Each time we have a
mass shooting such as this (and there have just been far too many in my
opinion), our nation’s political dialogue becomes more focused on our country’s
gun laws. Some have felt that we need stricter gun laws to prevent tragedies
such as this from happening. According to Senator Dianne Feinstein, “weapons of
war don’t belong on our streets”. Colorado Governor, John Hickenlooper,
expressed skepticism that tougher gun laws would’ve prevented the Aurora, Colorado tragedy
stating, “If there were no assault weapons available – this guy’s going to find
something right?” Senator Ron Johnson agrees, “I don’t think society can keep
sick, demented, individuals from obtaining any type of weapon to kill people.
Somebody who purposely wants to harm another individual is going to find a
method to do so”.
So my question to you
this week is, “How do you feel about our country’s gun laws? What should the
government’s responsibility be, if anything, in preventing crimes like this in
the future?” Many of you said in our last blog post, that you are interested in
learning how other countries do things.
I would love to hear some statistics on what other countries are doing
in terms of gun control. Answers are due
no later than Sunday, January 20th. My thoughts and prayers go out
to anyone affected by senseless violence, especially the community of Newton,
Connecticut.
As a combat veteran and being someone who has been around firearms normally, I believe we need to have some sort of a controlled gun laws.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am a firm believer on home security. If you are an intruder in my home, I would not hesitate to eliminate them from harming myself or my family.
Hand gun ownership should controlled though. Even now you do not need papers to own hand-guns in your home. Personal carry permits are mandatory though which is great.
It is the semi-automatics, shotguns, and heavy machine gun firearms that have no place outside the hands of military and police personal.
When you bring up the issue of gun control, you always get the people that say "YOU CAN'T TAKE MY GUNS AWAY!!"
ReplyDeleteI come from a family that is big on owning guns, my brother is in the military as well and I have to hear that crap constantly.
I don't think guns should be taken away from people, but I do think they should be harder to obtain. All it takes to get a gun is a call to the FBI and a few days' waiting period. There are optional classes on gun safety that people can take, but nothing is really mandatory: We have to jump through more hoops to get a driver's license than a gun.
The government should definitely make it harder to obtain firearms. Maybe even impossible to obtain assault rifles. It's not an instant fix, it may take awhile for guns to cycle out of the hands of criminals, but it would eventually have an impact. As far as the government helping protect citizens I believe it would be wise to have teachers trained in some kind of self defense. Maybe even armed. The intimidation of going into a building filled with the equivalent of armed guards would be more than enough to keep most, if not all, would-be lunatics away.
I found an article from someone that lives in South Korea and here is a quote from him on what someone asked for Korean gun control: "This question jumped the line in light of the terrorist shooting in Arizona. The Korean wants to make a clear point here: it is eminently possible to eradicate guns from a society -- even in a society where nearly every single adult men are familiar with guns (during their military service.) And eliminating guns from a society is easier than eliminating crazy people." So from my understanding guns are very much illegal in all of South Korea besides hunting rifles because it helps to eliminate violence in the country. Also they do background checks on all persons that want to sell guns in Korea. So they can regulate them and sell them but if the person who plans on selling has any type of criminal background they will be declined a permit by the local police. Even those with a background of mental disability makes you unable to own a gun in Korea.
ReplyDeleteI, myself, believe that we cannot completely get rid of violence in our country so I don't think that getting stricter gun laws won't really change the amount of violence by much here. I do think that we should do deeper background checks and waiting periods as you said in the blog. I don't think that guns are bad it's just the people who use them for bad things are the ones that are ruining it for everyone.
Gun Control is something I really just try to stay out of, it's been a big thing ever since I can remember. I'm like you Stephanie, my family never really cared for guns and they weren't ever in my house. I agree with Donnie about home security. I also agree with Jerrod about how it is harder to get a license than a gun.
ReplyDeleteI believe that whoever wants a gun, whether it be a criminal or not, will get a gun. Criminals are known to get guns illegally anyways, so gun laws really wont have a huge affect. I do believe that they could have forms and interviews that the future gun owners have to go through, especially for guns that aren't really used for hunting purposes, such as: semi-automatics, shotguns, or machine guns (Even though, personally, I don't think they should even be allowed to be sold to citizens & just used for military purposes).
