One of the first victims identified among the 17 people killed was Aaron Feis, an assistant football coach and security guard. Feis was shot after reportedly throwing himself in front of students during the rampage. — Banno
The moral perversity that allows one to think that universal healthcare is tyranny but dead school children are the price of freedom is what is corroding the soul of the United States.
...so kids get drunk and kill each other in cars - and therefore one ought not reform gun laws? — Banno
This is not at all to say that I oppose or favor this or that age restriction. — foo
This is not say that I am for or against this or that law, either. (I wouldn't expect a stranger's mere preferences to matter much, though I can imagine fitting into various pigeonholes in readers' minds.) — foo
On the other hand, I like knowing that I have some way of protecting my little family against an extreme situation. The anti-gun argument tends to ignore that criminals aren't going to obey gun laws. — foo
I happen to fear criminals more than the state, and I don't especially fear violent crime (I'm more likely to be smashed by some texting teenager's Toyota). Nevertheless, the idea of being threatened in my own home without recourse is sufficiently odious to me that I'd miss my 'nuclear option' if it were no longer there. — foo
And I'm really not sure what's best politically, and I don't mind being not sure. I do have a instinctive distrust of those who are very sure. At what cost that certainty? How homogenized is their social circle? How accurate is their sense of the kinds of people involved? For me a theoretical and imperfect neutrality is a way to stay out of red bubbles and blue bubbles where everyone sings the one true song about the bad people on the other side. — foo
I think, coming from a European country, this fear is probably exaggerated. — Benkei
f it weren't legal, most criminals aren't murderers that need guns and rather not serve extra time for gun possession or be labeled a criminal merely for gun possession. Most burglars, street dealers, hustlers etc. will give up their guns as a result. — Benkei
I can understand this sentiment. Breaking in and entry is a high impact crime that has a lot of emotional effect on the victims. On the other hand, I doubt they are often committed with the intent to commit violence - usually it's cash, phones, computers and TVs. The insurance covers those. Why even risk killing someone? I would hope killing someone is still more traumatic than being robbed and should be avoided. — Benkei
What I find hardest to grasp is why Americans are so very, very frightened of their own government. — Banno
But you also assume prudence on the part of criminals. We are also a country of serial killers over here. Some of them will eat your privates. (That's meant to be funny, but it's true.) — foo
So these guns will be in a closet/drawer/briefcase which will obviously have to be kept locked so that students can't steal the gun and use it themselves. Because really, the most ideal situation for a school shooter would be to break in and access the gun they know is in their classroom rather than having to go through all the pesky admin of buying one themselves.
...
A teacher who is trained to be a good shot should have no problem whatsoever sensing the presence of an active shooter while in the middle of teaching a lesson on photosynthesis, unlocking the closet/drawer/briefcase where the pistol is kept, calmly pulling the pistol out, getting off a clean shot, and taking out the active shooter before he sprays bullets across the classroom with an assault weapon. No problem whatsoever.
I'm under the impression that in the US if you keep a gun at home to protect your home and family while you are at home, what you have actually done is create a much more dangerous environment. Perhaps if you're really, really well-trained, a gun might help you in the case of a home invasion of some kind. But very, very few people are that well trained (and that includes almost everyone who thinks they are!). So score one on the side of guns creating/increasing danger in the case of confrontation with criminals. And, in some states in the US, your obligation and duty under the law is to retreat if you can. Score again for guns creating/increasing danger, this time from the law!'m a gun owning American (liberal/moderate, I suppose.) Maybe I can add some perspective. I would rather live in a society where I would never need a gun. Arguably I don't need the one I have. It mostly sits in the same place, just in case. And I surely don't want the legal trouble or the publicity that would come with using it.
On the other hand, I like knowing that I have some way of protecting my little family against an extreme situation. — foo
It's all about money, really. — Ciceronianus the White
On the other hand, I like knowing that I have some way of protecting my little family against an extreme situation. — foo
Guns kept in homes are more likely to be involved in a fatal or nonfatal accidental shooting, criminal assault, or suicide attempt than to be used to injure or kill in self-defense.
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