Gun control

[1bdBagr]

Schools have always been populated by bullies and mean kids who naturally prey on the weaker ones who have problems fitting in, i'm sure our parents can tell us plenty of instances. What has changed is computers, social media and home video gaming, along with a constant desensitation to violence. Our parents' parents owned guns, and yes every now and then someone would "go postal" or snap and freak out and shoot a slew of helpless victims. Back in 1975, and 1979, both pre video game/social media/extreme violence overload era, the San Diego school shooting (79) shocked the world. All i'm saying is all of these shootings were pretty hard to predict and pretty hard to prevent. We need an early warning system for troubled kids to spot them before they go batsh!t crazy and any weapons in those households need to be under lock and key in safes where said individuals cannot access them, or hate to say it, removed from that household. But i digress, what about sharp knifes.....if someone truly wants to kill people, they will find the ways and means to do it. Gotta ask all you Obamafans....how do you think ObamaCare is going to work identifying and treating such people with chronic mental health issues? I'll betcha people needing specialized treatments will be sadly be pushed to the back of the bus over cost. Knee jerk reactionary BS from idiots like Feinstein and the like will do nothing to prevent the root causes of this violence. The truly demented evil f'ed up social rejects will ALWAYS find a way, with or without guns to inflict pain and immortalize themselves.
Tim

[HiAngle]

Like everyone else, I was mortified by what happened. I'm not surprised to see many of the comments and the questioning of our country's moral compass. However, I'm not personally convinced movies, video games, handguns or AR-15s are the problem.

I decided to look up school violence stats because when Columbine happened, another tragedy, I was surprised to learn that school violence was continuing its downward trend. School violence,when I was in high school and college, was spiking. I don't remember much being said about it. Maybe we weren't influenced by 24-hr news cycles and social media. Maybe we didn't care.

The link provided shows school violence statistics from 1993-2010. You can draw your own conclusions.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/16/148758...-problem-is-it

[Blacklinebrett]

There is no answer to be able to stop this from happening. I just wish it would it is becoming a fad for teens with a screw loose. I just really found this story so so sad.


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[spdrcr137]

So I got my M4 out the yesterday along with 2 30 round magazines. I loaded one with 30rounds the other stays loaded. I then placed the m4 on the table and waited, and waited, and waited some more. I have come to realize I either have a stupid lazy M4 or it just simply cannot do anything without my help. Im guessing the latter.

[Tequila SG]

Originally Posted by HiAngle

Like everyone else, I was mortified by what happened. I'm not surprised to see many of the comments and the questioning of our country's moral compass. However, I'm not personally convinced movies, video games, handguns or AR-15s are the problem.

I decided to look up school violence stats because when Columbine happened, another tragedy, I was surprised to learn that school violence was continuing its downward trend. School violence,when I was in high school and college, was spiking. I don't remember much being said about it. Maybe we weren't influenced by 24-hr news cycles and social media. Maybe we didn't care.

The link provided shows school violence statistics from 1993-2010. You can draw your own conclusions.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/16/148758...-problem-is-it

This issue goes beyond schools....

[streetg]

Guydoc and some others had some really good posts back a few bout degradation of parenting skills and the general decline of a basic moral compass in America. Seeing the pics of some of these kids on TV drives this tragedy home even harder. I even feel bad for the family of this psychopath, they were originally from my backyard, NEMass n SE NH. I lived in Kingston, NH for bout 10 yrs, an Kingston is a small town, these people were my neighbors, not literally but in as much as small towns go. Freakin tragedy all the way around and we all lose as a country the farther we distort ourselves from our basic American values. I don't believe getting on the gun control bandwagon will help stop random acts of looney violence, but I do believe that a stronger, not weaker which has been the trend, concept of personal responsibility and work ethic would be a positive place to startL

[Michael Psycle]

I have a friend when his kids were teenagers (they are now in their 20's), he spent time every night going over the history in their computer browsers to see what they were looking at. He also made sure that his home was "teenage central", the place where all the kids would gather, in order to keep track of who his kids were hanging with. When the older one, who was the "wild" one was looking for more adventure and expressed an interest in dirt biking, he became interested in dirt biking himself and would transport his son, and his son's friends to the dirt bike park (he himself actually got real interested in dirt biking and became a good rider). He is a divorced father and his ex lives nearby. They can't stand each other for a lot of reasons, but always put that aside to talk about the kids and what was happening when they were in each house (on school nights they slept at her house, on non school nights they slept at his house).

In his opinion, this is the minimum what a parent needs to do in this society with the culture of violence, etc, that is out there in order to raise the kids properly. He knew all the video games they were playing, he knew all their friends, he knew their teachers.

So now one of his kids works for a major Silicon Valley computer company and the other is still in college and doing ok. I wish more parents would take the time to do that. My friend was often unavailable when the rest of us wanted to do something but we all understood why and supported him totally. Now that the kids are basically grown and out of the house, he is doing a lot of things he put off for years. He will probably be getting his first street bike soon.