I also agree with Jerrod about maybe having teachers go through classes that teach them how to protect themselves and the children, and possibly have a weapon of their own. I believe this possibly could have helped what happen in Connecticut. I'm really not sure what else the government could do. Gun Control is just one of those things that we can't really fight because of the Constitutional Right.
-Sarah Brown
Taking away the right to bear arms won't stop the violence. It's a cliche to mention it, but it's true that "guns don't kill, people do". Taking guns away will just leave us defenseless. If someone wants to hurt you, they're going to do it or at least try. One of the only things we can really do is to make it harder for those with a history of criminal activity, violent behavior, or mental disorders to get a gun. Another thing we could do is give training with guns to those who are likely to become victims-which is just about everyone.
ReplyDeleteLike Sarah said, most criminals would probably get a gun illegally anyway. Gun laws or not, their guns will be harder to trace back to them. I also agree with Donald and Sarah above when they say that semi-automatics and machine guns should not be sold to citizens.
My family does not associate with having guns in our home. The gun law should be more strict especially people with mental illness should not have a permit of a gun period. I do understand a lot of people want to protect themselves but there are a lot of SICK people that use it for fun and danger. But either way without guns, violence will still happen with other weapons. They should have some type of chip device in the gun, so police and other authorities can track if that person is taking the gun to an unusual place for instance the elementary school. They can stop or question what ever will happen before any incident. Society needs to make decision fast because this just give the opportunity and time for those who want guns for violence.
ReplyDeleteI believe gun control shouldn't be a major issue in this country right now. There are far more important things to worry about than curtailing the rights that every citizen has been granted as an American. It's in the Bill of Rights for god's sake. I'd say the founding fathers found it pretty important. And they quite obviously knew what was better for our country than the people running it today
ReplyDeleteHad there not been a shooting, this executive order wouldn't have even been a hot issue. This administration knows how to use the media to get want. It's not like it's going to change anything. All those people have weapons already. Guess what, they're not going to give up a single one of those guns so did that solve anything? I can't own a weapon because of my prior background, but I could make a phone call and have any manner of machine gun brought to my door. Imagine how many other people out there can do the same thing, and don't care about the laws prohibiting them. Once again they passed something that isn't going to change anything
I am for backround checks, but not to where they are completely restricted by law. I come from a family that is divide by my mother and father's side. One prefers not to own a gun and are basically pacifists. On the other hand, you have the other side whom are strongly against gun control and it's normally due to the fear of having their guns taken away. They are also proud gun owners and I love to go out and shoot with them whenever I can. That being said, I would be put into the middle. Also, gun violence and occasional massacres happen everyday, but it's so much that the media only covers certain areas for reasons I have no idea about. If anything, I would suggest a better security routine or more health evaluations, but not to where you have crime rate spike within 10 years, which is what I worry about. California, as I have informed myself upon, has cities being run to the ground due to their gun control laws. As for me, well I'd like to be able to get a decent shotgun and hope for the best.
ReplyDelete-Micah Kistler
I still believe in the basic principal of "to each their own". I'm personally not a big fan of guns, but i know a good amount of my friends like them. I do agree with bowzer27 when he says if it weren't for the media, we wouldn't even be talking about this issue. I actually read an article the other day from a news site trying to "logically" explain how shootings in schools, is linked to the rule against prayer in school. Now that's quite a stretch. And the other thing i'm a firm believer on is that "if someone wants something, its more than likely going to happen" Even if we go as extreme as South Korea like Ashlee brought up, this guy still could of brought in a bomb. The result would have actually been worse, with the same result of himself dying.
ReplyDeleteI don't personally know what would stop this from happening in the future. I'd say that ironically this country would be more chaotic without guns. It gives people a sense of security in such a crazy world. Take that away, and people know there are more than one way to kill people...
-Sean Brown
Can stricter gun control laws decrease the rate of crimes involving guns?
