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SCHOOL SHOOTING

Calls Mount for Lawmakers to Address Gun Control

Many Americans ask for prompt legislative action in response to tragic Connecticut school shooting

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by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

In the hours following yesterday's horrific elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children and seven adults dead, lawmakers and the White House have heard an outpouring of calls for them to pursue new gun control regulations.

More than 100 people gathered outside the White House yesterday evening for a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to the victims of the Newtown shooting and ask President Obama to take action on gun control, the Washington Post reported.

Several high profile figures yesterday reacted to the massacre by demanding lawmakers address gun control in a meaningful way. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg asked Obama to take "immediate action," to introduce a gun control bill to Congress. He wrote: It has come to that. Not even kindergarteners learning their A,B,Cs are safe."

Through the White House's "We the People" online petition system, more than 70,000 people asked the Obama administration to "immediately address the issue of gun control through the introduction of legislation in Congress." A total of seven other related petitions are gaining steam as well. If a petition on the site gets more than 25,000 signatures, the administration will issue a formal response.

The nation's response needs to consist of "more than regret, sorrow and condolence," wrote Mark Kelly, the husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, D-Az., who was shot along with 18 others at an event meeting constituents in Tucson, Az. Six people died.

Kelly wrote that victims of gun violence "deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait."

Via The Washington Post, We the People, and Huffington Post

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Will the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn., spark legislative action on firearms restrictions?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • CanisCanemEdit
    !
    Agree wholeheartedly. Gut check reactionaries all.

    When McVeigh killed 159 adults and 19 children with fertilizer and a Ryder truck there was no demand for U-Haul rental legislation and stricter fertilizer controls.
  • WilliamWallace
    !
    @CanisCanemEdit They did make it harder to get some things. It is extremely hard to find food grade saltpetre to use in the cure for my homemade jerky. Although I can find pyrotechnic grade saltpetre all day long on EBay.
  • u
    ProCCW
    !
    @WilliamWallace yes you are correct! I predict they will start banning all the "scary looking" guns. This will calm the masses. In the end it will change nothing.

  • View all 57 replies >

  • martydotcom
    !
    Simple question to ask your congressman. The capital, house and senate are enveloped with police and security. You protect yourselves very well. Why can you conduct your business free of any threat of a crazy shooting you, while our children are being killed on their college campus, in their class rooms, at movie theaters, at malls ? Why congress, is your own safety more important than a child's?
  • jhsrvs
    !
    you really think that is going to stop this madness.look at new york city they have gun control and look how many people get killed in that city every month. we can't stop illegals and drugs from coming into this country do you think your are going to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.your crimes will get worse. america has lost for the most part its self respect and its respect for life and you can thank your big corporations who only care about money, hollywood and your tv for all the sex and violence they put out there(there is always something that has a sexual overtone in almost every commercial and all of you who think those commercials are funny are part of the problem also because kids of all ages think everything is perfectly alright because the adults don't see anything wrong with.well think again and look what is happening,single parent families and kids staying alone for long periods of time with no one showing any love for them.ask yourself what would you do in their place) and it your polititions who want to get re-elected at any cost that also contributes to this.

  • View all 19 replies >

  • UnCommonBoston
    !
    We need to use common sense. Americans have the right to protect. I think it should be handled in the same manner we treat owning/driving a car. BTW, cars kill lot's of people.

    1. A license is required
    2. People without a license, would receive a learner's permit first
    3. Once the necessary skills are mastered, there is a test
    4. Pass the test to get a license
    5. Guns are registered
    6. To carry a gun, the user must have his license and the gun registration with them
    7. To buy ammunition, the gun license must be presented.

    I know this would make the NRA nuts. Think about it, our current drivers license system works and most people do not see it as a oppressing their right to operate a motor vehicle. Yes, there will always be people driving without a license, but most people follow the law. The system in place can be modified. For example, as teen driving patterns are better understood, the licensing process has been changed for their safety. These changes have saved lives.

    To get a gun license, a general knowledge of gun safety and current laws is needed. Also, the ability to fire the weapon with confidence.

    Also we need to look at the types of guns allowed in our country. With a better licensing system in place, these sorts of changes could be made.

    I do not own weapons of any kind. Not even a baseball bat.. It is up to the individual, but I do have the right to live in a safe world where drivers know the rules of the road and guns are handled wisely.
  • o
    ADudeCalledRay
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    @UnCommonBoston Yeah, and just how much have the licenses done? There are far more deaths from auto accidents than all firearm related deaths combined.

    Next, for licensing the possession of firearms, you have some states that do that. Laws have not worked. Same for registration. The same for every stupid law that gun control nazis propose.

