Well, one thing you can do, is stop giving these events the media attention they receive. It only encourages others to do it.

Should that be "without proper permits", rather than "with"?

Otherwise, yeah... quite right. Hear hear. :/

Instead of focusing on the "guns" aspect, let's focus on the REAL issue, the root of the problem. Those darn video games. They can drive people insane, as they mimic the actions on the t.v. screen. Let's limit the purchase of these violent games to those qualified to know the difference between fantasy and reality.

Instead of focusing on the "guns" aspect, let's focus on the REAL issue, the root of the problem. Those darn video games. They can drive people insane, as they mimic the actions on the t.v. screen. Let's limit the purchase of these violent games to those qualified to know the difference between fantasy and reality.

And you really missed the point. It has been PROVEN since 1993 (by Professor Dan Olweus) that School Violence is directly attributed to the improper standards of public school officials. A "School Bully" is 6 times more likely to become an Abuser, both Child and Domestic Abuser, and 6 times more likely to become a Felon then his non-violent/non-abusive classmates. In addition, research has also PROVEN that 75% of all School Shootings occur because of School Bullying. It was also proven in 1991 that the single most dangerous place for a kid aged 12 to 15 is, GUESS WHERE?, at SCHOOL. You want to stop School Shootings? You need 2 things, and only 2 laws (but good luck getting the Nazi Politicians like Clintons, Peloski, Reid, ... to enact those laws).

1) Criminal Penalities for School Administrators for allowing a student to commit multiple acts (probably 3) of violence or bullying at school without suspensions, expulsions, and/or being Arrested and Tried in Court. Also last ditch efforts will not stop the Criminal Penalty for the School Administrator (i.e do nothing the first 2 times, then initiate severe disciplines listed above on the third so the School Administrator doesn't have to face justice).

2) Laws that restrict gun ownership to non-behaviorally challenged citizens. Yes, we do need to prevent Gun Ownership to have either proven they aren't responsible enough to own a gun or who are mentally unstable (i.e. what is commonly referred to as insane) enough to own a gun. Yes, we do need penalties for those who buy guns for those who shouldn't/can't own them legally.

But along with those 2 laws we need to:

A) Remove the stupid Anti-Gun Ownership Laws like Handgun Ban Laws.

B) Prevent the sale of merchadise and viewing of Advertising to minors for anything that promotes or advocates criminal violence.

But none of this will ever happen with the Power Hungry Spinmasters that are currently in office.

Here is an excellent place to start to understand what to do about stopping the majority of school place shootings...

http://tinyurl.com/2ylr63

http://preview.tinyurl.com/2ylr63

The cheif "loophole" of gun control laws is that they don't effect those who buy their guns illegally, which is how the overwhelming majority of guns used in crimes are acquired.
No right is absolute? Would you then be willing to apply for permission from the state or federal government before you could post articles here? After all, you might use the rights protected by the 1st Amendment to tell people how to make bombs.
The fact is gun control simply can't stop gun crimes. If it could, wouldn't Washington DC's crime rate have been going down faster than the national average since they passed their gun ban? It hasn't, though. The national average has been going down since 1991 (with, I think, a 1% increase in 2006 ending the downward trend). DC's crime rates have gone up at least 70% since they passed their gun ban. That includes their murder rate. To put it simply, gun control kills.

Tina, I have reason to believe you're retarded.

It's nearly impossible (or rather, possible but not practical) to reduce school shootings like the Virginia Tech shooting. Yes, what happened was awful, but school shootings are, in fact, very rare events. They seem more common because the media focuses on them so heavily. Remember that the vast majority of shootings are the result of domestic, non-school disputes or other non-school criminal activity (gang wars, bar fights, bank robberies, etc.).

Bear in mind, too, that the overall murder rate has steadily dropped, at least in the West, for century after century. The per capita murder rate was MUCH higher in the 19th century, and court documents from the middle ages point to an even higher murder rate (even without the "advantage" of firearms).

