Gun Control

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SWedd,

I'm not picking on you, but as someone who I would consider a strong gun supporter, what do we as a society do to prevent these situations from happening?

Or can they be prevented?

[Chef]

SWedd,

I'm not picking on you, but as someone who I would consider a strong gun supporter, what do we as a society do to prevent these situations from happening?

Or can they be prevented?

there is a really easy way to prevent it and you mentioned it in your post. everyone carry. but to be realistic, if even 40% of the population exercised their right, these things would be much less massacre-like when they did happen. notice these things mostly happen at places where the shooter knows there is a very low likelihood of armed resistance?

bing put it best, you can't keep someone from doing something crazy if they are hell bent on it.

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If 40% of people were carrying, wouldn't that also increase tremendously the number of wack jobs that were carrying too?

[SWedd523]

SWedd,

I'm not picking on you, but as someone who I would consider a strong gun supporter, what do we as a society do to prevent these situations from happening?

Or can they be prevented?

Honestly, there isn't much you can do about it. People have attacked and killed others throughout history without the use of firearms. Cavemen did it, Romans did it, Crusaders did it, etc. Evil and, as a result, murder are unfortunate byproducts of humans being in close proximity to each other.

I think if you gave every legally qualified person a gun, then the crime rate would drop. Many other things play a part in it though--namely the vast array of cultural differences in the melting pot that is the United States. Look at places like Switzerland, Serbia, Yemen, and Cyprus. Those are the other countries in the top 5 of gun ownership. All of the top 5 (including America) are below average in the national murder rate. Guns aren't the issue

Short story? Can't be prevented, not much you can do about it.

[SWedd523]

If 40% of people were carrying, wouldn't that also increase tremendously the number of wack jobs that were carrying too?

Why would you draw that conclusion?

[ziggy]

Why would you draw that conclusion?

Just numbers.

Lets say 1% of the population is psychologically unstable.

If you have 200 people in a city with guns then you have 2 armed people with mental problems.
If you have 2000 people in a city with guns then you have 20 armed people with mental problems.

[Chef]

Just numbers.

Lets say 1% of the population is psychologically unstable.

If you have 200 people in a city with guns then you have 2 armed people with mental problems.
If you have 2000 people in a city with guns then you have 20 armed people with mental problems.

i think this assumption ignores the fact that it takes quite a bit of time and effort to get a ccw.

btw: i am more in the unrestricted access to guns camp but that is another issue. if anyone could carry at all times in all places, sure some nuts would carry, but alot more sane people would carry and the whole shoot up a crowd thing would not happen because the crowd would always have them out gunned.

[SWedd523]

Just numbers.

Lets say 1% of the population is psychologically unstable.

If you have 200 people in a city with guns then you have 2 armed people with mental problems.
If you have 2000 people in a city with guns then you have 20 armed people with mental problems.

The goal isn't to stand on some street corner passing out ar-15s.

It took me a full day of class, passing a background check (finger prints and all), passing a written test, passing a shooting test, then waiting up to 90 days just to be able to legally carry.

my issue is just educating people that guns are okay.they're just inanimate tools that performmany tasks. I was taking to my grandpa before he died one day and he was telling me about all the people who walked around carrying, all the kids who grew up shooting, and just that the culture wasnt about the fear.

Nowadays when you talk to somebody about a gun they get this icky lookon their face. Hell I tried to hand my carry piece to my mom and she held it like some piece of radio active waste.

The further and further we get away from the knowledge and respect of firearms, the further we risk having events like this

[ziggy]

i think this assumption ignores the fact that it takes quite a bit of time and effort to get a ccw.

btw: i am more in the unrestricted access to guns camp but that is another issue. if anyone could carry at all times in all places, sure some nuts would carry, but alot more sane people would carry and the whole shoot up a crowd thing would not happen because the crowd would always have them out gunned.

Chef,
I'm not sure if being outgunned would necessarily stop the "spree killer" type of crazy person. Most people like that are counting on being killed at the end of their rampage anyway, so fear of their own death isn't necessarily a deterrent .

Another citizen if they were armed, brave and didn't panic probably could have taken him down, but by that time the crazy person has already done their damage.

SWedd,
I'm sure you are very safe and responsible with firearms. But of you 10 closest friends, how many of them would you say are not responsible enough to carry a gun 24/7.

I have a few friends that I wouldn't even trust with a dull butter knife.

[SWedd523]

Chef,
I'm not sure if being outgunned would necessarily stop the "spree killer" type of crazy person. Most people like that are counting on being killed at the end of their rampage anyway, so fear of their own death isn't necessarily a deterrent .

Another citizen if they were armed, brave and didn't panic probably could have taken him down, but by that time the crazy person has already done their damage.

Keep in mind I'm not saying every person should have a gun, but if that teacher was legally qualified to carry then...why not?

how amazing would it be if that nut bag went in that room hellbent on killing, only to get put down by the teacher before he even got started? Tons of variables, I know. But think about it.

SWedd,
I'm sure you are very safe and responsible with firearms. But of you 10 closest friends, how many of them would you say are not responsible enough to carry a gun 24/7.

I have a few friends that I wouldn't even trust with a dull butter knife.

Again, keep in mind I'm not for the indiscriminate passing out of guns. But of my closest friends, my girlfriend has a carry permit and I've personally witnessed firearms competency from 5 others. Not saying the rest aren't, I just haven't seen it.

And I'm a college student with friends in the 21ish age range.


of those people you wouldn't trust with a butter knife. Don't you think that would change with some safe and effective education/training?

How many 16 year olds would you trust behind the wheel of a two ton potential death machine? Not very many. But give them some safe and effective education and training and their competency level rises