is the US gov't to blame for school shootings such as VT?

Question

I was wondering who you guys should be at fault for the tragic event at Virginia Tech. Now i know a very large portion should be blamed on the actual shooter himself, but how much should be on the US government? I always hear about gun conventions and such and what else amazes me is how easy it is to buy a firearm at places such as uncle sam's and even walmart. It's as easy as getting candy from ben franklin's candy store! i am not for guns, i feel that if all guns are banned, there shouldn't be a fear of someone breaking in with a gun. in that case just use a good ole bat to crack their head open. another thing i must point out is all of the violence shown on television. my former german teacher explained how violence is not shown on german tv until very late at night so kids are not exposed to it and become immune. i see kids blowing off people's heads on video games and have no remorse at all. should the gov't take steps such as banning firearms or even program violent tv?

and no i'm not a pacifist, because i was going to join the army last year, but i was not allowed due to asthma. and also, germany is so incredibly safe, i think we should follow them in what is shown on tv. does anyone agree. RIP those lost on this horrific day..

i'm sorry freehugs, but how should i have any memory on something from 1959 if i wasnt even born yet?

i love how americans think oh my god my freedom is gona be taken away if i loose my gun or 18 wheeled suv!! gov't needs to step in. if the gov't plays no role on when violence should be shown on tv, then how do countries such as germany not have a school shooting every other week? point is, kids are immune to violence

i'm for the war in iraq too, theres another thing you can argue with me

hey freehugs, another reason youre a moron. the kent state shootings where from the national guard, not an 18 yr old kid, sorry, but you're going to have to take that off the list : )

well rick, i hate to tell ya but my intelligence is quite good, considering i'm in school for a surgery position. my reason for the iraq war is, we've lost 3,000 men, are we gonna let them die in vain and just pull out, or are we gonna accomplish something for the sake of them. anyways, terrorists from all over the middle east are there, might as well take em out instead of restocking troops in afghanistan. have a better arguement please

lol ed i'm not german, proud american though although i think some americans need to learn a thing or two. such as we dont all need hummers, we dont need mcdonalds everyday, or the insane moms who do 85 through the neighborhood worrying only about their children lol

those of you who don't want the gov't telling you what to do need to realize this. stoplights tell you to stop, are you just gonna rip them out of the ground, because you don't want it telling you what to do??

Answer 1

a large portion of the blame should be put on the shooter??
How about all of it!!!
People want less Govt. interference, but when the Govt. isn't there to hold their hand, they cry, where is the Govt.
Its the fault of the shooter and the shooter only.
Fine, ban all guns, I guess people will just have to kill with knives, bats, poison, drugs etc...

Answer 2

You can blame the US Govt but only if we were run by dictators, and not a democracy. Our government makes laws for people to follow. Many misguided law makers think they can stop violence through gun control. A criminal can always get a gun, all the laws do is disarm those who need to protect themselves and thus become victims. Rifles and shotguns can be purchased fairly easily but your have to be of legal age, show proof of residence fill out numerous State and Federal forms. For hand guns it's even stricter. You feel if all guns were banned there shouldn't be a fear etc... The opposite is true. Criminals will always get a gun, they can be stolen from the Police or the Military for example, and if the law abiding citizen can not defend themselves a criminal has nothing to fear. In the US many states are adopting a Right To Carry Law allowing citizens to carry firearms for protection. The crime rate in those states has DROPPED. Criminals there think twice before trying to rob or rape someone. I do agree with you somewhat about the video games though. They do desensitize kids to the realities of life. But the games should be avaiable and it's the parents who need to police what their children are doing or watching, not the US Government. Dont take this the wrong way but look what happened in your country when the corporal from Austria took over in 1936.

Answer 3

The only person to blame for this tragedy is THE GUNMAN. The trouble with America is people like you who think the government is at fault! It is harder to get a gun now than any other time in history. Yet, there has always been violence. We see more because news is on 24/7 with 300 channels to watch it on. Television and video games aren't to blame either. People played cowboys and indians with fake guns before video games, did that make them more violent? The problem is people having kids they can't afford or take care of and the goverment rewarding them for it with tax breaks, etc.

Answer 4

The old saying "People kill,not the guns" rings true in this and all other cases. Not much is going to stop a disturbed person bent on revenge or whatever motive there is. you can't blame violence in the mass media so easily either. I watch violent movies and tv programs and play video games where I get to blow away the bad guys but the reality is they are pixels and it's a game, distinguishing between fantasy and reality is still something that the majority of us can do.

Answer 5

NONONONONO

The Government has NO BUSINESS in our everyday lives. NONE

You know what the Government was meant for originally?? Protection of our shores. Keeping America safe from both outside and within. That's it. Nothing else. The Government was not meant to do all this BULL$#!T it does today. And you know what? You didn't have people going into schools and blowing the heads off kids trying to learn how to make their lives BETTER.

