Comments on: Prayers for Virginia Tech and Some Thoughts on Gun Control http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/ Official Blog of Caridad Pineiro, Author of paranormals, romantic suspense, women's fiction and all other kinds of good stuff! Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:00:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: jeanne http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11226 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:59:37 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11226 I'm with you on gun control. Like everything else the bottom line is money and ultimately control. It's a big business and the gun lobby is the largest in our country, next to oil and look where that got us. I’m with you on gun control. Like everything else the bottom line is money and ultimately control. It’s a big business and the gun lobby is the largest in our country, next to oil and look where that got us.

]]> by: Caridad http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11204 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:23:04 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11204 There's a <a href= "http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2007-04-17T114038Z_01_N17367451_RTRIDST_0_USA-CRIME-SHOOTING-UPDATE-2-PICTURE.XML&pageNumber=2&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=InvArt-C1-ArticlePage2" rel="nofollow">Rueters report</a> that has more details and also a quote from someone who believes more guns would have stopped this since the students could have defended themselves. I guess he thinks it's okay to turn our classrooms into the OK Corral. There’s a Rueters report that has more details and also a quote from someone who believes more guns would have stopped this since the students could have defended themselves.

I guess he thinks it’s okay to turn our classrooms into the OK Corral.

]]> by: Caridad http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11203 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:09:44 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11203 You're right that if someone is determined enough, they will find a way. Look at how easy it was for Timothy McVeigh to build a bomb, but from what I understand, that resulted in increased vigilance of certain fertilizer products. I haven't seen the news yet or heard anything about the shooter, but you are right that somewhere along the line, he had exhibited behavior that either hadn't been noticed or treated. My heart is also sad about his loss and the pain which his family will feel. You’re right that if someone is determined enough, they will find a way. Look at how easy it was for Timothy McVeigh to build a bomb, but from what I understand, that resulted in increased vigilance of certain fertilizer products.

I haven’t seen the news yet or heard anything about the shooter, but you are right that somewhere along the line, he had exhibited behavior that either hadn’t been noticed or treated. My heart is also sad about his loss and the pain which his family will feel.

]]> by: Gretchen http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11202 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:49:39 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/04/17/prayers-for-virginia-tech-and-some-thoughts-on-gun-control/#comment-11202 I just don't know if controlling guns is the answer. I've gone back and forth on this issue all my life. Sure if we could get rid of all the guns we could in theory eliminate the problem but I'm not sure we could ever get rid of all the guns. Guns are legal in this country and we still have a problem with people having illegal guns. Not long ago there were several news stories about young women who had been attacked in parking lots and were later found dead. At the time I remember thinking that all 16 year old women should be issued firearms and given commando style self defense training with their drivers licenses. Now this really was a nice fantasy more than anything. That the bas----'s would be surprised and eliminated just when they thought they were going to get their thrills really appealed to me. But like the notion of getting rid of all assault weapons it isn't realistic at this point in time. I don't own weapons but they do exist in my house locked up and I never see them. I'm not particularly comfortable with them but honestly I don't think about them much. My first thought when I saw this story on the news yesterday was "mental health" and how we have failed to provide care for so many people over the years. We as a nation aren't any more willing to spend the money to keep people in treatment that really need it than we are willing to take the guns away from those same people if it means taking away the guns from NRA members as well. It's a very hard question. If they put it on the ballot I'd vote to restrict guns but I don't really have any hope that that will eliminate this kind of situation. If they're determined enough to plan such an attack I think they'd just find another way. gj I just don’t know if controlling guns is the answer. I’ve gone back and forth on this issue all my life. Sure if we could get rid of all the guns we could in theory eliminate the problem but I’m not sure we could ever get rid of all the guns. Guns are legal in this country and we still have a problem with people having illegal guns.

Not long ago there were several news stories about young women who had been attacked in parking lots and were later found dead. At the time I remember thinking that all 16 year old women should be issued firearms and given commando style self defense training with their drivers licenses. Now this really was a nice fantasy more than anything. That the bas—-’s would be surprised and eliminated just when they thought they were going to get their thrills really appealed to me. But like the notion of getting rid of all assault weapons it isn’t realistic at this point in time. I don’t own weapons but they do exist in my house locked up and I never see them. I’m not particularly comfortable with them but honestly I don’t think about them much.

My first thought when I saw this story on the news yesterday was “mental health” and how we have failed to provide care for so many people over the years. We as a nation aren’t any more willing to spend the money to keep people in treatment that really need it than we are willing to take the guns away from those same people if it means taking away the guns from NRA members as well. It’s a very hard question. If they put it on the ballot I’d vote to restrict guns but I don’t really have any hope that that will eliminate this kind of situation. If they’re determined enough to plan such an attack I think they’d just find another way. gj

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