    Third, why should we license and register firearms? It won't shut up any of you stupid gun control nazis. Hell, look what happened in Austrailia and the UK. It did not stop with L&R infact it picked up sharply.

    Fourth, it is not the gun nuts who have several guns that are doing things like this. The people that do this are often liberals themselves. Klebold, Loughner, and Holmes are prime examples so you would do far better registering and monitoring Democrats.

    You can sit there and spout this non-sense because you do not own any weapons. It is clear to me that you do not have a clue on weapons. Until you get a clue what you are talking about then you need to STFU.
  • UnCommonBoston
    !
    @ADudeCalledRay The number of accidents per passenger mile is a fraction of what it was in the horse and buggy days. Seriously, there is clear evidence that our licensing practices do work. Just look at the changes made to teen driving laws. It works. Yes, intelligence and respect are missing on our some of roadways. I doubt that will change -- ever.

    I have written several posts comparing auto fatalities to firearm fatalities. If we want to save children's lives we should put the effort into preventing car accidents. Did you know that day-time running lights can reduce left turn accidents by 30%? Yup, easy changes save lives. The auto industry knew that seat-belts would save lives decades before they were available. The president of Ford testified before congress about seat-belts. They accused him of using this to increase profits. It wasn't Nader, but the car industry who pushed many of these changes through.

    We have many good laws on the books. Sadly, after all the work that went into getting them passed, they are ignored. My son has always owned some hunting rifles. Since birth actually. They were passed down from his father and are family treasures. They work. They were in our home. They are still, I am not.

    I have used a variety of weapons and was properly trained. I want to go to a shooting range and practice again. It is just a matter of fitting it in.
  • o
    ADudeCalledRay
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    @UnCommonBoston So how can you say licensing and registering cars have been a success? What is your clear evidence?

    Next you say your son owns several hunting rifles, would you say he is competent with them? If yes, then why would he need a license to own them? If not then why does he own them?

    Liberty is about you making the choices, it is not about asking the government's permission for everything.

    Next, you do need to look into the firearm laws because it seems that you do not know what they are. The school the shooter shot up was a "Gun Free Zone", which happens to be the common rule in every public massacre save one or two instances. I can't help but think how many lives would have been saved in CT, if one of the teachers was armed too.
  • UnCommonBoston
    !
    @ADudeCalledRay Okay, first I was wrong. The shooter and his mother had attended gun training. The shooter did not enter through a window, but a door into the hallway. Two adults tried to stop him, then he went into the classroom.

    If you, Ray, are walking down the school corridor, and suddenly a person crashed through a door, do you think you could react quick enough to kill them before they killed you? Remember, you are not in a combat situation, nor are you a police officer, this is totally unexpected.

    So the shooter kills the grownups. The teachers in the classrooms hear the noise. Since they are trained and practiced weapon owners, they recognize it as gunshot, get their weapon and go after the shooter. Would they be fast enough? If children are caught in the cross fire, how would the country react?

    I am not trying to be a jerk, I don't know the answers to these questions.

    As far as driver's license effect on auto fatalities, the changes in teen driving laws have been clearly shown to save lives, I am sure there are other examples, but I need to go.

  • View all 6 replies >

  • u
    classychazy
    !
    Whhy would you bring abortion into a gun control forum? Abortion is legal! Cold blooded murderer is not! Don't even try telling me that garbage about abortion being murderer, because it sure as hell is not! A zygoat or fetus is NOT a fully form, living, breathing, decision making person.
  • WilliamWallace
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    @classychazy What I bring up in a forum is up to me. I will not apologize for not conforming to your standards.

    I guess maybe we should just practice some adult abortions and purge our lives of these subhumans.
  • WilliamWallace
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    @classychazy By your own standards this subhuman commited 20 accounts of abortion. A five year old is not a fully formed decision making person. Hell a large portion of this world does not fit those standards.

  • View all 59 replies >

  • ACTSmom
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    Of course...there are always knee jerk reactions to heinous acts. I hope they think everything through before passing a bunch of unnecessary laws that only lawful people will keep.
  • u
    tomincali
    !
    when they disarm citizens who obey the law, heck again they can look to mexico for the results. they have a bunch of folks who are sitting ducks.
  • Biter
    !
    America seems happy to except this type of shooting rather than look at sensible gun restrictions. Why no shooting licence to say your an approved trained shooter, why no references to validate mental stability? Why no mandatory gun safes? Why no restriction on the number of handguns? Why high capacity handguns for the ordinary civilian. Why no medical to test for drugs?

    As professional soldiers we have more restrictions than a civilian with regards weapons!
  • WilliamWallace
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    #1. Evidently he was an exceptional marksman.

