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Shooting at Connecticut elementary school

According to reports and statements, the shooter Adam Lanza had been classified as a "developmentally disabled" 20 yr old, as having been "autistic" with "Asperger's disease".

His brother Ryan Lanza, who lives in New Jersey, claims that he had not been in touch with him "since 2010"

Also, that no one really knows just what job or mode of employment, if any, his mother was involved with.  For one thing, she was not a teacher associated with the school in question.
She was described as a "gun enthusiast" who's weapons were registered in her name, and that she had had intriduced her. sons to shooting ranges.  This last report is conflicting.

For more on this horrifically terrifying incident, go to:
http://www.businessinsider.com/connecticut-shooting-adam-lanza-2012-12#ixzz2F4UhwpwZ

http://www.businessinsider.com/who-was-adam-lanza-the-sandy-hook-shooter-2012-12
 
OldTimeHockey said:
Bender said:
Rick said:
Guns don't kill people.
People kill people.
But if there wasn't these high powered guns, there would be so much senseless death.
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I would defy anybody to tell me if there have ever been any mass stabbings carried out by a single person. Or if someone went on a rampage with their fists and killed 23 people at one time before punching themselves to death. People kill people but guns give people a quick and efficient means to kill people.

Its no surprise on average higher levels of gun ownership in America generally means higher murder rate.
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Just saying...Pretty crazy that it happened on the same day...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/12/14/china-knife-attack-school.html

A knife-wielding man injured 22 children and one adult outside a primary school in central China as students were arriving for classes Friday, police said, the latest in a series of periodic rampage attacks at Chinese schools and kindergartens.
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I am shocked that it does happen! However I wonder what the rates are in developed countries.
 
I think that there are two things that can be done, one being harder than the other. The first thing is to decrease the amount of weapons, don't give people the right to have a gun unless there's a really really good reason. Number two is to make sure that all people are a part of the society, that's the solution that is harder.
 
bustaheims said:
That being said, I do recognize there are legitimate reasons for civilians owning guns. Shotguns in rural areas, for instance, can be important tools in terms of protecting your family and livestock from bears/wolves/etc. Hunting rifles, regardless of your position on the morality of hunting for sport, when used for their created purpose are used to help feed families. I can even get behind civilians being allowed to have single action handguns in their homes (as long as they're stored properly and kept in the house and/or the shooting range, away from children, etc.), as their presence can increase feelings of security for some. However, automatic and semi-automatic weaponary, sniper rifles, etc . . . that kind of stuff belongs in the hands of the military and law enforcement officials only.
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Yep and hopefully when the laws are changed and the debate is finalized, the compromise is bascially this.. you can own a single action weapon that holds no more than X number of rounds, primarily for hunting/rural protection purposes and cannot be easily concealed in a pocket or whatever, but nothing more.

An immediate ban on the ability to purchase rounds of ammunition for any auto or semi automatic weapon is the way to deal with the fight over people turning in weapons they already own.  Then deal with the permanent ban on the ability to purchase these weapons, period.

Next, dramatically beef up the conditions in which you are allowed to own a weapon.  Apparently in Japan you to even own an air rifle you must pass two classes, written test, mental health test, drug test and a background check.  Yout want to own a gun? fine. Prove to us you are capable.

Create a national registry to track who owns what, how many and tracks purchases including ammo and any other gun related gear (ballistic protection gear like the guy in Aurora bought).

Guns should be required to be stored in proper gun safes which are locked 100% of the time and bolted to the ground.  Keys should be held only by the gun owner which leave the house if you do.  US gun owners want to keep owning guns because they believe they can control themselves? Fine.. don't ever give anyone else the chance to use them.  This is (or was when my dad owned a few guns at one point) a requirement in Canada for any type of gun.

You can own specific types of guns in Canada that are now banned on the condition the gun is rendered unusable.. ie: chamber is filled with concrete.  My dad again had a few guns disabled permanently in this manner.

 
Corn Flake said:
US gun owners want to keep owning guns because they believe they can control themselves? Fine.. don't ever give anyone else the chance to use them. 
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The problem of course goes much deeper than that. Many of those who fight for the 2nd amendment do so on the basis that the people should be able to arm themselves in the event an overthrow of the government is necessary. Personally, I'm not sure how that is possible against a government that owns the most advanced and numerous weapons on the planet, including fighter jets, tanks, nuclear weapons, and god knows what in secret weapons abilities. But, it happens in other countries, so in theory it's possible here too.

Some, I'm sure, just simply believe they're entitled to own whatever the hell they want and they're entitled to do whatever they hell they want with them (within the constraints of certain laws.)
 
