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27 Dead in Connecticut Elementary School Shooting


Jägermeister

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Maybe it's time for Constitutional reform, then?

The US Constitution is a 223 year old document which was drawn up when times were very different in an embryonic nation. The US is no longer in need of a clause in its Constitutution that speaks of Militia. They have one of the largest militaries in the world to protect its peoples.

Furthermore, just because the Second Amendment gives the right to possess a firearm to its citizens for sustinence and self defence doesn't mean that people have to choose to. For some reason, there is almost 1 gun per American out on the streets... approximately 300 million guns for 311 million citizens!

It is the mentality of Americans that needs to change in tandem with more strict gun control. Why did our shooter's mother need to possess 5 guns in her home? What? One for each appendage plus one concealed? This was a choice she made because the law allows her to make it. My mom owns no handguns or weapons, unless you can count her knitting needles, crochet hooks and loaded pincushion as weapons. She is 78 and has never needed to protect herself, luckily, from an intruder. Why? Because in Canada, we don't need 35 million guns for 35 million people. We are allowed to own guns but we choose not to, en masse, because that is how our culture operates. American Culture is very different even though we are separated only by an invisible line in the sand numbered 49.

Education around and control of weapons is what Obama needs to work towards. Maybe have a voluntary, nationwide Turn-in-your-guns Day. That way, people have the democratic right to freely choose whether or not to turn in their weapons. How many would? Not many, I would suspect. This would show us that the Wild West attitude of the American people is still alive, from coast to coast, in today's America. Sad.

You would think it would be a fairly simple task to eliminate The Second Amendment from the American Constitution. It has been amended 27 times since it's inception. One more would only help. Unfortunately, the American people, I don't think, would allow it based on their culture and mindset. Again, sad.

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Maybe it's time for Constitutional reform, then?

The US Constitution is a 223 year old document which was drawn up when times were very different in an embryonic nation. The US is no longer in need of a clause in its Constitutution that speaks of Militia. They have one of the largest militaries in the world to protect its peoples.

Furthermore, just because the Second Amendment gives the right to possess a firearm to its citizens for sustinence and self defence doesn't mean that people have to choose to. For some reason, there is almost 1 gun per American out on the streets... approximately 300 million guns for 311 million citizens!

It is the mentality of Americans that needs to change in tandem with more strict gun control. Why did our shooter's mother need to possess 5 guns in her home? What? One for each appendage plus one concealed? This was a choice she made because the law allows her to make it. My mom owns no handguns or weapons, unless you can count her knitting needles, crochet hooks and loaded pincushion as weapons. She is 78 and has never needed to protect herself, luckily, from an intruder. Why? Because in Canada, we don't need 35 million guns for 35 million people. We are allowed to own guns but we choose not to, en masse, because that is how our culture operates. American Culture is very different even though we are separated only by an invisible line in the sand numbered 49.

Education around and control of weapons is what Obama needs to work towards. Maybe have a voluntary, nationwide Turn-in-your-guns Day. That way, people have the democratic right to freely choose whether or not to turn in their weapons. How many would? Not many, I would suspect. This would show us that the Wild West attitude of the American people is still alive, from coast to coast, in today's America. Sad.

You would think it would be a fairly simple task to eliminate The Second Amendment from the American Constitution. It has been amended 27 times since it's inception. One more would only help. Unfortunately, the American people, I don't think, would allow it based on their culture and mindset. Again, sad.

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Maybe it's time for Constitutional reform, then?

The US Constitution is a 223 year old document which was drawn up when times were very different in an embryonic nation. The US is no longer in need of a clause in its Constitutution that speaks of Militia. They have one of the largest militaries in the world to protect its peoples.

Furthermore, just because the Second Amendment gives the right to possess a firearm to its citizens for sustinence and self defence doesn't mean that people have to choose to. For some reason, there is almost 1 gun per American out on the streets... approximately 300 million guns for 311 million citizens!

It is the mentality of Americans that needs to change in tandem with more strict gun control. Why did our shooter's mother need to possess 5 guns in her home? What? One for each appendage plus one concealed? This was a choice she made because the law allows her to make it. My mom owns no handguns or weapons, unless you can count her knitting needles, crochet hooks and loaded pincushion as weapons. She is 78 and has never needed to protect herself, luckily, from an intruder. Why? Because in Canada, we don't need 35 million guns for 35 million people. We are allowed to own guns but we choose not to, en masse, because that is how our culture operates. American Culture is very different even though we are separated only by an invisible line in the sand numbered 49.

Education around and control of weapons is what Obama needs to work towards. Maybe have a voluntary, nationwide Turn-in-your-guns Day. That way, people have the democratic right to freely choose whether or not to turn in their weapons. How many would? Not many, I would suspect. This would show us that the Wild West attitude of the American people is still alive, from coast to coast, in today's America. Sad.

You would think it would be a fairly simple task to eliminate The Second Amendment from the American Constitution. It has been amended 27 times since it's inception. One more would only help. Unfortunately, the American people, I don't think, would allow it based on their culture and mindset. Again, sad.

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The gun lobby in the US is loudly screeching about how the gun control forces are trying to "politicize" this tragedy and that this is not the time.

Both Ezra Klein (from the left) and David Frum (from the right) trashed that argument in the wake of this shooting - talk about strange bedfellows, eh?.

Per Klein in his blog at the Washington Post (Twelve facts about guns and mass shootings in the United States) in which he lays out data and statistics relating to these sorts of shootings:

When we first collected much of this data, it was after the Aurora, Colo. shootings, and the air was thick with calls to avoid “politicizing” the tragedy. That is code, essentially, for “don’t talk about reforming our gun control laws.”