    #2. So you can trust someone's friends to give an accurate reference?

    #3. A gun locked in a safe can not protect you. A subhuman that can plan what this one did can probably get into a safe.

    #4. What if my primary weapon malfunctions and I need to transition to a secondary. What if I want to carry a different gun today?

    #5. High compasity magazines allow me to stay in the fight longer before having to spend 1-1.5 seconds to reload.

    #6. I see countless drug addicts pass
    drug test. Just because someone can pass a drug test means they don't have drugs in their system at that moment. It does not mean they never have or will.

    #7. Civilians have the right to own weapons to protect themselves from the trained soilders.
  • Calfkiller
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    And idiots like you seem content to think that if lawful people have no weapons the criminals will respect them. If you don't have a weapon you are a damn fool. If you have laws in place affirming the notion that any lawful person is unable to defend themselves some crackhead can walk into your house and beat you to death with a wiffle ball bat. It would be far more effective for minorities to take responsibility for the urban crime rate.
  • Biter
    !
    @WilliamWallace

    1/ What makes you say he was an exceptional marksman? Training makes shooters both better but also shows a degree interest in safety. If training is a requirement legal access is more difficult. Getting guns legal/illegal should not be easy.

    2/ Of course everything can be subverted. How easy would a loner individual have found it to get two friends to sign him off to be of sound mind and body for owning firearms?

    3/ Well I suppose if you are of the mentality that the world is out to get you then a gun under the pillow is a great idea. Might protect you from the tooth fairy also. If these guns had been in a safe he would not have had access, neither would all the children killed by there fathers home defence weapon/s every year.

    4/ Can you explain outside of the theater of war the reasonable chance of you needing two weapons? I guess when the zombies are climbing through your windows right?

    5/ Allow you to stay in the fight longer? I laughed at that one! Your involved in a gun fight needing 17 rounds of ammunition and then the reload time is also critical? Do you live in America or Afghanistan?

    7/ Civilians have the right to own weapons to protect themselves from the trained soilders. If as a firearms instructor you said that to me, and then asked me to sign you off as of fit mind to own a gun, I would refuse. No need for me to say more.

    But I think you will get you wish William. Nothing will change in the United States.

  • View all 8 replies >

  • puppybrownie
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    Until we stop drugging and making up "disorders" for children, mentally ill, dangerous people will continue to leave hint after hint until they snap and do something like this.
  • Malitia_Man
    !
    The government works for us, & the last time I checked there are more pro-gun people in the US then pro-gun control people....

    I have said it, and will scream it again!!!

    "Those who give up liberty for security, deserve neither!" -Ben Franklin-
  • WilliamWallace
    !
    "Those who hammer their guns into plows, will plow for those who do not."
     Thomas Jefferson

    "They will send 10-15 UN Soldiers to take your guns from you. After that it will only take two to put you on the train."
    A good friend of mine
  •
    martydotcom
    !
    Repeating myself
    If you can stop playing at being a soldier and put your weapon down for five minutes answer this:
    Simple question to ask your congressman. The capital, house and senate are enveloped with police and security. You protect yourselves very well. Why can you conduct your business free of any threat of a crazy shooting you, while our children are being killed on their college campus, in their class rooms, at movie theaters, at malls ? Why congress, is your own safety more important than a child's?
    Note: no mention of taking your extended mag or modified semi automatic from your sweaty paws
  • WilliamWallace
    !
    @martydotcom. Those people made schools a gun free zone. What is wrong with teachers having concealed carry weapons. Why not kill the subhuman before he has a chance to carry out his task.

  • View all 10 replies >

  • Malitia_Man
    !
    I want to ask a question to all of you gun grabbers!!!

    Do you want another Civil-War? Do you not know that you will be the cause of many people loosing their lives? If you gun grabbers start this war on liberty, then you'll go down on history as the ones who started the bloodiest war of all time!!! Good luck!!!
  • cowboy67
    !
    Funny, as a gun toting bible thumping conservative, the first thing I thought about after hearing about this shooting wasn't the right to carry a gun. It was for the family's that lost their child and what type of wacko would have done something like this. It is a shame that the anti gun weenies couldn't do the same. I read someone state we need sensible gun laws. How many more gun laws do we need on the books? There are numerous gun laws on the books. Written words do not work. Checks and balances do! When you have a well armed citizenry, people will think twice about who they go after. Anyone ever heard of a wacko going into a police station full of armed officers trying this?? Nope, it is always in a gun free zone. Wake up people!! The Supreme Court has already ruled in the case of 7/15/05 SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES No. 04-278 TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO, PETITIONER v. JESSICA GONZALES. You are responsible for your own security. If you get the government to take away law abiding citizens guns, you will be at the mercy of the state and we all know the red tape you have to go through to get the state to do anything. Ref: Katrina/Sandy etc!
  • u
    Cheenoguy
    !
    How do you not see the words "bible thumping" and "gun toting" as incompatible?
    Do you just ignore everything Jesus said when reading?
    Or perhaps, and I think this is more likely, you spend too much time thumping others with the bible to actually read it and apply it to yourself
  • cowboy67
    !
    @Cheenoguy I am hoping you are a bible scholar so you can try to school me. I would like for you to quote anywhere in the bible where Jesus/God states you cannot protect yourself. Sure he says to turn the other cheek. But NOT every time you get hit. Basically it means to have patience and think wisely before you react.

