The gun Adam Lanza used to kill 26 people Friday, including 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, was a Bushmaster .223 rifle, a weapon favored by hunters and the military, published reports say, and apparently not a weapon intended for self defense. The gun, along with two other assault weapons that Lanza used, were registered to Lanza’s mother, the Hartford Courant reports.
That a 20-year-old had access to those guns, and used them with such lethal consequences, is again spurring a debate on gun control, with some saying the Newtown shootings could provide the tipping point to the U.S adopting tougher gun controls.
And while pundits, media outlets and the general public worldwide are starting to weigh-in on the touchy subject of U.S. gun control in the wake of the shootings, lawmakers and gun lobbyists are not.
Officials for Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal today did not return a request for comment on the issue of whether the shootings in Newtown should renew debate on gun control.
On a Facebook posting Blumenthal offered his condolences to the victims’ families. Several of those responding to the posting urged him to push for stricter gun controls as well.
“Senator … what the vast majority of CT and US citizens want to see from you is ACTION. You should introduce strict, comprehensive, national gun control legislation and drive it in the new year,” one commenter said.
A spokesman for Fifth District Congressman and Senator-elect Chris Murphy, whose district includes Newtown, also did not return a request for comment on the mounting calls for gun control.
“With families & first responders again in Newtown today. There just aren't words to convey the grief felt here. Newtown is in our thoughts,” Murphy wrote yesterday on his Facebook page. The posting, and an earlier one from Murphy, saw an overwhelming response from commenters calling for gun control.
“Senator Elect Murphy: Enough is enough!!! We will be looking to you to play an active, leadership role in the Senate to begin to bring some sanity back to Gun Control laws in our Country,” one commenter posted.
The National Rifle Association’s website on Sunday afternoon remained silent on Friday’s rampage. The NRA’s Facebook page, in addition, was removed sometime after the tragedy, the Daily News reports. However, before it was taken down hundreds had already posted to it including one who said: “…Beautiful little children gunned down because of the NRA fighting against every single sensible gun control and gun safety law. The NRA has blood on its hands.”
Besides the now unimaginable reputation as being the site of one of the worst school killings in our country’s history, Newtown is also home to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The organization, located at 11 Mile Hill Road, posted a statement on its website Friday saying it doesn’t want to comment on the shootings that happened less than three miles away.
“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this horrible tragedy in our community,” the statement says. “Out of respect for the families, the community and the ongoing police investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment or participate in media requests at this time.” The group’s Facebook page is silent on the tragedy.
Elizabeth Esty, who takes office next month as the representative from the Fifth Congressional District, also posted a note of condolence on her Facebook page, a posting that also gave rise to a comments debate on gun control.
“We will be there to support our grieving neighbors then we will campaign for national gun control,” said one person who responded to Esty posting.
According to published reports, besides the Bushmaster rifle, Lanza also carried with him into the school two handguns, a Glock 9mm pistol and a SIG sauer handgun, weapons also favored by police and the military. All were registered to his mother, the Hartford Courant reports.
Sure--lets also find out what the restaurant owners and gas station owners think as well!! Lets ask lots of people who have no bearing on what state and national gun laws are---just in case they say something that we can pick apart. Go for it.....
This spring, a modified AOT law was debated in the Connecticut legislature. It would have allowed people with psychiatric problems to be medicated if without such treatment they would put themselves or others in harm’s way. The proposal didn’t even make it out of the state senate’s Judiciary Committee after it was fiercely opposed by the ACLU and state mental-health bureaucrats. “If this went through, I think this would be a significant step backward for the state,” testified Patricia Rehmer, Connecticut’s commissioner of mental health. The Connecticut Mirror reported that “she worries that [an AOT law] would backfire, breaking down the opportunity for a respectful relationship and leading to more difficulty engaging” the mentally ill.
1 ”Before offering opinions that are just that, opinions please provide data.” 2 “Even today, most of the violence in the world is carried out in the name of "God".” You don’t support your second statement with data and you ignore your first sentence by not providing supporting data. Moreover, your second statement is irrelevant to the article and to the posts in this thread. It may also cause unnecessary additional pain to those who are suffering the loss of their loved ones in Newtown or who are gravely saddened and in sympathy with the victims of this loss of innocent life. In this country, people are allowed to pray for God’s help if they choose and express that prayer in the press – electronic or otherwise. I support that right.
