no, but its what decides justice. People get outrages about something then politicians ride the outrage to office and then do as the people want. It clearly has problems but that is how the world works.
Usually not, actually. I think the US justice system does a reasonably good job of divorcing transient public passions from judicial decisions. Well, the bad ones do. Fortunately we still have some decent ones in office.
Which is revenge as described in the wiki link. The concept of revenge is not the product of a disturbed mind. Scroll down to: Truth #1: The Desire for Revenge is a built-in Feature of Human nature http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/forgiveness_instinct So we are back to pondering whether or not this act was a result of mental illness or was it just another selfish a$$hole acting out because he wasnt getting his way at home (smashed computer in a spotless room).
And that clear headed execution of these plans is what separates responsible for ones actions and not guilty by reason of insanity. He knew enough to wear a bullet proof vest but shot himself when the police arrived. He planned on killing himself, no one else was going to do that. Of course mental illness is the excuse. Thats why its so forefront in the discussion. But they will and they do: http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/...-the-interplay-of-stigma-culture-and-disease/
Wow.. You're actually going with that in this thread.. Actually, you cannot purchase large amounts of fertiiser everywhere in the US. The sale of fertiliser is, in some areas, more restricted and regulated than the sale of weapons. Hell, it's harder to obtain a driver's license than it is to buy an assault weapon in the US. And just so you know, McVeigh was also a huge gun nut who later expressed his regret that he had not assassinated people instead of using a bomb (ie, he wished he'd shot people instead)...
Consider the difficulty of renting a truck, purchasing large quantities of fertiliser, learning how to make it into a bomb, etc, all without attracting the attention of law enforcement officials (or anybody else). Compare this to how easily you can purchase a high-powered assault rifle with no questions asked. Guns aren't the only problem, but they sure are a huge problem.
I don't challenge that report at all - but evidently your reading comprehension hasn't gotten any better. It does NOT address the subject at hand and even though you quoted it, I suppose I need to point it out to you AGAIN: "And remember - we are talking SPECIFICALLY about rampage killers! " Which means they go on a spree and harm/kill several people at the same time.
How many times has a guy blown up a building with fertilizer, racing fuel, and a box truck? Oh, right. And how many times has a guy killed a bunch of people with a gun? Oh, right. Yeah, killers are probably going to kill no matter what. The difference is that guns make their killing far easier, and far more effective.
Not really... I mean, knives, crossbows, swords, daggers, brass knuckles... let's face it, you get rid of guns, and people will just go to the next best thing. Mankind has been highly proficient at killing their fellow man since the dawn of time... right now, guns happen to be the tool of choice. Not long ago, it was swords and bow and arrow... before that, spears and pilums. Don't blame the TOOL, because the TOOL is just that. You take away one tool, people will just use another, simple as that. Hell, if disarming people was the answer, why is it always a race to create the "next great weapon"? Face facts... people right now are not capable of accepting peace. It's a sad fact of human nature... and it isn't going to change anytime soon. Humanity is too young and stupid to coexist... now, I don't think arming everyone and everything is a good idea... but as has already been said more times than I care to count, if you take the legal guns away, all that will be left are the ILLEGAL ones...
You're just regurgitating right-wing talking points, and not even addressing what I wrote. Why quote my post if you're going to ignore its content? No one denies that killing will happen regardless of gun control. The problem with guns is that they make killing easier and more efficient. How many knife attacks have killed 26 people? Do you think this scumbag in Connecticut kills 20 children if he had to use a machete, or something of the like?
Many of those weapons are also outlawed. NRA logic is disingenuous. It preys on public paranoia and feeds those feelings with lies such as this. The NRA knows that a large segment of the public is simply unaware of what the current laws actually say. It's a predatorial entity that should be outlawed. Certain kinds of propaganda should be outlawed. For example, if an entity makes political contributions, or buys ads to put forward political messages, then the facts it puts before the public should first be sworn before a court before being released in ad campaigns. That would at least give the opponents a chance to bring charges of perjury for the deliberate lies.
I think the main characteristic of the modern Right is this overriding phenomenon of denial. It facilitates propaganda and the incitement of fear among Right Wing constituents. The trigger was an innovation in warfare. Powder, too. And high velocity projectiles and muzzles. An honest approach to gun laws is to simply admit that all such devices are military in application, and to outlaw their application in the civilian arena.
Yes, but apparently she had exactly the same gun as they sell at Walmart, so maybe she bought it there.
To bad she didn't buy trigger locks at the same time. Or even a gun safe which is even better when you have a child that is having mental problems and threatens you. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! http://www.google.com/shopping/prod...a=X&ei=3WjQUMecEIia8gTWloCIBg&ved=0CHYQ8wIwAg
