<p>The problem is getting guns away from people with mental problems. Laws prevent much sharing of such information. Nearly all the major campus shooters had significant mental issues that were known to some.</p>
<p>"Professors should be able to keep some damn handguns with them. America is getting soft. Does anyone even remember the second amendment?"</p>
<p>I remember that one!!!! Hey, how about all of the 14-22 year olds sitting in the front row of every classroom in America get to carry a semiautomatic handgun or assault rifle, too? What a great idea!!!! That way if 10 "bandits" break into a classroom, any one of the students there can kill all 10 of them off within seconds, in a glorious hail of gunfire!</p>
<p>And if you are a professor, and a student in your class seems "disturbed," you can pump them full of 30 pieces of lead with a flick of the index finger. No need for evil taxpayer subsidies for counseling services. Just make sure we keep subsidizing federal highways, so that those professors can get to Wal Mart for their daily doses of lead.</p>
<p>Riiiight, man.</p>
<p>This message was paid for by the NRA.</p>
<p>It's the guns, stupid. How could someone- mentally deranged, angry or other excuse- kill so many people in so little time without anyone being able to stop it? Knives, swords?
I wish the NRA crazies would be locked up with all those nuts who are allowed to buy as many guns as they want, whenever they want, and whatever they want (yes, an assault rifle is absolutely necessary) and kill each other. Let us sane people alone to get some gun laws in this crazy country.
Tragic, preventable.</p>
<p>This is a no-win argument but I think the deflection of reaction to events like this to the subject of 'gun control' will not solve the problem or prevent future attacks. For those who don't know much about guns, apparently this shooter used a shotgun for much of the shooting followed by the use of handguns. Shotguns are used by millions of hunters and target shooters in this country and have been for over a hundred years. They're not automatic weapons, assault rifles, or handguns all of which have been the focus of the anti-gun lobby. Furthermore, most of these attacks seem to be committed by people with no previous criminal history and often no previous mental history (except for the case of the Va Tech shooter). </p>
<p>Practically speaking, I don't think it's realistic that the anti-gun lobby will be able to eliminate all of the shotguns from society. And for those who say that's not what they're trying to do, it's correspondingly not realistically practical that they'll be able to prevent people with no previous criminal history from legally acquiring weapons including weapons as common (and as deadly) as shotguns and hunting rifles. For those with criminal histories, they'll just acquire the weapons illegally regardless.</p>
<p>I don't have any good answers for preventing similar incidents but I don't think the deflection to 'outlaw guns' is the answer.</p>
<p>Family communication, in my opinion, is key. The college years are extremely stressful for some--how about families keeping in closer contact with their students? A university can only do so much w/o prying into person info--how many parents keep in fairly close contact with their student? A simple phone call just to let them know you are there, and to pay attention as to whether they are functioning normally can perhaps do wonders. Where are parents these days?? Just because you send them off to college does not mean that you are finished parenting--think about it!</p>
<p>As soon as this story aired, I turned to my husband and said, "how much you want to bet that he was taking antidepessants", and sure enough they just confirmed it. Why isn't there more OUTRAGE at the pharmaceutical companies that are drugging our kids? (everyone for that matter) They are brainwashing us all. Look at the commercials these days. Their unbelievable! These are psychotic drugs that change the brain. Almost all them have been linked to rage, suicides and/or murder.(look it up) It's not only in the schools. It's happening at work and in public places where we use to feel safe. We need to start holding the drug companies accountable! I despise them! It seems that everyone is on some kind of "pill or pills" these days. It's not a "gun" problem. The problem is: guns in the hands of these sick people. Sorry for the rant, but I have a son going to a university in the fall and these senseless killings are driving me crazy! :(</p>
<p>karagon:</p>
<p>Shouldn't your point be directed at doctors rather than pharma companies since I think most of these are prescription drugs that people wouldn't be taking if not prescribed by a doctor? Pharma companies will always make drugs that if misused can be dangerous - it's up to doctors to know when and how to prescribe them and up to the patients to follow the directions. </p>
<p>The other point is that if the patient was prescribed the drugs then it means there was a problem in the first place and likely the drugs will only have a limited affect or control on that condition. The problem is probably not the doctors or the drugs but the mental illness itself (unless the drugs are somehow causing chemical changes that cause or exacerbate the mental illness).</p>
<p>There's only one way to prevent these horrific events, and that is to eliminate guns. Sadly, that isn't ever going to happen because some people are compelled to champion their rights under the second amendment. The common thread in the plethora of these incidents is the easy availability of guns. How long does it have to go on? We were all here in April discussing the horror at Virginia Tech. Nothing has changed, and nothing will. Five school shootings in the past week. In recent news, we've seen the following incidents, all involving guns:</p>
<p>Six women dead at a store in Chicago.
Six people dead at a city council meeting in Missouri.
Three people dead at a college in Louisiana.
A teacher shot in front of her class in Ohio.
Five people dead in Colorado at a church and mission center.
Nine people dead and many wounded at an Omaha mall.
One dead and four wounded at a school in Cleveland.
Seven people dead at a house party in Wisconsin.
Two Delaware students shot on campus.
Three people shot, two dead, at a Missouri shopping center
Two dead at the Johnson Space Center.
Thirty two dead at Virginia Tech.
