What do you think would actually prevent another tragedy? (brainwash, states, gun owners)

[Captain_Fingers]

Originally Posted by Zebra321

MIT cognitive scientist Steven Pinker has written a book ("The Better Angels of Our Nature") in which he provides hard data indicating that as a species, humans are actually becoming less, not more, violent. He's also pointed out recently, in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings, that occurrences like this may be rare or even on the decline but appear to be on the upswing not only due to heavy media coverage but also because statistically rare events often happen in spurts which can make them appear to be more frequent than they are.

There's a lot of truth to this. On the other hand, the deadliness of weapons is so significant these days, that a couple of rare incidents are enough to cripple societies - think dirty bombs.

[Hombre]

You can never prevent such things from happening unfortunately. Even in my beloved United Kingdom with its stringent gun laws, mass killings still occur from time to time.

The key is a combination of tighter gun controls (not a ban) and better mental health screening and addressing the stigma of mental illness and the fact that many American males are repressed emotionally and are potential ticking time bombs. The guns themselves are not the sole problem. The root cause needs to be addressed, but I do believe in tighter gun control, but not a total ban. Perhaps a federally required training course, full mental health screening should be given before anyone has the right to buy a firearm? I think that would be a good start and not a violation of the Second Amendment, which was brought into effect during much different times.

[Cyborgt800]

YES tighter gun controls will definitely prompt the criminals to comply right?

If anyone actually believes we CA prevent these things from starting they are fools.
The best we can do is stop them fast....which means good guns available as close as possible.

[rifleman]

Originally Posted by TotallyTam

But there is one thing we should consider doing: Retrofit every single gun owned by private citizens with a GPS device that can track the exact location of that firearm. The gun-toters can keep their damn guns, but the rest of us have a right to know where those guns are. The GPS system would alert law enforcement if a gun is within shooting range of a school, mall, or any public building that bans guns on the premises.

Okay----go ahead, I'm ready----blow away this idea as you wish gun-toters (pun definitely intended).

You'd best be ready, TT! Such micro-nano technology would be functionally impossible to initiate even if it would have any effect. Alternately, why not just micro-chip all gun owners like we do with dogs and cats?

Oh but then an entire new Federal Macro-bureaucracy (funded no doubt by a selective gun owner's, buyers, and ammo owner's tax..)could then happily employ several hundred-thousand eager and always alert liberal We Know Best newbies, all indoctrinated to be on the intense 24/7 lookout for anything suspicious. With the resultant fire=alarm type call-input, but oh-ohhhh... what about the old folks' home that's also on fire down the street? Who to save.. who to save?

Not to mention that GPS output requires power to transmit it's signal, and a wrap of tinfoil, or better yet, a well-jammed screwdriver plade into the techno-gubbin's of such a device, would render it useles.

Example: just a few years back, the corporate firearms giant Remington actually marketed an electronically controlled trigger version of their time-tested and otherwise previously very reliable Model 700 rifle. It 1) often failed in the field ("Oh ooooppps! Seems I errantly dropped my Remington into the sea, but it's OK: I fished it out, but that durned green light on the side is flickeri... nope. It's gone now. oh well.. What could possibly go wrong? I'm a law-abiding citizen, and this is my government at work!!

Say, why is that black helo approaching me so fast, with it's searchlight aimed at my head?")

Remington's Model 700 EtronX Centerfire Target Rifle Redefines The Big Bang Theory - Popular Mechanics

http://www.gunsgame.com/images/jan_m...big/etronx.jpg

Originally Posted By rjroberts:

"Interesting [marketplace] failure, especially as it relates to the anti's silly idea of electronic controls on firearms, whether to be usable only by the legitimate owner or whatever. DOESN'T WORK!"

Ahhhh well; to the OP: it was a creative if totally complex answer to a question no-one had asked.

Oh and PS: I'm protected by the Constitution from unreasonable search and seizure, just so you know. My being tracked whenever and wherever I have my firearm out and about is well past "reasonable". Shall we track you 24/7? Do you perhaps quilt or knit sweaters and carry sharpened pins in your bag? Or do you have too much Tylenol for your own good? Let's check you out and follow you for a while, shall we?

