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From the Right by Ed Farnan

New gun restrictions will not prevent tragedies like the Connecticut school shooting

Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 06:00 PM

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Yesterday’s tragic mass shooting of 20 children & 6 adults, has brought out the inevitable calls from around the country to make laws restricting gun ownership.

Many Europeans & Australians decry Americas violence and say we must restrict guns. But America is not a tiny country, just one state, California, has a population bigger and more diverse than most of of these small countries. Australia has less population than the state of Texas.

America is a huge melting pot of cultures, races and religions. We are very diverse geographically as well; with intensely populated urban areas, to sparsely populated rural areas and everything in between.

When you read the statistics, America is a violent country….But 99.9% of the legal gun owners in our country are law abiding peaceful people and never use their firearms for violence. Sometimes Americans have used the firearms to protect their families, see Brave Mom. Yet we have a small segment of our population that skew our statistics.

If you took the city of Chicago out of Americas gun crime statistics, it would change the perception. Chicago has the strictest gun laws, yet they are besieged with violence.

As far as laws go, last time I checked, it is illegal to discharge a firearm in many urban areas, it is illegal for a felon to be in possession of a firearm and it is illegal to murder someone.

But idealistic lawmakers might use this latest tragedy to try to pass a law to restrict gun ownership….i.e.: Never waste a crisis

Even if they outlawed them, guns would still be readily available. Our borders are like sieves; guns drugs, terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants easily pass through, even though there are strict laws against them.

So sadly and tragically, mass shootings will occur in spite of laws passed by well meaning lawmakers.

The Aurora Colorado theater, site of a mass shooting where 12 people died and 58 were wounded, advertised itself as a gun free zone…The only theater in the area to advertise that fact. Did that play a role in the shooters decision to pick that location for his killing spree? You bet, he knew no one would shoot back.

Colonel Hassan, the American jihadist, who methodically gunned down his fellow soldiers at Fort Bliss Texas, killed 13 and wounded 32, before he was stopped. He opened fire confidently, because he was a coward and knew they were unarmed and could not fire back.

The killer at yesterdays tragic shooting at the Connecticut school, most assuredly knew no one would be armed among the school personnel, it is not allowed, he was safe. If there was a possibility of a legally armed employee on those school grounds yesterday, would that killer have picked this school for a target?

Israel was beset with mass shootings for a time in its past. That little country tried beefing up its security forces to prevent them from happening. They stationed more soldiers and police….but were not able to station enough everywhere. It wasn’t until Israel loosened its gun laws and encouraged its law abiding citizens to carry concealed and unconcealed firearms; did the mass shooting end.

If the demented loners, who go on killing sprees, knew there was a possibility that someone amongst their targets would fire back, it would prevent these mass shootings.

Because at heart, these killers are cowards and want total control of the script for their final 15 minutes of fame…Just the knowledge that one legally armed citizen may be among the planned victims…would disrupt the plan.

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seanomelb | Dec 16, 2012, 07:56 PM EST

And your point being Mman is that wealth leaving Europe will save childre from been slaughtered by assault rifles. If you cannot stick to the central theme Mman just admit your wrong.

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Monsoonman | Dec 16, 2012, 06:57 PM EST

Butlerreport-so true..The europeans lost their right for weapons after the 2nd world wide conflagration they started...They need to be guarded from hurting themselves. Sean Lad! I don't see any mass migration heading out of America for Europe, quite the contrary...I see massive wealth leaving the BK socialist european countries who punish their citizens for success. If I were you U would beef up my self defenses as obama aims to pare back our military and put that money into expanding his dependency base here in the US. Our former friends will have to pay for their own defense

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butlerreport | Dec 16, 2012, 06:22 PM EST

Europe? 70 years ago Europe oversaw the massacre of 80 million people. The EU was put together to stop it from happening again. Don't make me laugh.

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seanomelb | Dec 16, 2012, 05:37 PM EST

Assault rifles were banned under Clinton and Bush with the urging of the NRA legalised them.They have the blood of twenty children on their and hands. Eds maudling attempt to equate Israel which is a war zone or the fort Hood shootings as a comparison lacks credibilty. and Mman melly mouthed 'Europeans gave up their freedom for security or " We don't want to be like Europe that's why we moved here".That begs the question "did the European forbearers of the 20 children move to America to see their children,grandchildren murdered by an assault rifle"? I suppose you have to concede Ed and Mman that Europe is a safer place to live and then ask yourself why.

