On the Newton, CT shooting
Dec. 16th, 2012 10:10 amI wanted to wait for as many facts to come in... and it looks like it's plateaued. As you know, there's been a shooting in a Newton, CT elementary school. 27 dead, including the shooter. The news went global -- so much that Cheetah.DE complained of the coverage being broadcast in a place where there's not going to be much help from; in other words, why show it in Germany?
But that's not my point. Or three points, to be precise.
First, I must concentrate on the suspect, Adam Lanza. There are some indications that he wasn't mentally stable, especially during high school. I'm very tempted into looking through the interactions between the parents and Adam. There are reasons to believe there is a person or persons that have caused Adam to pop and effect this tragedy.
Second, the access. Nancy Lanza, Adam's mother, was a gun enthusiast. It is unknown whether or not the guns were locked up or not, or how easy there were to access them... but access them he did. If the guns were supposed to be locked up in a safe, but were not, or the safe was easily accessed, then there is reason to believe that Nancy's negligence provided the access. Note, she did have the money to buy a safe -- a $240,000 annual alimony payment from Adam's father.
Third, is the weapons and training. This is the big one, and those of you who are "2nd Amendment is absolute" anti-gun-control nuts, it's time for you to go rabidly crazy.
The weapons used was two 9mm handguns (a Glock and a SIG Sauer), and a .223 Bushmaster rifle. The rifle is the civilian version of the M16, part of Bushmaster's AR15 line as the M4 Type Carbine.
You already know about the access, but there's questions about general weapon availability of the .223 rifle. The biggest question for me is: Why is a minimally modified M16 being sold to civilians?!? It's too powerful! Where's the damn regulations on this? While I do not think the weapon should be totally banned (again), I really do think that it's sale must be restricted to military and licensed security firms.
Which gets into my last question: Where is the paperwork? There is no word if Nancy was licensed to have the weapons, and if the license requires training in handling and storing the weapons. Usually those licenses do not require it, and the NRA hasn't been pushing for such. Mainly the NRA has been a political lobbyist group who makes themselves out to be a bit more. Thus: Require all gun owners to go through a NRA/Federal approved gun operation and safety course, and submit to a background and mental check, before getting the license. After getting the license, allow the person to get his first weapon after a quick Internet-based record check. Additional guns must be applied for with a suitable long waiting period.
In other words, PAPERS PLEASE?!?!?
But that's not my point. Or three points, to be precise.
First, I must concentrate on the suspect, Adam Lanza. There are some indications that he wasn't mentally stable, especially during high school. I'm very tempted into looking through the interactions between the parents and Adam. There are reasons to believe there is a person or persons that have caused Adam to pop and effect this tragedy.
Second, the access. Nancy Lanza, Adam's mother, was a gun enthusiast. It is unknown whether or not the guns were locked up or not, or how easy there were to access them... but access them he did. If the guns were supposed to be locked up in a safe, but were not, or the safe was easily accessed, then there is reason to believe that Nancy's negligence provided the access. Note, she did have the money to buy a safe -- a $240,000 annual alimony payment from Adam's father.
Third, is the weapons and training. This is the big one, and those of you who are "2nd Amendment is absolute" anti-gun-control nuts, it's time for you to go rabidly crazy.
The weapons used was two 9mm handguns (a Glock and a SIG Sauer), and a .223 Bushmaster rifle. The rifle is the civilian version of the M16, part of Bushmaster's AR15 line as the M4 Type Carbine.
You already know about the access, but there's questions about general weapon availability of the .223 rifle. The biggest question for me is: Why is a minimally modified M16 being sold to civilians?!? It's too powerful! Where's the damn regulations on this? While I do not think the weapon should be totally banned (again), I really do think that it's sale must be restricted to military and licensed security firms.
Which gets into my last question: Where is the paperwork? There is no word if Nancy was licensed to have the weapons, and if the license requires training in handling and storing the weapons. Usually those licenses do not require it, and the NRA hasn't been pushing for such. Mainly the NRA has been a political lobbyist group who makes themselves out to be a bit more. Thus: Require all gun owners to go through a NRA/Federal approved gun operation and safety course, and submit to a background and mental check, before getting the license. After getting the license, allow the person to get his first weapon after a quick Internet-based record check. Additional guns must be applied for with a suitable long waiting period.
In other words, PAPERS PLEASE?!?!?