Home > Thinking Right > Archives > 2007 > April > 18 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGuns, here and there
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the aftermath of Monday’s horror at Virginia Tech, two avenues of commentary have emerged. One is to wring our collective hands and bemoan the fact that all of us now live in a time and place where we are exposed to crazies. Acknowledging that, the hand-wringers further argue that we should try to make schools, college campuses, public places and other potential venues for large-scale violence secure by hiring more police or by developing elaborate warning systems.
The second avenue of commentary, incidentally, was entirely predictable — the prepackaged, ready-for-the-moment call for more gun control. For the remainder of our lives, until liberals find a way to repeal the Second Amendment, every tragedy involving misuse of a gun by a crazy, a flipped-out workplace shooter or a looney misfit, will be the media moment to key up the anti-gun campaign.
Certainly, political leaders who favor the Second Amendment should be mindful of the news and avoid becoming an extension of an urelated tragedy. That would have been the case here Tuesday had the Georgia Senate not postponed a vote on a measure to allow people without felony convictions or a history of mental illness to keep legally purchased guns anywhere in their cars. Another bill tacked on would prohibit employers from denying their workers the right to have a gun in their locked car at work.
Timing matters. Considering the bill on Tuesday would have fed the critics and subjected senators to the damning charge of “insensitivity.” But having waited, the Senate cannot now fail to act, either by passing or defeating the bill before adjournment Friday, lest they confirm the argument of gun-control advocates that guns, and their availability, are the problem.
As to the nation’s search for security, the plain truth is that we could hire two-thirds of the population and assign them to “protect” the remaining third — and still not provide the security that would prevent future massacres. And we could round up all the guns, and that wouldn’t stop them either.
Comments
By test
April 19, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
test
By Barbara
April 19, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this
Jim, you need to re-post this one as your most recent. People don’t usually go back to the day before to post, and this one is certain to stimulate more discussion than today’s abortion topic. Put this one on the top link……..
By Staci
April 19, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this
I’m fuming over this! This guy clearly showed his craziness right in our FACES!!! As with all other sociopath’s who always do. We IGNORED IT!!! PLEASE someone answer why we keep thinking that people are just acting out and why do we keep believing that if we just ignore these people, they will drop off! So many professors, the President of the School and the mental hospital where he spent some time in, as well as the counselor FAILED THE STUDENTS OF THIS TRAGEDY!!! As with Columbine, and all the other school shootings that have occured….WE IGNORED a valuable sign!!! They all but stood up in the middle of the freeway and yelled out LOOK AT ME, I’M CRAZY, I’M GONNA GET YOU PEOPLE, I’M GONNA FOOL THE MENTAL REPRESENTATIVE’S AND SHOOT EVERYONE!!! AND WE FAILED!!!! Failed to protect the innocent…WE are all at fault, especially the hospital that let him out, especially the school who allowed this guy to come back on campus…its sickening to me. Forget about gun laws to not allow so many people to possess guns to freely…forget all that…what we need to do in all aspects in our own lives is freakin…LISTEN!!!! LISTEN!!! THEN ACT AND STOP IGNORNING THESE PEOPLE WHO WALK AROUND CLEARLY SHOWING THEY ARE “WALKING TIME BOMBS”!!!!
By Barbara
April 19, 2007 1:40 PM | Link to this
Staci, the problem is that our liberal society doesn’t allow us to identify people based on their “potential” to do us harm. Those folks actually have to commit a crime before anyone is allowed to act on it. I agree with you 100% that we should be able to do something ahead of time, and in times past, the community would have taken action against something like this. But now, with our new “enlightened” mindsets and liberal agendas, we are no longer allowed to form an opinion as to someone’s possible behavior until they actually kill someone.
By Al
April 19, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this
Look back at where the lunatics commit these mass murder sprees - “gun-free zones.” These are the places that they know they will not be stopped, at least for long enough to do what they set out to do. We will never be able to take the guns out of the hands of criminals.
Here is a big secret that gun control advocates haven’t learned yet, criminals break laws. I would say without doubt that includes Gun-Control laws. They don’t see a sign that says “Gun-free Zone” and then go put their gun away before entering. The only people that these zones disarm are by definition law abiding citizens, who are going to protect you in a violent or threatening situation, should someone go on a rampage in the “gun-free zone”.
Talk about a false sense of security. I put up a sign on my bathroom door that says “Stink-Free Zone.” There’s still matches in there, just in case my poop can’t read.
By Barbara
April 19, 2007 5:40 PM | Link to this
Al, I was totally getting into your comments with all seriousness….. until I read your last paragraph! You should warn people not to be taking a drink while reading your posts. Makes quite the mess on the computer screen. That was great!