Unfortunately, our society continues to focus on ways to prohibit responsible people from owning guns while ignoring prohibitions that would keep those with emotional or mental illness away from these same weapons.
Sandy Hook Elementary students returned to another facility today under the protection of armed security guards which the National Rifle Association recommended after the Dec. 14 massacre that killed 26 people, including 20 children. Although the children returned to classrooms with their old desks and furniture, they were relocated to an unused school facility nearby. But the most noticeable difference may be the presence of armed police officers. Monroe, Conn., Police Lt. Keith White confirmed that officers would be in and around the school but that their presence would hopefully not be a distraction to students. "We want this to be a normal school where they can go and enjoy themselves and learn throughout the day," White told reporters. "I think right now, we have to make this the safest school in America." Within moments of the school shooting, gun control advocates including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and others began calling for a ban on assault weapons. The conversation grew intense in the days following with proponents of gun rights arguing that the debate should instead focus on mental health issues and how to identify those who have the ability and desire to commit such heinous crimes. But a week [...]
What does the author of one of America’s best-selling novels about children killing each other for sport and the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting have in common? The answer is both of them claim Newtown, Conn., as their residence. Suzanne Collins, the award winning best-selling author of The Hunger Games trilogy, lives with her family and writes in the quaint Northeast community of Newtown. She shares her picturesque town with the 27 victims who were murdered – 20 of whom were children – in the tragic massacre that took place there on Dec. 14. Before I go any further or before anyone jumps to a baseless conclusion, let me be clear about something. I am not blaming the Sandy Hook shootings on Suzanne Collins. I’m sure she is grieving for those who lost their lives just like the rest of the nation; maybe more because she might have known or socialized with some of the parents whose children died. However, I am going to question why Hollywood, book publishers and the entertainment industry as a whole, write and produce scripts where people, including children, randomly and with no emotion, callously murder others with “assault” weapons and then wonder why like scenarios [...]
Since the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy last week, news and blog sites have consistently published articles and posts - some even well written and thought out – on the topics of if we need more restrictions on guns and can we stop mentally ill people from committing heinous crimes. I believe the answer to both is no. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a former state legislator who earned and maintained an A plus NRA rating, meaning I opposed restrictions on guns and supported the concept of allowing responsible citizens to defend themselves from irresponsible criminals. I grew up hunting but no longer go because I would rather spend my leisure time playing tennis or watching my kids grow up, but do occasionally like to venture into the woods behind my home for target practice. And I have a valid handgun carry permit. In my personal and political experience, the major problem with liberals who want to make possession of any gun illegal is one, they don’t own guns themselves and two, their motivation centers more around weakening the political power of conservatives and gun rights activist than is does on addressing why people are committing crimes in [...]
An horrendous shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. today that killed 20 children and eight adults has prompted an immediate outcry for gun control laws from leading liberals, especially on assault weapons such as the one used in Friday's tragic shooting. The shooting is one of the worst in U.S. history and immediately sparked memories of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, and the Virginia Tech rampage in 2007. There is little doubt supporters of gun control will square off against those who support the right to keep and bear arms in the coming days, however, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that today was not the time to discuss gun laws. "I think that day will come, but today's not that day, especially as we are awaiting more information about the situation," he said. The Very Rev. Gary Hall, Dean of Washington National Cathedral - which considers its mission to be a spiritual home for the nation - has released a statement in response to the Sandy Hook tragedy today. "The horrific shooting of children and adults in Newtown, Connecticut, is a tragedy that elicits both our grief and our moral outrage on behalf [...]