Can we lay off the who is to blame here. This is a nice story about the tragedy of a nine-year-old girl getting senselessley murdered by some nutjob. Sure he may have been pushed by vitriol from the right but please save that for another site. I am proudly a liberal and think it’s crazy America has such a fascination with guns and large ammo clips. That is not me. We need to look in the mirror as some sensible people have remarked. Instead we have political groups sparring over this and that. I have had my fill of the Tea Party nitwits screaming at healthcare town hall meetings and carrying their senseless signs depicting Pres. Obama as some African tribesman. We’re better than that. Where is the sensible dialogue between groups instead of screaming idiots all the time. I have never in my 50+ years seen people act like this. Sure people are frustrated with things, but the world ain’t perfect as they say. We don’t need to fight battles on this site where someone is doing something for a beautiful, young girl.

Ya big pinky you… I’m not even trying to tell you you’re wrong. Just that beliefs are divisive, and because some don’t jive with yours doesn’t make them wrong. Just different.

I beginning to think that we are apparently mirror images of one another—which, unfortunately for you (and your slave driver wife, though she had a choice in the matter), means that you are pretty damn ugly. By the way, I live in the suburbs (just about, depending on your definition of where suburbia begins and whether Jesus actually hails from there, but not really), not in the city. I can’t foresee any situation in which I would bring a gun into my house.

And I disagree with you—go figure—on your assertion that borders on nature vs. nurture about being raised around guns and not. You also qualify your position with being raised “knowing how to handle and respect firearms.” The safeguards in place do not have any way of rooting out the ones who were NOT, in fact, raised “knowing how to handle and respect firearms.” Besides, you mean to tell me that the anti-government militias don’t raise their kids that way? The nutjob fringe groups don’t raise their kids that way? You think they want to be offed accidentally by one of their own jagoffs?

And as I said above, automatic and assault rifles and these high capacity clips and magazines that this freak used have absolutely no place in a civilized society. They are made for just one thing—killing people in multiples, because why would you use that for hunting? When was the last time a herd of whatever stampeded toward someone to the point that this person needed to unload tens of rounds at a time? And why does someone need more than one gun? Or even more than two for that matter? The “well regulated militia” phrase in the 2nd Amendment is quite often glossed over—if not omitted altogether—in pro-gun rhetoric and speechifying. Jonny, I become exasperated when people take this issue lightly enough that they don’t cite the entire clause and justify it.

As for you, my opinion may have shifted slightly, but not a lot. I am no longer envious of your deck, since you seem to be compensating for something in other areas. I do think you need to reexamine your opinion of your philosophical standing, though. It seems you are more conservative than you thought.

As for the gun vs. stabbing, etc., what are those numbers? A gun lets a person kill from a distance, making it impersonal. With the others, the perp needs to be up close, which makes it personal.

And of course if we didn’t have guns we can always stab, or run people over with your car, or strangle them, or hit them with a log like the cavemen did before weapons existed.

It’s doesn’t take an ego to know you’re right, it just takes knowing things. The fact is the whole “gun hate” thing is misplaced since people who want to kill, will kill, even if they have no gun. And as long as we exist guns will exist since any good machinist can make them. laws created to stop it will only effect good people like us who actually obey the laws. I find comfort in knowing I can protect myself and my family against these crimminals by having my own. My family won’t be victimized like Dr. William Petit’s family was. His wife and children Raped and murdered then burned alive. And the perps, had no gun.
I choose to protect myself and loved ones, unlike this man who relied on the police. Which I’m sure he now wishes he had been a gun owner at the time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/nyregion/07slay.html

But I do find it fascinating how the 2nd Amendment is constantly being thrown around with folks claiming the right to bear arms. Yes, the 2nd Amendment does guarantee the right to bear arms. However, the phrase that is almost always left out is the “well regulated militia.”

Prior to this, I made no mention whatsoever of guns or gun control. I was strictly talking about the political and social climate and environment.

Guns are used to harm people and/or things. And…um…uh…well, nothing else, really.

I pray that Rep Giffords and the rest of the victims make a full recovery soon.