Why is such monitoring activity considered unreasonable here in the US? Because the Founding Fathers saw it's systematic abuse in Europe, regularly used by the government (check out the basis for the Napoleonic Code: guilty until proven innocent) and the Church, through their various scourging and vicious Inquisitions, public floggings and other means of assuring your mindless obedience.

And so..it's unreasonable precisely because it assumes I'm quite likely or potentially up to possible nefarious and deadly intents, but then, so are you (potentially I mean...) when you walk into a 7-11 looking a bit tired and haggard but really just in need of a 5-hour energy drink!

Freedom as we enjoy it has a price, and it's some level of unmonitored freedom for all our citizens, unless we actually KNOW they have bad thoughts and criminal intent. Only then we can interrupt. But trust me: universal GPS monitoring ain't gonna do it, sister!

Peace and kind thoughts in all your head, my brothers!

[Haakon]

The only thing that might prevent future tragedies like this is if people and schools actually took security at the schools seriously. Some might find this opinion piece by a police LT interesting, and some will dismiss it completely because they have an agenda they intend to push no matter what:
Active shooters in schools: The enemy is denial

If as much time, effort and money was spent on making schools schools safe as is spent on vehicles they would be the safest place people ever go.

[kayanne]

Originally Posted by Haakon

The only thing that might prevent future tragedies like this is if people and schools actually took security at the schools seriously. Some might find this opinion piece by a police LT interesting, and some will dismiss it completely because they have an agenda they intend to push no matter what:
Active shooters in schools: The enemy is denial

If as much time, effort and money was spent on making schools schools safe as is spent on vehicles they would be the safest place people ever go.

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing. I didn't realize there had been no school fire fatalities in 50 years, and I liked how the author talked about the layer upon layer of protection being the reason. Schools certainly need more layers of protection against violent criminals.

[lycos679]

Originally Posted by Haakon

The only thing that might prevent future tragedies like this is if people and schools actually took security at the schools seriously. Some might find this opinion piece by a police LT interesting, and some will dismiss it completely because they have an agenda they intend to push no matter what:
Active shooters in schools: The enemy is denial

If as much time, effort and money was spent on making schools schools safe as is spent on vehicles they would be the safest place people ever go.

+1

I thought it was a pretty balanced piece. I'll give up my cars if it means just one kid is saved.

g. Armed citizens can help. Think United 93. Whatever your personal take on gun control, it is all but certain that a killer set on killing is more likely to attack a target where the citizens are unarmed, rather than one where they are likely to encounter an armed citizen response.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by CaptainHastings

Yes, unarguably the worst but my claim was that you cannot commit mass-murder as quickly and as easily as you can do with a military-grade weapon.

Really? Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people and injured another 680 with nothing more than agricultural products and a moving truck (fertilizer and a U-Haul). Not a gun to be seen in that mass killing.

Yes, guns are a convenient way to kill people, but they are not the most effective way as seen by the aforementioned OKC bombing or 9/11. Crazy and/or evil people are going to find a way to kill people regardless of the availability of guns. Take away guns and they will move on to the next thing on the list. At least with guns, there is a background check apparatus in place as well as serial numbers that can be traced. There is a system in place that helps keep felons and the mentally ill from getting guns. Go further down the list and we'll find ourselves in a situation where it is much harder to prevent crazies from committing mass killings because they will be done with common materials like fertilizer.

[Haakon]

Originally Posted by Captain_Fingers

There's a lot of truth to this. On the other hand, the deadliness of weapons is so significant these days, that a couple of rare incidents are enough to cripple societies - think dirty bombs.

The deadliness of firearms today is no different than it has been since World War one. Yes, for 100 years there have been semi auto rifles with detachable magazines holding 20 or more rounds that were significantly more powerful than the AR-15 that is demonized by some today. Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie & Clyde) used one in the 1920's in their crime spree. Ever heard of the Thompson M1928A1, aka "The Tommy gun"? Invented in 1919 standard 30 round magazine and could use a 50 round magazine, both guns are still made today. The problem isn't the guns, they have been here for generations.

The media is what causes a couple of rare incidents to cripple societies. If not for the constant coverage by the media would you even have known about them? Newton is 3,000 miles away, if not for the media there would be absolutely zero impact from it here.

[L'Artiste]

I think there is nothing you can do to prevent another tragedy..it will happen again...I suppose to you can lengthen the time in between when it will happen again...Possibly a change in culture in America would help, but since we are so divided it probably won't happen...