This news just posted to the internet...
A former student dressed in black opened fire with a shotgun and two handguns from the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University on Thursday, killing five students and injuring 16 others before committing suicide, authorities said.
The shooting was the fourth at a U.S. school within a week.
On Feb. 8, a woman shot two fellow students to death before committing suicide at Louisiana Technical College in Baton Rouge. In Memphis, Tenn., a 17-year-old is accused of shooting and critically wounding a fellow student Monday during a high school gym class, and the 15-year-old victim of a shooting at an Oxnard, Calif., junior high school has been declared brain dead.
Why is it so easy for people in the USA to get guns????????
You cannot run from their raging bullets. You cannot hide...
Do we really want our society to progress this way?
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Happy" Valentine's Day.
I hear you, Cam.
ReplyDeletePeople don't or won't believe that this shit doesn't happen in countries in Europe where guns are prohibited.
i used to support hunting and hunters having guns and i guess i still do.
But if we have to be tested and lisenced to drive a car, we should AT LEAST do the same for gun ownership.
Why is it in every way we are different from other industrialized countries ( gun violence, health care, social awareness) it seems to cause huge problems.
I don't know how we still hold on to the presumption of superiority on the world stage.
I get embarrassed by "US" far too much these days.
I fail to understand how the kids are getting the guns... I've had a handgun for yeeears (Jase's parents have it now, considering...) but even to purchase it I had to get clearance checks and register it and we always had to have it registered while we were living in base housing as well.
ReplyDeleteDo parents just not check on their weapons after buying 'em and the kids take 'em? Do people have no clue that kids have gone out and illegally obtained one? How does a 17 year old get a gun? I had NO idea when I was that age, and it never occurred to me to use the ones in Dad's weapon locker A.) he'd kill me and B.) he'd kill me again. Oh yeah, and he checked them regularly.
I'm just confused. Is it somehow becoming socially acceptable to pop off and kill kids at school?
I know that somebody is eventually going to say ...
ReplyDelete"Well, if more people carried guns, then somebody or somebodies could have shot and killed or wounded him before he wounded and killed more people."
But you know what? In my books that is the wrong way of looking at it. Totally, totally wrong, although it makes sense logically in a sick way because the only way to stop that guy from spreading death at high speed from a long distance is ... well, more of the same, right? I mean, "please stop pulling the trigger sir" isn't going to wash, and ripping up an auditorium chair while he's spraying bullets and tossing it at him isn't really going to be all that effective, either, especially when most likely 100% of the people have the following thoughts in their mind controlling everything:
"IM GOING TO DIE! RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And then they piss and shit themselves in terror as the fight or flight mechanism kicks in.
But that's the old "fighting fire with fire" and in this case, I just cannot condone that way of thinking as being a "solution" to the problem.
But you know... as long as it is as easy as it is for people to take lives this way, it's the only way to stop them before they take TOO MANY lives.
Even plaster walls don't stop bullets.
Jaime - I know! This "Brand New World" is sick sick sick!
It must be all the carbohydrates in the diet causing all the anger (this is not a joke, by the way, it has been scientifically proven).
And Japanese society is also getting very angry, very quickly as they devour their Brave New Carbo World Diets!
As I said above,
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, something positive for you all to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThe ads to the right that I can see are all about "Filipinas look for love", "Philippines Today", "Philippines florist". I wonder how the philippines worked their way into this....
Philipinos looking for luv?????????
ReplyDeletemmm
I like asian men!!!!!!!!!!!!
click me click me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know what kids? The bad guys are going to get guns regardless. Jen - in WI you are tested for your ability before you can have a license to operate a gun PLUS the background checks that are run before you can purchase a gun. I am serious. Guns do not kill people - bullets kill people. Guns need people to put bullets in them.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't care for guns - I am more of a sword kind of girl, but my Dad and my brother are gun collectors. They don't collect them for their "killing ability" - they collect them for their "art". Yup, the art of it all...
Cam - I know you want a perfect world where we all hug/kiss and make up, but that may never be. We do need how to teach by example. There are better, less permanent ways of settling differences and exacting personal "power".
Robin - You are bang! on the target regarding your most excellent comment about "exacting personal power". I really do like the way you put that.
ReplyDeleteI know that argument that the bad guys are going to get them regardless.... yes. And there will always be crack, and cocaine, and meth, no matter how illegal it is, no matter how much the government cracks down on drugs, etc. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't. The drugs don't kill people either; they kill themselves by taking it.
The funny thing is, that most people are NOT bad people... (unless you believe in one of the Christian ideals that we are all born into sin and must purify ourselves before we can go to heaven - which I don't buy into, by the way). which means that the good majority of people will not have easy access to guns if only the bad guys can get them.
The world will most likely become a "Road Warrior State" long before it becomes any better is what I'm figuring. But that's not going to stop me from my crusade.
I love you!
You can buy a gun, in my state, from the newspaper. I've also heard that many do not re-register them and they stay registered to you, if you sell them. Scary.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard about the others.. I have nieces in Oxnard, that age... how awful!
I don't even know how to get drugs.... how do these kids do things like this??
ReplyDeleteYanno... I work in schools... all day... every day... and the other day, I was sitting in a hallway.. waiting for my student, watching these middle school kids and thinking... "Someday... it could be me hiding under a table with other people's children... praying, pleading for my life." It was a sobering thought.
I just read here, that I don't have to register a hand gun with law enforcement, I do not have to have a license or permit, guns do not have to have child safety lock, background checks are not required at gun shows, there is no limit on bulk sales or buying more than one handgun, in any period of time, deadly force is allowed, there is no waiting period to buy, and I don't have to report a lost or stolen hand gun!
ReplyDeleteHOLY CRAP! NO wonder there is such a problem..