ReplyDeleteTaking guns will only stop novice criminals. Since I live in the real world, I understand that crimes are going to happen no matter what. I can understand that guns will be used no matter what. If gun laws are passed and guns are removed from legal purchase, it just means that law abiding citizens are unarmed and criminals are going to keep their guns. And murders and robbers will sky rocket now that we have so many beautifully weak unarmed. But what really baffles me is that people think people will stop killing, robbing and doing violence to each other just because they don’t have a gun. But if you want to stop that just take away all knifes. Or blunt objects. Hell why you are at it, cut off our hands so we as a society can do nothing to each other at all
When it comes to criminals and firearms the law is that no one with a felony on their record can buy or own a firearm, so already that tells you that most criminals do not buy their firearms legally from the gun stores that new gun control laws would affect; they obtain their weapons illegally through black-market sources and fellow criminals. Banning assault style weapons from stores does not stop their production or their existence. Criminals will still be able to get them, the only difference will be is people will not be able to protect themselves as well as they could in the past. This goes beyond just self defense but to the American rights, many gun owners have these weapons just for sport or just to collect them, and per our Constitutional rights they can. In Brazil citizens are not allowed to buy more than one handgun per year and no handguns can be larger than a 9mm. Rifles are only allowed if they fire handgun ammo and no semi-automatic long-gun rifled or smooth bore is permitted. With all these restrictions Brazil has one of the highest murder rates committed by fire arms in the world. Japan has eliminate gun completely in their country and they are still middle in the list of countries in order of murders, so even without guns the citizens of Japan find other ways of committing murders. So you can constrict guns to only the military like Brazil or get rid of them completely and you will still never stop crime my method of weapons. As far as making stricter background checks, currently checking for criminal backgrounds is about as good as it can get, there is nothing you can check for that will determine what is going to happen in the future, anyone of us could break out into a violent rage and never know that it is going to happen. Control is the only thing Government is trying to get out of this, gun control is just another way that the Government is inflicting their opinion of how we need to live our lives.
ReplyDeleteI can’t say what’s right or what’s wrong with human beings for what I think isn’t what others would understand. Nature is nature and if someone sets their mind on something then they will put all their power towards that goal, even if it means to wake death. I do believe that there should be stricter background checks and that there should be some type of mental health check when dealing with any type of weapon. Our minds our frail things and only one thought can make you stray from what you know.
ReplyDeleteThis is definatley one of those situations that makes you wonder what kind of a person would do something so horrible. When considering the reality that 20 innocent children where killed period, a bitter taste fills my mouth. I can't imagine what the parents are feeling if the thought of this makes me feel this way. The good thing that comes out of all of this is something will changed because this crime involves children, preventative message will be taken to make a better system for children to be safe. I don't like the government so I would prefer that they not get their hands in more operations. It my perception is reality that people can buy automatic weapons my question who be why is that a possibility? Considering that we live in a well populated nation an automatic weapon should never be available to a civilian really when you think about it why would you ever need that. Food for thought.....
ReplyDeleteFirst off, if there's anything I don't trust, it's our government. I don't trust our politics. I don't trust the media. Luckily our forefathers gave us the freedom of speech. It scares me that if the Constitution is changed once, then what will stop the government from doing it again? As a single individual I feel powerless when it comes to politics.
ReplyDeleteI'm 22 years old and I have my future to focus on. Our current government can eat a dick.
When It comes to gun control and our government getting involved; I feel like they're trying to push the American people. I'm not worried at all about only being able to own a ten round clip. When I get older and once I buy a house, you better believe that I'm having at least a couple guns in there protecting my family. I feel like my kids should know how to use a gun as well if something ever happens when I'm not there.
We Americans rely too much on our government and have become spoiled and dependent. This makes us very stupid as a whole; Look how we are stereotyped. We always act like a bunch of spoiled brats. Our government should only be there to ensure safety and our freedom. Unfortunately there are too many spoiled brats in this country to think otherwise.
People can be the most ridiculous things sometimes. I've seen them freak out whenever a parent teaches their kids to shoot or puts a gun around them. People say that having a gun around them gives them potential to be a murderous killer. Everyone is born with that potential, but it's the morals we are taught at a young age to know right from wrong.