Absolutely horrific.  My heart is completely broken for the families that lost their children and other loved ones.  I have had to turn my tv off when the news is on or change the channel because I cannot bear to watch it.  I cannot even wrap my head around the fact that these dear sweet "babies" are all gone so senselessly.  I can't even begin to imagine how their families are getting through the day.  All I can say is RIP little angels and my thoughts and heart are with these families and this community.
 
AlmosGirl said:
Absolutely horrific.  My heart is completely broken for the families that lost their children and other loved ones.  I have had to turn my tv off when the news is on or change the channel because I cannot bear to watch it.  I cannot even wrap my head around the fact that these dear sweet "babies" are all gone so senselessly.  I can't even begin to imagine how their families are getting through the day.  All I can say is RIP little angels and my thoughts and heart are with these families and this community.
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Well said and it captures what most are feeling...
 
?The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,? he said at a Washington press event, adding, ?With all the money in the federal budget can?t we afford to put a police officer in every single school??
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That certainly helped stop the shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and even Fort Hood.
 
Darryl said:
Blaming movie violence and yet they are trying to turn schools into a scene from Tombstone.
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Gun culture in America preceded Hollywood and video games by at least 150 years. They're just trying to find an easy scapegoat.

How does the glorification of guns not add to gun violence, NRA hmmm?
 
if that's so true, why does it happen almost exclusively in the US?

There's a gun in every household in Switzerland. After their compulsory stint in the armed forces, Swiss men keep their weapons. (blah blah blah, so they have them in case of war, LOL since Switzerland's neutral) There's virtually no gun crime in Switzerland.

My son and his friends all play those first person shooter games on Xbox. None of them has any such inclination to do so in real life. Nor do they think that one is in any way relevant to the other.

Why is it that in the US, it's always the fault of video games and music? And not the gun culture that they cultivate themselves.

Don't even get me started...........
 
George H.W. Bush's resignation letter from the NRA.  And more proof how big a fool that LaPierre guy is: http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/11/us/letter-of-resignation-sent-by-bush-to-rifle-association.html
 
From:
http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2003/10/anderson.aspx

Separating myths and facts...

Facts: High levels of violent video game exposure have been linked to delinquency, fighting at school and during free play periods, and violent criminal behavior (e.g., self-reported assault, robbery).

Myth 11. If violent video games cause increases in aggression, violent crime rates in the U.S. would be increasing instead of decreasing.
Facts: Three assumptions must all be true for this myth to be valid: (a) exposure to violent media (including video games) is increasing; (b) youth violent crime rates are decreasing; (c) video game violence is the only (or the primary) factor contributing to societal violence. The first assumption is probably true. The second is not true, as reported by the 2001 Report of the Surgeon General on Youth Violence (Figure 2-7, p. 25). The third is clearly untrue. Media violence is only one of many factors that contribute to societal violence and is certainly not the most important one. Media violence researchers have repeatedly noted this.

Note this study is from 2003.

 
A more recent study...

http://m.psychologytoday.com/blog/get-psyched/201201/do-violent-video-games-increase-aggression

Although there are not many studies that have directly compared violent TV programs and video games, numerous studies have tested the effects of violent video games. We recently conducted a comprehensive review of 136 articles reporting 381 effects involving over 130,000 participants around the world.[5] These studies show that violent video games increase aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, physiological arousal (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure), and aggressive behavior. Violent games also decrease helping behavior and feelings of empathy for others. The effects occurred for males and females of all ages, regardless of what country they lived in. This review also sheds light on why violent video games increase aggression. Someone who has aggressive thoughts, feels angry inside, lacks empathy for others, and is highly aroused should be more likely to behave aggressively.

.
 
hockeyfan1 said:
A more recent study...

http://m.psychologytoday.com/blog/get-psyched/201201/do-violent-video-games-increase-aggression

Although there are not many studies that have directly compared violent TV programs and video games, numerous studies have tested the effects of violent video games. We recently conducted a comprehensive review of 136 articles reporting 381 effects involving over 130,000 participants around the world.[5] These studies show that violent video games increase aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, physiological arousal (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure), and aggressive behavior. Violent games also decrease helping behavior and feelings of empathy for others. The effects occurred for males and females of all ages, regardless of what country they lived in. This review also sheds light on why violent video games increase aggression. Someone who has aggressive thoughts, feels angry inside, lacks empathy for others, and is highly aroused should be more likely to behave aggressively.

.
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Every male I know should be hyper aggressive then. The problem with this is crime rates have decreased while consumption of violent video games and movies have increased.

I guess those millions of women who read 50 Shades of Grey must be nymphomaniacs.
 
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