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1. 

   Ketira shena Pretarasedrin said, about 2 years ago

   It has become the one thing that unites us all:
   The Children.
   .
   I am glad the schools here in Florida are tightening their security because of this… if only to defend the children that go to said schools.

   Hartford, Connecticut — I grieve with thee.
2. 

   mickey1339 said, about 2 years ago

   I live in California. We have probably some of the tightest gun regulations in the nation. 15 day waiting period for purchase with 3 background checks done. For purchase of a handgun you must pass a proficiency test on handling and safety. High cap. magazines are illegal. Transporting firearms is specified so ammunition is not “conveniently” available to the firearms. Gun cases must be locked. All firearms have to be cleared by the California Dept. of Justice before they can be sold in the state. Many aren’t. In some cases if you are a collector you must have gun safe level of storage. It’s inconvenient and more expensive but it does help to limit kids getting “accidentally” shot by guns left unsecured. Personally i would like to see the law extended that gun safes were mandatory for all firearms owners.
   Unfortunately in spite of all these rules and regulation Los Angeles still has a terrible death rate from shootings, most of it from gang and drug related shootings. Chicago has highly restrictive laws regarding firearms and it is the murder capital of the country. The shooting in the mall in Oregon was a rifle stolen from a friend. The shooter in Newton was using his mother’s guns. Would these have been prevented if the owners had to keep them locked in a safe? Good possibility. In today’s violence glorified culture I think we need to exercise every precaution we can for preventative purposes. Many states in the country do not have the same regulations California does and that’s one place people can slip through the cracks in purchasing. I have trained dozens of people, men women and children in safe handling of firearms. Respect for the deadly capability of all guns was a big part of it.
   Prohibition doesn’t work. History proves it. Drunk drivers killed (approx) 10,500 in the U.S.. Firearms related deaths were 9,150 in that year (2010). Do we outlaw alcohol? 75 million people own firearms in America and purchases have gone up dramatically in the last four years. The fact is, America has always been a gun owning culture.
   China has security in most of their elementary schools because they have had so many attacks on children in recent years, mostly by people considered “mentally ill.” Most of them used knives and axes, because China does not allow any gun ownership. The latest was 22 children attacked by a “disturbed” man with a knife.
   I believe there is a lot of room to improve the gun laws, but I think if we focus our efforts on treating mental health conditions we would be far ahead. The Colorado theater shooter was seeing a therapist that should have reported him. The Newton shooter will be shown to have serious mental health conditions. I would almost guarantee you that his mom didn’t have the guns stored in a locked safe or secure inaccessible storage.
   My heart breaks for the families in Newton. There is nothing more heinous than violent crimes against children. Unfortunately when we have a tragedy like this our reaction is to ban something instead of dealing with the underlying problems in our society. I didn’t even want to get into a written confrontation over this because so many people are understandably in pain, but I hoped maybe some would at least consider another side of the discussion.

   http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp#ownership

   http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html

   http://www.chinanationalnews.com/index.php/sid/211386916/scat/9366300fc9319e9b
3. 

   chfields said, about 2 years ago

   Ever wonder why you never hear of things like this happening in Switzerland? Thats because they require every citizen to not only own guns, but be trained on how to use them. They have the lowest gun crime rates in the world.
   My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the victims.
4. 

   BrassOrchid said, about 2 years ago

   @chfields

   Experience is a wonderful teacher, but we are still short of the credits rquired for matriculation in regard to this particular university.
5. 

   omQ R said, about 2 years ago

   @mickey1339

   I have seen the comparison made of the Chinese knife attack on children before and you’re correct, mental health is key. However, it begs the question whether the majority of the USA needs mental health checks to understand their amazing obsession with guns. It is so incredibly obsessive to the point where rational discussion is rarely possible.
   How many of these mass knife attacks in China has occurred in comparison to mass shootings in the US or elsewhere?
   Many gun control advocates advocate gun-control, not outright ban on all guns. These constant comparisons to Switzerland, with no standing army but a well regulated militia, rarely mention the well regulated part. They are not allowed to keep fully automatic weapons at home. Their military issue weapon needs to be 1st converted to become semi-automatic if they do keep it at home; and no ammunition is now provided.
   
   “Well regulated”; the farcical ways around this in the US is just astounding.
6. 

   MortyForTyrant said, about 2 years ago

   Maybe technology could have helped in this special case (and maybe others). There are handguns that require a RFID-chip, worn in a ring, to fire the gun, so if it is stolen or taken from you it won’t fire. It would be an enormous task to convert all the guns out there to this, and then you get hackers and criminals tampering with the safety, but it might be a start.

