I can very well imagine that, due to the attention caused by this most recent and horrific spree of rampant shootings, the focus will again be on what measures to adopt to curtail such violence. Do you think the majority of the dialogue will be diverted towards immigration reform instead of stricter, more effective gun laws in general?
2007-04-17 06:41:06 · 24 answers · asked by fermion_gas 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Neither. The guy was just plain crazy.
2007-04-17 06:42:55 · answer #1 · answered by Abu 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
It seems to be that he was a madman, he chose to use an easily obtained machine to carry out his madness. There are lots of different machines around, the most powerful is the human mind, even a disturbed one.
Gun laws won't change that, immigration reform will keep out some madness but will not stop this madness from happening again.
All the coverage these events generate feeds the tendency for this madness more than guns or immigration. If we really want to help, we need to stop listening and participating in dialog about these types of shootings.
2007-04-17 06:55:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it will have anything to do with Immigration - but certainly there will be misguided calls for better gun control. There are a couple of reasons why the 2nd amendment exists.
1- provide for a military
2- protection from the government - when the citizens are unarmed, the government can become a police state (has happened so many times in the past - think Germany in 1940's)
3-provide for protection of self and property.
These were the intents. For gun control only allows criminals to have guns. They are criminals because they don't follow the rules. Unfortunately those for more gun control only think of themselves - i.e. Rosie O'Donnell - against people having guns, but then has armed security and is a gun owner.
2007-04-17 06:47:48 · answer #3 · answered by bigej65 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It may result in the reintroduction of the assault weapons ban which Bush let lapse in 2004, but I doubt it will influence anything beyond that and like it or not, it shouldn't.
This was a disturbed man who would have found a way to kill one way or the other. If we completely repealed the 2nd Amendment, which many erroneously think we should, then in the future guys like the gunman will become suicide bombers or machete killers.
What we need to do is learn to identify and help those with serious emotional problems. Even then, there would be no protection from people like Charles Whitman, the clock tower killer who had a brain tumor that caused him to go nuts.
Honestly, the best protection in situations like the one at Va Tech, is military training. Had there been any vets in those classrooms they may have charged and subdued the gunman when he paused to reload his weapon.
2007-04-17 06:52:37 · answer #4 · answered by BOOM 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yesterday was proof that gun laws fail. The murderer was in illegal possession of the firearms used in an area where firearms were prohibited.
Today, in Japan, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot by a gang member. Guns have totally been banned in the country for many years. Who still has guns? The criminals. It is only the honest people who obey the gun laws.
2007-04-17 06:56:40 · answer #5 · answered by Voice of Liberty 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The guy was just a nut job. Immigration wasn't at fault, and the gun laws were not at fault, other than his lack of following them. I agree with an earlier comment though, only citizens of the US should be allowed to buy guns in the US.
2007-04-17 06:46:44 · answer #6 · answered by Amer-I-Can 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
One individual who happens to be a foreign national does something horrific and people want to blame immigration laws or gun control laws.
How are they to know that Cho was a danger? Tell me, please how are they to know? Was he dangerous before he got here? Did it occur during the time he was at Virginia Tech.? Is it anything to do with events at Virginia Tech or is that just where he snapped?
If a person wants a gun with which to commit a crime it is very easy for them to obtain one. Those bent on breaking the law by killing are not likely to worry about a simple little law that says they can't have a firearm to do it with.
Philosopher Votaire said "Common sense is uncommon". I believe ol' Voltaire was on to something.
2007-04-17 06:47:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Gun laws nor legal immigration are the problems here. The problem is that most twenty-somethings didn't get their butt beat by daddy enough when they were growing up. So now they think that they have no responsibility for their actions, or when they don't get their way about something they throw a granddaddy of a temper tantrum.
2007-04-17 06:45:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No guns for non-citizens.
I think that will result.
Other laws? No. What are you going to do, this was your basic handgun, not an "assault weapon." If it were on the list of banned so-called "assault rifles" from the 1990s, that might trigger some action, but this was just your basic handgun. I can't for the life of me figure out how he managed to kill 30 people with two of them - he'd have to reload the darned things about a half dozen times.
I'm guessing they weren't the first guns he'd ever bought - if he bought them a month ago he'd have to have been at the range for a lot of hours. Most of the shots were at point blank range but still - - - I don't think people realize that - that it's not like on TV where you just pick the thing up for the first time and start hitting what you're aiming at, no recoil or anything.
I used to go to the range with a friend when I lived in VA and we shot at the paper targets - it's a real challenge to hit a stationary target in a lethal area. This kid practiced. This kid planned it out and he practiced. A LOT.
And where'd he keep the things? Didn't he have a roommate? I don't know, going to the range in VA is like going to the arcade in southern NH but it's going to come out that this kid was "different."
2007-04-17 06:43:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Umm...if you think immigration needs to be blamed, how do explain all the rest of the school shootings/massacres that have occurred over time. And sure...stricter gun laws so that way we can take away guns from law abiding citizens so that way only the criminals are armed. I feel safer already.
2007-04-17 06:44:17 · answer #10 · answered by Sunidaze 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Even if we have firmer guns laws people still can get a hold of one. It's not due to no immigrant fault. We have people born and raised in America thats done worse.
2007-04-17 06:45:43 · answer #11 · answered by VINA 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