Comments on: Poll: Little Change In Views On Handguns

After Virginia Tech Shooting Spree, Most Still Want Stricter Gun Laws But Oppose Banning All Handguns

[russellvbrla]

More guns should be brought into the homes of gun-lovers and their families. That way, evolution of the human species can be accelerated as the herd thins itself out. More guns means more people dead by guns. So lets get more guns to the gun nuts.

[allheart06]

Cho wanted to kill. Period. Fact. Even if he couldn't get his hands on a gun he would have found a way to kill. Maybe his 2nd choice would have been a bomb. Think of lives lost then. If there is a will...there is a way.
Don't blame guns. Where do we stop? Ban steak knives? They can kill!! It's not the object; it's the person using the object that we need to fear.

[phoenix1218]

It is also a fact that common criminals do NOT like to mess with civilians who own guns. Criminals have a tendency to avoid occupied premises out of fear the occupants may have a weapon. Far more criminals are killed in self defense by civilians than in the line of duty by police.
Think what it would be like if the civilians were stripped of their guns; criminals would not have any fear of occupied premises and civilians would have no self-defense.
Posted by down-ndirty at 10:07 PM : Apr 23, 2007

(ME: I agree with this statement. If a criminal knows someone does not have a gun because they cannot have a gun then they will have no fear about going into the home.)
(ME: I disagree in part...I think that criminals are less likely to go into a home when a person is home and I do not doubt that is partly because they do not know if the homeowner owns a weapon but I also believe it is partly because they do not want to be caught and recognized)

[mike71067]

"I don't think you have a right to own a handgun any more than you have a right to own a nuclear bomb (that an "arm"). So by your logic I should be able to own that nuclear weapon, just think what the shooter could have done with that!"

-Posted by timetrips1 at 12:42 PM : Apr 24, 2007

Honestly, if I didn't know better, I would say that timetrips1 and gkc99 have been hitting off the same bag of crack. It might be a better idea to try the more mild forms of illegal substances first, then work your way up to the heavy stuff. But then again, if your chemical abuse continues to provide us with such entertaining posts as the one shown above, then by all means, rock on.

[processor2]

You CANNOT stop criminals by disarming potential victims...doesn't work.


For example:

Va. Tech was declared a "gun-free zone", and look what happened.


Also, when my state passed the concealed-carry law, rapes dropped by over 50 percent within the first year. Kind of hard to rape a woman if there's a gun in her purse.

SOURCE: my state's Atty Generals office - Bureau of Crime/Statistics

...

[idlepugilist]

NRA-promoted points reduced to rubble. "Kind of hard to rape a woman when there's a gun in her purse." What kind of drivel is that? "Excuse me, give me just a few seconds to retrieve my gun from my purse."
"More guns would make college campuses safer." "Cho would have been stopped if more people had guns." Many college-age students are hormonally driven, so if you add a concealed gun to that mix when the student just broke up with girlfriend and is taking finals this week, a frustrating day in class suddenly takes on new dimensions.
America has, per capita, 20 times as many murders by firearm than Japan. Access to guns is the key.
Lock up your guns, as I do, neighbors. We have the right to a gun, but suggesting more is always better is ridiculous.

[mike71067]

"Cho killed 40 people in revenge for people making fun of his inadequacies. How many people has George W. Bush had killed to make up for his inadequacies, show up his father, show what a tuff Texan he is? 100,000? "
Posted by gkc99 at 11:41 AM : Apr 24, 2007

Wow! Would somebody please call the loony bin, it appears as if one of their "residents" has escaped. Not to shock you, but Cho deliberately killed at point blank range out of hatred. You can argue that the Bush administration cherry picked data (don't let me stop you) to justify an invasion of Iraq, but comparing Bush to Cho is silly. You know this. Please stay put and wait for the nice gentlemen to escort you back to your rightful abode.

[timetrips1]

Phoenix1218: And if someone had tried to do "something" to the shooter before he shot up the place there we be a bunch of other "folks" jumping up and down about his constitutional rights "to bear arms", "live free without government interference", "etc". And then he would have been let go and done it anyway. In America you can't lock people up for what the "might" do. But you could prevent them from owning guns. You want to own a gun, buy a nice big "shot gun", very hard to conceal and tote around. I don't think you have a right to own a handgun any more than you have a right to own a nuclear bomb (that an "arm"). So by your logic I should be able to own that nuclear weapon, just think what the shooter could have done with that!

[phoenix1218]

"Guns are the problem, and guns will always be the problem, as long as we have people that don't think guns are the problem."
Posted by lawandorder6 at 09:08 AM : Apr 24, 2007

The problem is this criminals getting their hands on guns, the problem is that the fact Cho had been in a mental hospital didn't raise a red flag when it should have, the problem is the interaction between all the state and federal governments not being willing to cooperate as far as sharing information goes. If they shared information maybe the red flag would have been raised in concern to Chos' mental stay in a hospital.

