Another public shooting rampage...

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Well, it happened again...this time in Omaha, Nebraska. Some punk kid decided to kill a bunch of innocent victims before commiting sucide.

Here's the full story.

Stupid idot. I hope he gets a pineapple shoved up his butt on a daily basis as he burns in hell.

 

When will the this nation learn? A bizarre view on gun ownership, and the availability of them is always going to result in people going on a rampage. There's too many nutters around to let the public own guns. I hope one day the USA learns......

 

Ain't going to happen.

 

They'll instead focus on his playing violent games and listening to metal. AS IT SHOULD BE!!! Violent games and metal are OF THE DEVIL! Sin in the flesh. It's a sad state in the world today to give such rot to children -- the entertainment industry should be ashamed. They should be made to pay for this just as the tobacco industry has been made to pay for its indisgressions!

... wait ...

I guess the tobacco industry hasn't paid anything yet, have they....

Nevermind.

 

If I lived in America, I'd be constantly living in fear that people like this are entitled to have a gun. Shocking. The whole situation needs looking at in America.

 

First a slight correction. The guy is not "entitled" to have a gun. He is allowed to purchase a gun. There's a significant difference there.

OK, I'll grant that crap like this happens here a whole lot more than it happens anywhere else. I will further concede that anyone without a criminal past can obtain a gun in the US with relative ease, and this likely contributes to problems such as this. That said, you may be surprised that people don't live in fear in the US because every year a few nutters shoot up some people before ending their own existence. I mean, would you live in fear if you visited Finland based on the recent shooting there? I think not. Statistically you are way more likely to be killed in a car accident. Or struck by lightning. Or eaten by a shark (well, maybe not in Omaha). The point is if I lived in fear of people like this, I would also have to be terrified to drive to work on an interstate every day, because I'm much more likely to be killed in that manner than some kook like this.

 

Entitled - To give (a person or thing) a title, right, or claim to something; furnish with grounds for laying claim

You believe a person should have a right to own a gun? It's an appalling mindset to have in the opinion of, well... the rest of the world, pretty much.

Whilst I'm sure the people in that video I posted are not representative of the American people; she is think as a plank, and the guy can't even say 'HungAry' correctly. 'Hungry' indeed.... Talk about insular. How can people like this be allowed to purchase a firearm? Crazy, crazy, crazy stuff....

 

Maybe it's a semantic point. Having the right to do something is, IMO, different to being entitled to something. Having the right gives a choice of whether to or not, while (again IMO) entitlement has a meaning that is more obligatory or mandatory.

To me, if I was entitled to a gun, then someone should give me a gun dammit! Whereas if I have a right to own a gun then I have a choice of whether or not I want to purchase one.

But we really should be more specific here. It's not just the broad category of "guns". It's more specifically handguns. Tons of people, in countries the world over, own rifles for a variety of reasons (hunting, competitions, etc). The mian difference between a rifle and a handgun is not in lethality, but size. You can't walk down the street carrying a hunting rifle without everyone knowing that you're carrying a hunting rifle. A handgun on the other hand can be easily concealed. That's what makes this case so bizzare. He had a freakin' rifle. How the hell do you walk into the middle of the mall with a rifle without everyone seeing that you have a rifle and running away? Add to the fact that most malls around here have a police precinct attached to them (I imagine it's convenient for shoplifting crimes) and I wonder how he got to the middle of the mall without the police getting to him first.

Moreover since tons of people the world over own rifles, I do not think this is unique to the US. The arguement favoring gun control would hold more water if he was firing a 9mm for example. I guess my basic point is that there are tons of situations where being at the wrong place at the wrong time can cause your death. Having some nutter shooting me with a rifle is not something that keeps me up at night. DISCLAIMER: I do not own a gun, I have never owned a gun, and I have no intention of ever owning a gun. That having been said, I know tons of people who do own guns (mostly hunting rifles), and all of them are responsible gun owners. I don't see why the actions of a few mentally unstable individuals should curtail the ability of sane, responsible people from owning guns.

 

But then you could buy a gun, and you wouldn't need to be afraid anymore.

Although that reasoning doesn't seem to prevent the Bushies from telling us we should be afraid of Iran...

 

Isn't the statistic's on violent crimes in America that there is one occurring every 30 seconds or so?

Back on topic. The guy's suicide note said "I've been worthless all my life, and now I'll be famous"

Thats disturbing. Really.

 

I'm not so sure. Having a gun might help me somewhat, but it doesn't guarantee me anything. It's enough to be less proficient/lucky than the other guy or to be taken by surprise - and in a normal society, no one could get any work done if

 

@ The Shaman:

 

heh.

