Topic : 10/12 Homecoming Shooting

without reading all the previous posts i just have to say ... AS ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN I AM ABSOLUTLY SICK OF READING THIS CRAP ABOUT THIS HAPPENING IN AMERICA AND AM ABSOLUTLEY BAFFELED AT THE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE AND ACCEPTANCE OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN CULTURE!

IN AUSTRALIA WE HAD A MASSACRE YEARS BACK AND THE GOVERNMENT CRACKED DOWN AND MADE EVRYONE HAND IN THERE GUNS WE HAVENT REALLY HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE when the hell is america going to ban the guns yous are so parioniod about protecting yourselves from each other and have become so parioniod that u think you need more and more guns to protect yourselves from each other, if you get rid of the guns then u wont have anything to have to protect yourself from in the first place YES its people that kill people but the guns are there to help them kill people get rid of the guns and there will be less wepons to HELP you kill people it absolutley baffles me that yous do not get this!!!! the stupid law thaT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CARRY GUNS TO PROTECT YOURSELF IS THE BIGGEST LOAD OF CRAP I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!!! INSTEAD OF GETTING MORE GUNS GET RID OF THE GUNS AND START FIXING THE PROBLEMS THAT MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO KILL PEOPLE IN THE FIRST PLACE! AS SOMEONE BATTELING DEPRESSION FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS I UNDERSTAND WHY THESE PEOPLE WILL FEEL AS BAD AS THEY DO THAT THEY WANT TO KILL, START FOCUSING ON HELPING THSES PEOPLE!!! UGHH IT BAFFLES ME THE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICA GEORGE BUSH IS NOTHING BUT A BIG MURDERER!!!! TELLING KIDS TO STOP SHOOTING EACH OTHER THEN GOING OVER AND BOMBING ALL THESE COUNTRIES AND KILLING MILLIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE  WITH NO REGERDS TO ALL THE HUMAN LIVES THAT HE KILLS OVERSEAS JUST BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF A FEW PEOPLE FROM THESE COUNTRIES ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER AND IT DOESNT MATTER INSTEAD OF KILLING FAMILIES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES START HELPING YOUR OWN COUNTRY !!!! FOR FRIK SAKE MY COUNTRY AINT THAT PERFECT BUT THE REASON WE DONT HAVE ANY SHOOTINGS IS CAUSE ITS HARDER TO GET GUNS, FAIR ENOUGH WE HAVE LESS PEOPLE SO THERE WONT BE AS MANY SHOOTINGS, BUT LIKE YOU SEE GUNS IN AMERICA ALL THE TIME IVE NEVER HAD ACCESS TO A GUN OVER HERE 

eVERYTIME I HEAR ALL THIS PATRIOTIC CRAP ABOUT AMERICA BEING THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD I SHUDDER TO MYSELF

DID YOU PEOPLE LEARN NOTHING FROM COLUMBINE , BY THE WAY I URGE ANYONE WHO HASNT SEEN IT TO WATCH BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE!!!!!! ONE OF THE BEST PUT TOGETHER THINGS IVE EVER SEEN ON THIS SUBJECT

My sympathies for the families, both the victims families as well as that young officer's, that are dealing with this tragedy.  That is what this is, a tragedy. 

I am not an NRA member but I do not believe it was the gun that killed.  It was the troubled young man that chose to enter that room and begin pulling the trigger.  The fact that he was legal to carry a weapon shows that gun control will not work.  We cannot take these weapons away from our policemen, their jobs are already far too dangerous.  

Someone posted that an average of 80 people are shot every day.  I would be willing to bet that the majority of those shootings (90% or more?) are drug related.  Drugs, made more valuable because they are illegal.  Guess what?!  You are never going to remove guns from the criminals hands.  You will only make the weapon worth that much more on the black market. 

If you want to point fingers at the problems of today's society, I would suggest looking at the violence in movies.  How many times have I seen the "bad guy" pointing a gun in someone's face to get what he wants.  It's the solution to anything that gets in his way or makes him angry.  Film makers can say all they want about the violence in their movies not having an impact on our young children/adults.  Violence is seen as an quick and easy solution to what the troubled person views as insurmountable problems in their lives, weather that is school, work or their home life. 