    If you are not the bible scholar that I believe you are not, here is a good reference on bible thumping and gun toting... http://www.biblicalselfdefense.com/

    I hope you would read it, but I kind of doubt with your reply, you would have any interest in educating yourself!

    Your right, unfortunately, I am human and a lot of times I fall off the wagon and do not apply the bible to my daily life. But again, human here, it is bound to happen. But one thing that will not happen to me is that I will fall a victim like I see you being. I will protect myself and will not cower to some evil thug who will do anything to get his next fix!

  • View all 20 replies >

  • raywenk
    !
    the guy took the guns . if the mom or who ever had them put away with tigger locks etc. i might have helped. so heres my out put on guns now days if they can put a chip on a key chain so your car wont start then they should put those chips on guns . come up with some kind of code to unlock it or what ever device they can theres many things car dealers do to shut off cars gas etc. spark etc. so i no there away they can put them on guns .
  • cowboy67
    !
    Apples and oranges. Guns are there to protect you. What are you supposed to do as a law abiding citizen when someone breaks into your house with the intent to hurt you? I seriously doubt they will wait until you can put your "code" into the gun to protect yourself!
  • raywenk
    !
    @cowboy67 there are quick access codes like finger print match on red circle hhhmm. or on the handle of the gun they colud put a small card in it like a gate pass card. with numbers to match the weapon . but i do under stand what your saying .. i think ever school should have 5 grad dogs our service men and women have them and so should schools .
  • FFX_VA
    !
    @raywenk I see the point ur trying to make, but its unrealistic. You've never been shot at or in woken in the middle of the night to face someone ready to do you harm. It's scary, your adrenal glands dump everything they have into your system and its pure muscle memory, instinct, and training at that point. You're not thinking about authenticating yourself as an authorized user of your weapon, ain't going to work, so it becomes a club at that point. The only thing you focus on is reading the threat and eliminating it to keep you and those with you safe.

    What we need to address is identifying the mental & social problems that lead to these nightmares and solve them.
  • raywenk
    !
    @FFX_VA i have been shot at as i recall many times in my life . even once by my older brother with a 9m pointed at me ive never been hit by a round but i can tell you ive sure have been shot at . all that said your right on that unstable thing with people drinking driveing drugs etc. its all a part of it. meds etc. i just wounder what the great ted nuget has to say im going to look at him now ..

  • View all 15 replies >

  • u
    WaterHaMarlin
    !
    Until there is no and no need for a Federal military there will always be a need for a check and balance being armed citizens. Unfortunately there will be cancerous cells time and again. This is the problem with most addictions. Addictions are usually depending, destructive and viral.
  • u
    WaterHaMarlin
    !
    @Cheenoguy Don't worry about it cooler heads prevail...8!_!8..but quantifiable logic in is there are choices that are so stupid as to go not enjoy my streaming pay box on my tv._'ever
  • u
    voter65
    !
    My question is what has caused our society to reach this point, an inanimate object a "firearm" did not kill anyone the person pulling the trigger is the problem,morals,values, common sense, what has caused people to lose those
    qualities. Let us discuss mental illness, hate as the source of the problem.
  • VeryLameduck
    !
    And there are such strict laws in most States. I think they could be stricter, I wouldn't object. It's the first person shooter video games and Hollywood films... When did that theory get kicked-out?
  • crashdude
    !
    Those that want to get rid of guns will take every opportunity to do so...... outlawing firearms WILL NOT stop gun violence. Great Britain and Australia have learned this the hard way..... now I know many people think pro 2nd amendment citizens are all gun nuts, but the only reason the U.S. has remained a shining example of democracy is because citizens have the right to bear arms.... Here is a great live time clock that shows the real impact of causes of death in the U.S. I know some will say its 'poop', but look at the research sources behind it....... go to - http://www.nramemberscouncils.com/lifeclock/
  • FFX_VA
    !
    Where is the call for meaningful action to provide mental health services!?

