My grandpa was a hunter, in Northern Europe. The only time he had access to his hunting rifles (not semiautomatic rifles) was during hunting season. His town safeguarded the hunting weapons in the off season (for hunting) because once, a long time ago, a child was maimed trying to play with one. We are so far past this point in the US that I don’t know if there’s even a way to turn back.
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I’ve not used an AR 15 for hunting as I’d rather use a larger, more powerful bullet to hunt deer with. The AR 15 does make a great predator and small game hunting rifle. It’s not really all that different than a myriad of other hunting rifles.
The AR 15 won’t fire bullets any faster than any other semiautomatic firearm. It’s actually used rarely compared to handguns for homicides. Actually personal items, hands, fists and feet are used many times more each year to commit homicides than all rifles are (including the AR 15).
Regulating firearms perhaps may be easier but that does little to address the evil or mentally ill person willing to take another life.
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Correct, but eliminating the means gives me a fleeing chance - to run away, fend off, hide behind someone bigger…
And two things can be true - we need to address mental health, regardless of / in addition to getting rid of guns!
It’s not an either/or.
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Hands and feet? How many people do you think this person in Uvalde could have killed with his “hands and feet”?
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So what could reduce school shootings if one does not change gun laws to be more restrictive?
Is the answer more armed officers? What would be a palatable suggestion to 2A supporters?
How do we address mental illness in a meaningful way?
I got in trouble for this - one side says reduce/fewer guns (this is clear) is the solution. What does the other side propose? I’ve waded through a lot of banter on forums and I genuinely want to know what 2A supporters think would work besides more armed guards?
I am only saying if you look at total homicides in the US that involve rifles, including the AR 15, rifles are used very little comparatively to commit these crimes.
The reality is a semiautomatic handgun would be just as deadly in the same situation. A couple handguns are the tools used by the Virginia Tech shooter years ago to kill 32 people.
I would rather focus on finding these individuals that want to do harm before they get to act on their intentions. Many give actual glaring warning signs.
Guns are the issue here, equal to or exceeding the people aspect. This is the common argument used to deflect attention from the proliferation of guns and the reduction of gun regulation. It is no longer credible, to the extent that it ever was.
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Ok, I read through the account of the Newtown killer carefully. Scarily, there were no real signs that his OCD behavior/interests were going to lead to a crime. Plus say, he and this shooter were identified as having psychopathic tendencies, but what then?
Are they locked up? Do they wear ankle monitors? Are they added to a registry of people who can’t buy guns, travel on planes?
This is what I have difficulty imagining. The national or state framework to deal with sick individuals without impinging on their rights for crimes not yet committed.
Well, more armed guards is certainly a deterrence.
Better school security (hardening) would be nice.
Mental health is a crucial component. As a country we have done an abysmal job at addressing the mental health needs of many. It seems to be getting worse.
Honestly the majority of gun violence is perpetrated around the drug trade and gang culture. That’s obviously different than school shootings but it’s absolutely the vast majority of homicides.
The fact is there are over 400 million firearms in civilian hands and all but an extreme few are ever used to commit a crime. Criminals should be the focus. Finding individuals planning these things should be a priority. Mental health assistance should be a priority. The average law abiding gun owner and their weapons are not the problem.
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Whataboutism. We are talking about innocent children slaughtered in school.
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Well, I think there is no way to force treatment for some individuals unless they are confined. I have not heard that as a potential solution from anyone.
As horrific as today’s events here, it has not (I don’t think) swayed 2A supporters to go for limiting guns. I still haven’t heard of any practical schemes to identify would be murderers. So my prediction is - status quo remains unchanged.
Once someone is confined in Maine (and I know other states, but not sure how many), the courts can require them to undergo continued treatment. If they don’t take their meds and do everything asked of them, they can be committed again.
The problem in Maine is that it’s the psychiatric hospital that has to foot the bill for the hearing, and that cost can add up. The state doesn’t pick up the bill. I know there was legislation proposed to change that, but I don’t think it passed. So short-sighted. 
I see - so there is insufficient money to keep them in hospital.
If a person has been committed to a mental institution they are federally prohibited from owning a firearm.
But the bar is pretty high to get admitted, no?
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But we’re not talking about all homicides. We’re talking specifically about mass shootings - a uniquely American phenomenon.
No one using personal items, hands, fists or feet is going to kill anywhere close to the number someone with a gun can kill.
Yes, there are issues like mental health that need to be addressed but people in other countries deal with mental health issues as well, yet there are rarely mass shootings elsewhere. The difference? Ease of access to guns. There’s no getting around this fact.
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I heard on the news that Texas elementary schools don’t have armed personnel.
What’s to stop an individual from harming innocent school children by any other means? A homemade bomb. Running over children at dismissal time. Etc. The commonality is the person capable of doing the crime.
The assumption in your question is that a majority of Texans view school shootings as a problem worth addressing. If they do think it’s a problem, their solution is more guns in more hands.
“Efforts to create so-called “red flag” laws to keep guns away from people deemed dangerous to themselves or others, and to toughen penalties for negligent home storage were defeated. Addressing mental health and a push to arm more school personnel quickly became the focus for lawmakers.”
But that’s not how it happens. Guns make it much, much too easy.
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