Bad parenting is to blame for kids being murderous killers. It is the job of the parent to teach their kids right from wrong. When I become a parent, I will dedicate myself to make sure that my kids become genuinely good people. People that will be open to new things and when scared, they will learn about their fears to understand them and become afraid no more. A child's mind is delicate and easily influenced. The internet will also be a big influence on kids who are growing up in this time. As soon as they learn to read and write they'll know how to use the internet; where they will see a lot of different things. Parents can't stop their kids from what they do, but they can help them understand the consequences from every action they make. I was taught as a kid to treat others how I want to be treated.
I don't think the government should limit human beings anymore than what they already do. I don't think they should have any control over what we have in our homes. We should know better, think for ourselves more, think about others more, and do the right thing. Though, people piss me off so much, all the time. Sometimes I wanna punch some people's face in. We all get that way. Getting even with that person that pisses us off won't make you feel better, it'll make you feel worse. So don't do it. Instead, figure out a way that helps you let off steam or help you settle the feeling that you have.
Honestly, The government needs to do nothing. Criminals do not buy their guns from any gun store in america. If criminals want to get ahold of weapons they will find them illegally, which isn't very hard. Taking guns away from the public is taking the only thing that we as americans have to protect ourselves. There was once an chinese army general that said we can not go to america because we will find a rifle behind every blade of grass. Making gun harder to get might help the problem out but this isn't a gun issue this is a mental health issue.
ReplyDeleteIn this country not only do we need to solve the issue of guns, but the consequences for people's actions who don't follow them. Even if we did background checks and regulated them in certain areas/occupations, people would still go against it because it is a law. In some countries, such as Japan, virtually no one owns a gun and there are strict penalties for being evolved with them.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/
The way they obtain a gun is a must more in dept process. There are much lower numbers in deaths and it continues to lower as time passes.
On the other hand, Japan has a different culture of people altogether, so maybe it is not as simple for our rash personalty to give up such destruction so easily. Meaning, it is in our nature as a country that "we have a right to bear arms" so guns are acceptable.
You cannot change the urge to kill, but if you take away the weapons of war and keep things that are "more safe" (they won't kill you in a shot, maybe just stun till the police have arrive, if it is an intruder in your home) to defend yourself.
It is the job of the police, military, swatt to make sure we are protected.-Mariah Shoaff
(I guess this didn't post Tuesday evening?)
It's just like with every other issue that gets brought up in our country. Try to solve the symptom instead of trying to understand the cause and fix the problem from there, because that would involve an uncomfortable amount of work and require that we as American's look at our own darker selves. Nobody is willing to take responsibility and finger pointing is the best most people can come up with. The truth is that this is a violent country. We were born in violence and it is part of our national identity. If you want to fix the problems of the day, look there first.
ReplyDeleteJames
I feel like an issue like this is hard to resolve. Anyone that wants a gun will get one no matter if they are registered or not to have one. It wouldn't be that hard to get a hold of one if you know the right people, I imagine one could get just about anything that they want. I don't imagine a criminal that is using them to protect themselves in the streets going to register their own weapons.
ReplyDeleteI think that people are going do what they want to do but if you enforce the the rules before getting a permit can save alot of damage. The government should enforcre back ground checks and make sure they're mentally stable to even have a gun in they're possession. But still like some of the comments i read , people can find a way to get a gun regardless of having a permit for it or not.
ReplyDeleteI do have a gun in my home , but its not loaded , its just to scare people away if they ever try to break in my home. I don't mind having a gun in the home as long as its nothing bad going on.
- Alana Ingram
Personally, i think this is a highly difficult topic that has an equally highly comlpicated answer. I support the constitution with the right to bare arms. I don't think it would be right to take the freedom of guns out of the hands of Americans. The fore-fathers of this country put that in the Bill of Rights for a reason. I think the issue goes beyond the possession and more so the mental health of this country, as stephanie had stated. Wether it be a sign that this nation needs to be less greeding and care able everyone just as much as themselves, or devoiding more time in school developing students views on ethics. I also think that students are too sheltered in public school systems. How can they develop what is wrong and what is right when they don't learn the true details of a historic event that is regretable. They can't learn from past mistakes becuase they don't know about them.
ReplyDelete