[Bubba Neil]

Good point Michael.

I believe keeping kids active and involved with sports, hobbies, activities. Too many parents are wrapped up in their career or themselves to be good parents.

My neighbor has 4 kids, all home schooled, 2 years ago he was playing catch with his 10 year old son in the back yard, first and last time I witnessed him really interact with the kid outside at all, kid quit playing baseball after that season.
He does play league basketball now but you never see him outside, his mom says he plays Call of Duty most of the time, 12 years old........

Like owning a gun, having children is not for everyone, just because you can, doesn't mean your mature enough to take on the responsibility.

[Shaw_2112]

Originally Posted by Michael Psycle

I have a friend when his kids were teenagers (they are now in their 20's), he spent time every night going over the history in their computer browsers to see what they were looking at. He also made sure that his home was "teenage central", the place where all the kids would gather, in order to keep track of who his kids were hanging with. When the older one, who was the "wild" one was looking for more adventure and expressed an interest in dirt biking, he became interested in dirt biking himself and would transport his son, and his son's friends to the dirt bike park (he himself actually got real interested in dirt biking and became a good rider). He is a divorced father and his ex lives nearby. They can't stand each other for a lot of reasons, but always put that aside to talk about the kids and what was happening when they were in each house (on school nights they slept at her house, on non school nights they slept at his house).

In his opinion, this is the minimum what a parent needs to do in this society with the culture of violence, etc, that is out there in order to raise the kids properly. He knew all the video games they were playing, he knew all their friends, he knew their teachers.

So now one of his kids works for a major Silicon Valley computer company and the other is still in college and doing ok. I wish more parents would take the time to do that. My friend was often unavailable when the rest of us wanted to do something but we all understood why and supported him totally. Now that the kids are basically grown and out of the house, he is doing a lot of things he put off for years. He will probably be getting his first street bike soon.

very good points and ones I follow, video games/computer/internet are strictly limited. My little one is active in Girl Scouts/cheerleading etc. We go camping several times a year and she loves to fish. I encourage her to get out and be active instead of sitting in front of the TV or read a book if getting out isn't an option. We have daddy/daughter nights at least once a week where it's just the two us.

[spdrcr137]

great examples of what is needed in a childs life.

[guydoc77]

Very good post MP.
I try very hard to do the same.
It is WORK. Daily WORK.
I got my son into dirt bike riding also. He's better than I am at it now. I take him out along with one of his buddies two or three times a week. He has developed a passion for it and has derived self esteem from it.

I hesitate to bring this up in a gun control thread but I do think it's cogent given the present discussion. I also have taught my son to shoot. And to hunt. Deer, pheasants, ducks, geese. While this may not sit right with some, I think it makes a very distinct impression on a kid when he/she harvests an animal. They see the finality of death and it makes an impression. The trouble with the violent video games, as discussed in this thread, is that the killing isn't "real". And, after thousands of "kills", I think a kid becomes desensitized to the point that they can't distinguish. Harvest an animal, field dress it, and put it in the freezer though, and there is no misconception about the kill.

I almost mentioned this as a factor in my earlier post. I talked with my son about this very subject a couple hours ago. He definitely agreed with me.

[pcarrell]

I see it, this is a really simple issue......

[guydoc77]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/...-mentally-ill/

I know that some will scoff at the source but this is an interesting read. And I couldn't agree more. In my view, mental "health" has become a charade in our country. I have good friends who've had kids that committed suicide. There is an alarming rash of Iraq and Afghanistan vets who are committing suicide. And, of course, we have the mass shootings. I'm on the "front lines" of all this as an ER doc. Often I go outside the box to hook people up with other resources, like support groups, drug/alcohol treatment. Often I'm left frustrated.

[cernunos]

Originally Posted by pcarrell

I see it, this is a really simple issue......

Halloo. Well said, as far as this thread goes. The other thing I believe is, without taking anything away from this tragic mass murder, because it is tragic and sad, is that it should just remind everybody that we live in the "world". And in the world, bad things happen, whether it be some kind of thing like this or a dumptruck plows into the back of a line of bikes sitting at a stoplight or your best bud gets waxed on a boat during the last few days of his tour. They're all tragic, but it doesn't mean we should go about trying to change everyone else's life, or limiting rights or, really, thinking we HAVE to do something every-time anything bad happens. It's life, and I would hope everyone would just learn to accept that there will always be a few cock-roaches, a few who "snap" and that things sometimes happen. It's not the tool it's the one who mis-uses the tool.

C.......

[Nitram_b4]

Originally Posted by James

Wow...just wow Tequila. From your previous political stances in other post I thought I had you pegged as a conservative Republican. Didn't realize that you just may be a Libtard like some others on this forum. Since when do we need the government regulating what games our children play or what movies our children watch? That's the parents job in my house.