If you go to the various newspaper articles about the Connecticut shootings, you'll see a lot of raw emotion on display. It is vitally important that sensible people get out there and engage those conversations, pointing out that such tragedies are actually not typical of murders the United States. It is also important to emphasize that the sort of people who commit these random acts of mass murder, are not typical of Americans, or of gun owners. The common characteristic of these sorts of crimes are people with histories of mental illness.
I would not encourage anyone to argue that we just need to arm the teachers. That sounds pretty silly, and realistically, few teachers would do so. More importantly, it fails to address the root problem.
"... such tragedies are actually not typical of murders the United States."
ReplyDeleteAre you sure about that? It sure seems to happen a lot.
Yes. There were 13,913 murders in the U.S. in 2011. All of these mass murders combined are not even 1%.
ReplyDeleteBut they DO have one thing in common. htye all take place in "Fish in a Barrel" zones, I mean Gun Free Zones.
ReplyDeleteThe vast majority of the news websites (major television and print media both writers and readers) are so anti ownership of anything outside of at most a single-shot hunting rifle and so overcome with irrational emotion that trying to debate the issues with them will be as productive as arguing with the family dog or the kitchen mop.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone proposed the "Barney Fife" law that says you can only possess one round and said round must be kept in your pocket rather than in the firearm's chamber....if not I'm sure it's coming!
I think at best the only thing we can get universal agreement on is increasing security in schools with more assigned police officers or armed security and better access control such as more secure doors. Seems like a good start.
ReplyDeleteNext is improved mental health services. WE know that will be a difficult climb.
That guy that wrote the recent Glock book also listed these are the first two steps on NPR radio today. I wonder if he has read your book.
We all know we will receive a lot of opposition to allowing teachers to carry firearms. I doubt we will get much headway on that. Though I guess there are a handful that do? Don't see it every becoming the majority let alone 100% Red states it's certainly possible. Not going to happen in the Blue ones.
Has anyone heard about any runs on the stores to get things that might be banned including ammo? I think I might just go to the store tomorrow to find out.
On the plus side I think the fiscal cliff and poor economy has a good chance of taking the wind out of the "common sense" gun laws fantasy.
WE need to be prepared to be busy fighting increased gun laws if the other problems don't take away their time.