Connecticut School Shooting

[Nehkara]

Apparently police have a potential second shooter in custody.

[Senator Clay Davis]

When this is all said and done, it will come out that these were all legally acquired weapons, no doubt about it. Too easy to get guns in America, too easy to get things like body armour (because what citizen needs freakin body armour) or massive amounts of ammo.

[Coys1882]

I can't imagine standing outside that school waiting to see if your kid is one of the lucky ones. they'd have to knock me unconscious - I can't imagine I'd be able to hold back the urge to run in and then look for my son myself.

[Resolute 14]

So, is it still too early to have a debate about gun control in the United States?

[trackercowe]

I can't believe there could be more than one shooter... how many sick people are there out there willing to shoot up an elementary school?

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

Apparently police have a potential second shooter in custody.

WTF? Two people? How the #### do you find a partner to do something so heinous to 5 year old kids?

[bluck]

Disgusting on so many levels. Now we have to put up with the gun control discussion every day for the next year.

[Coys1882]

Astin ‏@AstinTO
Remember, now is not the time to talk about gun violence. Later is too soon too. After that is too late. Then it's too soon again.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Perhaps. I guess my larger point is more that the US's lax gun control is a symptom of their culture, and not the cause of it.

Changing laws is the easy part, but changing the culture that produces these kinds of acts at the rate it does is much, much tougher. The reason these things happen far less in Canada isn't because guns are harder to get; it's because Canada produces less psychos who are obsessed with guns and violence that will act out like this.

But they are related. Guns are treated as dangerous things in Canada and most Canadians think guns are dangerous. These reinforce each other. If guns were freely available they would become more mainstream and accepted. Changing laws won't change attitudes over night but will over time.

Seat belt and car seat and helmet and smoking laws were a pain in the butt when introduced but now who doesn't do it?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

If this doesn't get gun control, nothing ever will. I hate to say it but it literally takes something this horrific, namely potentially two dozen dead children under 10 to wake America the #### up. If it doesn't come after this, it never will.

I think that after the last few mass shootings, anyone who still doesn't want gun control is getting what they asked for. Those people all played an indirect role in this and should reconsider their positions. They are seeing the consequences of their "right".

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Simplistic question - How come you don't see the same frequency of this in Canada, Australia or the UK? What is it about American society that breeds lunatics? It has to be deeper than just gun control.

Originally Posted by opendoor

IMO it's just that there's simply more of a culture of guns and violence in the US when compared to those other countries. It's not even really an issue of access to guns, as it sounds like this was done with guns that someone could pretty easily get in Canada.

Americans are pretty stuck on their stupid amendment - an amendment based on a time period when they needed to be able to raise a militia at a moment's notice. Not now, when they have organized military and governmental support. But, it's impossible to have that conversation in the US because as soon as there is the start of a conversation about having better control, you get all the gun nutbars screaming "BANNING! YOU'RE BANNING MY GUNS! I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS!!" No, that isn't what is being said, you idiots. But good luck with all this and your multiple multiple dead.

I think that we also have better social programs that have a lot to do with it - I think there are societal/economic issues taking place in the US that are *exacerbated* by the presence/involvement of guns.

[Phanuthier]

Wow, that is horrible.... and a few days before Christmas too... reg. the armed guard thing, I'm starting to think that is needed too... the amount of guns tragedy this year is unbelievable.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by edslunch

Seat belt and car seat and helmet and smoking laws were a pain in the butt when introduced but now who doesn't do it?

been to america in the summer...........

[East Coast Flame]

Sufficient mental health care is just as important as gun control IMO.

[Ozy_Flame]

But it's legal to own firearms in Canada with the proper licenses and reasons. A gun doesn't refuse to fire because of what it's being pointed at.

I have to think that it's something deeper, societal values and pressures that drive people into this. That article earlier about the knife attack in China - it mentioned that rapid societal change is letting mentally ill people slip through the cracks.

I have to think that our systems in place and Canadian society values play a larger part than we think in controlling situations like this.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

This is just awful. It's events like this that make me doubt my stance on the death penalty (though I would probably be more rational after a little time and reflection). But this is one of those obvious cases. If you shoot children, you're a monster. I don't care what your "issues" are--they may explain, but they don't excuse what you've become. You're a monster and our society has no place for you.

[Coys1882]

Mike Byhoff ‏@mbyhoff
31 U.S. school shootings since Columbine. School shootings in every other country in the world combined since that time: 14.
Retweeted by kelly oxford

[HELPNEEDED]

i don't know what to say, i'm just sad.

[OILFAN #81]

Absolutely ridiculous. Glued to CNN right now. I can't even imagine how those kids felt moment before being executed. People who do things like this think in their head that they are committing a act of heroism or committing a act that they were forced to do. People are #####ed up. Absolutely tragic. Nobody deserves to have their life end like this especially innocent children.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by edslunch

But they are related. Guns are treated as dangerous things in Canada and most Canadians think guns are dangerous. These reinforce each other. If guns were freely available they would become more mainstream and accepted. Changing laws won't change attitudes over night but will over time.

Seat belt and car seat and helmet and smoking laws were a pain in the butt when introduced but now who doesn't do it?

Yeah, but the US has a 200 year history of glorification of guns and violence; it's a fundamental part of their culture from the American Revolution, to the Wild West, to their violent westward expansion, and that militia ethos still exists in a large subculture. A large part of American society views guns as an integral part of their culture.

Not that laws shouldn't be changed to reduce access, but it's a much bigger battle than something like seatbelts or smoking. Even after events like these, you're still going to have millions of Americans who see any reduction in their ability to buy whatever gun they want with little restriction as an affront to their human rights.