GSBEng10

Antique It goes with the territory that certain folk get on the media band wagon and attach themselves to the topic ....a very good point about how many celebrities will now turn down violent film work ??....but again I feel this all comes from the general outpouring of grief over Newton and its totally right that there should be an outcry it was truly horrific what occured and people are rightly asking themselves how can we stop this from happening again.....which for my money comes back to how do you seperate the mentally ill from obtaining guns in the first place as the vast majority of these mass murder crimes are committed by people with mental health issues ....that is one massive subject that I am not qualified to offer much insight on.Suffice to say that usually any legislation falls on the law abiding and normally costs them money as well ....you can envisage laws that require psychological testing for certain weapons with annual compliance thrown in for good measure but how to test those that might have access to these weapons but are not registered ...perhaps the money raised from such measures could go towards mental health treatment ...but would it ? hard pressed jurisdictions might be tempted to dip into this new pot of funding for other much needed projects .Perhaps in the end local control will be the most effective NYC has witnessed a significant drop in gun related crime - maybe now other authorities will be tempted to go down this route Like you I was aghast at the 'arms race suggestion' for protecting schools where would it end ? guards for shopping areas - bus stops - gas stations - anywhere that large numbers of people are gathered together ..... you would be moving the problem down the line better to look at the root causes of these incidents and build from there ....I understand that case studies have shown that certain types of individual have been affected by violent video games and films ....but the internet is stuffed full of these types of violent clips I really dont know how you could stop a determined individual from exposing themselves to these images....although mass shootings occured way before the advent of violent video games and the internet

Antique I think the issue is more about how things can change I accept you can have all the gun laws in the world but if some one wants to obtain a weapon they generally can regardles of legislation frankly I think its academic about how miltary a gun looks or is ....the gastly truth is that many of the victims were disgfigured by the rounds used and the media/ celerbrities may have latched onto a make but this is more about the long term outcome rather than the semantics regarding ballistics ....I dont think anyone is doubting the Bushmasters effectiveness and I detect that maybe this time the overall feeling on this topic is heading towards seriously looking at that issue rather than sweeping it under the carpet as per usual . I think it would help if the NRA was a little more rounded and symapathetic to the situation rather than just stick rigidly and literally to their guns...... I wonder why no one at the gun club picked up on Lanza as it was commonly known that he had problems certainly not good for some one like that to be playing around with weapons to the extent that he did . Fortunately in my case a neighbour called in the local farmer and his weapons were removed we all breathed a sigh of relief .... this was a good example of local control.... . where I am coming from is the side of public opinion once the majority see its time to change then it will... you can have all the legislation in the world and I am no fan of yet more codes and rules being costly to implement and falling mainly on the already law abiding - it will be the popular vote in the end that will bring about change ...this is way off at present but what is emerging is the association this in the end is what will bring about change for the next generation

A common aspect reocurring in these terrible incidents is the mental state of the prepetrators at the time of their crimes . A high number come across as being socially awkward and withdrawn with issues. So how do you stop the mentally ill from obtaining high powered weapons ...well the truth is you cannot Lanza was apparently intelligent very internet aware and so could have obtained guns even if his mother had twigged that he was a 'wrong un' and started to get some mental health treatment for her son. There has been a history of mass killings in the US and the world prior to violent video games but at the same time a reduction in the number of people incarcerated for serious mental health issues society deeming it necessary and acceptable to have people treated in the community using modern drugs . This has not worked ....in the end over a couple of generations the threat will melt away guns in all their forms will cease to have the allure and attraction that they currently have for many folk . People will realise that for most the the threat of violentt crime is a myth and that as the crime rate falls it simply wont be necesscary to arm youself to the teeth with military grade weapons . I remember many year ago a retired Chief privately showing me his modest 9mm semi for personal protection normal ammo kept under lock and key ....he wanted no accidental home shootings on his property, forward 25 yrs and his son was keen to show off his high powered collection of assault rifles kept in a rack in his den his own young son only feet away being imprinted by all this weaponary . Guns will become uncool and lose their appeal the assocationion with them being considered extreme and excessive due to events such as the tragedy in Newton ....but not for many a long year in the meantime you just have to hope and pray that some one close to you is not caught up in one of these life changing incidents.... BFD summed up a number of points very well but what about Gun clubs and the like I'll bet they could point out a few people who really should not be going near a gun but do and already have them . When I lived in the country a local farmer had an arsenal of weapons he should not have been trusted with a pen knife let alone a rifle such was his ragged temper ( and yes he did get into trouble ) . Guns are a huge part of US society that any change will be slow and really will only happen when times and attidudes change.....its a cultural thing ...it has started fashions come and go but I would not underestimate the power of celerbrity , I sense that many people are reevaluating their asssocation with guns and are starting to see the down side to gun ownership ...