Yes. The problem with gun ownership is that it's not even remotely close to MAD. I can shoot you in the face without warning and then you can...oh. That's right. You don't have second strike capability. You're just dead. Tough luck.

Which saps the deterrent value.

But it's a moot point, really. America has, what, 200 million guns in private hands? No putting that genie back in the bottle.

 

Yep. If anything, it might lead to a "I'll get you before you get me" mentality, which could result in even more shootings.

Especially give the strength of the gun lobby and the NRA.

 

ok, lets slow the rhetoric.

another crazy person has done a terrible crime and its time to blame the firearm again. lets not mention the fact that it was illegal for him to possess the firearm used.
(question 11f(12f on the new form 4473) "have you ever been adjudicated mentally defective or have you ever been commited to a mental institution ?" if you answer yes it is illegal to purchase the firearm.

lets totally ignore the 3000 times a day that firearms are used to prevent crimes. this figure comes from the dept of justice. do a search on firearms on the old boards and you should be able to link to the site.

what he did was horrible however that does not invalidate the legitimate uses of firearms .

on a side note, has anyone else seen the report that they found a live grenade at this same mall last friday.

 

Ah, yes, those guys. The ones who can't remember that there are 9 other amendments within the Bill of Rights.

 

That is quite true, but the incident makes some posters worried that the illegitimate use of firearms is becoming only too prevalent, which may be due to very loose gun laws. We are not saying that there should be an all-out gun ban and guns are the tools of the Unholy-one-who-must-not-be-named, but a series of gun mass killings is indicative of a problem.

Guns may be used to prevent crime, just as cars may be used for innocent and necessary purposes. Yet just as how a series of horrible car accidents are a reason to examine a country's driving laws and motorways (even if it was a kid that borrowed the car), several gun mass murders in quick succession are a reason to examine its gun control laws and habits.

Same goes for you. We're not on some political pulpit here. The fact that he did have and use it means, if nothing else, that the control procedures currently in place failed in his case. To put it in other terms, it has been easy enough for him to obtain a firearm without being entitled to it. Now, I've heard the old "if we outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns" mantra often enough, but I believe you can agree that the law should make it harder to commit crime. Tighter gun controls and more practices will not eradicate illegal guns (especially on their own), but they can make them more expensive and less accessible, and thus out of the reach of at least some of the people like that one. If 20% of the people who commit a crime with illegal/stolen/borrowed weapon could not get it, I'd think it's still a net gain even if legal buyers have to wait a bit more for their request to be approved or need to attend a course every now and then. Gun rights should not be a sacred cow, you know - if the current gun laws are not efficient enough, then they ought to be improved. The question, I believe, is not "whether" but "how much."

 

nope, i'm sorry, there are thousands of gun laws on the books, it hasnt decreased crime, so what makes you think one more will?

just look at washington d.c. which has some of the most draconian gun laws in america and is in the top 10 most violent cities in america. thats why the are being sued in a case that is going to be heard by the supreme court in the coming months.
see, for some reason, people don't seem to realize that a person who is going to commit a serious crime isn't going to be bothered that they are breaking another law(illegally obtaining a firearm). remember, laws are just like locks, they are only for honest people. crooks dont care if its locked, they break in.

oh yeah, my figures are on the low side, as the justice dept stats say 2.5 - 3 million instances per year. so thats 6800 - 8200 times a day that a firearm is used to prevent a crime.

i am still trying to figure out how you walk all the way up to the third floor in a crowded mall with an ak-47 style weapon(granted they said he had it under a sweatshirt or hoody)? this is not a small or easily concealed weapon. thank goodness he was a bad shot. he easily could have tripled his number of murders. it was a very bad thing. he was a very disturbed individual & desperately needed help but somehow managed to slip through the cracks.

 

It's worth keeping in mind that the illegality of weaponry does matter to criminals. It means they have to get the weapon on the black market, which means it costs more (I've heard from people with, ah, experience, that you can triple or quadruple the cost of a firearm on the black market in DC, Chicago, etc. If you just want something cheap, you're still talking $1k)--or they have to steal one. It also means that using the weapon will get them in more trouble than they would have been in otherwise. Using a weapon in a crime carries an automatic jail sentence. Even if you leave it on the seat of your car while you're robbing the store. Cross state lines with a weapon, congratulations, you just committed a federal offense.

The idea that gun laws don't do anything to deter crime, or alter the nature of the crimes that are committed, is simply incorrect. It won't deter the stupid ones, but nothing will--and they won't, and don't, last. It will deter the smart ones. Criminals do care about the law when they commit a crime.