Bloomberg for Gun Control

The Sarah Palin connection can it be ignored?http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sarah-palins-crosshairs-ad-focus-gabrielle-giffords-debate/story?id=12576437&page=2

Having lived in a country where people are still firmly opposed to the *police* having guns (England), the ease with which someone can pick up a 9-millimeter Glock in this country is, frankly, barbaric. A weapon that can be used to kill dozens quickly and easily has no place being handed out like candy. I mean - marijuana (a relatively harmless substance, no worse than alcohol and certainly less of a threat than tobacco) is policed, but *guns* are so easy to obtain? But of course we have the second amendment, which renders such a right (unfortunately) sacrosanct!

@ajadedidealist Totally agree with you.

@Ajadedidealist: I disagree with you regarding marijuana, as scientific studies prove that marijuana smoking does alter brain chemistry. This is why it is outlawed in many states. As for guns, I don't think it is the gun that kills, but the person using it that does. That is just like saying a person drives a car and hits and kills someone. Does that mean that cars should be taken away from everyone, because it is considered a killing machine? That would be stupid and ludicrous. As such, if you place the gun in the hand of a responsible person, nothing will happen with it. But give the gun to a psycho path, or mentally disturbed person and you will suffer the consequences.

This particular tragedy could definitely have been avoided if 1) mental health services were at all available to people who clearly need them, and 2) guns weren't so easy to get, especially by a guy who visibly twitched, went on disturbing tirades, and otherwise proved himself beyond a doubt to be mentally unfit.It's so sad that there a so few checks in place to prevent this kind of thing.

@Uraniumfish: What is even more disturbing about it is that when Louder went to apply for a gun, the clerk did a background check and issued the gun to him without any questions.

@hhusted Right? Meanwhile he'd been kicked out of school for mental instability. Scary stuff. And totally preventable.

@Uraniumfish: Yes, which means that someone wasn't doing his or her job properly. That clerk should have been fired or reprimanded for what happened.