School shooting in Parkland, FL

[cabanafrau]

I actually DO have a practical solution. Any gun owner, whose gun is used in the commission of this sort of tragic slaughter, should be held 100% legally and financially accountable. They should be forced to pay damages to any victims. This would very much encourage parents, for example, to keep guns safely locked where teenagers can't get at them. No excuses. No exceptions. If you choose to own such a weapon, the death and destructions wrought by the weapon is on you. Period.

Insurance companies should be allowed to inquire about gun ownership, and to charge you significantly higher premiums, should you choose to own a weapon.

These are PRACTICAL solutions that don't involve taking one gun away from anyone.

Another practical solution. Have a gun buy back program. You get a voucher good for paying for higher education or the cost of a private school education. Will we get them all? No, of course not. But, any reduction is better than none at all. And the last few of these shootings have been by legally obtained/owned weapons (not illegally obtained....those tend to be used in drug crimes, etc, not school shootings), so we've got to reduce the rate of such ownership OR make the penalty for failing to adequately secure such a weapon very high to make sure people handle their guns responsibly.

If we spent as much time and energy focusing on this problem as we do on "terrorists" (which are just not that much of a statistical threat) we'd be well on our way to solving it. But, we do NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. And, the slaughter continues.

With respect, your gun buy back program seems to open up a host of unintended consequences, as does your penalty to be enacted against gun owners whose weapons are co opted by those who wish to do harm. There's inherent danger in making a weapon of even greater value than currently exists in America. There are also limits with how secure anyone can make anything from thieves. It's entirely possible a legal gun owner could take every measure they know of to secure a weapon and have determined thieves figure out how to steal it anyway. Who's going to pay for the higher education and private school education vouchers in return for guns turned in? Isn't it entirely possible that idea creates tremendous incentive for thieves to break into homes, looking for weapons they can turn in? Oh, there will be a theft report and a paper trail indicating the gun is stolen, so the thief cannot get the voucher, right? So the only guns to be turned in will be those legally owned, criminals will of course decide it's in their best interest to keep theirs to do what criminals will do.

I'm not against people turning in their guns if they want to. I'm not even against gun buy backs. I just think we can't just pursue gun buy backs at any cost and unfairly burden legal and responsible gun owners to the point the right to legally own a firearm becomes a mockery.

 

[lovin'fl]

Hearing lots of interesting things about this guy.

 

[cabanafrau]

Glad you figured it out later on in the thread. The PP was listing ineffectual things people do after a horrific situation.



I saw no sarcasm, just a reflection on the infertility of many responses.



We can offer solutions, we can organize and put a stop to a lot of the violence. It's the thought that all we can do is offer thoughts and prayers that doesn't do anything useful, IMO.



One of my favorite quotes is from a song written by Jewel, from the song "Life Uncommon"

There are plenty of people
Who pray for peace
But if praying were enough
It would've come to be





See above.

Why is it assumed that simply because someone offers thoughts and prayers it means they aren't making any other efforts towards finding solutions?

I mean I suppose if one is opposed to thoughts and prayers there's always the option of participation in the comments section following any news story, topic doesn't even matter. Surely it's more helpful to shut down any positive approaches or energy and much better to sling mud, claiming that problems are all due to this politician or political party, this race or another, this faith or another -- any kind of "other" will do.

Clearly thoughts and prayers are the problem, must be stomped out.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

A bump stock ban would be a good example of something that could have been done and hasn't been done. The idea nothing could be done is false

Sure guy, that's why the went to congress and begged. Totally heartless

Bumpstock wasn’t even on the radar after Sandy Hook, nor did the shooter there have one.

And it’s hardly heartless to suggest that the kind of action we should be taking is REAL action, not feel good “changes” that only have the purpose of making the previous victims seem like we “hear” them.

I understand people want to feel like they’re “doing something”, but if you’re not ACTUALLY doing something, you shouldn’t pretend that you are.

Making schools more secure is something we can ACTUALLY do to ACTUALLY save lives. If pointing that out makes me “heartless”, so be it.

 

[longboard55]

Bumpstock wasn’t even on the radar after Sandy Hook, nor did the shooter there have one.

And it’s hardly heartless to suggest that the kind of action we should be taking is REAL action, not feel good “changes” that only have the purpose of making the previous victims seem like we “hear” them.

