Do we have any solutions to offer?

[Garybock]

We blew our chance for reasonable gov't back in early November

 

[VMaxSplat]

Solutions to the problem:

• Ban psycho drugs (Zoloft, Prozac, etc)
• Ban violent video games and movies
• Teach the 10 Commandments and basic decency/respect in schools again
• Hold gun owners accountable for proper firearms storage (gun safe)
• Post law enforcement officer in every school
• Institute voluntary program to arm/train teachers
• Require media outlets to never report the name of any future perp (quit giving these losers their 15 minutes of fame)
• Publicly hang any mass murderer who doesn't commit suicide (like the idiot "Joker")
• Run public education campaign that labels violent perps as uncool/losers/etc

 

[Speer4]

I did not see the NRA press conference, but read the transcript. I thought they made some excellent points about how we use armed guards to protect our money in banks, in stadiums, in airports, in congress, etc. but not to protect our children. Whenever that comes up, they show a clip of someone saying that we should not have to put armed people in our schools to protect our children. Well... of course we should not "have to" do this but I should not "have to" lock my doors either. We should not "have to" have armed protection for our President, but the reality is that we do. These people need to grow up and face the reality that there are bad people out there. Always have been and always will be.
After the press conference, every news station here has been interviewing local police departments and they, correctly, all state that they cannot do this with their current budget. Certainly not. I know they can't spread what they have further, but the NRA spokesman also suggested diverting some of the foreign aid money to fund this. That makes a lot of sense to me.
-Mike-

 

[Doc Nonverbal]

I would like to see the media held financially liable for copycat crimes. With all of the publicity this recent coward has received, I would bet any amount of money that we're going to see copycats. This is a sure bet, as there has already been at least one kid arrested for threatening to "shoot everybody".

We can demonstrate a very strong correlation between publicized incidents and copycats. Modeling aggressive behavior dates back to Bandura's experiments in the 60's. The evidence is there - we just need to apply it.

Imagine though if the victim / victim's family could hold the news media financially liable for a copycat crime. The net result would likely be an immediate change in the way they present the information.

In short, grieving about the victims is one thing and should be encouraged. Glorification of the criminal needs to end immediately.

My $0.02.

 

[jtcarm]

Murder rates across the nation have been steadily dropping over the past 40 years; the trend is definitely downward. Check out this official data:
Murder Rates Nationally and By State | Death Penalty Information Center

Yep. Us Baby Boomers have grown up. Seriously, violent crime is mostly committed by younger people. Once the largest age group in the country became vested in their community, the crime rates started down. CHL laws have helped, too. I remember a Texas politician arguing against the CHL law by saying "just think, you walk into a 7/11, and people could be armed!" Yeah, just think, no one's going to stick up that place if they think the customers are packing!

Stats are meaningless to the anti-gunners, and, unfortunately, most Americans simply do not have the attention span to become more informed beyond what they hear on the news about high-profile gun crimes. At least I hope I'm wrong on that. Possibly CHL laws have people more empowered to defend themselves and the negative view of guns has shifted.