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Texas gunman kills 6, including 4 children

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Guns don't kill people, lone gunmen do?? so many of these tragedies lately.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

No rational person would do this, unless it's a flipflop kind of rationality.

What weapon would you least like to put into the hands of a non-rational or other-rational person?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Something like this is becoming a daily way of life here in USA..The 90% of average Americans do not own guns at home.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

"No rational person would do this, unless it's a flipflop kind of rationality."

Exactly! That summarizes the majority of the gun violence. The problem with readily available guns is precisely that they are readily available. A gun in the hands of a sane person when he or she is calm is not a threat, or even a disturbed but calm one for that matter. The problem is that all of us tend to lose our cool and tragedy ensues, I am NOT saying this is what happened here, but all you need is to lose your tamper once and that is it. Sure most of us would never resort to a gun to solve a problem and people can argue that one can do almost as much damage with a knife, but in the heat of the moment a knife would do you no good. As long as there is easy access to guns there will be, an otherwise good, person to commit horrific acts!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

We need more guns.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I wonder how our pro-gun chums will rationalize this?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Take the bloody guns off members of the public... this is just insane.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I don't care whether you hate guns or love them so much you take one to bed with you at night... there's something wrong here. Can't we just get all the interest groups to take a step back, do some serious research into what causes people to do these sorts of things, and then try to do something to make these sort of events less common.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

One becomes desensitized to such occurrences. Happening with such frequency. A sorry state of affairs.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Okay, we all can agree this guy has some screws loose right? Darn right!

This guys actions were horrible and how can we identify these types in the future? Wish I knew...

If he did not have a gun, what would he have done? Don't know but he would have inflicted some harm somehow.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

'This guys actions were horrible and how can we identify these types in the future? Wish I knew...'

Neither does anyone at the moment. Until we can, I don't think it's a good idea to have a country awash with easily obtained firearms, is it?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

This guys actions were horrible and how can we identify these types in the future? Wish I knew...

Well, for starters, intelligence tests could be given, and it could be determined if the person scores in the "moron range." You don't want certifiable morons to have guns do you?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Too many crazy people + too many readily available guns = Innocent people dye .

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@MarkG

I'd say that he hadn't had easy access to a gun, those 6 people would not be dead now.

Even if he'd tried to kill them with a (eg) a knife, it's doubtful that he could have killed so many.

The gun culture in the USA is obscene.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

I'd say that he hadn't had easy access to a gun, those 6 people would not be dead now. Even if he'd tried to kill them with a (eg) a knife, it's doubtful that he could have killed so many.

I wouldn't be so sure about that, considering the number of articles that you get of Japanese killing their entire families and then themselves, a lot of times with a knife, it is probable that he could have killed that many with a knife. And lets say he would kill less people with a knife, lets say 3 instead of 6, and lets say these type of attacks keep going on and on an on with no slow down. Would you honestly say the situation is anymore acceptable?

I wouldn't, I would say it is just as unacceptable.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Would you honestly say the situation is anymore acceptable?

It's by far the better of two evils. I'd rather see even one of the people he killed still alive, than the current situation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mental Health coupled with the gun culture is a deadly combination. America's social problem is rampant throughout the country and known to the world. Our enemies are laughing, and our friends are lost. Our government is dysfunctional and our intelligent service is out of control ! That's just the way it is !

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Thanks, Noliving.

An eloquent example of the pro-gun lobby's best thinking.

Arrest me now - I have a mackerel in the freezer!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Thanks, Noliving. An eloquent example of the pro-gun lobby's best thinking. Arrest me now - I have a mackerel in the freezer!

Thank you and your welcome!

It's by far the better of two evils. I'd rather see even one of the people he killed still alive, than the current situation.

Oh I agree but then again what is the point if the attacks are not slowing down? The only time it would make sense is if you were going take such incidents less seriously or just say they are more acceptable because they killed fewer people. And I highly doubt you or anyone else here find the killing of 1 or 2 people more acceptable than the killing of 6 people.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

..The 90% of average Americans do not own guns at home.

This is completely wrong. Approximately 47% of the households in America own guns (this is based of self-reported ownership and is much higher if you count the undocumented guns). The average varies state by state but the only state with less than 10% is Hawaii with 6.7%. The next lowest is NJ with over 12%. There are 97 guns for every 100 persons. When it comes to unregistered handguns, it is estimated that there ar4e about 60,000,000 unregistered handguns.................in Texas. Have fun trying to go house to house and collect all the guns.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Difference between a knife and a gun... you can outrun a knife. You can take self defence classes against knife attacks.