[phoenix1218]

Va. Tech was declared a "gun-free zone", and look what happened.
Posted by processor2 at 09:36 AM : Apr 24, 2007

It does not matter if an area is a "gun free zone". If someone wants to bring a gun into a GFZ then they are going to do it no matter what the law is. The key here is prevention. The school knew this kid had problems and they did nothing. I am not saying to blame them but if they had done thigns even a little differently this tragedy may or may not have ben averted. If this persons parents did something when they knew he was not right as a child this may not have happened. There is a whole world of what ifs and maybe...so are we going to punish the people who do right in this country by taking away there constitution-given right to bear arms. Should everyone be able to carry, NO WAY. Should law abiding citizens be able to carry, ABSOLUTELY.

[sy2502]

Great post, mike71067!!! You managed to make it funny while telling things exactly as they are!
People who want to ban guns have only seen criminality on TV, they have no idea what it is like to be in real danger, to fear for their lives. So since they don't need to defend themselves, they can't see why anybody else would.
Funny how the greatest supporters of banning all guns, both politicians and entertainment people either have a carry-concealed permit themselves or surround themselves with body guards...

[phoenix1218]

Do we have crime, yes, but not enough to make me live in fear and feel the need to carry a gun to protect myself.
Posted by erasmus6 at 10:56 AM : Apr 24, 2007

I assume that you do not live in a city where violence and gun shots are normal night sounds. Some people live in cities because they like the easy way they can get around on public transportation and some live there because it is all they can afford. So, Please, do not condemn everyone who wants to or does own a gun because you think it is not needed. Just last night my husband and I heard gunshots in the back alleyway where we live. Even though we live ina city we live in a neighborhood that has violence but not as much as other areas. A innocent friend of mine got ahot in the foot a few years ago because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time and was a victim of a driveby shooting. Luckily the bullet richocheted off the sidewalk and lodged under his big toe. Things happen and people need to be able to protect themselves but I also think that they should do it with caution, meaning don't just shoot at the door in the middle of the night if you think you hear something.

[gunownerdan]

The NRA is the largest civil-rights group EVER.

"The NRA is committed to constitutional rights. While most people think of us as focused on firearms, we are rather more focused on freedom. Yes, we concentrate on the Second Amendment, but the Second Amendment is about liberty. It's an insurance policy for all of your constitutional rights. The purpose of the Second Amendment is to make sure that you have the ability to protect your life, liberty and property, and those of your loved ones, against any who would try to take them from you. That includes your freedom to speak, worship, protest and vote. It includes the things you hold most dear."
- Sandy Froman, NRA President
http://www.nra.org

[gkc99]

Since probably 99% of the gun-caused deaths in the last century were caused by government-sanctioned and approved violence (think WW1, WW2, Vietnam, Iraq, etc.), wouldn't it make more sense to allow ONLY private citizens, not governments, to possess guns?

Cho killed 40 people in revenge for people making fun of his inadequacies. How many people has George W. Bush had killed to make up for his inadequacies, show up his father, show what a tuff Texan he is? 100,000?

[notblue]

Juwboy, I'm saying bank robbers don't pay any attention to the laws. So your saying if we made access to the banks more difficult the bad guys wouldn't rob them, it would only infringe on the law abiding citizens that want to do business at the bank daily. The bank robbers wouldn't care.

[taddles-2009]

"Also, when my state passed the concealed-carry law, rapes dropped by over 50 percent within the first year. Kind of hard to rape a woman if there's a gun in her purse.
...
Posted by processor2 at 09:36 AM : Apr 24, 2007"

Really...and your documentation for this would be where? Oh that's right with all the other documentation for all the other idiot garbage you spew...up your a$$.

[mike71067]

"I am beginning to think that the need to carry a gun is about your EGOS and less about protection."
Posted by erasmus6 at 11:10 AM : Apr 24, 2007

Gee, that was a really really smart thing to say. You're a genius.

So I'm with my wife and kids and am confronted by a thug who wants to harm them. If my "ego" were at issue, I would simply whip out my *** and smack him with it. But it's not like that. He wants to do harm, and I will use whatever weapon I have on hand to stop him, preferably a .357 Magnum. It's that simple.

[dlpracer]

erasmus6 says:

If only you could see yourselves from the eyes of the rest of the world.

In fact someone else said it best, it went something like this: The whole world is watching you and shaking their heads.

--------------------

...you keep on asking if we know what the rest of the world is thinking. Fact is, most Americans could care less what the rest of the world thinks.

It is irrevelent...when there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions that would give anything to live in this country...with all of it faults.

Canada is a great place. However, I live close enough to it to know your country has plenty of issues to resolve before you can throw stones in our direction. There are Canadians that die waitng for second class health care, that is readily available in the states. If you think you national health care is working, why are there so many Canadians coming to border-state hospitals for routine procedures.

Be careful when you start throwing rocks.

Try again.

[realpatriot1]

afmca,

I second lawandorder6..great post!

[erasmus6]

I am beginning to think that the need to carry a gun is about your EGOS and less about protection.