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Originally Posted by ScottGem

Please see my reply (to Magprod) earlier in this thread. I DO believe that the lax gun laws in VA contributed significantly to this event. This tragedy was very preventable.

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I agree with Scott on this. More stringent gun control laws are needed. Would it have prevented the Virginia Tech tragedy? Maybe, maybe not. But the waiting period might have given the police, the university, and his family more time to help this young man. I am not saying it would have. I am saying it MIGHT have.

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Originally Posted by Tuscany

I agree with Scott on this. More stringent gun control laws are needed. Would it have prevented the Virginia Tech tragedy? Maybe, maybe not. But the waiting period might have given the police, the university, and his family more time to help this young man. I am not saying it would have. I am saying it MIGHT have.

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Exactly! That possibility is well worth asking legitimate gun purchasers to undergo some inconvenience before be allowed to pick up their weaponry.

I totally agree, Scott, if your intentions are honorable - would the waiting period or "inconvenience" even be an issue?

I don't have a problem with a waiting period, nor do I have a problem denying a handgun to a felon.

Like I said... my problem is that it's a slippery slope. If today there's a waiting period and felons are denied (which is PERFECTLY reasonable--that SHOULD happen) then who is denied tomorrow? And even though there would be a waiting period, I don't think that would have stopped the shooter in VA, just delayed him. His background check came back clean.

So... then you add psychological profiling to getting a weapon. Well, guess what? That would probably deny me and half of the country a gun. I was committed to the psych ward at one point in my life. THEN you start adding anyone on mood altering medication, like anti-depressants.

Notice that if each previous idea were accepted, the next in line would seem reasonable in its turn. What I am afraid of is that eventually only criminals and cops will have weapons. I would never use my gun on a person. I don't think I would even be able to use it to threaten someone (I was taught that you don't point a gun at anything you're not willing to shoot). I do, however, agree with excon on this completely: the fact that they want me to give it up is the reason I don't want to.

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Originally Posted by Synnen

Like I said...my problem is that it's a slippery slope. If today there's a waiting period and felons are denied (which is PERFECTLY reasonable--that SHOULD happen) then who is denied tomorrow? And even though there would be a waiting period, I don't think that would have stopped the shooter in VA, just delayed him. His background check came back clean.

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This is the 'give them an inch they take a mile' argument that gun rights people use to prevent any gun control legistaltion.

Should anyone with a history of mental health problems be allowed to own a gun? In my opinion, there has to be a line drawn. If, in the opinion of a compentent analyst, the person has the potential for violence, clearly indicated in the VT shooter's case, then no, I don't think they should be allowed to own a gun.

However, even if he had been allowed to purchase the gun, if the college counselors were made aware of the fact that he was purchasing weapons, I think they would have done something more to help him, possibly avoiding this tragedy.

I agree with Scott again.

If by not allowing people with mental illness (who trained professionals feel could hurt themselves or others) to own guns will keep our society safer I say go for it. And I am a gun owner.

Hello again:

Let me ask you this, Mr. Tuscany gun owner, dude. Would you like YOUR mental health to be judged by some bureaucrat appointed by GW? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw that about the "trained professional", but it's going to be a bureaucrat who is the ultimate "decider".

excon

Wow Excon.
First off I am not a gun owner dude nor am I a Mr. I am a woman a Mrs. who enjoys hunting and skeet shooting. All of which I would give up if it meant that my students, my family, and my community were safe. Do I think I should have to give it up. No. But do I think guns should not be in the hands of people that could hurt someone, or themselves or have a history of violent crime.

Thanks for generalizing me though. Own a gun... must be a man. Outstanding

Tuscany - LOL

I do agree with you Tuscany - dudess (is that the female equivalent of dude :) ?
As far as tighter restrictions on guns.

Excon - I agree with you as well - who is to judge who is mentally stable enough to own, and who is not.

Are we all not one bang in the head or one tramatic event away from - "not being of our right mind".

I honestly don't get this owning a gun thing. I have never heard something happen and then someone say... yes, thankfully they owned a gun. I just hear much more negative than I ever hear positive. But I think it is more so the fact that those of you that do own, do not wish that "right" taken away?

Before you all get upset at me, I would never want your rights taken away. I never want to convice anyone that my thinking on anything is the right way.

I still don't get what you all get out of owning one. I am started to feel bad for hubby as I am adamant no guns in the home. But thankfully he has not brought it up for awhile.

I say make the regulations as tight as possible, for all of our safety.

For me and my husband, owning one gives us - if nothing else - the illusion of safety.

I have heard stories where it was a good thing that this man had a gun with him - it saved his life. He was being robbed at gun point and he - being a card carrying member of the NRA had a gun also. When a moment of hesitation came up - he took his chance - turned and shot the criminal right between the eyes. Although, not before the guy shot him in the arm. But, having a gun with him that day saved his life.
Does that happen a lot - probably not.
Moral of the story... I have no idea.

