(no subject)

[ceebeegee]

And I gotta say--first off, I couldn't care less about so-called gun rights. I personally love shooting guns--love it, love shooting skeet and going to gun ranges and going at a target. I enjoy the challenge. But frankly if all guns were banned tomorrow, it would mean nothing to me. I loathe the whole "gun culture"--that picture in '98 of one of the Jonesboro murderers decked out in guns at the age of 2 is ridiculous. Who gives a toddler a gun, even as a joke? I'm totally against that obsession with guns--it just reads as a lack of masculinity to me. I am pro-gun control (though, it depends on the law)--we sure don't need even normal, law-abiding citizens toting AK-47s. There's no need, no right to that, in my opinion.

But I'm not sure any law would've caught this loser. He bought this gun 5 weeks ago. He planned this out. Yes, Virginia is gun-happy (I know Clark Brothers well, my friends--they're an institution on Rte. 29), but I honestly don't think anyone could've stopped this once his mental illness apparently slipped through the cracks. (Which, it certainly seems, it should not have. But I don't think the gun seller would have caught that.)

Comments

[wonderpanther.livejournal.com]

He was mentally ill, but there is way too must gun violence in this country and the "gun culture" is troubling. I am not against all guns. If you want to hunt, hunt, but I do believe that there need to be stronger gun control laws especially when it comes to handguns. I heard on the radio that nothing has changed in gun control since Columbine and that is upsetting. People will be psycho, yes, but many states make it too easy. This guy likely could not have gotten the personal references required in New Jersey to get a gun here.

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

On CNN yesterday they were talking about why, even though the majority of Americans are pro-gun control, the laws aren't stronger. They said it was because most Americans don't *vote* on that issue--whereas those NRA freaks ALWAYS vote on that issue. We have to put our money where our mouth is--we have to start writing letters to our lawmakers saying "I'm pro-gun control and I VOTE."

I'm just shaking my head at these people who are insisting the solution is to have everyone packing heat, as though a college campus should be like the bloody OK Corral. Can you imagine if your college had kids walking around with guns jammed into their pants? Frickin' Grand Theft Auto brough to life. Not to mention the much higher likelihood of accidental shootings that would go up if that were the case.

No such thing as a drive-by stabbing, guys. But I will say I think the gun culture is more to blame--it creeps me out that this loser assimilated *that* aspect of American culture.