Virginia Tech shooting

[marsupial]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vte...ing/index.html
Sounds like it was even worse than Columbine.

[bYuPride]

Originally Posted by marsupial

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vte...ing/index.html
Sounds like it was even worse than Columbine.

They are calling it the WORST shooting in American History... I'm watching it all at work right now.. unbelievable...

[Surfah]

I think my father is there with the FBI. I was watching it on the news at the gym this morning. Crazy indeed. Second shooting there in a year. And there were two bomb threats called in earlier this week. I have a few friends there. I hope they are well.

[TyronneBiggums]

Something like that really is a tragidy. Should never happen to anybody. My heart goes out to the familys involved.

[fusnik11]

33 dead, insane.

Is it time to start the discussion of gun control?

It's amazing the difference between, IMO, the spending of time in a large city in America compared to Europe.

I do understand this happened in college town America, but it's amazing that a normal U.S. citizen can arm himself with the ability to kill and injure over 40 people.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

33 dead, insane.

Is it time to start the discussion of gun control?

It's amazing the difference between, IMO, the spending of time in a large city in America compared to Europe.

I do understand this happened in college town America, but it's amazing that a normal U.S. citizen can arm himself with the ability to kill and injure over 40 people.

With the Columbine shooters, those guys couldn't legally buy any guns, yet they got them.

I think there may be an argument to gun control decreasing suicide, I haven't looked at the evidence too closely. But Japan, for example, has a much higher suicide rate. And as we know there are all kinds of ways to kill yourself.

Unfortunately there are all kinds of ways to kill people too.

I can't remember the number, but there are something like 100 million guns in circulation in the United States. Even a ban on ownership of guns wouldn't destroy all those guns (I personally wouldn't obey a ban, and neither would a sizeable number of gun owners). Point is, the cat is out of the bag.

To some degree this is like trying to prevent a sucker punch. You can do it, but we aren't prepared to put up with the hassle that is required. They could have metal detectors and x-ray machines in every building in the school. But sadly that wouldn't probably work either, with all the windows in buildings.

You look at other countries that basically almost ban guns, and they have had similar mass shootings.

These are infrequent events, and the ability to prevent them is close to nil.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

With the Columbine shooters, those guys couldn't legally buy any guns, yet they got them.

I think there may be an argument to gun control decreasing suicide, I haven't looked at the evidence too closely. But Japan, for example, has a much higher suicide rate. And as we know there are all kinds of ways to kill yourself.

Unfortunately there are all kinds of ways to kill people too.

I can't remember the number, but there are something like 100 million guns in circulation in the United States. Even a ban on ownership of guns wouldn't destroy all those guns (I personally wouldn't obey a ban, and neither would a sizeable number of gun owners). Point is, the cat is out of the bag.

To some degree this is like trying to prevent a sucker punch. You can do it, but we aren't prepared to put up with the hassle that is required. They could have metal detectors and x-ray machines in every building in the school. But sadly that wouldn't probably work either, with all the windows in buildings.

You look at other countries that basically almost ban guns, and they have had similar mass shootings.

These are infrequent events, and the ability to prevent them is close to nil.

Now, I know Mike is a true Texan.

BTW, I agree gun control won't work here and isn't the answer. These things will multiply.

[Surfah]

Sad story. It turns out the HRT wasn't deployed but were ready to respond had it turned into a hostage situation. I am really hoping that some of my friends who attend there are okay.

[SteelBlue]

I don't know whether gun control is the answer or not but all the talk on cougarboard stating: "see, this is why we should carry guns" was nonsense. It occurred on a college campus where guns are not legally allowed. So even if you'd had a concealed carry permit, you'd have been breaking the law carrying on the VT campus. As Mike said, the ability to prevent this stuff is pretty close to nil.

[All-American]

Guns don't kill people. People with cell phones kill people.