No one's arguing a gun-free zone would have stopped THIS incident. The question is how many incidents never occured because some drunk angry guy on a campus didn't have a gun? How many MORE incidents would occur if a college campus was armed? Pointing to an isolated incident and making policy around stopping that one incident without regard to the other effects of said policy is irresponsible.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorism ter·ror·ism /ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ter-uh-riz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun 1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
Yeah since this is the first school shooting ever. They are almost getting as bad as all the shooting range and Gun show massacres
How often do you believe school shootings occur? How many people do you think are killed annually at these no-gun zones? You already posted that 1400 people are killed yearly by accident - that doesn't even include the number that are killed in heat-of-the-moment crimes by armed, previously non-violent people.
your right to own and operate a gun uninhibited ends when it threatens my life. If you want to have 400 guns in your house to defend against crime, more power to you - it's your property. However, in public places said right should be limited, and rightly so. I don't know you - you could be a nutjob, or just a vigilante with bad aim. More guns won't solve a gun problem. my two cents.
Its called a right to self defense. How can I defend myself against a guy with a gun? My hands? If I cannot carry a gun I cannot defend myself. Just like the 30+ that are dead.
Motor Vehicle 43,354 44.3% Unspecified nontransport accid'ts 17,437 17.8% Falls 13,322 13.6% Poisoning and Noxious Subst's 12,757 13.0% Drowning 3,842 3.9% Exposure to Smoke, Fire, Flames 3,377 3.4% Other Land Transport Accidents 1,492 1.5% Complications of Med/Surg Care 3,059 3.1% Accidental Discharge of Firearms 776 0.8%
At the risk of sounding like an internet tough guy personally I trust using my hands to defend myself more than a gun. Yes if you have a gun you might be able to stop this guy then again if this guy barges into your classroom how much time are you going to have to be able to release your weapon, aim and get a clear shot off? Its just as possible that he shoots you and gets another gun to continue his rampage. As I said earlier I believe you have a right to own a gun protected by the Constitution but I'm skeptical whether an armed citizenry is going to be a safer citizenry. Guns aren't a panacea.
I'd suggest you stop being scared of imminent death from a gun. I understand your position, but I prefer the ludicrously low odds of being shot by some screwball as opposed to everyone carrying around a weapon. I'll take the lone felon with one gun over millions of guns when walking down the street. Again, just my two cents.
I didn't say millions. I am only talking about the people already legally able to carry everywhere EXCEPT a school.
You can predict Foolishness but you cannot predict the form I think a comedian said something to that effect his example was IF you write on the boc External Use Only you will see and idiot out in the snow freezing using the product The point being, Guns, Cars, Knives Alcohol, Drugs, etc an Idiot will find ways to abuse anything Trying to Control it maybe futile I am not ANTI-Gun Control but I don't think any amount of gun control [beyond Absolutely No guns] will prevent things like but then you would have kids playing McGyver trying to create Mustard Gas, Anthrax or something a determined Crazy person . . . is not 'Controllable' all the time Rocket River
Until you are confronted by some screwball with a gun and you have an armed citizen protecting you from said screwball. I think the first statement in your post can be the same argument to those suggesting gun-free zones.
With respect to you I think a handgun at 20 yards gives me a better chance of surcival than charging him unarmed. I think if more people thought like you alot of more student would have lived today.
Do you want me to quote stats of violent crime commited with a handgun by people carrying in TX? Guess what compared to the rest of people they are angels. So why beef up the requirements? That system is actually working.
Holy crap I'm actually getting support in this thread. I guess this won;t be the dog pile that was my last thread in D&D>
At 20 yards I'm running away and getting anyone with me to run away. At 10 yards I'm taking cover and trying to crawl out of there. At 5 yards its a tossup between taking cover and charging. At one yard I'm taking the guy down. Within 5 feet I would definately take hands over a gun. Thank you for the vote of confidence but if I was in a situation like that in spite of tough talk I'm just as likely to end up getting shot too. All I hope for is given the opportunity I could act and not piss in my pants.
I'm not taking a side on this, because my gut reaction is to be against guns at schools. But the idea that armed populace is going to turn into the Wild West is a reactionary misconception. If you live in a CHL state, you encounter dozens of people packing heat every day. There has been exactly one Old-West style shootout (I believe it was in Florida) involving a CHL holder. A CHL shot an armed robber in a restaurant. There was one innocent person killed and it brought back the whole debate.
