killings are not something we can tolerate. What more has to happen ??? These were tiny young innocents. We can't just have these shootings going on and on.

[anarick]

My heart goes out to the victims families, friends and the entire community of Newtown, Conn. No one should have to suffer the loss of loved one especially in such a horrific way.
We should all pray for the families and friends of the victims.

[cologal]

Originally Posted by Mack184

Controlling guns only takes away freedoms from law-abiding citzens. While it is a trite saying it is true.."If guns are outlawed then only outlaws will have guns". Do you really think that taking away guns from legal, law-abiding citizens is going to matter one whit to the thugs and the crazies who can get them illegally? Every major city in this country has thousands of thugs running around with illegally gotten guns. They cannot legally possess them because they are convicted criminals or head cases but they have them just the same, and they will continue get them if guns are taken from law-abiding citizens. Cocaine is illegal everywhere in the USA. That hasn't stopped it from being a billion dollar illegal business in the USA. Do you want THAT kind of business going on with guns?

Also fully-automatic weapons are completely illegal for private use, so if this guy was using a fully-automatic weapon then he had it illegally. The illegality of it all didn't stop him, did it?

I don't think cocaine ever killed an Kindergarten class... FYI guns were purchased legally but they were semi-automatic. I support restrictions for semi, auto and extended clips.

[Bobbie416]

Originally Posted by shcisamax

If the guy had to reload instead of getting off 100 rounds at a time, there is a chance the outcome may have been different. For sure, with the weapons, there was no possible outcome other than what happened. I honestly don't understand WHAT the defense is for having assault and automatic weapons. Just because the constitution gives us the right to bear arms, does that include nuclear bombs? Where do you draw the line to have a reasonable right to bear arms versus unrealistic absurdity. THERE IS NO REASONABLE REASON TO HAVE AUTOMATIC WEAPONS.

I agree. The guns were legally registered to the killer's mother, the kindergarten teacher. I do not understand why she needed, or wanted, these guns. I do not understand why anyone not fighting a war needs these weapons.

[ugotme]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

You are right - to a degree. It is not JUST the guns!!!!!! Most of what you say is contributory, but add to those issues the easy access to guns and you have a volitile mix. I know dozens, maybe hundreds, of hunters and gun owners, yet I know no one that owns an automatic weapon or "assault weapon". I think the position that it is not the guns, fails to recognize a part of the problem that is key, and seems to justify the mentality of troubled people who amass weapons intended to do harm to people. I have heard the catchphrase, guns don't kill people, people kill people. Sounds reasonable, but I would revise it to say, guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people.

While I understand your position, your revised saying is not true. I have owned guns for many years (40 or so) and I have never even pointed one of my guns at anyone. Yes, guns in the hands of the wrong people - criminals, sociopaths etc. are dangerous. I would venture to say that these types of people can get their hands on a weapon, whether bought from another criminal or stolen, very easily.

There are, however, millions of law abiding citizens who own guns for recreation. So YES - guns do kill people - in the hands of the wrong person. Which I do believe may be to what you were referring. Correct me if I am wrong.