Wow. Lanza's MOTHER owned the gun. He did not. He illegally took it and used it. THAT'S ILLEGAL. He was a disturbed individual who threw out warning signs for YEARS. The problem is with a society and/or system that allows such a person to go untreated and be roaming free. What if he used a bomb instead? Or a knife? The issue isn't about the weapon of choice, it's about the individual and what led him to do it; what conditions existed that allowed it?

But one thing is very clear; Lanza was NOT a legal gun-owner. No way, no how.

Holmes was a head-case too. Plenty of documentation on it. So is there some systemic change that should have been in place to disallow such a person from owning a gun? Yes, I can agree with that. (still wish there was at least one CCW-holder in that theater)

Columbine? "kids had others purchase the guns" - ILLEGAL. You said it, not me. End of story on that one.

Criminals break the law. Criminals will not give a rats ass if obtaining a gun through someone else is illegal. Criminals will not give a rats ass if stealing their mother's gun is illegal. And Criminals will not give a rats ass if someone mentally unstable having a gun is illegal. Criminals will get their gun---or any other weapon they can---to do their crimes. That's why they are criminals. They don't follow laws like the rest of us.

That is precisely it, and THAT is a big part of why our forefathers wrote the 2nd Amendment. With the wise foresight that someday we could be confronted with such a government or leader who wished to challenge it.

Things like cars and hammers have every day practical uses, I don't think they can be compared.

As for 911, I blame the fact that these terrorists were allowed in the US in the first place. Tim McVeigh, how many times has that happened? However now, its not that easy to buy that much manure without being investigated and. Laws were changed after these events, so that kind of proves my point, doesn't it?

A drug overdose is self inflicted, so that has nothing to do with people dying who's only crime was being in the wrong place.

you're already living in a fantasy world thinking its made up of 'good guys and 'bad guys'. sorry to tell you but good guys become bad guys and vise-versa all the time and most people are many shades in-between.


the more legal guns in a society, the more illegal guns there are in a society. it may be too late for america, maybe not.. but the fact is every illegal gun starts out as a legal gun. its not like there are criminals making guns in run down motels or old warehouses. they all come from manufacturers. as i've said to others before, america is the arms dealer to the world. there are more guns smuggled out of the states to various countries around the world while the opposite rarely happens. the idea that everyone needs a gun to protect from everyone else who has a gun is ironic in a way and only creates a fear based society.

i know lanza's mother owned the gun and he used it illegally but until he did, that was a legal gun. had there been laws that forced her to lock up this gun with her access being the only access or if there were laws against having guns in a home where there are people with mental disorders, it may not of happened. like i said, i am not for 'banning' guns, just tighter access to them. you want to throw everything i said out because they were used illegally yet they were still purchased legally. it shouldn't of been that easy. and what made these guys 'criminals'? use of the gun? these people had no rap sheet, nothing. fact is every person in society is one step away from legal or illegal activity. people aren't born criminals and people who become criminals don't have to die criminals. the world is not as black and white as you would like it to be.

Well my friend, it's obvious and not unusual for different people to see things differently and not ever agree on such matters, so I'll leave this thread with one last statement....

I know one thing for certain, as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen with a family and home not far from a large urban area, and one who believes freedom & liberty aren't free and tyranny is not just a "3rd world" or "ancient 1776" potential problem, I would very much rather have one and not ever need it, than need one and not have it.

So it's a personal life-long question of: Do you feel lucky? Well....Do ya?:winkwink:

I only ask one thing, if you have a family. please do not leave a gun under a bed. its an accident waiting to happen. i can understand your views even if i disagree with them. i think if i lived in the states i'd want a gun too simply because there are so many. i am glad its not like that here. i couldn't imagine living in a society where i need a gun to protect myself from all the other guns which in turn only means even more guns..seems like a vicious cycle. i guess you can only hope you never are in a situation where you have to use it.

WOW one of the first posts I agree with you on!

That's what he said "lanza's mother legally owned the gun.".