mistred64 Loc: Grayslake, illinois

I'm not a gun owner. Three years ago I applied for a FOID card to see the process and how long the backround check took. We all know the government is very slow to process but a week later I received my FOID card. I'm guessing the only thing they checked is if I'm a convicted felon. I shredded my card. A friend took me to a shooting range once. It was interesting and kinda fun. My take away was nobody should have that much power over another person. It's just not right. I'm not a h****r but I eat meat and don't have a problem with hunting rifles as long as you eat what you k**l. Conceal and carry to protect yourself and others? What's stopping the crazy person from getting that license? There is bickering about the proper names of guns. Does it really matter? Any gun that fires...oh screw it, I'm done. Blah blah blah and nobody wants to meet in the middle and think of possible solutions to a huge problem that only exists in this country. Nothing will change. Ours is the longest running democracy in the history of the world but it won't last much longer. We're k*****g ourselves.

Justoldjim Loc: JUNCTION CITY, OR.

My take is to start with stopping all the k*****g games the kids play & making parents responsible for things kids up to 21 years do

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

What you are not seeing, we live in times where it is harder to get fire arms. I lived when you could buy fire arms via mail! You can't do it now, it has to be mailed to a licensed individual that has a FFL or at a store then you have to get it from him/her following all the rules. Yet back when I could have Herters mail one to me there weren't all the school shootings. This only started in the last decade or so ago! It is the mental health that has gone down the tube and to now attack the huge group if citizens who live a good honest life within the law and say you need to be penalized is wrong. Like you said you are not a gun owner, so it is no skin off your nose if someone else is put under the screw. I was born in a home that had fire arms and hunted. I hunted and started competing in MY sport at age 12 and after military and putting myself thru college I started competing and taught all kids in my community 12- 18 years old that come to my rifle club, firearm safety, marksmanship then for those who wanted to continue on I coached those who wanted to compete on a team. I did that for over 20 years. About 10 years after I stopped teaching/coaching I got one of the best compliments I have ever gotten. I was selling my old home and had an issue with the Septic system. I hired a Septic design firm to come assess the problem. The individual that came from that company was a young man in his mid 30's. We got to talking and he was telling me about his cabin, on a lake, he had up in Canada that he had to fly in to get to it via float plane. He said He and his kids would go up there to fish and what not and he taught his kids about fire arms and safety. He said he learned it when he came to a class at the local rifle club. As it turned out was me that taught this little kid and he said to me, "YOU CHANGED MY LIFE"! Wow, that really hit my heart to have a positive influence on a little kid. I coached 3 of my 4 kids all did well, but the youngest did the best. At age 16 she was the WA WOMEN'S champion.To make more rules is not the solution, it is a cop out. One day I was playing Bridge with a very good lady who has immigrated here from Georgia (that is over in the old Soviet union) and believe me she was adamant it is not good living in a country that had repressive laws.

Ivey Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake

I can see there's more interest in our own personal desires/interests than keeping kids alive so my posts are useless here. Target shooting is more important, getting a gun the day you want it is more important, our right to buy and sell a gun is more important than keeping children safe. I'm off this post and next week/month when this happens again I'll try and keep my thoughts to myself.

J in Cleveland Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

I’m have an 9 and 10 year old. Legal gun owner and supporter. But, I completely agree with you please don’t give up with trying to speak sense.
What happened to citizenship?
What happened to the greater good? Those where back bones if the time you all say was so much better!!!

Now everything is about “your rights”. I agree there are a lot of bad parents out there but who where there parents? Who taught them how to be parents? No one is without fault! The only way to make real change is for US ALL to take a look in the mirror and make changes in our own lives and actions!!! All the rest is totally BS!! I’m willing to do wh**ever it takes to keep my children safe. I wish you all where!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻

Chuck56 Loc: Texas

Here in Texas, we have mandatory background checks. My understanding is that kids check was clean . Every time I have purchased a firearm here in Texas , I’ve been checked. Sometimes I would clear in 30 minutes, sometimes a couple of days. It’s done by computer , random , just like when I got my concealed carry permit. I believe we are in agreement about nobody wanting to infringe on rights. My gripe was certain politicians trying to make a statement , and not letting the aftermath of the event run its course.

