I can't really wrap my head around it. I mean, I feel guilty for killing bugs. To think someone could kill one child, let alone THAT many people? It's unfathomable. I know the whole gun issue is going to come up quite a bit. I don't think we should just get rid of them all, because that doesn't do any good. Drugs are illegal, people still find ways to get drugs. Prohibition? That did a lot of good too. I think they need more strict control, and SOME kind of way to keep anyone that's even remotely unstable from getting their hands on one.

All I know about it is that no other equivalent country has this problem on this scale. Obviously something is wrong.

I agree with this...I know its unreasonable to think guns can just go away.

If every gun shop had an on hand psychologist maybe?

I think I deserve to own a gun because I went through extensive gun classes and training to learn the proper use and maintaining of my weapon. I look at my weapon as a recreational hobby that is designed to kill people. So I would be safe if a criminal breaks into my house with a gun and I pull out a knife?

I don't take it as an attack just probing me for answers and its perfectly fine. I think its pointless and enraging also. I still will always side with my right as a citizen to bear arms, albeit I have never had to.

For real.

Where will this supposed large supply of guns come from if not for U.S. manufacturing? Mexico gets the lion's share of their weapons from us because they have really strict gun laws making it very difficult to get your hands on one.

That'd probably be good. I can't really think of/figure out a surefire way, of course, since I know pretty much nothing about the process of getting a gun, but something along those lines I imagine would help. All I know is whatever is being done now isn't enough.

Well, I'll lay off since you don't want to talk about it anymore. There are few issues in the world that get me heated, and this is one of them.

I don't look down or judge anyone who is responsible and owns a gun. A lot of my friends (and family members, for that matter) own guns. In my eyes, not having a gun would simply be a reasonable sacrifice if it meant preventing a shooting like this. As we've all agreed, banning guns wouldn't get rid of guns. But we do have to start somewhere.

Why do you guys think school shootings are a relatively new ordeal in U.S?

Why wasn't it a issue pre 1990's?

edit: im wrong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting#1700s

edit#2: still most of these are single shootings up until very recently

If you start a war on guns it will be about as effective as the war on drugs or the days of prohibition. You can't predict unpredictability, and even if a person gives off red flags as to being unstable the truth of it is Joe blow down the street who's been normal his whole life might flip out one day and do something extreme. The chances are less likely but point is these type of things have occurred since the beginning of time. Its frustrating and extremely sad for the victims but I think a war on guns would only make things worse. I don't know where the rest of you are from but I'm pretty sure as far as Texas and the rest of the south is concerned. You try to start taking their guns away and you would have a revolution on your hands. It would only lead to more devastation.

I've been over this issue so many times with family members. My own Mom is a proponent for gun laws and the banning of weapons. I found my love of guns from my grandfather and father, both military men and it has been an avid hobby for both collecting and recreational use for me for over 20 years now.

Well if banning guns wouldn't get rid of guns then we would be back at square one in a sense. I see the correlation you're painting, but its not gonna stop senseless violence. As I described a deranged guy made a weapon out of a car and killed 12 children at an elementary school here in California years ago. I just don't see banning guns as keeping guns out of the wrong hands. Who oversees this project and how do they get the guns from people who do not want to give up their guns? That would require taking away other rights in order to enforce something like that. OK I'm really done now.