    Where is the call to allow school principles to protect the children in their schools?

    We have the right to bear arms, it is in our nation's DNA put there by our constitution. Guns are not the problem, it's other aspects of our culture that spur these horrific attacks. Why are we ignoring those and vilifying the tool used instead?

    Like the VTech shooter the root cause will probably be an unaddressed mental disorder, not the weapon used.
  • u
    Cheenoguy
    !
    If we actually had healthcare for all we would have mental health services for all. The same people who hate gun regulation generally oppose healthcare for all.
  • xsecfr
    !
    60 million people have to be deemed as streetable. There is no way to do anything for that many mentally ill people. From what I've seen, lately, governors are defunding mental health. Generally, Whites' genes, after 35 years of age are naturally producing a lot of these subhumans. If they want children, then they better start having them earlier.
  • FFX_VA
    !
    @xsecfr You made some strong statements I haven't heard before, please cite your authoritative, peer reviewed sources. Tks!
  • xsecfr
    !
    @FFX_VA 1 in 5 above the age of 5 years old, in America, are diagnosed with a mental deficiency of some kind. Mental Disorders in America

    Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.1 When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.2 Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness.1 In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada.3 Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity

  • View all 14 replies >

  • u
    commonsense51
    !
    Here we go again, the minority of the Liberal control patrol trying to force us all to bow to their vocal minority with the Liberal press making them sound like they are the majority. There are only a very few minority groups telling the President that we need gun control. The sad fact is that our lame duct President will now show his true spots and come down on Gun control. He is a liar and only shows his true beliefs when it can't be hurt him in re election. Our nation is now being run by a Liberal Socialist and a welfare base electing him. We the people, the tax payers no longer have a voice unless we scream from the roof tops that we will not take any more Obamacares and other laws forcing us to think as they do. The vast majority of tax payers did NOT vote for Obama.
  • u
    mtkopf
    !
    But the majority of AMERICANS did and until the constitution gets changed, only allowing tax paying citizens the right to vote, you have to live with it.
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    "... we will not take any more Obamacares ..." And yet, a single-payer socialized health care system may have caught and treated this shooter's mental illness before it reached this pitch.
  • u
    commonsense51
    !
    @Denizen_Kate Spare me... doctors have already said that they see thousands of people with his exact profile and guess what? None of them kill people. There is no way to stop this kind of insanity without keeping them all locked up which is something I'm sure you do not support.
  • Post Removed by Moderators

  • View all 18 replies >

  • Bobolinsky
    !
    "Many Americans ask for prompt legislative action in response to tragic Connecticut school shooting"

    And many more Americans would like cooler heads to prevail. This naked "Hurry! Hurray!" attitude to pass legislation while emotion is driving the conversation is distressing at the least. One would expect Americans to reject this call for people to set their reason aside in favor of emotion-driven Law...

    ... but then just a short time ago I thought that half of America wouldn't attack Freedom of Speech at the behest of President Obama... So we'll see.
  • Vance1
    !
    THE SCOTUS, has already said
    "Leave the 2nd Ammendment alone"
    The people "Thats all of us" Citizens of the USA
    have the right to own firearms.
    Liberals always blame the weapon and not the person.
    If a teacher at the school would of had a 357 magnum, Maybe things would have been different, However.
    Then liberals would have made the teacher a Villian for having a gun at school.
    Liberals are strange people, They live in a socialistic utopian world.
    However, They always seek something for nothing.
  • Dan_Tien
    !
    "If a teacher at the school would of had a 357 magnum, Maybe things would have been different" One of the teachers did own guns - the shooter's mother. He used them to go to the school and shoot kids after murdering her.
  • Politic-n
    !
    Bingo! Allow the teachers and faculty to be armed on campus, or at the very least have armed security guards. Nothing else will work.
  • Your_Name_Here
    !
    So why didn't the law against murder stop this guy from killing all those kids? Oh, the government wants to pass another law they cannot enforce. How typical.
  • o
    Antiecm
    !
    This fool violated many gun laws already. He possessed a gun as a retard. That is against the law. He took the gun o a school grounds. Another law. He killed people. Still another law broken. Laws do nothing to protect people and the sooner you learn that the better. Want to protect kids at school. Arm the teachers just as it was in day gone by. I taught 29 years and had a pistol on me every day. I never had the call to use it, but it was there. Now the Democrats want more laws. Can those fools not see that CRIMINALS do not obey the law. That is why they are criminals. Stop the ignorance and allow responsibile people to have arms to protect the kids. Anything else is an ignorant Democrat idea, and will not work.
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