Revenge of the Nerd
One of these days is none of these days.
~ H.G. Bohn
Mmmmm...beer
While it's likely that untreated mental illness is the root cause, the fact that a semi-automatic assault weapon was used can not simply be ignored. Yes, the guns were legally purchased and registered by the mother and yes, the second amendment protects our right to keep and bear arms. But at what price? How many more mass murders are we willing to endure before we make changes? Where is the safety net? Too many of those suffering from mental illness slip through the cracks. Too many of our politicians lack the courage to confront the gun lobby. And too many times we grieve for the innocent. A safety net on the floor of the circus tent protects no one.
He obtained the weapons illegally, how would more laws have prevented that?
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
Not a dude
The weapons were obtained legally by his mother and readily available to him. What purpose does a Bushmaster .223 assault rifle serve in the hands of a civilian?
It was his mother's responsibility to keep the weapons secure. It could not possibly have been a secret to her that he was not mentally stable. I have a family member with mental illness. I would never allow that individual access to my weapons. Adam stole them, murdered his mother, transported the weapons without a concealed carry permit, transported them onto school property, committed more murders... He proved that he was willing to break the most serious laws. More laws wouldn't have made a hill of beans worth of difference. He would have broken those too.
More laws wouldn't have made a hill of beans worth of difference. He would have broken those too.
:-/
Wickedly Average
What purpose does a Bushmaster .223 assault rifle serve in the hands of a civilian?
A similar question was asked in Germany in the 1930s, prior to the disarming of civilians.
The second amendment is not about collecting weapons, it's not about hunting, nor is it about target shooting. It's about securing our freedom. Take away the second amendment and you take away the only tool the people have to keep the government in check. The rest of the bill of rights will tumble like dominos. History repeats itself, as the lessons of past societies are seemingly forgotten.
Tom (formerly known as PhotogTom)
5K - 25:16, 10K - 55:31, 15K - 1:20:55, HM - 1:54:54
The same purpose as any other rifle would.
What would banning "assault" rifles do? Would it prevent tragedies like this from happening? No, it wouldn't.
Feets don't fail me now
This is a must read for anyone commenting on the situation:
http://gawker.com/5968818/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother
Do you hear of this kind of stuff happening frequently in countries that have stricter gun control laws? When is the last time there was a mass school shooting in Canada? An assault rifle is not just like any rifle. They are designed specifically to kill a lot of people in a short period of time. A rifle is deadly, yes, but not on the same scope. By the logic used on the whole "protecting our freedom" argument, folks should be able to have grenades because the government has them. The line has to be drawn somewhere. Also, let's not forget that the VA Tech shooter obtained his weapons legally. Clearly there are problems with these systems. I don't see the NRA stepping up to propose legislation to fix that. Instead, it seems that gun advocates are more concerned about their right to have a gun than they are about the fact that their "right" just enabled the senseless slaughter of 20 little kids.
My point is these atrocities could have been committed with any kind of weapon, the weapon is not the problem. The real problem in many of these cases is the failures of our mental health system in properly diagnosing and treating people who need help.
Dave, have you read the article I just posted above your post?
Reading it now, and it's absolutely true, this is the heart of the problem.
no, that's not the problem The crazy will always be among us. And for that matter within us.
The real problem is people who have assault weapons in their houses Why the @#(! should anyone have or need a goddamned assault weapon in their home???