It was when the Bleeding Heart Liberals got in that things began to change. They wanted welfare...they wanted environmental crap...they wanted this...they wanted that. Now we're in the hole and wonderful liberals such as Billary are to blame. Thank you so very much.

You know what, when Hitler began taking power, he began dictating what people should do and see and say. Then he took their guns away. Then he took their freedom away.

Answer 6

Why are you so quick to blame the government? All the gun control in the world will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals or a sick person who really wants one.

My husband is a veteran, an avid sportsman who loves animals, has several guns, registered, and under lock and key. He underwent training courses in order to obtain a gun permit which would allow him to participate in competitions.

With all this care taken, what would happen if our home were broken into and they were all stolen?

The government simply cannot prevent guns from getting into the hands of the wrong people.

Answer 7

Do you truthfully suppose there might much less makes an attempt at killing others if there have been no Guns. But as a Conservative we obey the Constitution the proper to endure palms. If your petrified of a Gun that's your obstacle but when any jerk has any intentions of committing individual damage to my loved ones and is kicking within the door i am capturing them and while the Police ultimately exhibit up we will talk about the importance of personal proprietor send of proudly owning Guns legally.Just consider this no Dictator within the twentieth century took over a nation till that they had eliminated the proper to possess personal hearth palms.That was once certainly one of Hitlers first acts which was once later adopted by way of making smoking unlawful in countless methods and faith and extra in case you care to investigate it out.

Answer 8

Nope, not the government, except for its being too friendly to the NRA and always so quickly yo kow tow to that orgabization.

I'd like to see this sad and horrific incident as a lesson EVERYONE should heed, and be alerted to the fact that social pressures and permissiveness towards firearms will cause a fatal combination.

Angry and revengeful people with a gun in hand willl just shoot, nd God forbid, like those 32 dead, you just can't afford to be at the wrong place and at the wrong time. It's in their sick mind to show they, not you or me, are in control. And that guy makes them feel good and big as they hunt down victim after victim.

Too bad, we can probably expect more such killings to occur in the future as guns, like the ones this killer uses, are so easily accessible to the mentally warped and lost nuts/souls.

Answer 9

Of course the government is not to blame... no way.

The gunman is at fault BUT I do think that (from what I know) the situation could have been much more contained from the start. Better notification.. from what I have heard they thought that it was a domestic issue and that people were safe--- never underestimate someone with a gun.

Answer 10

you people have a short memory

Enoch Brown school massacre -
Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States; July 26, 1764
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting#List_of_school_massacres

Bath School bombings disaster
Michigan, USA, on May 18, 1927
45 children in second to sixth grades dies
58 wounded


Poe Elementary School Attack - Houston, Texas,
United States; September 15, 1959
6 people dies

University of Texas at Austin Tower Massacre -
Austin, Texas, United States; August 1, 1966
15 people dies 31 wounded

Kent State shootings - Kent, Ohio,
United States; May 4, 1970
4 people dies 9 wounded

California State University, Fullerton Library Massacre
United States; July 12, 1976
7 people dies 2 wounded

Stockton Massacre - Stockton, California,
United States, 1989
killing 5 schoolchildren and 29 wounded

University of Iowa shooting - Iowa City, Iowa,
United States; 1991
shot 5 people to death, seriously wounded another

Simon's Rock College of Bard shooting
United States; December 14, 1992
2 people dies 4 wounded

Richland High School shooting
Tennessee, United States; November 15, 1995
2 people dies 1 seriously wounded

Frontier Junior High shooting
Washington, United States; February 2, 1996
3 people dies

Pearl High School shooting
Mississippi, United States; October 1, 1997
3 people dies including his own mother 7 wounded

Heath High School shooting
Kentucky, United States; December 1, 1997
3 girls dies 5 wounded

Jonesboro massacre
Arkansas, United States; March 24, 1998
5 people dies 10 wounded

Columbine High School massacre
Colorado, United States; April 20, 1999
12 people dies 24 wounded

Santana High School
California,United States; March 5, 2001
2 people dies 13 wounded

Rocori High School shootings
Minnesota, United States; 2003
2 people dies

Red Lake High School massacre -
Red Lake, Minnesota, United States; 2005
7 people dies 7 wounded

Amish school shooting -
Nickel Mines, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,
United States; 2006
5 girls aged 7–13 dies

Platte Canyon High School shooting -
Bailey, Colorado, United States; 2006
six female students hostage and sexually assaulted them, later releasing four. When police entered the classroom, Morrison opened fire before shooting hostage Emily Keyes in the head

Henry Foss High School -
Tacoma, Washington, United States January 3, 2007
1 guy dies

and today we pray for the new one but not the last one

Virginia Tech massacre -
Blacksburg, Virginia, United States; April 16, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18134671/?GT1=9246