In this particular case yes , very clearly it was the boys' parents fault -- it was their gun the kid used ?
I would hold his parents just as responsible for this tragedy as the law is holding the 11 year old boy responsible .
And that goes for any shooting case , for any shooting accident committed by a minor : jail for the guardian .
Gonzo ,Originally Posted by gonzo
You disappoint me with your turn at sarcasm .
This matter -- in my opinion -- is much more serious than to toy with sarcasm .
Getting into car makes and models and the future of automobiles !! Tzk .
In my opinion no civilised society should allow assault weapons into its citizens hands . Period .
In my opinion an assault rifle is acceptable only on the battlefield or in the hands of law enforcement. .
No exceptions !
On the other hand , I also do own a gun. A snub-nose two and a half inch barrel 5 round .38 revolver.
I like having it , I own it for personal protection , I occasionally go to the shooting range to practice , and it is never
far from my side when I'm at home . My neighborhood knows I own a gun , I'm very comfortable with it .
And guess what ? The friendly neighborhood burglar will likely target a home where there is No known gun in the house
: A shotgun is also an effective home intruder deterrent : have you ever heard a 12 gauge being cocked !?*
That intruder will be turning on his heels in a mighty rush to get the heck away from your home -- lest it's personal
business he has with you .
Hunting rifles are a survival necessity for large swaths of American society . Large parts of Midwest , Northwest ,
Alaska , Louisiana , Florida , etc. people depend on their hunting to eat . Period .
But even they don't use assault weapons .
I think what's going on back home is a disgrace and a tragedy all in one .
Why oh why would a city dwelling civilian person ever need to own an assault rifle / automatic weapon !?
(Then again , in knowledgable hands , a semi automatic pistol can be converted into full auto in less than 5 mins )
They should be outlawed out and done with . Offer a reward for each one turned in . A high reward .
Would get some guns off the streets --- except the guns in the hands of criminals .
And then , so , what have we achieved ? Perhaps hope that they will just be killing each other and not target schools ?
It's a mess .
When I bought my own gun some 20 years ago , they have just introduced the Brady Bill (I think Clinton pushed it
through ?) . It required a five day waiting period , so they could do background checks etc.
But there are Loopholes !!! This debate has been going on for years !!! --- anyone can go to a Gunshow and
purchase -- for cash -- any weapon on sale . And many times that includes ridiculous weaponry that no sane civilian
person should ever need nor want imo .
These are the areas that should need fixing !
Further : if anyone is even just caught with an assault rifle / automatic weapon in possession , it should mean
mandatory immediate jail time. First offence , off you go . But of course that would just play into the hands of the
illegal weapons dealers hands : higher profit etc . So many angles , so many stumbling blocks to a coherent and
effective legislation.... but , ...
But wait ! There already WAS a Federal Assault Weapons Ban !! Bush allowed it to lapse in 2004 .
End of story :
Would need to reinstate the Federal AWB (assault weapons ban) asap ,
and do more thorough background checks on all .
: But you cannot take the (reasonable) guns away from law abiding citizens .