Be nice if someone would think of an actual solution..since gun control didn't work (most campuses like this are "gun-free" zones! lol).
On a gun forum i frequent, the topic of school shootings had some good suggestions. My input was that there should be something in place like on airplanes...plainclothes armed guards mixed in. Uniformed armed guards would be stupid since they'd be easy targets...yet still deterrents. If it were known on campus (policy made public) that there were such armed guards mixed in, it would immediately reduce the likelyhood of a brazen shootout...because yes, an armed population is a polite one. You don't see these shootings in areas where people conceal carry..at all!
Another alternative I suggested was to offer teachers CCW permits and training..even specific crisis training for their environment. OBviously they would be voluntary..and be paid some type of hazard stipend. Of course such a volunteer CCW teacher would not be able to divulge their CCW status, or ever let students know they'd be armed..so they'd have to conceal it pretty good. And with the reality that a campus has volunteer armed teachers...well you can guess the likelyhood of such shootings would plummet.
People, "gun-free" zones have the OPPOSITE effect that are intended by them. Just think about it. Think about the opportunistic shooter. They have access to a gun, either their own (rarely), or from someone they know (fault is with that person for not securing said weapons). They are at the bottom of their ropes, are attention starved like usmarine, and they have a need to be seen and "go out with a bang." Their motive is usually to kill those who made fun of them, broke up with them, or otherwise general slaughter of innocents for the media attention. Their success depends on there being no guns on campus for at least a few minutes (cops arriving). If that perception was missing, they would know their success would be shortened or stopped completely...then they'd go to a mall or just go home and kill themselves.
In short, arming trained, responsive, reliable people (CCW holders) is a much better answer than trying to stem the tide of gun proliferation, gun modifications (microstamping), doing pretty much anything the Brady's think is helpful, etc. If there aren't such shootouts among armed people, then there is no more debate about this topic...gun control advocates have NEVER been right, and likely never will be.
djphetal wrote:
To be very honest, I think that some of the right-wingers here have kinda swayed my view on gun control. I have to think that controlling guns would have minimal effect.
The best thing we as people can do is to be compassionate towards all other people.
Not to be rude, and this not pointed just at you, but to EVERY ignorant person on this message board that throws around "left-wing" "right-wing" "liberal" "neocon" labels based loosely on such topics. This has nothing to do with political leaning. I"m a liberal, as are many gun owners who understand this basic topic of gun "safety." There's often topics on here where someone will say "liberal media" or something stupid and it doesn't even apply or have an ounce of veracity to it.
Last edited by IRONCHEF (2008-02-15 10:54:36)
