What is wrong

It sickens and saddens me what has become of our country. When I was growing up and in school, if 2 guys had an issue they duked it out after school.

Guns were around. We all had a couple of shotguns in the house, knew they were in the closet and the shells on the closet shelf, but we also knew we'd get our butts beat if we messed with them without dad there.

Today when someone gets pi$$ed they get ahold of gun and starts shooting.

I don't get it.
 
As a parent words cannot describe the emotions felt seeing events like this happen. It truly makes you wander what is really wrong knowing how things have changed.
 
In general, I think we seeing the unfortunate by-product of kids raised in a liberal influenced, punishment-free, participation trophy society where there are few consequences for bad decisions. In addition, there's the (again - liberal) philosophy that we should not dare attempt to identify and label the mentally ill for fear of hurt feelings.
But I'm sure the (liberal) pols and pundits will be quick to remind us that the problem can be easily solved by enacting laws to restrict my legal rights to protect my family.
 
I think a lot of these kids have poor social skills and are isolated as a result of their heavy use of technology. It’s a recipe for continued disaster.
 
So very sad. My heart breaks for those directly affected.

I will step out with a perspective. Tell me if I am off track - maybe I am.

There is a generation of kids who grew up with video games (call of Duty, etc.) playing them for hours shooting. Hundreds, if not thousands of hours.

99% of the kids it doesn't have a permanent impact.

Does it impact 1%...

Not trying to restart debates that occur over and over. Its not a single issue.

I am not smart enough to solve the problem.
 
My daughter is turning 21 this year. She never had interest in video games. Had very little interest in TV, but does use her cell for texting and Snapchat a lot.
My son is turning 18 this year. Keeping him away from the screens has been much more of a challenge. He still wastes way more time with his face in one screen or the other than I would like, but he has also accomplished a lot in the time we keep him off of them.
It ain’t easy, but nobody ever said parenting was easy.
 
In general, I think we seeing the unfortunate by-product of kids raised in a liberal influenced, punishment-free, participation trophy society where there are few consequences for bad decisions. In addition, there's the (again - liberal) philosophy that we should not dare attempt to identify and label the mentally ill for fear of hurt feelings.
But I'm sure the (liberal) pols and pundits will be quick to remind us that the problem can be easily solved by enacting laws to restrict my legal rights to protect my family.

Thank you, thank you. It only took 5 posts to politicize such a great tragedy.
This mother’s plea speaks volumes. I don’t give two shits what your political views are. Blaming the left or right doesn’t solve a damn thing.

But hey, as long as you can use this tragedy to spew your viewsand rights, and use this tragedy to poke and blame liberals.

Let’s have a no fly list, but don’t dare take away their right to bear arms.
Mental health is definitely an isssue here, but not the only one........

Mom's emotional plea leaves anchor, lawmaker in tears https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/...rump-do-something-florida-shooting-sot-nr.cnn
 
A very sad reality that repulses me... There has been a school shooting every 2.5 days since Jan. 1, 2018.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/advocacy-group-highlights-18-cases-gunfire-us-schools/story?id=53091125

This is rather misleading. The 18 shootings include two suicides and a stay bullet hitting a school. The incident in MN was a kid setting off a gun while it was in an officers holster while he was doing show and tell.

Not ideal and I would feel Much better if there were zero gun related incidents at all schools.
 
“If the above is true, one with think when the FBI was checking the “School shooter” story the FBI would have talked with the local police. "
Well, you have just uncovered one of law enforcement's major problems. You see, feebies (FBI agents) view themselves as being the "cream of the crop", "top of the heap", etc. I think you get my drift. With that lofty self appraisal, why in the world would you expect them to talk with lowly local cops, whom they view as being only a very small step above Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife from the old Andy Griffith Show.

Now, the flip side of that is most law enforcement officers do more "hands on" enforcing of laws in a couple of months than feebies do in a full career. That being the case, local LEO's view the feebies as being accountants with guns which, in many parts of the country is a dangerous scenario.

So the two levels of cops (feebies on one side and local cops on the other) seem to stand on opposite sides of the river pointing fingers and laughing at those on the other side.

Share info? Hell, federal law enforcement agencies don't even share info with each other (FBI, CIA, etc.) Why would you expect they would share info with Andy and Barney?
 
Well it appears that the feebies not only do not talk with local law enforcement, they don't do a very good job of communicating within their own agency.

A person close to the shooter at the Florida high school mass murder contacted the FBI on January 5 with concerns about him. The FBI revealed this in a statement issued Friday (today).

"The information was not provided to the Miami Field Office, and no further investigation was conducted at that time" the statement said.