I understand people want to feel like they’re “doing something”, but if you’re not ACTUALLY doing something, you shouldn’t pretend that you are.

Making schools more secure is something we can ACTUALLY do to ACTUALLY save lives. If pointing that out makes me “heartless”, so be it.

Everytime this happens all we hear is nothing can be done, I am saying even something as basic as outlawing bumpstocks was NOT done. Nothing will stop all shooting, I can you give you a very long list of things to REDUCE mass shootings.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I actually DO have a practical solution. Any gun owner, whose gun is used in the commission of this sort of tragic slaughter, should be held 100% legally and financially accountable. They should be forced to pay damages to any victims. This would very much encourage parents, for example, to keep guns safely locked where teenagers can't get at them. No excuses. No exceptions. If you choose to own such a weapon, the death and destructions wrought by the weapon is on you. Period.

Insurance companies should be allowed to inquire about gun ownership, and to charge you significantly higher premiums, should you choose to own a weapon.

These are PRACTICAL solutions that don't involve taking one gun away from anyone.

Another practical solution. Have a gun buy back program. You get a voucher good for paying for higher education or the cost of a private school education. Will we get them all? No, of course not. But, any reduction is better than none at all. And the last few of these shootings have been by legally obtained/owned weapons (not illegally obtained....those tend to be used in drug crimes, etc, not school shootings), so we've got to reduce the rate of such ownership OR make the penalty for failing to adequately secure such a weapon very high to make sure people handle their guns responsibly.

If we spent as much time and energy focusing on this problem as we do on "terrorists" (which are just not that much of a statistical threat) we'd be well on our way to solving it. But, we do NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. And, the slaughter continues.

I think you open a major can of worms when you start holding lawful gun owners responsible for the actions of criminals who have stolen their property.

And as for a “statistical threat”, you’re twice as likely in this country to die in a homicide committed by “hands and feet” than you are to be murdered with a rifle of any kind. And we spend a LOT of time taking about rifles these days (I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t, but just trying to keep perspective here).

 

[Dancind]

I can't say much either, without getting in trouble. But I do think any changes are not possible at this time, other things will need to change first. But MNRose, maybe you should run for office!

Other countries have done it, we can do it too. We need to protect our children from gun violence, and our Police officers too!

Lovinfl, anything you hear at this point will originate from conspiracy theorists with a political agenda.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Everytime this happens all we hear is nothing can be done, I am saying even something as basic as outlawing bumpstocks was NOT done. Nothing will stop all shooting, I can you give you a very long list of things to REDUCE mass shootings.

Where did I say nothing can be done?

As for bumpstocks, the ATF may very well outlaw those. Some states already have.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The local news said it was a former student (19 years old) not a currently enrolled student of the school. My local news has said they have formerly identified the student (chose not to write his name in this post).

Also the local article I was reading said the following:


I'm wondering if the student interviewed notified anyone be it a parent, a faculty member, even as an anonymous tip. Did anyone else know? I'm just wondering because clearly the student interviewed saw the individual as...IDK off? It would make me very concerned if someone was showing me the guns they had on their phone paired with their behavior which exhibited warning bells.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

One of my favorite quotes is from a song written by Jewel, from the song "Life Uncommon"

There are plenty of people
Who pray for peace
But if praying were enough
It would've come to be





See above.

Did I say it was enough? No... No I didn't.

 

[Hikergirl]

For all of you that want things done, do you contact your State legislature? Not everything has to be done at the Federal level, and if it isn't and you don't think there is hope there, then try to enact change within your own State.

There is a problem in the country and it goes far beyond guns. Firearms have been legal since we've been "born". The number of households with firearms today is the same, if not lower than it was 40-50 years ago. Yet mass shootings (and I don't mean "4") didn't happen so often. What has changed? That needs to be part of the discussion.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Everytime this happens all we hear is nothing can be done, I am saying even something as basic as outlawing bumpstocks was NOT done. Nothing will stop all shooting, I can you give you a very long list of things to REDUCE mass shootings.

Where did I say nothing can be done?

As for bumpstocks, the ATF may very well outlaw those. Some states already have.

As of October, 2017

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/where-...s-states-weigh-bans-after-las-vegas-shooting/

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The local news said it was a former student (19 years old) not a currently enrolled student of the school. My local news has said they have formerly identified the student (chose not to write his name in this post).