It is nearly anticipate the actions of a single individual (or two individuals) who plans to murder several people. It's not like they run through a crowded school shouting "I'm going to shoot you dead tomorrow". Even Cho's deranged writings don't inherently point to a murderer in the making: my brother wrote similar rubbish, giggling the entire time, simply trying to wind up his English teacher. He didn't have any plans beyond irritating his teacher (and he succeeded at that).

For all you, I or anyone else knows, the person in the next room or office could be planning something awful even as I type. I could be planning something awful, or you could be. Remember that NOBODY knew or suspected that Tim McVeigh and his friend were planning to blow up the federal building in Oklahoma City, even as they rented a truck and purchased all the materials to do so. Consider how long it took to find and capture Ted Kascynski (sp?), the Unabomber.

Yes, it's tragic when something like the Virginia Tech murders occur, but I don't honestly think there's a whole lot we can realistically do to prevent the next one.

You always have a right to protect yourself no matter what anyone says.Remember the BOR only says what the FEDS can't take away... it gives you nothing, these right are something we are born with.

There should be background checks for civil actions? That doesn't make sense to me. If someone had a contract dispute with their credit card company in the past they should surrender their 2nd Amendment rights? OK, I buy it if you surrender your 4th Amendment rights (get searched anywhere, anytime, by anyone) if you have a past civil action against you.

There should be background checks for civil actions? That doesn't make sense to me. If someone had a contract dispute with their credit card company in the past they should surrender their 2nd Amendment rights? OK, I buy it if you surrender your 4th Amendment rights (get searched anywhere, anytime, by anyone) if you have a past civil action against you.

"Existing laws have too many loopholes that allow people like Virginia Tech mass murder Seung-Heui Cho to buy their weapons with proper permits."

Nice use of glittering generalities (a propaganda technique should you actually prove to be unelucidated). Jonathan can you name one of these loopholes? With over 20,000 Federal laws restricting guns and probably as many State laws as well, you would think the loopholes would be plugged by now .

No, I really take exception to hog-wash like, "No rights, though, are absolute." Now I suppose you're going to reference the fiction that you can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater as evidence that no right is absolute. Well, you're wrong. There is no law that staples a steel plate across your mouth to prevent you from yelling fire. The law simply makes you RESPONSIBLE for the misuse of your right to free speech. Any statute that demands you close you mouth and staple it shut to prevent you from yelling, "fire" is, in fact, unlawful because prior restraint of a right is illegal.

So, what makes you think that you can take a right - that is, the right to defend your life with the best means available and restrain it in advance of exercising that right? The ONLY right mentioned in the Bill of Rights that specifically instructs government not to mess with it in any way or shape (shall not be infringed) is the 2nd Amendment. Yet, this is the only right that you useful idiots (Lenin's terminology) mess with -- the one we are specifically instructed not to. Living proof that public education doesn't educate or even teach critical thinking.

I thought you all would like to see the real figures from
Down Under.

It has now been 12 months since gun owners inAustralia were forced by
a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by
our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than
$500 million dollars.The first year results are now in:Australia-wide,
homicides are up 6.2 percent Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6
percent ;Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44
percent)!In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are
now up 300 percent.(Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned
them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their
guns!)While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady
decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically
upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteed
that their prey is unarmed.There has also been a dramatic increase in
break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at
home.Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety
has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended
in "successfully ridding Australian society of guns." You won't see
this on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of
the State Assembly disseminating this information.

The Australian experience speaks for itself.. Guns in the hands of
honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws
affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note Americans, before it's too late!

Let's see now: there are over 20,000 gun laws on the books. How many gun laws were boken by this individual? Oh - I almost forgot; criminals and the insane do not observe laws. So - what new law would you write that would stop this criminal from his appointed rounds?

Profiling is only a problem if you do it because of WHAT a person is, but not HOW he is.
My point? If someone acts and/or looks odd, check it out and be proactive........ck out histories, residences, cars, cash withdrawls and credit txs etc. so at least for god's sake, we actually do something we CAN do.
"If it walks like a duck" get it?