I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

From a commenter on the CNN site:

When the American founding fathers enshrined the right to bear arms, firearms took 30 seconds to one minute to reload a single shot. Today, semi-automatic pistols fire as fast as you can pull the trigger. Aren't laws meant to be updated to reflect modern realities? There will always be sick people, but sick people getting their hands on glocks and sig sauers shouldn't be allowed to happen. If this shooter had gotten a fully automatic weapon, it could have been so much worse.

My thoughts exactly, except that the 2nd amendment referred to a "well-armed militia".  

That makes 3 "top of the headlines" shootings this week alone.  So very, very sad.

From Reuters:

"Sandy Hook Elementary School teaches children from kindergarten through fourth grade - roughly ages 5 to 10."

Ooooh, I feel so freeeee!!! I can have my guns!!!! Ooooh, we're the freeeest country on earth!!! (Sarcasm isn't oozing - it's a river).

Michigan legislators voted this week to allow guns in schools.  I am so ashamed.  And sickened.

I see all of us with breast cancer, the struggles we go through to try to beat this disease . . . and then I see gun laws that put automatic weapons in the hands of psychopaths who use them to wipe out precious lives in a matter of seconds.

When are we finally going to say, "enough"????

Linda

Linda, unbelievable! WTF???

Blue, you don't get it because it is totally incomprehensible!

Blue - most of us don't get it either, but there are people who think taking away assault rifles / Glocks  is some slippery slope for losing their handguns, rifles and shotguns....and those few people have such supreme power because of how we've gerrymandered our Congressional Districts. 

I heard a Principle, then 10 dead, now 27?  Children.  OMG 

Edited to add..to top it off, the pro-gun lobby thinks concealed weapon permits, in all locations, is the answer.  More guns.

Hi Friends,

I was just now able to get home and read about the shooting.  Those poor beautiful children and their families.  What a senseless tragedy.  The account I read said one of the guns the shooter used was a .22 rifle.  That's not an assault weapon.  I don't know what other kind of gun he used.

I was in Roanoke today visiting my sister and Brenda's husband called me on the way home about 1:15 p.m.  She was in surgery about four hours ... but the great news is ... the femur did not shatter when they put the rod in.  He said she would be in recovery for about two hours then taken to her room.

I'll be going down there about noon tomorrow to check on her.  I'll tell her you all send your love.

Bren

Maybe this tragedy will hopefully get something done about your gun laws. It was a massacre here in Tasmania which forced the gun laws to change, not that we ever had the loose laws you have. I'm still getting over the fact my brother in WA state has several guns.

This is such sad sad news - poor babies.

Heartsick.....sick heart.

I think you have to undergo very stringent tests to be allowed to own a gun here for sport only. We certainly were never allowed to own handguns in the home to "protect" ourselves. We still have a black market and thieves seem to be able to access guns but we don't walk down the street in fear. I for one would be even more scared of coming to the US now.

What a terrible waste of beautiful young lives.

Our president is speaking now, tears coming down his face, as he discusses the horrific loss of innocents. 

I don't even care what weapon he used - ANY gun should require a VERY hard-to-get permit.

Unfortunately, too many of these people who do these mass killings have serious mental illnesses that are either untreated or undertreated. They may have some serious personality problems as well and environmental triggers - but that could all be salvageable --if our society didn't, on top of that, allow them to carry something with bullets in it.

You wouldn't allow someone carrying a deadly airborne virus to fly on a plane; there should be laws that make it almost impossible for anyone with a serious mental illness to carry a gun.

And then, to prevent psychopaths from killing, there should be laws to prevent most any human being from carrying a gun who doesn't have a valid reason. Hunters could own guns but be required to store them in a special place.

Neither bad people, nor ill people --nor people who are BOTH-- would be as likely to carry guns if there were stricter laws.

Concealed weapons - that's anarchy, pure and simple. That just makes me tremble. You may as well wear a t-shirt saying "who am I planning to kill today."

But hey, blacks can't vote in many places thanks to laws and dishonesty by election officials. You can shoot someone more easily than you can express your rights in this country. And here we thought it was peace time.

I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND our topsy turvy values.

The NRA lobbies feverishly in state legislatures to prevent laws being passed that restrict the right of the mentally ill to own guns.  They do it all the time -- they want NO restrictions on ANY type of guns whatsoever.  Accessories to murder.

L

I watched Obama speaking.  It was deeply touching.

Time to end the madness!!

Moved beyond words by Obama's remarks.

How can a nation with the world's mightiest military yet be so dangerous for the average citizen?

Topsy-turvy values.

HL - we don't have lions and tigers I do think any licensed guns have to be kept under strict conditions like in Canada and the background check to get a license would include mental health checks. They held an amnesty when they first introduced the laws and people could surrender any firearms, but even before that it was no way like it is over there. As we say here - Önly in the "US of A"