Oregon mall shooting leaves 3 dead, including shooter

[decocker 7,198]

Trade guns for crack. That should take less than a week to fix that.

it ain't the crackheads with the guns - it's the dealers (and the CIA - both crack and guns, ahem)

[Teddy B 17,252]

there is no logic in that assumption. why do you think they would diminish in number? the access is still there(legality aside) and so is the intent.

The access is minimized and so is the type of gun available. Use this for an example, when something in a store is a "high theft" item, they usually lock it up to limit the access and the amount of thefts drops dramatically. Do some of the iotems still get stolen, sure, but not nearly as many because most people will not or cannot get access to it.

[Teddy B 17,252]

That would probably work about as well as the guns for crack idea.

I'd say they would both be beneficiary, but crack is illegal so probably not the best item to trade. Cash for guns has worked in the past, what makes you think it wouldn't work now?

[JensJrny2Ray 367]

I'd say they would both be beneficiary, but crack is illegal so probably not the best item to trade. Cash for guns has worked in the past, what makes you think it wouldn't work now?

They still have cash for guns programs.

I think val erie hit the nail on the head when she spoke about the mentally ill. It's the mentally ill having access to guns that is the problem, and the fact that on the whole, the mentally ill are often pushed aside and forgotten about, or they are not taken care of.

Edited December 12, 2012 by JensJrny2Ray

[Harsh_77 718]

B.S.

Thats good one.. unless you can suggest some thing better.

[Teddy B 17,252]

They still have cash for guns programs.

Yes they do. We have one in Mass every few years and it works well. There is no reason to think a cash for guns program on a national level would not work.

[Karee 4,190]

Yes they do. We have one in Mass every few years and it works well. There is no reason to think a cash for guns program on a national level would not work.

How do you define "works well?"

[Harsh_77 718]

Military coups? This is getting better by the minute. I am much less worried about a military coup than I am about all those time bombs that are out there ticking. One went off not long ago in Colorado, another one went off yesterday and it won't be long before the next on will go off. Military coup? Seriously? The paranoia is hilarious.

Yep the forefathers who wrote the constitution did not know any better.

Guy in colorado was nuts... if a nut drives a car into a bldg would you ban car?

[Teddy B 17,252]

They still have cash for guns programs.

I think val erie hit the nail on the head when she spoke about the mentally ill. It's the mentally ill having access to guns that is the problem, and the fact that on the whole, the mentally ill are often pushed aside and forgotten about, or they are not taken care of.

There's no doubt that mental instability play a role in these mass killings, but there is almost no way to tell who or when someone will go off like that, and even if there is nothing is done about it. If you restrict the access to thes high powered automatic weapons, then it will be much more difficult for someone to go on a mass killing spree. Will there still be killings with guns, absolutely. But the key is to diminish the amount of shooting sprees we have and minimize the damage when there is one.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

They still have cash for guns programs.

I think val erie hit the nail on the head when she spoke about the mentally ill. It's the mentally ill having access to guns that is the problem, and the fact that on the whole, the mentally ill are often pushed aside and forgotten about, or they are not taken care of.

So do other countries not have the problem with the mentally ill or are they simply taking care of them better than we are?

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

i'm sorry, but what is your solution? i have every right to own a gun. so does my next door neighbor. america's problem with violence has little to do with access to guns.

what law do you think would have kept james holmes from legally owning a gun?

what law do you think would have kept the parents of the children of columbine from legally owning a gun?

the problem is not guns. the majority of american citizens can own or have access to guns and would never harm themselves or another person. it is the minority that, for some reason OTHER than access to a gun, decides to inflict harm upon others. you can attempt to control guns until gun prohibition takes over - that will not solve what causes people to act on murder suicides or mass shootings.

That's the point of this post, to sound off on opinions for gun control, maybe stricter laws that limit the access to firearms, as some have said. No matter what happens if someone wants to kill they will, but if you took guns out of the equation, how many people would resort to other means?

[decocker 7,198]

The access is minimized and so is the type of gun available. Use this for an example, when something in a store is a "high theft" item, they usually lock it up to limit the access and the amount of thefts drops dramatically. Do some of the iotems still get stolen, sure, but not nearly as many because most people will not or cannot get access to it.

so guns are only a problem if they are stolen? what about resale? what about theft from the owner afterward? what about the legal purchaser using the high theft item he rightfully purchased illegally to do harm to others?

a better comparison would be the ongoing fail known as the war on drugs. government strives to control access and incarcerate offenders. is that enough to stop intending citizens from drugs? of course not. if there's a will there's a way. while you may hinder a percentage of successful violent attempts - i believe we could stop many more and more effectively if we pay more attention to why a very small percentage (in comparison with the population who does not murder themselves or others) become so ostracized and hopeless.

That's the point of this post, to sound off on opinions for gun control, maybe stricter laws that limit the access to firearms, as some have said. No matter what happens if someone wants to kill they will, but if you took guns out of the equation, how many people would resort to other means?

that was the point of my post, how do you propose to take guns out of the equation.

the point of the op should be finding out why people snap in such a manner - as you'll never 'take guns out of the equation'.

So do other countries not have the problem with the mentally ill or are they simply taking care of them better than we are?

the latter.

[Teddy B 17,252]

How do you define "works well?"

Now you're splitting hairs. Google it if you want actuall numbers. The turnouts we have here for the cash for guns program is usually high, a hundred or so every time I believe. I would say getting just one illegal gun off the street that has the potential to kill someone is "working well", wouldn't you?

But let's not focus just on illegal guns, a lot if not most of these mass killings are done with legally owned, high powered automnatic weapons, that's where the chunk of the problem lies.

[Teddy B 17,252]

so guns are only a problem if they are stolen? what about resale? what about theft from the owner afterward? what about the legal purchaser using the high theft item he rightfully purchased illegally to do harm to others?

a better comparison would be the ongoing fail known as the war on drugs. government strives to control access and incarcerate offenders. is that enough to stop intending citizens from drugs? of course not. if there's a will there's a way. while you may hinder a percentage of successful violent attempts - i believe we could stop many more and more effectively if we pay more attention to why a very small percentage (in comparison with the population who does not murder themselves or others) become so ostracized and hopeless.

that was the point of my post, how do you propose to take guns out of the equation.

the point of the op should be finding out why people snap in such a manner - as you'll never 'take guns out of the equation'.

the latter.

Valerie, I am not attempting to diminish your arguments of the other outside factors that contribute to gun deaths, because they definitely all play a role. The idea of stricter gun regulations is not a fix all, it's just a way to diminish the numbers.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

That would probably work about as well as the guns for crack idea.

Just cutting out the middle man.