Allheart.
I like how you put the one bang in the head or tramativ event away from -Not being in our right mind.

I agree with that statement 100%.

I am a gun owning WOMAN, but I use my guns as a form of recreation, not for protection. I have a gun cabniet that is always locked, the key is in another part of the house in a safe that is always locked. And the ammo is in yet another location, also always locked. That is the only way I would ever allow guns in my home. We have far to many children running around (and we don't even have kids yet) to have guns out. I guess I have gun control in my own home.

Unfortunately that does not happen in all homes. Which is why I agree with you Allheart, regulations need to be as tight as possible.

Allheart, it's dudette.

I think when it comes to issues such as these - there aren't people in our government that are middle of the road. They either are for guns or they aren't. And that is where the water gets muddy.
You have two sides going at it and nothing gets accomplished. Will the people that want our gun rights ever concede that regulations need to be tightened? Will the people that want our rights taken away ever agree to a compromise?
Will anything ever get done? Will these people not see the forest because of the trees?

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Originally Posted by Capuchin

Allheart, it's dudette.

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Thanks Cap - LROL ( Laugh really out loud :)

Tuscany - oh my I'm sorry... oh my "bang" in the head. What I meant was, if we bump our head. The probability of one keeping there senses the same is quite high from the time they are approved for a gun, but there is no lifetime guarantee that there is NO possibility that the once sane person, well, may, through no fault of their own, have something happen, and mentally unwind. Oh I don't know.

I want you all to have your hobbies and your feeling a safety -

I really don't know what the answer is, but one thing for sure each end of the spectrum needs to meet in the middle somewhere, just for all of our own good.

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Originally Posted by Allheart

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Tuscany - oh my I'm sorry...oh my "bang" in the head

I want you all to have your hobbies and your feeling a safety -

I

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I did not even thing about the bang thing. Oops :)


I don't know if I feel safe, my home has been robbed, my husband has been mugged. But I do know that I take all the necessary precautions to maintain safety in my home. My guns and ammo were in my house when we were robbed. They could not get into the safe to get the guns, and they never found the ammo. So, I guess the gunsafe is doing the trick.

Tuscany -

I am so sorry to hear that. That had to be awful.

Glad it all worked out and it sounds like you couldn't have any more safety precautions in place than you already do.

I actually came home and found the guy in my house... it was kind of a frightening day.
But, I learned a lot from it.
And they got the bad guy!
I was happy that there was closure.

I don't want to take the focus off gun control - because I think it is a great discussion. But, I need to vent right now.
The topic of sex offenders has come up on this discussion. I just found out that a there are actually FOUR offenders and one predator within a mile of my home. I knew some were in the area - just not that close. That really isn't what I want to vent about. One of these guys is my neighbor's nephew. His record dates back 2 years ago. They never told us. My daughter has been over to play with their son when this guy was over their. Am I over reacting here to think that they SHOULD have given us a head's up. I, obviously, haven't checked the list in a while and heard about this guy through my daughter's 1st grade teacher. When I got home to check it out - there he was. I was shocked. They tell us everything else. When it comes to the safety of the kids playing at their house or in the yard - shouldn't we know. And what is worse - his offense was against a child!
Like I said, I am venting. I feel betrayed on a certain level. Yes, I am sure they were embarrassed - but like I said, they share everything else. I mean, I know stuff about them that is so private - I even say TMI! Please STOP sharing. But we share a drive way and our houses are pretty close- so it is hard to avoid letting our kids play together. It is inevitable that one of the two kids is going to end up in the other's yard before the day is up.
I am just sick to my stomach - I have unknowingly put my daughter in harms way. I try to make sure she is safe and right in the back yard a predator is waiting. AARGH!

Hello again, now:

Sex offenders make up, what 15% of the prison population?? And there's four living near you? That means, in all probability, you have a murderer or two on your street, along with several burglars, robbers, muggers, drug dealers and arsonists. Wouldn't you like to know where they all live?

At the rate they've been locking people up over the last decade, your neighborhood is riddled with exconvicts. You think you'll be safer if you know where the sex offenders live?? Snicker, snicker… If you really knew who was in your neighborhood, you'd move to an island.

excon

What level is he? Was he ever alone with your daughter and their son? Try to put yourself in their place for a moment.

I knew a kid who was on the sex offenders list. He was an 18 year old who had consensual sex with a 15 year old (who he believed was older). Her parents caught them and had a cow. And had him prosecuted to the full extent of the law. He spent 2 years in prison and is a listed sex offender. This kid is NOT a danger to anyone, least of all a 1st grade girl.

So before you go off the deep end and start laying guilt trips on yourself, I would suggest getting a fuller story. Its possible that your neighbor's nephew does not present a danger to your daughter. Its possible she was never in harm's way because they never left him out of their sight while she was there. Think what you would do if you had a nephew in that position.