Also the local article I was reading said the following:
View attachment 302535

I'm wondering if the student interviewed notified anyone be it a parent, a faculty member, even as an anonymous tip. Did anyone else know? I'm just wondering because clearly the student interviewed saw the individual as...IDK off? It would make me very concerned if someone was showing me the guns they had on their phone paired with their behavior which exhibited warning bells.

"I steered clear of him most of my time in the alternate school."

Sounds like he was not in the regular school, but in the school for troubled kids, for lack of a better term.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Correct. Frustration and the fact that mass shootings are not isolated cases. Columbine- I have those images clear after all these years as that was one of the first and there was a long pause. That was HORRIFIC back then nothing like this had ever happened. People were talking about this for years. I can no longer recall mass shootings anymore. Just too many. Remember Orlando? That was before VEGas. Before that grade schoolers and many mire in between. Part of our lives now. Wait a few months it’ll happen again.

What do you mean wait a few months? Wait a few days. No need to get worked up about this one, the next one will be here soon enough to take your mind off of it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

"I steered clear of him most of my time in the alternate school."

Sounds like he was not in the regular school, but in the school for troubled kids, for lack of a better term.

Eh I wouldn't put much stock in that. The school in the district I grew up with the alternative school was for those who were pregnant (if they chose to go there vs staying in normal school), those who have difficulties in normal school be it because they just couldn't deal with how it was structured {not everyone can be successful in how average schools are structured} or because they had more behavior issues, etc.

Unless it was specifically listed that the alternate school was for troubled kids I'm sure as heck not going to paint that as the issue. I know of several people who went to the alternative school in our district who were NOT troubled. It just was where they could try and be more successful at schooling. My own sister-in-law went to the alternative school in her district before opting to go to online high school. It wasn't because she was troubled nor was the alternative school listed as 'school for the troubled'. She just for lack of a better description sucked at the normal structure for schooling.

 

[Domo]

Making schools more secure is something we can ACTUALLY do to ACTUALLY save lives. If pointing that out makes me “heartless”, so be it.

There is a prayer. It ends with "What I can do I ought to do And what I ought to do, by the Grace of God, I will do."

You don't need to be religious to take something away from that.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I think if we knew what the answer was then we would do it. The problem is, nobody has the magic solution.

I would rather the lawmakers attempt SOMETHING than say, "Well, no solution, so nothing to do here."

If they try and fail, at least they tried. Better than pretending there is nothing to be done and sitting there with blood on their hands.

 

[Marchand63]

Are you serious? I don't even know how to respond to what you said
So I will just say prayers for all involved, and I hope that they caught/catch the shooter.

Something HAS to be done to stop all of this, but what it is, I for one do not know!

Omg, you really didn't get the sarcasm.

What boggles me about guns is that you dont even have to know how to use one to own one. A car you need a license. Heck even to cut hair! Guns, nope any idiot can own one.

Not true most states have a gun safety course to get a license to carry.

I have guns. I also have a gun safe & a fingerprint lockbox. Don't blame responsible gun owners for the acts of whackos.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Well, since everyone's giving their solutions, I'll give mine.

We've become a society that's not nice to eachother anymore.

People are angry. All the time. And they don't know what to do with their emotions.

They often use substances to help with their pain. Which blurs their reality.

They don't always seek healthy outlets, either because they don't know how, or they don't care to.

It's all about them.

They only care about their own feelings, and have lost compassion for their fellow man.

Personally, I believe media and social media are responsible for a lot of the increased violence we see.

And probably a lot of other reasons.

We think the NRA is a big lobby; what about Hollywood?

Why do we think the only solution is to get rid of guns?

How about we look at what our children are watching and doing.

How about we teach our children it's not always just about them.

Why don't we all work at getting along better with eachother?

Put our differences aside for the better good? Find middle ground?

Put pressure on some of the media and social media outlets.

Put our money where our mouths are.

Until we can do this as a society, imho, we will never find a solution to this problem we have.

It's not just about guns. It's about people who kill with them. And why.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I would rather the lawmakers attempt SOMETHING than say, "Well, no solution, so nothing to do here."

If they try and fail, at least they tried. Better than pretending there is nothing to be done and sitting there with blood on their hands.

They won't even allow the problem to be studied. Hard to implement any solutions when you can't even study the problem. They must be afraid of what the un-allowed study would show.