I'd love to see a day when a US politician has the guts to stand up to the NRA loonies and demand an end to the private ownership of hand guns, rifles and semi-automatic weapons. Shotguns for pest control should be locked away with the ammo somewhere else, and sporting rifles should be held in a sports club armoury.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

You have a country full of out of control people, who don't want any control of deadly weapons. Oh yes, where are all the race baiters today ? who everytime there hear a shot fire they jump up and tell you something about Black people and what is Allah Jones and those nuts round at info wars saying now ? more guns !!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Difference between a knife and a gun... you can outrun a knife.

Really you can outrun a thrown knife or a thrown axe?

You can take self defence classes against knife attacks.

Guess what you can take self defense classes against gun attacks as well.

Shotguns for pest control should be locked away with the ammo somewhere else,

You do realize that shotguns are more lethal than rifles except for maybe big game hunting rifles, and those rifles are way more lethal than AK and AR pattern rifles. If you're going to do pest control a semi-automatic .22lr rifle such as the Ruger 10/22 would be more preferable than a shotgun, especially in an urban environment.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Again and again! It seems that tragedy would never stop as long as guns are there. America may be cursed by guns or this is America's destiny. Should have more guns to be protected if guns do not kill people?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

'Difference between a knife and a gun... you can outrun a knife.

Really you can outrun a thrown knife or a thrown axe?'

Dear, oh dear. Please tell us with your hand on your heart that if you were running away from an assailant, the said maniac throwing a knife or an axe is the same thing as that maniac taking aim with a gun? I wonder if hunters or snipers would prefer throwing a knife or an axe to firing a gun to kill a moving target. Perhaps the people you have in mind are professional circus performers.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

what is the point if the attacks are not slowing down?

The point is for less people to die.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Take the gun away from a nut- he still is a nut. Knife, baseball bat, fire, an automobile, and poisons equally kill just as dead with a gun.

A big debate here is a gun makes is so much easier. Yes, it does. I agree.

The US gun culture has been there for over 200 years. If banned tomorrow do ANY of you really think the gun murders will stop? How many decades would it take to purge them completely out of society? 3-7? Fact is guns are everywhere and the nuts and evil guys will have them long after the rest of us don't.

Is that an argument to not remove guns from law abiding citizens? Well, the problems are usually not the law abiding citizens with guns.

Weather you want to believe it or not stabbing eat rate is higher than many may believe. I certainly does not get the media attention such as guns.

Guns are the easiest way for shock and awe death in numbers other than bombs. And bombs are very easy to obtain also. Easy to obtain poisons don't have the gory and bloody result like guns in Hollywood and Video games which seem to be glorified.

Nuts will find a way. Many seem driven to do what they do and options do exist.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Donkusai’s post on July 10, 2014 made some very thoughtful comments about looking for the root cause of this kind of behavior and devoting our energy in the direction of change. Unfortunately, that post was obviously not considered worthy of consideration and summarily ignored. I guess it is much more important to determine if a knife, gun, ax or mackerel is more dangerous than it is to determine what kind of environmental issues contribute to this kind of behavior. This is a human behavior problem and understanding that behavior is the only real place to start looking for solutions.

Thank you donkusai, I’m glad to see that at least one person here can see beyond their dogma and think once in a while. One out of thirty is a start I guess, thanks again.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@Noliving, let me ask you this: If you had a choice between being attacked by a man holding a knife standing 3 feet away from you, and a man pointing a gun at you from 3 feet away (or 10 feet away for that matter), which would you choose? Wouldn't you rather take your chances at disarming or avoiding a knife than a gun?

Guns have one sole purpose: To kill. They aren't good for anything else. They can't cut vegetables or help you build a shelter in the wild. All they can do is kill.... that's why they were invented.... so why on earth should anyone be able to own one? All the research and background and psychological tests in the world won't prevent nutters from owning a gun. The only other option is heavily restrict or ban them.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Readers, no more comparisons with knives, please. The analogy is a poor one that is not relevant to this discussion.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The saddest part about this is that no one could possibly be surprised. Another day in the good-ole USA.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

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