Originally posted by Blue The point I was making is that we have resource officers in 21 schools here in Leon County that are sworn sheriff's deputies. That is who made the arrest yesterday at Leon High. I didn't make a comment. I made a link and stated the facts. Furthermore, it was illegal for him to have it much less have a ccw License (for it or any weapon). He was in a "Gun Free Zone" under Florida Law. He was planning to hurt someone. Furthermore, he has a record already. I have a CCW License and can't carry a weapon on school property. If I did, I would be arrested and lose the ccw license.
Also, the AR15 Bushmaster is not an assault rifle. It is a semi-automatic carbine. No one has discussed the ages of murder victims. Would you feel better if you were murdered by a 15 year old with a .25 acp pistol or an AR15 in 5.56mm? How about a shotgun blast with 00 or a machete at close range?
I would feel better if nobody was shot and if people did not believe they needed guns with them all the time to protect themselves. As I stated we do not believe we need them and I cannot see how those Americans who choose not to have guns or to have only hunting rifles locked up at home feel as threatened for their own personal safety as the gun lobby argument. That same weapon is considered a restricted weapon in Canada and requires a special license and a clip or magazine or whatever it may be called is limited to either 5 or 6 rounds. My point was in case you missed it how do you expect teenagers to not feel the need for a weapon if the adults keep screaming that without one the adults are not safe?
The other point that might be of interest to you is even as the US crime rate has dropped while fire arms have increased the crime rate has dropped in countries that have increased firearm control and yet the US leads by a long way the number of murders and accidental shootings compared to these countries. Stats taken out of context are not used properly. And finally the main reason for my postings on this subject is I cannot understand why when Americans look at the amount of violence in their society the only factor that cannot be a consideration is the number of fire arms and the relative ease of obtaining them. Video games and movies can be blamed but not the gun culture. And no where have I advocated the banning of all or most guns, but the putting on the table in the discussion that America's love for guns and the belief that only guns can make society better, or so it seems listening from the outside, along with other possible solutions. When pro athletes take guns into their locker room it appears to be more cultural than the need for protection.
To me it looks like too many of my southern neighbours, and I am only 60 miles north of the border, are not interested in starting to solve this complex problem but have turned it political as in left and right rather than pragmatic as in "what are our options and what would work and how". Or look at it as "just more guns and everything will be alright" I know when my country has a problem I prefer society and governments to come together to investigate what can be done to minimize it. It took one school shooting to lower the number of rounds any gun can legally hold in Canada. How many in the US before that can even be discussed. Maybe lowering the number of rounds is not a solution but if it is not even able to be considered it will never be part of the solution and it might be an very important piece.From my personal and outside point of view it is not the most important part, in fact guns themselves are not the most important part but the sooner guns are looked at and perhaps some sensible restrictions are placed and the culture of always needing more guns changes the sooner the other pieces can be dealt with as well. Good luck, unfortunately you really as a nation need it.