Let’s be clear: That is a form of politicization. When political actors construct a political argument that threatens political consequences if other political actors pursue a certain political outcome, that is, almost by definition, a politicization of the issue. It’s just a form of politicization favoring those who prefer the status quo to stricter gun control laws.

Since then, there have been more horrible, high-profile shootings. Jovan Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, took his girlfriend’s life and then his own. In Oregon, Jacob Tyler Roberts entered a mall holding a semi-automatic rifle and yelling “I am the shooter.” And, in Connecticut, at least 27 are dead — including 18 children — after a man opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

If roads were collapsing all across the United States, killing dozens of drivers, we would surely see that as a moment to talk about what we could do to keep roads from collapsing. If terrorists were detonating bombs in port after port, you can be sure Congress would be working to upgrade the nation’s security measures. If a plague was ripping through communities, public-health officials would be working feverishly to contain it.

Only with gun violence do we respond to repeated tragedies by saying that mourning is acceptable but discussing how to prevent more tragedies is not. “Too soon,” howl supporters of loose gun laws. But as others have observed, talking about how to stop mass shootings in the aftermath of a string of mass shootings isn’t “too soon.” It’s much too late.

What follows here isn’t a policy agenda. It’s simply a set of facts — many of which complicate a search for easy answers — that should inform the discussion that we desperately need to have.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/

And David Frum wrote a column titled "Every Day is the Day to Talk About Gun Control" on the attempt by the pro-gun lobby to shut down debate on gun control in the wake of this horrific event.

A permissive gun regime is not the only reason that the United States suffers so many atrocities like the one in Connecticut. An inadequate mental health system is surely at least as important a part of the answer, as are half a dozen other factors arising from some of the deepest wellsprings of American culture.

Nor can anybody promise that more rational gun laws would prevent each and every mass murder in this country. Gun killings do occur even in countries that restrict guns with maximum severity.

But we can say that if the United States worked harder to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, there would be many, many fewer atrocities like the one in Connecticut.

And I'll say: I'll accept no lectures about "sensitivity" on days of tragedy like today from people who work the other 364 days of the year against any attempt to prevent such tragedies.

It's bad enough to have a gun lobby. It's the last straw when that lobby also sets up itself as the civility police. It may not be politically possible to do anything about the prevalence of weapons of mass murder. But it damn well ought to be possible to complain about them - and about the people who condone them.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/14/every-day-is-the-day-to-talk-about-gun-control.html

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They can and have.. it expired like 8 years ago and was not renewed. Studies released at that time showed no reason to.

The federal assault weapon ban did not stop mass murders with those weapons. The Columbine kids that killed people proved that.

I don't know in how many ways shapes or forms it needs to be pointed out and shown that weapon bans won't prevent murders in the US or prevent people from attaining these weapons.. but the one thing people are good at is believing something if they repeat it enough -- in this case, that banning guns or (lol..) removing the second amendment will suddenly make murderers stop being murderers.. :lol:

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Connecticut church near shooting site evacuated after bomb threat:

(Reuters) - A Roman Catholic church in Newtown, Connecticut was evacuated on Sunday after a bomb threat was reported by officials during services at the church, which is roughly a mile from the site of Friday's school shooting where 20 children were killed.

State troopers, police and ambulances were on the scene at St. Rose of Lima Catholic church, according to a Reuters eyewitness.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/16/us-usa-shooting-connecticut-church-idUSBRE8BF0E620121216

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Connecticut church near shooting site evacuated after bomb threat:

(Reuters) - A Roman Catholic church in Newtown, Connecticut was evacuated on Sunday after a bomb threat was reported by officials during services at the church, which is roughly a mile from the site of Friday's school shooting where 20 children were killed.

State troopers, police and ambulances were on the scene at St. Rose of Lima Catholic church, according to a Reuters eyewitness.

http://www.reuters.c...E8BF0E620121216

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They can and have.. it expired like 8 years ago and was not renewed. Studies released at that time showed no reason to.

The federal assault weapon ban did not stop mass murders with those weapons. The Columbine kids that killed people proved that.

I don't know in how many ways shapes or forms it needs to be pointed out and shown that weapon bans won't prevent murders in the US or prevent people from attaining these weapons.. but the one thing people are good at is believing something if they repeat it enough -- in this case, that banning guns or (lol..) removing the second amendment will suddenly make murderers stop being murderers.. :lol:

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They can and have.. it expired like 8 years ago and was not renewed. Studies released at that time showed no reason to.

The federal assault weapon ban did not stop mass murders with those weapons. The Columbine kids that killed people proved that.

I don't know in how many ways shapes or forms it needs to be pointed out and shown that weapon bans won't prevent murders in the US or prevent people from attaining these weapons.. but the one thing people are good at is believing something if they repeat it enough -- in this case, that banning guns or (lol..) removing the second amendment will suddenly make murderers stop being murderers.. :lol:

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I don't understand how anyone would be against having much stricter laws when it comes to gun ownership in America. Will it stop individual murders or mass murders entirely? Obviously not. If someone is hellbent on doing an evil act like this they will probably be capable of finding the tools to do it either way.

But why make it easy for them?

If stricter gun control prevented just this one particular act from ever happening, it's totally worth it. Having people jump through hoops to acquire a firearm would inevitably prevent a percentage of people from ever owning guns. Those guns would never have a chance to be used by a curious or mentally unstable kid who finds it in their parents closet, or by a once stable individual who eventually goes off the deep end and turns to his gun collection for an answer. Those guns will never fall into the wrong hands.

It boggles my mind that people can continually see these events unfold in America and still argue that it has absolutely nothing to do with their ridiculous gun control laws.

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