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Billyboy17 | Dec 16, 2012, 05:20 PM EST

Mr. Farnan, your post is nothing but hypothetical gun-nut drivel. With all due respect. I've lived and breathed over 30 years of law enforcement in the US. Putting more guns in that theatre would've resulted in more carnage. The shooter was armed to the teeth and dressed & prepared for battle. Your typical armed member of the public, enjoying a movie would've been blasting away at anyone and everyone. Multiply that by a handful of others and they likely would've been shooting each other. No one, no one is foolish enough to think that sensible gun laws will prevent every lunatic from committing an atrocity. However, limiting magazine capacity, banning assault weapons, banning the purchase of body armor, save for those requiring it for work, conducting in depth criminal and mental health background checks on EVERY gun sale would accomplish two things. 1 it would allow Mr. & Mrs. Johnson of Main Street to have their firearm in their nightstand and 2 and even more importantly it would limit the carnage, limit the deaths and limit the number of parents burying their children. If you cannot see the value in such sensible laws, you are selfishly ignoring that the founders could have never envisioned today's society.

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bostonrugby | Dec 16, 2012, 04:33 PM EST

Go into a gun store in CT and even the boys in the IRA would be shocked at the range of artillery available for "shooting squirrels" Something must change, along with more attention to mental health issues and those with gun ownership in proximity to affected people. It would not be hard but you are dealing with state employees who are state employees for a reason.

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bobby | Dec 16, 2012, 04:28 PM EST

Hey Monsoonman, you don't mind dodging the occasional bullet to keep your freedom. That says it all about the mentality in the states. Screwed up or what. if the bullet hits your "Freedom" is taking away from you. Give me Europe any day.

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Monsoonman | Dec 16, 2012, 04:17 PM EST

Europe, is the epitome of giving up their freedom to gain some security

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Monsoonman | Dec 16, 2012, 03:31 PM EST

Hey Bobby-We don't want to be like Europe, that's why we moved here. We have our problems, but really don't want what you have, in spite of what our leftists leaders would have you believe. We don't mind dodging an occasional bullet to keep our freedom to delay the nanny state like you have bearing down on us

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Happyhippo | Dec 16, 2012, 03:14 PM EST

Not even one comment in sympathy with the victims of the mindless slaughter of children and adults,tells you all you need to know where the priorities lay,why is America so blindly obsessed with guns and their glorification that everything else just dont register,including the right to life and liberty of every citizen.

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Joe Glackin | Dec 16, 2012, 03:09 PM EST

Firstly my thoughts of sorrow grief outrage etc go to the families,friends and all effected by this genocide.These violent homicidal,premeditated ,cowardly massacres generate all types of emotional feelings. The guilty person here is he who pulled that trigger whether of sound mind or not Correctly and understandably all sorts of responses by law-biding, peaceful loving masses ,express their opinions,judgments at this current massacre. Laws are made to protect us all and can be improved at times due to unforeseen events. Gun law restrictions and those who use these massacres to promote ban, gun owner them cannot stop these psychotic acts I totally agree with Ed,s view on idealistic Lawmakers using this as a crisis on gun ownership. After a similar massacre in Dunblane Scotland ,resulted by stricter laws being passed concerning firearms.By all accounts this has served no purpose as such.It only deprived the many law-biding firearm enthusiasts enjoying their sport or collection rights. There are more than ever illegally/criminally used guns on the streets. In Ireland plus the UK a FAC is required to own a simple .22 air rifle.Plastic BB guns and replicas have to be colored orange or some unrealistic color. Theres more than ever illegal/criminal use of firearm murders. This would convince many, these futile laws on restriction, only deprives the law-biding enthusiasts safe,respectful use whether for sporting/collection activities. Eds last comment on a legally held firearm would disrupt these peoples plans

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McNamara31 | Dec 16, 2012, 02:28 PM EST

bobby So right. My cousin is in the Garde and can't fathom what makes America allow so many guns.

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bobby | Dec 16, 2012, 02:26 PM EST

Europe is diverse and is also a huge melting pot of cultures, races and religions with a population of over 500 million people compared to 311 million in the states. Gun crime in Europe is nothing like America, you have a big problem that needs to change. But i doubt it will.

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Monsoonman | Dec 16, 2012, 02:20 PM EST

It was in from a previous US trip and had got under the liner on the bottom unbeknownst to me..My Mexican Amigos call Mexico:Iraq.

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McNamara31 | Dec 16, 2012, 02:12 PM EST

Monsoonman "I was in Mexico and customs went through my bag and found an empty .22 cal. shell case" Who were you gunning for...the Frido Bandito? Anyone who has dealt with the (on the take Federalies)knows having that in you suitcase was putting yourself in a very bad situation.You were lucky.

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