Three shot, one dead, at a Detroit accounting firm.
Three shot dead in a church in Idaho.
Four shot dead at a Philadelphia investment firm.</p>
<p>All of these, and thousands more, across the country in the past year. I fear that people have become inured to news such as we're seeing today about the shootings at NIU. I would bet that if we pulled up the discussions which took place on CC after Virginia Tech, we'd see the same outrage, sadness, calls for something to be done, etc. What is even more sad is that the chances are excellent that we will be back here discussing a similar incident in the not too distant future.</p>
<p>Of course it is the guns..we are a violent society with far too many gun nuts toting far too many guns. I agree about the anti=depressants too though; the brain is delicate, and the number of these mass murders has risen exponentially, and in direct correlation to the number of children, adolescents and adults taking potent medications (increases of hundreds of percents).</p>
<p>We have a big problem on our hands, but I don't think much more than lip service will be given to any substantive change.</p>
<p>Anti-depressants have also helped untold numbers of people. I'm not sure this is a balanced discussion of their pros and cons.</p>
<p>100% gun control I'm afraid it's not possible anymore! That's the same with believing that 12mil. illegals can be rounded up and deported.
But limits can be imposed. If that 50% (or more) of the population that thinks that NRA is representing their "rights", or that the second amendment is still valid are educated about what's the difference between shooting for fun and shooting people. Until the rest of the population is not organized and resumes to express "outrage" and "prayers", nothing will happen.
Everybody knows what the causes are, but nobody, or very few, really make an effort in providing solutions.</p>
<p>
[quote]
University police Chief Donald Grady said Kazmierczak "was an awarded student. He was someone that was revered by the faculty and staff and students alike." </p>
<p>Fellow students and faculty described Kazmierczak as "a fairly normal, unstressed person," Grady said.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
People close to Kazmierczak indicated that he was taking medication but had recently stopped, "and he had become somewhat erratic in the last couple of weeks,"
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Kazmierczak had no arrest record and no known history of mental illness, and he did have a valid state-required firearm ID card, so he had no problem buying the guns, one law enforcement source said.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>University</a> shooter interested in 'peace, social justice' - CNN.com</p>
<p>
Related to a previous post, IIRC there are more guns/capita in Canada. But far fewer gun related crimes.
</p>
<p>Untrue. America's guns per capita rate is 0.82, over 3 times Canada's 0.25 rate.</p>
<p>Handguns are also far, far more rare in Canada. Those who own them are required to register them, and are only allowed to use them at gun clubs or keep them as a collector. People can get permits to carry handguns for self-defense, but only about 50 such permits are currently in place over all of Canada.</p>
<p>More statistical comparisons of this type can be found at COALITION</a> for Gun Control - Canada-US Comparaison. Biased source, I'll admit, but they seem to be drawing their statistics directly from various government bureaus, so at least the numbers should be accurate.</p>
<p>To me the very very likely explanation for the rise in prominence of the school shooting has to do with the media. The fact that these shooters are referencing, mimicking, and seeming to gain 'confidence' in their actions from one another is telling. The shooters, though they won't be around to personally witness the attention, are bolstered by their knowledge that they will become posthumously famous.</p>
<p>I think less media coverage of these events would really lower the frequency of this kind of thing happening, but what are the odds of that in the "information age"?</p>
<p>^^ agree with padfoot, and I think they get great target practice and desensitization to violence through myriad shooter video games.</p>
<p>Agree with padfoot. If there were some way to block the release of their names there would be no incentive to do it for that reason. May not end all but the "I'll be famous" would disappear as a factor. a little less media obsession would help I think.</p>
<p>My condolences to the families.......having a nephew at Virginai Tech last year I know what it is like to wait to hear if your loved one is "ok" or one of the "wounded" -- and hope never to do that again. </p>
<p>I also think gun control works -- certainly made NYC alot safer. Was wondering if Virginia changed its gun laws after the Va Tech incident -- does anyone know? I know there were many who wanted their children to be able to bring their guns to school for self protection -- I don't dare ask my sister about this. But that is something I'd like to know on future college visits because I'm not sending my child to any campus which would allow students to bring their guns even if they do so for their "own protection". Sorry that is just crazy.</p>
<p>And speaking of the media there is a new show airing this week called Dexter -- its about the sociopath next door who works for the police and horribly kills people weekly but they are the "bad guys" who the police didn't catch so its ok for him to take justice into his own hands......Ummm a show which is suppose to make the audience sympathize with a sociopath....and we wonder why our children are so violent. We will be boycotting that show in our house and I encourage you to also boycott.</p>
<p>
[quote]
We will be boycotting that show in our house and I encourage you to also boycott.
[/quote]
I (and most of us) grew up watching countless cartoons, westerns, crime dramas, etc. where shootings were taking place yet the vast majority of us have no inclination to go on a shooting rampage as a result. I don't think these shows or first person shooter video games will 'turn' a person into one of these mass murderers although it might give those small number of mentally imbalanced people who do these shootings some ideas as does media coverage. But, how can the media not cover it?</p>
<p>Again, communication is key--where are you, parents?</p>
<p>it will get worse before it all falls totally apart.
am not surprised one whit - sowing and reaping - ideas do have consequences
society will place a bandage on the head - but the patient is brain dead and bleeds from the heart.</p>