18 Dec 12, 10:27PM
For the record, I'm not suggesting all guns be banned. Rifles and shotguns have legitimate uses. Plus, it's pretty darned hard to kill someone with .22 or anything smaller.
True enough. That was sorta my point in putting "ordinary citizens" in quotes and saying, "average, slightly-unstable guy". If there were more strict controls on guns (civilians not being allowed to own fully automatics, controls on how many weapons you buy, etc), then maybe this tragedy could have been prevented. At some point, some government agency should have said, "Hey, this woman is turning her house into a fortress. Let's take her guns away."
The problem is, who knows if one of the teachers is unstable, and goes off one day and kills all the kids? What if one of the kids gets a hold of a teacher's gun (it will happen eventually, it's a big country, and some people aren't careful enough)? If you have an environment where there are weapons everywhere, people will use those weapons.
Again, weapons everywhere = people use those weapons. People get mad and flip out all the time. Guys get into brawls in parking lots and fight outside clubs (not frequently, but often enough). What would happen if everyone was armed? Instead of two bozos going to the hospital with broken knuckles and noses, you would have two dead guys going to the morgue.
(18 Dec 12, 09:59PM)Boomhauer Wrote: Stockpiling guns/ammunition = not ordinary
Buying a couple of guns to keep in the house "just in case" = ordinary
True enough. That was sorta my point in putting "ordinary citizens" in quotes and saying, "average, slightly-unstable guy". If there were more strict controls on guns (civilians not being allowed to own fully automatics, controls on how many weapons you buy, etc), then maybe this tragedy could have been prevented. At some point, some government agency should have said, "Hey, this woman is turning her house into a fortress. Let's take her guns away."
(18 Dec 12, 09:59PM)Boomhauer Wrote: ALSO* I was talking about the teachers having means to defend themselves and their students.
Who can prevent a psycho from flipping out and trying to kill a bunch of people.. even kids in this case? NO ONE.
Who can prevent a psycho from flipping out and actually killing a bunch of kids?
The problem is, who knows if one of the teachers is unstable, and goes off one day and kills all the kids? What if one of the kids gets a hold of a teacher's gun (it will happen eventually, it's a big country, and some people aren't careful enough)? If you have an environment where there are weapons everywhere, people will use those weapons.
(18 Dec 12, 09:59PM)Boomhauer Wrote: The best defense is a good offense.
Again, weapons everywhere = people use those weapons. People get mad and flip out all the time. Guys get into brawls in parking lots and fight outside clubs (not frequently, but often enough). What would happen if everyone was armed? Instead of two bozos going to the hospital with broken knuckles and noses, you would have two dead guys going to the morgue.