The only thing that I find that is in any way "good" is that you have to be 21 to buy one.. but with all the lax requirements, I'm sure that's easy to get around, too. *shaking head*
ReplyDeleteWhen Bob takes Daisy for a walk he carries a pistol to protect himself from bears, and also from some deranged "mountain evangelist" that is cruising the Blue Ridge mountain range and murdering people...
ReplyDeleteCD - That IS scary. And if you can get them like that in your state, then that means you can get them like that in every single state because all you need to do is cross the border. There are no border patrols from state to state who stop you, and check out your possessions.
Deadly force is legal, as a first resort, in public!!!!!!!!!! So there is nothing to stop someone from shooting a deranged gunman, in public. That multiplies the danger of being shot in public.
ReplyDeleteI also read that concealed weapon permits must be granted to everyone who seeks them (meaning you must take a safety course and be over age 21). I do know that I can take the class, about three miles from my home. I'm a bit freaked out that everyone can have a loaded weapon on their person.
I know the limitations to government property, but in my day-to-day activities, I'm rarely in a place that is banned from concealed weapons.
That's absolutely correct, Cam, It is scary! Just like your friend said..in her state you can get a gun at a gun show without any background check..same with mine. I've seen people from other states bring their guns and sell them at a show and people buying them from out of state.
ReplyDeleteWhat was I doing at a gun show..? Just looking at the situation... I have a friend who did an article on this very subject. I went with her to one of the states largest gun shows and saw first hand just how easy it was to get a gun. It's not a good situation here at all in the states. Unfortunately no one seems to have a solution either.
Robin - swords scare me more than guns... at least I know how to use a gun! *winks* Several friends of mine use swordplay to workout and other friends go to the range to practice shooting rounds still others are into archery - I guess it could all be considered meditative in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how far is too far with gun control. I don't necessarily think guns are evil or that owning one makes you a bad person - it's being able to handle the responsibility. Honestly, I think that we, both in the US and in other countries, send a lot of mixed messages in that regard. You can get a license in the US when you're 16, but you can't rent a car til you're 25.... you can legally smoke at 18 and you can join the military and get a credit card at the same age, but you can't drink alcohol until you're 21.
As if being in your late teens and early 20s isn't confusing enough? :oP
I will be back.....
ReplyDeleteGood Morning All.
ReplyDeleteJaded - I like swords for their craftsmanship and admire the skills necessary to use one correctly. We do have some messed up laws in the US that vary in weirdness from state to state. It's too early to get me stirrin' over some of the more stupid laws with respect to persons in their late teens & early 20s, so I am going to duck out of here and come back later.
Did you all know that Dunnster came to Japan because he wanted to study how to make Japanese swords? Yep. Now THAT would be a cool story to read, though I have asked and he has never written...
ReplyDeleteOne Eye - Have a wonderful day, and stay warm!
Its interesting you should pick this subject to write about today because yesterday at work my co-workers discussed the same thing and there were as many differing opinions as we have here. Those for carrying guns because they are afraid of everyone and those totally against because of the escalation of public shootings. People are not just satisfied with owning a hunting rifle or carrying a pistol for protection anymore. No they want to amass assault weapons! No longer are we content as a society with the art of gun collection or the sport of hunting or just plain old protection of property with a hand gun in the home. This is a scary thought because most if not all of the shootings we are reading about are done using assault weapons. The very ones our soldiers carry into battle!
ReplyDeleteI don't think the authors of our constitution had this in mind when they decided they wanted us to have the "right to bear arms." Back then the rifles people owned were just single shot, "put a round bullet in the barrel, pour in some gunpowder, pack it in and fire" I'd like to see someone try to shoot up a place using that kind of load and shoot method. Someone could jump the crazy bastard and take his weapon away from him or her before they had a chance to shoot more than one time.
Before we give up our hand guns and our hunting rifles all together why don't we shut down all these places that sell the assault rifles. No one needs them but a soldier going to war. The military issued weapons should only be available to the military.
We have a hard fight on our hands it would seem to change the mind set of all the good old boys who want to "play war" from the safety of their hunting clubs and who may have served in the military and had it trained into their minds and their hearts to "kill or be killed" and want to keep their right to bear arms no matter what kind of weapon it is.
I guess we do need to wake up and look at what we are becoming. We are all scared out of our skins and I wonder where we'll end up?
Mavis - I agree with you completely, Mavis. Starting at completely banning all assault weapons makes very very good sense for non active-duty military personnel. They, of all weapons cannot be defended in any logical manner whatsoever as far as I am concerned.
ReplyDeleteI guess a single round from a 30.06 to the base of the neck, just behind the ears of the buck in the forest during winter is no longer a challenge to the hunters. They now want to see how many lead pellets they can spit out on their plates while eating the carcass that they mowed down with their assault rifles.
"Billy Bob, watcha say we go'n' mow us down sum grub?"
"Frankie, yoo know ahd luv tew, but Edna sez ah gotsta mow th' grass instead! Damn woman, duzn't now th' fahst thing abaut havin sum good 'ol fun!"
"Naw ah no hoo wearz th' pants in yer famly! Har har har *spit*. Billy Bob, yer a frikkin pussy!"
Hahahahahaha, Cammylooh you crack me up.
ReplyDeleteCam, are you sure you don't live down the street?
ReplyDeleteCD - No, sorry. Not anymore.
ReplyDeleteHey! Quit talking about my cuzin' Billy Bob like that! He's a good feller. He just don't know his ass from a hole in the wall. ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I do not know what the world has come to when the answer to your problems is to shoot someone and then either get killed or kill yourself. Truly, what has it solved? Nothing! The problems still exist and now are only worsened by stupidity.
Or we could say that there is one less body in prison to burden the legal and tax system...
ReplyDelete