Would a person of good moral value choose that road?  Probably not but we have taken God out of so much of our lives, what chance do our children have?

I'm sorry this is so long.  Just a concerned citizen.

D

I can tell from your letter that you know little about guns and little about the training those who carry guns have! You also make it sound like all women can and will be overpowered. Speak for yourself. I have taken down 250 lb men in training. It's about SKILL, not size.

I am a former high school teacher (9 yrs) and a former felony parole officer (3 years). I have been trained to carry a firearm and I carry it when I travel alone with our children. I also have it close by when my husband is out of town and I carry it when I walk alone in the evenings.

I taught in a dangerous city school for 5 years. Kids were being arrested in my classroom. I had kids waiting trial (in seats) who were charged with attempted murder (drive by shootings), car jackings, home invasions, etc. THESE are just some of the kids in our public high schools nationwide. These are just some of the kids who sit next to innocent little Sally Sue and Johnny. John Q Public doesn't know half the story!

All I had was a cell phone when I was stalked by a night school teen and threatened with death by a suicidal kid (I was 8 months pregnant at the time). Do you really think my phone would have worked well against one of these young thugs with a gun? Should we just liine up and allow one of them to shoot us....kids, me, students on the other sides of the thin walls?

People who carry concealed weapons have to keep them secured on their body and out of sight. Nobody ever knows when I was carrying my weapon. They're not supposed to. The weapon is there for  me to use if ever needed. I have had enough training to be responsible. How many crimes have you heard where a person carrying a concealed weapon has shot someone who wasn't attacking? I have heard of ZERO and I am in my 40's.

TRUST ME, LADY. If a student WANTS to kill, he will kill. It won't be a teacher's concealed weapon he uses. He'll just bring one with him to school!!!

You're right, you are not "fearful." You are clueless and uninformed. You will be serving tea and crumpets to a home invader as your kids are being killed. Or better yet, dial 911 and just ask the attacker to wait until law enforcement arrives in 10 minutes. GEESH>

I don't want or need revenge. I am against the death penalthy AND against killing babies (apparently that's ok with many women). But I do have a right to protect myself and my family. This idea that a teacher's gun will CAUSE some kid to kill is just plain FOOLISH.

Look at the teacher who is suing to carry one. Her ex-husband has threatened to kill her. She's a teacher with students. Do you want her to be unarmed when he walks into her classroom and starts shooting her and her students? I'd rather she be TRAINED and carry a gun. At least my child would stand a chance!

First of all, you are listening to Michael Moore, a talented man who unfortunately is so jaded and dishonest in his films. He's an avowed socialist whose glass is always half empty. He talks about public schools, but lives in a pent house apartment with armed security as he sends his children to PRIVATE school. His dishonesty in one firm has already been well documented, so I would not be surprised if his Columbine film had the same problems. Moore caters to people like you who live in another country and do not know much about the U.S....you get your news from Hollywood and the biased American press that shows only the message it wishes to get out.

I am sure you have problems now that the honest people do not have guns. Criminals will NOT turn over guns. Only the honest peope will (the same people who will never shoot anyone in their lifetimes unless their lives are directly threatened). You are sitting ducks for criminals. Perhaps that's OK with you, but my children deserve more than that. I want to protect them when someone coming to rape and kill my family (for either robbery or just plain sport) enters my locked home. And under our CONSTITUTION, something you apparently don't know about or care about, I have that right to protect my family. I have trigger locks on my guns, had to go thru extensive training to carry them on me and they are only used during practice at the range. However, they WILL be used if I or my family are ever attacked.

This is America. With all it's problems, it's STILL the most free country on earth. Anyone who wants to succeed here, WILL succeed here. People aren't sneaking into your country so apparently our beautiful America isn't that bad after all! "Shudder" all you want, but  it's obvious you haven't lived here and you don't know all the wonderful things America has to offer (that's problaby because you are listening to Michael Moore, who does NOT love this country....expect the money he makes off it).

By the way, have your forgotten how your country was formed? Talk about funny.....