So much for Gun Control-lite

[DaBurglar]

Well it turns out the reprehensible loser who shot 26 people dead in church and wounded 20 others was indeed convicted while in the Air Force of Domestic Violence .... this would have, under our current regulations, made it impossible for him to purchase the firearms that he in fact DID purchase, IF the conviction had been entered into the appropriate databases by the Air Force.    It is now known the Air FOrce failed to enter the info into the database, and VOILA!   Mentally unhinged weirdo is able to buy the weapons that caused so much horrific suffering....What does this latest unbelievable incident teach us about things in general?1) The Air Force is about to be sued for every overpriced, unnecessary Airplane it ever produced for this pathetic gross negligence.2) Texas is the most well armed, gun friendly state in the USA.....its citizens have more guns and knowledge of guns than anywhere else.   It has some of the most liberal and least restrictive firearm carry laws in the country.....  In light of that, I ask all the people who callously maintain everytime there is a tragedy like this that "THe only way to stop someone with a gun is another person with a gun",  where is that logic now?   First off, the idea of the more people with guns the less likely there will be these shootings is absurd....that's like saying if we store gasoline everywhere then there will be less fires because people will know that there is all this gas lying around and therefore they will be VERY CAREFUL not to do anything at all that might cause a spark or fire!    IF this jerk was not given pause in the STATE OF TEXAS to go on a shooting spree, then that type of preventive thinking is bunk when dealing with the type of people who are committed to doing these types of acts.   Second, do you honestly expect people of all types and walks of life to bring their firearms to CHURCH?   THe doctor's office?  How about the beach (my point here is that at some point they'd have to leave their gun aside while they are in the water, thus providing some would-be perpetrator his moment to strike!)     The fact is, arming more and more people will NOT stop or prevent anything.....what YOU KNOW it will do will be to increase the number of accidents, mistakes and other unfortunate incidents because people in general are imperfect and make stupid mistakes.Truth be told, there is NO perfect, blanket solution to this problem of Homicide in America by Guns because Americans (all Americans, regardless of race color creed gender and any other category) are by nature selfish, greedy, entitled and are subject to all manner of violent entertainment and imagery.    Until you change human nature, this will always be a problem.......but what it does not mean is that you do not TRY to at least make the problem smaller.....in other words, you DO WHAT YOU CAN.....In this latest case, people DID NOT DO what they could.....if this guy had been entered into the database, and assuming the gun vendors had done what they were then supposed to do (not a guarantee either), then its possible this tragedy might not have happened.   I am not saying this psychotic individual would not have subsequently done something else, but there is no denying the POSSIBILITY that all those people would still be alive and well.

[Chicagoan]

Many arrests include the charge of "felon in possession of a firearm." Felons are prevented by law in most states from possessing weapons, buying weapons, buying ammo, etc. So why do so many felons possess guns which are then used in crimes?

The reason is that guns are readily available in America. There are literally millions of guns in this country. Most are legally owned but many are not. For someone in the know, obtaining an illegal weapon is absolutely no problem, as the frequent arrests of "felon in possession of a firearm" prove.

So even if you outlaw guns or even make a start toward outlawing guns, all you are going to do is prevent good, law-abiding citizens from owning guns, because the criminals and the wacko's who shoot people can easily obtain weapons.

Perhaps during many generations with a gun ban there would eventually be a reduction in them, but it would take many years for this to happen. In the meantime, those two heroes in Texas who chased and stopped the church shooter would be armed with water pistols against a semi-automatic.

Also, although someone in the Air Force was grossly negligant, I don't think the Air Force can be successfully sued. The person who made the error needs to be identified and court martialed.

[MT1716]

Thank you, Chicago. A citizen with a legal gun did prevent many more deaths. I am considering arming myself in all situations. Laws be damned.

[DaBurglar]

No one is talking about "banning guns".....this is the whole FALSE Nature of the Gun control debate, and the overused flawed logical arguments that people repeat over and over are so annoying because not only are they deceptive and misleading but they prevent ANY good from being done at all....Again, NO ONE (Including me) is arguing for "banning guns", or repealing the 2nd amendment or anything like that.....Gun Control is exactly what it says, C O N T R O L, not elimination.   Any law abiding, legally qualified citizen in good standing SHOULD be able to own a firearm or two if they desire....clearly there are some people however who should NOT be allowed to purchase firearms, and the Gun Control Camp simply wants existing laws and regulations enforced with additional attention placed on things like limiting the NUMBER of guns (no one needs 15, 20 or more guns unless they are a licensed, vetted dealer etc.)  Likewise, no one needs 10,000 rounds or huge capacity clips....Just because the situation exists where it is possible, even easy for "Anyone" to acquire a gun illegally, does not mean efforts should not be made to keep firearms out of the hands of people who should not have them....if people such as CRIMINALS want to buy guns illegally then that is another crime they are adding to their litany and eventually they will pay the price.....I submit however, that having legal checks and prevention in place makes it at least somewhat more difficult for the wrong people to legally buy guns above board, and they then have to make the conscious choice to buy a gun Illegally if they are disqualified via the regular route....NOT every person is willing to go out and buy a gun off the street....SOME people are deterred, and that is my point.We need to do WHAT we can, just like it SHOULD have happened with this nutjob in TExas.   IF he had been denied, there is no guarantee he would have just gone and bought something illegal....maybe he was too dumb or cowardly to do so, but we'll never know now.And while those of you may celebrate and applaud the two people who chased and shot it out with the maniac after he left the church, I do not see this as a cause for positive views or celebration.....the two vigilantes (because that is what they became when they decided to PURSUE the bastard, they were not Defending anyone at that point....) could very easily have caused MORE problems or carnage, not the least of which to themselves.....I'm serious, its one thing if you are armed and someone starts shooting at you and yours, and you return fire, that's fine.   Beyond that, though, leave it for the professionals......But even having people armed to defend themselves presents potentially ghastly situations.....take the infamous Aurora, Colorado Batman Movie Cinema Shooting a few years back, where some jerk-a-moe shoot up a movie theater showing the premiere of The Dark Knight....if the audience members had been armed, do you honestly think having a shootout in a dark, crowded theater is going to make the situation (which sucks to begin with) any better?  

[Casino Knight]

One or two guns isn't near enough. For avid hunters, several different calibers of rifles are need depending on the game being hunted. Same for shotguns. For personal protection around the home depending on the size of your abode a "few" strategically accessible weapons are preferable to having to run from the living room to the gun vault should the need arise. Then there is the concealed carry option of having a discrete yet powerful revolver or semi-automatic hidden upon your person when in public.

As for the Texas Hero, I believe him when he said that God put him in the right place at the right time. He shot the scumbag twice before he dropped his weapon and fled the scene. Once in the leg and once in the torso.   Had he not taken it upon himself to intervene who knows how many more would have been killed or wounded. You called him a vigilante, most of America seems him as a Good Man with a gun, and a hero.