It's the 2nd Amendments fault.

[Chief Joseph]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/jovan-belcher-kansas-city-chiefs-murder-suicide-tragedy-girlfriend-self-leave-orphan-daughter-why-still-playing-sunday-120112

Things will never change.

[OldLincoln]

If the guy had died saving a bus load of kids, or anybody else, it may have affected the game schedule. But why do more for a murdering coward who kills his family then himself. The point is he is NOT a hero or someone who should be acknowledged.

An unknown solder who dies in Afghanistan is more deserving recognition but they don't stop anything for them.

[Bongo Boy]

Incredible sense of reasoning. Once again, as happens so often, folks focus on the firearm as the root cause of some problem. It's as though the availability of firearms is why people think robbing convenience stores, holding up banks and murdering people who simply get in your way are means of addressing personal problems. It isn't greed, blatant disregard for and disrespect of other people, or my sense of entitlement to the things I want--no, it's the fact I can buy a convenient weapon.

Incredibly, the writer asks why we can't take a moment to reflect on 'the problem', then proceeds to not reflect on the problem--but rather, jump to a solution.

But this lack of reflection occurs fairly regularly, and not just with regard to firearms. Shortly after the Aurora theater shooting here in Colorado, I believe someone somewhere proposed making it illegal to wear costumes to theaters. As many of you already know, Feinstein and her ilk proposed banning the sale of ammunition online. A comment on twitter stated that it seemed unthinkable that someone could buy 6,000 rds of ammunition online, etc.

Politicians thrive--depend--on these emotion-driven lapses in logic. Their actions have nothing whatsoever to do with solving social problems or even investigating their causes. They are entirely aimed at demonstrating that they have taken action. Our citizenry is so poorly educated and so incredibly ignorant, it responds positively to activity--regardless of effectiveness. Entire corporate cultures manage to function on this same notion: activity equates to effectiveness.

My final comment has to do with the ridiculous notion that an armed citizenry can't effectively defend itself (or defeat) a government armed with stealth bombers, smart bombs and so on. Really? Want to bet on that? What exactly is it the government is going to use its advanced weapons against? Apparently the writer has been asleep for the past 50 years of warfare--not noticing just how effective non-uniformed, armed citizens have been at draining every last drop of our national resources.

Many seem to believe that, not only will the government protect them, but that only governments, agencies or other 'official' bodies are properly equipped, trained or educated to do so. Whether it's the Federal government protecting them from violent weather or terrorists, or the local law enforcement agencies protecting them from violent crime. Similarly, the writer cited above seems to think our Armed Forces will be there to protect us from all other foreseeable threats--there's no need for the 'common' man to be armed--the 'authorities' are best equipped, best trained and best suited to meeting all possible threats. Yup...these are the people who are outraged when it takes the Government weeks (or months) to resolve what they consider major disasters. They have no clue as to what a major disaster really is, or how ill-equipped the authorities will be to deal with it.

I guess I have the right to defend myself with my fists and my cell phone--every other means will require permission or a specialist.

[Jeremiah/Az]

Very well said & written, Bongo Boy!

[Fredr500]

Bong Boy, they can turn your cell phone off in a few seconds if they want to.

[Bawanna]

That's good to know. I don't know how to turn mine off myself. It does more than I know how to do. Wife traded in my dumb phone for this smart phone and I've been lost ever since.