There were no fewer guns around 40 years ago – something else changed to start this trend of events. Maybe the amount of attention the press gives the disturbed perpatrators of these attacks has something to do with it – if you plan an attack now, you know you’ll be all over the headlines on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc. You can go out in a blaze of “glory”.
Odd that anyone would pursue “glory” AFTER they are dead. Maybe the NRA can work that idea into their stump speeches: “Guns now. Glory after you die!”. I’m sure Wayne LaPierre will like that one!
if we could put the same amount of effort into caring for mentally ill people that we put into “gun control” we might have something Making high-capacity magazines illegal only mkes the bad guys reload. Not the best answer..
When I was a kid they used to bring their shotguns and rifles on the school bus and keep them in their lockers so they could go hunting after school. No “Gun Free Zones” then, and no school shootings either.
Guns don’t need to be controlled. They’re incapable of independent action. The people who use guns to commit crimes are the logical targets for control.
Australia put incredibly stringent gun controls in place in 1996 after a horrible school shooting. There hasn’t been a single mass shooting (4+ people as it’s defined here in the US) since that time. 16 years with no mass shootings.
Australia to the USA is apples to oranges for a variety of reasons. Just read that a deranged person in China, slashed over 20 young students & a teacher with a KNIFE—no word on fatalities. Smaller clips are often duct taped end to end & can be changed out in seconds by an experienced user—just as effective as a single large capacity one. As with nuclear arms, the gun genie is out of the bottle. A total ban on every gun in the US would not have any real effect on availability on the black market. Felons are arrested everyday with illegal guns of every variety. Wishful thinking & feel good new laws do absolutely to solve our present I am not resposible for my own actions society. They are about as worthless as a restraining order against a ticked off former spouse.
Wdpeck-perhaps you mean there were no fewer guns per capita?That is possible, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it had climbed at least some- regardless, it is nearly three times higher than other western democracies like Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. But US gun-death rates run almost 20 times higher than the average for the other most developed/richest countries.
There were certainly less guns around than the nearly 300 million in the US today. More particularly, there were a LOT fewer assault rifles and large capacity clips – both of which seem to be key ingredients in incidents like Newtown and Aurora. Being able to get a lot of rounds off quick is absolutely key in these events – the shooters unload 30+ or 50+ rounds in a minute or so, that’s a lot of damage, that’s a lot of no-chance to respond, or run, or charge, or get one’s bearings for those attacked. Newtown, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine, all were over in minutes – before an armed guard and a school constable in Columbine could respond effectively, even with armed potential defenders in the building. Police in Newtown were on scene in about five minutes – the damage was already done.
wdpeck over 11 years ago
There were no fewer guns around 40 years ago – something else changed to start this trend of events. Maybe the amount of attention the press gives the disturbed perpatrators of these attacks has something to do with it – if you plan an attack now, you know you’ll be all over the headlines on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc. You can go out in a blaze of “glory”.
William Bednar Premium Member over 11 years ago
Odd that anyone would pursue “glory” AFTER they are dead. Maybe the NRA can work that idea into their stump speeches: “Guns now. Glory after you die!”. I’m sure Wayne LaPierre will like that one!
krisjackson01 over 11 years ago
Assault weapons must be banned. This is not just a slogan, we have to do this.
bigal666 over 11 years ago
if we could put the same amount of effort into caring for mentally ill people that we put into “gun control” we might have something Making high-capacity magazines illegal only mkes the bad guys reload. Not the best answer..
John Willis Premium Member over 11 years ago
When I was a kid they used to bring their shotguns and rifles on the school bus and keep them in their lockers so they could go hunting after school. No “Gun Free Zones” then, and no school shootings either.
Goblinopolis over 11 years ago
Guns don’t need to be controlled. They’re incapable of independent action. The people who use guns to commit crimes are the logical targets for control.
Another Dave over 11 years ago
Australia put incredibly stringent gun controls in place in 1996 after a horrible school shooting. There hasn’t been a single mass shooting (4+ people as it’s defined here in the US) since that time. 16 years with no mass shootings.
charliefarmrhere over 11 years ago
Australia to the USA is apples to oranges for a variety of reasons. Just read that a deranged person in China, slashed over 20 young students & a teacher with a KNIFE—no word on fatalities. Smaller clips are often duct taped end to end & can be changed out in seconds by an experienced user—just as effective as a single large capacity one. As with nuclear arms, the gun genie is out of the bottle. A total ban on every gun in the US would not have any real effect on availability on the black market. Felons are arrested everyday with illegal guns of every variety. Wishful thinking & feel good new laws do absolutely to solve our present I am not resposible for my own actions society. They are about as worthless as a restraining order against a ticked off former spouse.
Greg Johnston over 11 years ago
Wdpeck-perhaps you mean there were no fewer guns per capita?That is possible, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it had climbed at least some- regardless, it is nearly three times higher than other western democracies like Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. But US gun-death rates run almost 20 times higher than the average for the other most developed/richest countries.
There were certainly less guns around than the nearly 300 million in the US today. More particularly, there were a LOT fewer assault rifles and large capacity clips – both of which seem to be key ingredients in incidents like Newtown and Aurora. Being able to get a lot of rounds off quick is absolutely key in these events – the shooters unload 30+ or 50+ rounds in a minute or so, that’s a lot of damage, that’s a lot of no-chance to respond, or run, or charge, or get one’s bearings for those attacked. Newtown, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine, all were over in minutes – before an armed guard and a school constable in Columbine could respond effectively, even with armed potential defenders in the building. Police in Newtown were on scene in about five minutes – the damage was already done.