Here Is the Place, if any on this forum, for Gun Discussion

[packs]

Every time I make a post I feel like your instinct is: he thinks we shouldn't have any guns! But that is so far from what I'm saying that I don't understand the reaction. Because of the propensity of weapons from the Federal Assault Weapon Ban being used in mass shootings, all I've said was that the type of guns available for sale to the public should be amended. And that's because in most cases, the weapons I'm talking about taking off the market are bought legally.

Here are some security guard articles I think you should read that demonstrate the dangers of arming security people that I discussed in the post you quoted:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-children.html

http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/sec...stomer/vDPdpG/

http://consumerist.com/2010/10/14/ho...e-parking-lot/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/0...hood-security#

http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-storie...id_27193.shtml

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...blow-up-school

[vintagetoppsguy]

In case anyone overlooked it, Steve made a great point in post #63. I'm only copying part of it, but you can go back and read it in its entirety if you like.

"Now, you might wonder why the bad stuff always seems to be done with the same piece of hardware. The answer is to me a simple one. It has nothing to do with whether it was the best choice. It's about image. To use the car analogy - there are stereotypes about different cars and their drivers. Like some cars are more often bought by people who are more prone to speeding or acting superior for some reason. Show a movie scene where the guy in a sleeveless shirt says "Hey, don't lean on the Camaro!" And everyone just smiles and laughs because we've all seen that guy. Not all Camaro owners are, but enough that it's a common image. Same as the BMW driver who thinks he's better than everyone because his car is nice or the Prius driver who looks down on the people wrecking the planet with normal cars. In the same way, something like an AR-15 is more attractive to the nuts than many other bits of hardware. Only a small number of owners are nuts, many are very serious responsible people. But the nuts get the attention."

I've never considered the "image" aspect of it, but it makes a lot of sense. A lot of these people are "society's rejects" - they never fit in, they were picked on in school, bullied, etc. Mass shootings are their way "get back" at society.

I honestly think that if you gave one of these nuts the choice between a slingshot and an AR-15 and told them that each would kill the same number of people, they would choose the AR-15 because, just as Steve said, the image that it projects. They fill empowered with an assault rifle over other weapons of choice. They want to go out in a blaze of glory. After all, there are certainly other ways to kill a large number of people besides an assault rifle. The assault rifle give them the power or respect (or so they think) that they never had before.

[2dueces]

Originally Posted by packs

Every time I make a post I feel like your instinct is: he thinks we shouldn't have any guns! But that is so far from what I'm saying that I don't understand the reaction. Because of the propensity of weapons from the Federal Assault Weapon Ban being used in mass shootings, all I've said was that the type of guns available for sale to the public should be amended. And that's because in most cases, the weapons I'm talking about taking off the market are bought legally.

Here are some security guard articles I think you should read that demonstrate the dangers of arming security people that I discussed in the post you quoted:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-children.html

http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/sec...stomer/vDPdpG/

http://consumerist.com/2010/10/14/ho...e-parking-lot/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/0...hood-security#

http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-storie...id_27193.shtml

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...blow-up-school

I think it's great that we can have an adult conversation that states our views in a civil way. I don't get the assault rifle fixation but then again I don't get paying 20k for a PSA 10 when you can buy a 9 for $200 and cannot see the difference. I agree with your statements and I've seen those headlines. Problem is the crazies don't need a license to get a gun, just a few hundred bucks. And as I type this someone is shooting up a theater in Louisiana. Geez

[clydepepper]

I do not normally involve myself with this type discussion, but recent events have made it more important for me to do so...in the hopes that it will help someone else sort things out.

For years, I was my own worst enemy, loosing jobs, friends, and lovers along the way. Thank goodness, I realized my limitations, if not a solution at the time, and never sought to purchase a weapon.

About fifteen years ago, when I had just lost another job and was well on the way to loosing the true love of my life, a friend gave me some good advice...I wound up going to a psychologist who diagnosed me as suffering from depression. He put me on a prescription and my life has never been the same. Almost overnight, my family notice the difference and reached out to get closer than we had ever been before.

Now. I have bored you with my story to send a clear message that someone will get something out of:

I strongly urge everyone who may even consider the possibility that they are depressed, to get help immediately.

One person I knew growing up never got the right assistance when he should have...and the results showed up on Thursday night in a movie theatre in Lafayette, LA.

He never should have been able to arm himself, but he did.

Do not be ashamed or afraid to speak up for yourself or someone you know and get the help before it is too late.

I sincerely hope that this helps someone because the price has already been paid for this free advise.

-Raymond

[packs]

Another mass shooting today in San Bernadino. Pretty telling quote from Obama:

The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world, and there’s some steps we could take, not to eliminate every one of these mass shootings, but to improve the odds that they don’t happen as frequently, common-sense gun safety laws, stronger background checks and, you know, for those who are concerned about terrorism of, you know, some may be aware of the fact that we have a no-fly list where people can’t get on planes but those same people who we don’t allow to fly could go into a store right now in the United States and buy a firearm and there’s nothing that we can do to stop them.