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

The secret service have the ability to see if anybody posted on line that they are going to k**l the president and maybe others so why can't it be searched for such things like I am going to k**l my Grandmother or I am going to k**l those school kids.
Had a family friend over for my Birthday and he added another camera to the security system he installed years ago. The New camera showing the front walk way and front door makes my wife more at ease seeing who is at the front door in addition to drive way in front of the house covered by first camera. The guy is a security sys genius. Will be adding another in the future for back yard and shop.
As far as that school goes where all those kids were k**led, He said security systems now days have the ability to know shots fired and lock the doors/school down. They can notify police when alarmed, just like home systems been doing for years. I have alarms for many things in my home which was installed between 1997 and 2000 that a glass breakage alarms the sensor there for police can be alerted. There is a huge amount of stuff out there that can help. I suspect there may have been complacency since nothing, that I am aware of, has happened in the past. We and the law enforcement has to be always right, the bad guys only have to be right once! My understanding that the security officer was not on duty when all this happened. I don't know the facts, but seems maybe something could have happened to prevent this from happening and from what I heard the Governor say maybe the decision to wait for back up might have allowed more k*****g. The point is that to charge off and take all good citizens firearms away that a few want is the wrong way to go. It is the Arsonist the authorities go after not the home owner. There are alarms to know and alert that a door was left open. I am sure there are many more types sensors available. My friend installs hard wired systems, not those little battery sensors all over the place. I think there are many things out there to help stop these things, it how some choose to spend their funds on what.

DC Loc: Washington state

it appears already existing safeguards were not followed one of the main one being keeping doors locked and shut. people get complacent and think nothing is going to happen because nothing has happened. it is always a conflict between assesability and security and over time in public buildings assesability usually wins out
.

Ivey Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake

this is all about politicians trying to make a statement on both sides, one side trying to make good sense changes and the other about not changing a thing. Ted Cruz receives ten of thousands of dollars in donations from the gun industry. How is that working for the public? Big industry is choosing our representatives and our voice is drowned out buy big money.

Just watch the gun industry will make record profits after this mass murder. Politicians will cry "they're trying to take our guns" and the people will rush to buy more guns and ammo. Happens every time.

The high velocity rounds from these type weapons are designed to cause much more internal damage, they are designed to tumble and cause much more damage than even a 9mm round. Now days many of our first responders are trained by the military to deal with the wounds inflicted by the AR.

We can do better but first we have to realize sometimes it's better to think about others over what we want, seems we've lost that in America. We must recognize there is a problem and be willing to do the things necessary to make the country safer for our children.

J in Cleveland Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

Nailed it!!

DC Loc: Washington state

bottom line it is not the gun not the ammo it is the person. we make laws for background checks which is good but then they don't put all the relevant information about a person's mental health risks, or even criminal history, wipe records clean of youth offenders and then wonder why background checks don't always work. we have laws with gun inhancement penalties for guns used in crimes but don't apply them and let criminals out of jail early. we have laws against straw purchases but often don't enforce it. may be start by enforcing existing laws

Whitey Loc: Southeast ohio

Agreed 100% 👍

Ivey Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake

Bottom line is, if we allow this to continue without making every effort to stop it at some point guns and ammo WILL be outlawed. Folks we gotta wake up and do something before this happens. Bottom line is the laws in place aren't working they need to be changed so they can work.

DC Loc: Washington state

they are not working because they are not being enforced. maybe talk about getting rid of soft on crime prosecutors and judges who don't hold the criminals accountable. the other thing is how are we to know what went wrong in TX. when they keep changing the "facts". a little bit of t***h and honesty would go a long way. I am beginning to suspect this young scumbag shooter most likely had run ins at school or with the law that should have been recorded so a back ground check could have kept him from getting the guns but I don't know because what has been released has not been all that accurate and ever changeing

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA