if it were up to me, I'd take away the guns

[primroseburrows]

I haven't really heard what the Arizona shooter's politics are, but there seems to be a lot of polarization (surprise!) between the right and the left about the whole thing, and I think everyone's completely missing the point. No matter what crazy leftist or rightist theory he may have ascribed to, he still killed or injured a bunch of people. And

Comments

[newleaf31]

I am, in general, freaked out by guns. I can't even stand to hold them when I know for certain that they're not loaded. My friend Ann has two; they terrify me. I know skillions of people like them and know how to use them, so my dream of making them completely and totally illegal will never come to pass. But why, oh, WHY can't we go back to the assault-weapons ban??! Why is that so controversial? What civilian needs an assault weapon, and why? Ugh.

[primroseburrows]

Also, why is it that people with the kind of instability the shooter had are allowed to legally own ANY gun? Seems to me if a guy is discharged from the army (probably for psych reasons, although the Army isn't saying) and then was asked to get an eval by his school before coming back wouldn't be allowed to own a gun of any sort, concealed or unconcealed. I bet there are card-carrying members of the NRA who would agree with not giving crazy people guns (or domestic violence perps, either, but that's another discussion). MAJOR FAIL, Arizona.

FYI

[writergirl423]

He was not discharged from the Army. He tried to get in, but was rejected (for as yet unrevealed reasons).

Re: FYI

[primroseburrows]

Yeah, that's what I meant to say, my bad. He still shouldn't legally own a gun.

[gloriana]

My question exactly. A system that allows someone with his history to have a gun at all is undeniably kerfunkt, whether or not one believes that the militia in general have a right to arms.

[primroseburrows]

Yeah. I'm not even talking about the Second Amendment here, or any political debate. It's just common sense to not let disturbed people have firearms, wtf?

[beix_brittany]

millions of people are fortunate enough for not having to deal with this kind of issue : no weapon authorised except declared hunting rifles, they don't seem less free and personnally, I breath a whole better when I think of it(and when I regularly hear this kind of awful mess)

[beix_brittany]

And also this might interest you:
http://www.miller-mccune.com/politics/the-swiss-and-their-guns-27329/

[primroseburrows]

Yep. The Second Amendment has caused nothing but trouble IMO. I mean, it's there, I accept that, but "the right to bear arms" doesn't have to mean "the right to bear semi-automatic assault weapons with huge magazines and armour-piercing bullets", y'know?

[beix_brittany]

To tell you the truth, it doesn't seem even real from here...*frightening a lot*... because are these people at war ?
That's enough with some annual deadly hunting accidents