The FBI said the caller provided information about "Cruz's gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting."

This admission prompted FL Governor Rick Scott to call on FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign.

So now almost everyone in government is calling for investigations into everyone looking for someone to point fingers at.

I don't think I'd want to be in Chris Wray's seat right now.
 
I've said this before and unfortunately I have to say it again.

Until they allow a complete background investigation, and I do mean a complete look into ones life. Nothing will change. At the most this would add a day before you can take the gun home. Stop the sales at Walmart and any other big box stores that aren't meant to carry long arms / handguns. Leave that to the gun shops.

At this time I don't know of ANY state that is allowed to look into ones mental health and wellbeing before you are allowed to own a firearm. I've been told by a local LEO that it is taboo, that if they would close that loophole that many of these past mass shootings MIGHT not have occurred. At this time they are only allowed to look at a buyers criminal background. Simple changes in the current laws, common since changes.

I'm not a lefty or a righty, I am a gun owner and I do carry everywhere I go. Stop the blame game, yes the FBI dropped the ball. Maybe they will learn from the mistakes made.
 
I've said this before and unfortunately I have to say it again.
dwna, thank you for your post. It brings up a couple of questions and, as a current gun owner who carries regularly, I'm hoping you can supply some further information.
Until they allow a complete background investigation, and I do mean a complete look into ones life. What type of information are you suggesting be looked at, and what agency would you suggest conduct this investigation? Nothing will change. At the most this would add a day before you can take the gun home. Stop the sales at Walmart and any other big box stores that aren't meant to carry long arms / handguns. Leave that to the gun shops. I'm not sure what you would gain by this so perhaps you could explain it further. I would bet that Walmart sells more firearms each year than any other US company. What is it that gun stores are doing that Walmart is not doing, and how would prohibiting sales by Walmart make us safer?

At this time I don't know of ANY state that is allowed to look into ones mental health and wellbeing before you are allowed to own a firearm. I've been told by a local LEO that it is taboo, that if they would close that loophole that many of these past mass shootings MIGHT not have occurred. At this time they are only allowed to look at a buyers criminal background. Simple changes in the current laws, common since changes..
A person who has been committed to a mental health facility has some type of notation made in the national computer bank (the one that is currently used that would disqualify him from buying/owning firearms.

"Federal Law
Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(d), it is unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person “has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution.”
http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-...session-of-a-firearm-by-the-mentally-ill.aspx

State laws vary by state and you can check your states at the link posted directly above.

 
Yes, those laws are in place but the key word here is "committed"
If you were committed of any crime or placed in any mental hospital you will not pass the background check. If you were never committed but have been evaluated, then placed on any of the drugs out there you're the proud owner of whatever you're buying. That right there is the gray area. If a seller or the FED LEO's were able to see a complete background both mental and criminal things might change.

Now as you know there are many ways around this. If you were placed for a 72 hour evaluation and its determined you were fine. It won't show during a background check.

Now as a seller, I can tell you that many owners follow the rules to the letter. I personally sell only thru one local gun shop. Each and every time the paperwork is done. I also track the firearm just as my father did. Who I sold the gun to, their address, make, model, numbers, even the hidden numbers are in the book. I keep those records just encase.
 
I do have one question.

How in the world did the Uber driver miss the gun? I had 2 AK's both with folding stocks. You couldn't hide them if you tried. Maybe a duffle bag but then wouldn't it be odd taking this guy to a school with a duffle?

As for the Big box comment
I went in the other day to pickup some .22L. It just didn't seem right to me to have the guy selling me ammo or a long arm. He barley could operate the register. That's just my opinion.

As for the keeping of the mental reports, I don't know. If you are committed it shows in the check, if your diagnosed it won't. Asking the doctors to report these folks is out of the question, civil liberties folks would go sue crazy.

I don't have all the answers, I just have opinions. Changes do need to be made but all the finger pointing won't fix a thing
 
Last edited:
I would put the bank on the fact that this was not some thing that came out of the blue. This young man had a history of problems and the one place that he spent almost half of his life at kicked him to the curb instead of finding out why he was so troubled.But the public will never hear about what this kid life was like to push him to doing this because that would make the school and authorities look bad.
 
I would put the bank on the fact that this was not some thing that came out of the blue. This young man had a history of problems and the one place that he spent almost half of his life at kicked him to the curb instead of finding out why he was so troubled.But the public will never hear about what this kid life was like to push him to doing this because that would make the school and authorities look bad.
Someone else is responsible, eh? C'mon.....
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,942
Messages
1,422,701
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top