More College Campus Mass Violence

[FLAK]

(my girlfriend is an avid deer hunter and has a few, though),

Now that's something you don't read every day.

She's from Northern Minnesota. Go figure.

Is that the Iron Range region?

[Steno]

(my girlfriend is an avid deer hunter and has a few, though),

Now that's something you don't read every day.

She's from Northern Minnesota. Go figure.

Is that the Iron Range region?

Yep. Ely, Minnesota, right near Virginia. Gateway to the Boundary Waters. A huge pain in the neck to get to.

[UofMLaxGoalie11]

Banning guns would also have an impact on the economy. Hunting related industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. I'm sure that there are thousands of people employed by gun manufacturers and hunting equipment manufacturers. So doing a sweeping ban of guns would seriously cripple part of the economy. Also, for the environmentalists, the hunting industry gives back millions of dollars in wildlife and environmental protection and support. Removing that stimulus could ruin delicate habitats and kill species of animals. There is more to guns than murder. Try to see the whole picture.

[Tim Whitehead]

I think an issue to look at might be not banning guns, but banning certain kinds of guns. A shotgun used for hunting deer is something that can be justified, but I don't think anyone really needs a fully automatic weapon in their house. When your founding fathers put the right to bear arms in the constitution, I don't think they imagined the type of rapid fire weapons that we have today. I don't think this right to bear arms should cover every possible type of arms you can get. Some weapons are used for protection, some are used for killing. Let's not stop people from owning a firearm, let's just limit the kinds of firearms they can own.

[StrykerFSU]

A shotgun used for hunting deer is something that can be justified, but I don't think anyone really needs a fully automatic weapon in their house.

Didn't this psycho use a shotgun concealed in a guitar case?

Ban guns and the only people who will have guns will be criminals. Again, as I have posted before, what has been the result historically when the government bans something:
1) alcohol - empowered organized crime, resulted in mass violence, everyone went underground to drink untaxed, unregulated booze
2) drugs - empowered organized crime, resulted in mass violence, overwhelmed our judicial system, created multi-billion dollar "Drug War"

Let's add firearms to that stellar list of achievements...

[Highheat]

From listening to the radio the last few days, I understand that the "psycho" had a few interesting things about him...

First of all, he had been removed from basic training for something like "mental instability" or something like that, and secondly based on the reports of a previous doctor/psychiatrist it was necessary for him to take medication for him to maintain a functional personality, and which apparently he had stopped taking.

But the final straw and the thing that bugs me the most is that he had a legal permit to be carrying all of the guns that he was carrying.... now how does somebody with sever mental issues and that has been dismissed from basic training get a license to carry several guns legally?

In situations like this, i definitely government needs to do a better job of regulating and prohibiting licenses like these getting into the hands of unstable people like this. It may not prevent them from getting the guns, but with a little cohesion between a few of these departments i think we can make it a lot harder for them.

[peterwho]

In situations like this, i definitely [think the] government needs to do a better job of regulating and prohibiting licenses like these getting into the hands of unstable people like this. It may not prevent them from getting the guns, but with a little cohesion between a few of these departments i think we can make it a lot harder for them.

Maybe Jamie Gorelick could be appointed to chair this effort.

[Tim Whitehead]

A shotgun used for hunting deer is something that can be justified, but I don't think anyone really needs a fully automatic weapon in their house.

Didn't this psycho use a shotgun concealed in a guitar case?

Yeah, I think he did. But that doesn't change my view. There's no reason why any normal citizen needs an automatic weapon. Starting making it more difficult to own these weapons is a good thing, in my opinion. A mini arm-race where I say "Stryker has a machine gun, so I need one just in case" is not an answer to the problem. I think it has to start somewhere, and banning assault weapons might be a good thing.

[BucLax13]

If guns kill people, I can blame misspelled words on my pencil.

a sicko did this... and I think the sicko is the problem...

[horn17]

If guns kill people, I can blame misspelled words on my pencil.

a sicko did this... and I think the sicko is the problem...

Is this the H20 quote of the year??? I think its a candidate....

[Beta]

Has anyone else noticed that we keep hearing how anti-depressants keep popping up often when these school shootings happen? (NIU, Columbine, etc)?

I dunno, maybe someone that is taking prescribed anti-depressants isn't the safest person I want possessing guns.

[Gvlax]

A shotgun used for hunting deer is something that can be justified, but I don't think anyone really needs a fully automatic weapon in their house.

Didn't this psycho use a shotgun concealed in a guitar case?

Yeah, I think he did. But that doesn't change my view. There's no reason why any normal citizen needs an automatic weapon. Starting making it more difficult to own these weapons is a good thing, in my opinion. A mini arm-race where I say "Stryker has a machine gun, so I need one just in case" is not an answer to the problem. I think it has to start somewhere, and banning assault weapons might be a good thing.

As it is now it is pretty tough to get a true automatic weapon. I know in most states it is illegal to own an automatic weapon. On the other hand i know it is pretty easy to get a semi-automatic weapon. Most people that own an Automatic weapon did not go through legal means to do so.

[Zeuslax]

Most people that own an Automatic weapon did not go through legal means to do so.

Or the weapon is easily modified to turn it into a fully automatic weapon.

Lots and lots of issues with anti depresents and the new generation of sleep aids when you're talking about mental stability. IE) ambien, lunestra, and the new generation Cox-2 inhibitors.

[BucLax13]

maybe the problem is males between 15-24?

maybe it is culture
http://www.jacksonkatz.com/

maybe evolution
http://www.amazon.com/Murderer-Next-Door-Mind-Designed/dp/0143037056/sr=8-2/qid=1169440794/ref=pd_bbs_2/105-8115144-4847628?ie=UTF8&s=books

maybe medication
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040419/cockburn

maybe it is guns
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm

I still hold that the main problem is sick individuals consisting of less than 0.000001% of the world population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malignant_narcissism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_murder


Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.
James Thurber

[Gvlax]

I always think its strange that people make a huge fuss when its people with legal guns who are doing the shooting and no one on these message boards will post a link to a shooting done by people with illegal guns. Media is a big reason why this is. Why do people worry so much about legal guns out there that are causing less harm then illegal guns. Lets all wake up and work on legislation that will slow down illegal gun sales rather than drag these uncommon school shootings out in the media. Media is putting the fear in all of us that a wacko is going to come to your work or your school and shoot you when the odds of this actually happening are probably worse than you dying by choking on your next meal (chew well). Yes these events are tragic but lets not fall for the media when they say these are the people you need to fear.