   -

   One more thing about Switzerland: the people living there are HAPPY, they live in a clean, good country without debt, drugs, violence, illegal immigration, depression, mental anguish and pills for everything. They have a nice, pleasant life to look forward to and have no intention of killing or hurting themselves or others. The same basically goes for Germany. Yes, from time to time we have a real nutcase as well, but not like in the U.S. of America. You guys need to change the peoples living conditions, their outlook on life. Back in the 50s and 60s all this was different. What went wrong? I am reminded of the movie “Falling Down” with Michael Douglas!

   -

   You all seem to suffer from more and more stress and depression and anger. Legalizing pot won’t help, but something has to be done to realign the people with the “light side” of “the force”. Maybe a new Apollo-program, to land on Mars, would help. Maybe prayer and Sunday-school is the answer. Or banning porn? I don’t know!!! But if you keep up this downward spiral of self destruction your nation can’t survive, and that would be awful, for despite all the faults you may have we all still love you guys! Don’t let the “American Experiment” end in tears…
7. 

   omQ R said, about 2 years ago

   @MortyForTyrant

   “HAPPY”
   I wouldn’t go that far. Perhaps “happier”.
   Switzerland without drugs?! Are you joking?
   Illegal immigration, drugs or violence is not absent from Switzerland nor Germany. I do not know what you’re attempting to portray here, but it certainly is not true.
   Switzerland or Germany are certainly not less immune to stressed out, clinically depressed citizens than the USA.
8. 

   Bruce4671 said, about 2 years ago

   @Dredpiraterobt$

   OK I just have a couple of questions. I think you are right in saying that gun “control” and gun “rights” are different. The question is are you saying that the right to keep and bear arms should be done away with to control the availability of handguns to all citizens? And do you understand that in order to do away with a constitutional right one must amend the constitution which is not likely to happen?
   
   The other thing. You said:“…that your side is WRONG! You are on the side of EVIL!”
   
   So you are saying that every person that owns guns for the purpose of self defense, hunting or sport shooting and has obtained those guns legally, maintains those guns in accordance with federal and state laws is on the side of evil?
   
   http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/03/us/gun-culture-ireport/
9. 

   Hamishmacaw said, about 2 years ago

   Thank you, Mr. Davies. You’ve said it all.
10. 

    dtroutma said, about 2 years ago

    We certainly shouldn’t require the rich in this country to chip in and pay for an improved mental health care system, that might prevent such incidents that gain us the world’s “sympathy”. Maybe what the rest of the world should say is just, "What the “F”??? AGAIN!".
11. 

    Rad-ish said, about 2 years ago

    Maybe we should have legal heroin like they do in Switzerland. By the way I have been to Switzerland, I left my camera on a public bench in Lucerne and came back a half hour later to find it still there.
12. 

    oldznew said, about 2 years ago

    @chfields

    It’s because they have no army. Every citizen is required serve in defense of their country if the need should arise. I would certainly be in favor of doing this here.
13. 

    Bruce4671 said, about 2 years ago

    @Dredpiraterobt$

    Right. Now the “type” of firearm question. While I do not see the need for an AK-47 for myself, I would hope that the idea of an armed militia and the reasons (not just for defense from our government though it is a possibility) for the citizen militia be able to defend the country against armed attack in assistance to our military and national guard would lend some credence to the idea that that type of weapon is useful to have. However, I have sated here many times that the concept should include required training and service (akin to the national guard) if one were to be granted that responsibility.
    
    The constitution did not specify when it was written (they could have specified muskets or bows at the time) because advancement in weaponry was an assured event. Think of the advances over the previous 200 years. Our founders were not stupid.
    
    Now do you know how many laws are currently in effect to control guns? Why do we need more laws when the ones on the books are not being enforced?
14. 

    Bruce4671 said, about 2 years ago

    @NeoconMan

    You are an idiot and you are most definitely NOT with ME.
15. 

    Respectful Troll said, about 2 years ago

    It pleases me to have read so many excellent comments with which I can agree in part or in total under this cartoon. My son’s church had a Christmas event put on by the children who were between 4 and 10 years of age. I wondered if any of the children killed had been practicing for such an event in their own churches and found myself more effected than usual at such events. I truly don’t know how to respond. A parent’s worst nightmare is living longer than their child and when the child is so young….
    What can one say?
    Thank you to those who have responded with intelligence and eloquence to this topic. I find myself lacking in both.
    helplessly,
    C.
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