1. Islamic extremism - Centuries of God inspired death. 2. Roman persecution of Christians. 3. The Inquisition 4. The Crusades 5. Hitler and the Nazis 6. Puritan Witch Hunts 7. Yellow Turban Rebellion (China) 8. Aztec sacrifices (Mexico) 9. Panthay Rebellion (China) 10. Khmer Rouge - I have a friend whose Dad escaped the "Killing Fields". Do I need to go on?
Your 2nd statement from above was: “Even today, most of the violence in the world is carried out in the name of "God".” Since we have a reasonable handle on violent assault in the US and the OECD, from your link above, how about telling us how much of that is in the name of God? Just listing all the evil purges, pogroms and persecutions you can think of doesn't prove your statement. I have seen you cite numbers elsewhere but for some reason you don't defend statement #2 above. Perhaps you can't. How about we take this up after the New Year? In the meantime, I will continue to affirm the right of those affected by Newtown to pray openly for help and guidance and to post their prayers in the media.
http://necrometrics.com/pre1700a.htm
Your source does not support your statement because you quote past occurrences, not what is happening "today." Even so, if your link above is correct, the total number of victims of war is 3.6 billion for all time. If we take the Old Testament Biblical figures, plus the Crusades and the religious hundred years war, we have 4 million. This represents 2 tenths of 1 per cent or 1/500 of all war dead due to these sources. You are going to have a difficult time supporting your claims. Why not give it up and let people mourn peacefully and let them urge others to pray if they so choose? To try to stop them is unconstitutional, illogical, unnecessary, impolite and unkind.
My only issue is, that every issue that exits, you look as an opportunity to go after Jayme Stevenson. Now you know why.
Great You never revealed your position!......congrats!! that must take balls. Nice job. want me to tell your positions? you are for gun control, ok to raise taxes on the rich, pro gay marriage, against bank bailouts, but think the gm bailout was overall a good move. You are anti-military spending...and fine with illegal immigrants in this country for a variety of reasons. On local issues you would be against the shuffle, and thought affordable housing would be great at the Leroy address. If you didnt know your positions, now you can read them here. If you ask me why Im saying this---its someone having the balls to state an opinion--
What might be useful is to know though is where our local politicians stand on having a police presence in our schools. Where they stand on funding for security doors and shatter proof glass at our schools. Where they stand on psychological and counseling services for youth and where they stand on helping to promote healthy lifestyles for our children. These are issues that they can directly influence! Tragedies such as Newtown too often cause politicians to focus on all the wrong topics. Gun control policies are important, and maybe we should have an assault weapons ban and federal licensing, but even if we do, mentally disturbed people will still attempt to do awful things. Passing tougher gun control laws to stop another Newtown is really like treating the third derivative of the problem with the 1st and 2nd derivatives being mental health of our youth and security at our schools.
you ask: As far as the other issues you mentioned what is the shuffle ? I just checked you earlier comments on patch not2bdenied On the matter of the shuffle you posted : then you posted: not2bdenied 12:22 pm on Friday, November 18, 2011 This information must give the referendum supporters a huge boost of confidence and signifigantly deflate the Shuffle advocates. Add to that this survey was tallied in the beginning of Oct when the issue among the 'general electorate' hadn't even heated up and the respondents were 'their' guys. The united dream team must be teetering over this then not2bdenied 1:39 pm on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 Mrs.Stevenson - The proponents of the shuffle have never definatively identified the actual number of unique visitors to the center. How can you use the term right sized when you haven't satisfactorily answered the question of how many actually use the center. You even refused to do an inexpensive study Now you dont even know what a shuffle is. Ok.
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50208495#50208495
Not sure why it would be interesting--but that report, is old and wrong. The coroner determined with certainty, that the weapon was a 'long weapon' and it was determined that the bushmaster assault rifle was in fact the primary weapon.
1) Laws do NOT prevent crimes/violent acts, but only provide for prosecution! 2) Anyone with the cold/vacant expression in his eyes shown in the photo of A. Lanza is disconnected from human feelings/socialization and EMPATHY. Imo, such are ticking time bombs--if not for slaughter of others, then at least then likely candidates for suicide--and need preventive, specialized therapy. I am not talking about all those--or even ONLY those--who are autistic/have Asperger's. Those diagnosed with autism/Asperger's should not be feared of becoming violent or suicidal, as long as they are receiving adequate support and socialization from both family AND the schools/community. Many here, who demand more "gun control," and most legislators, are not looking at the REAL solutions, or even perceiving the true problems accurately.
What a joke. "the buck stops NOWHERE" in this administration. Let's "investigate" those legal gun owners that were listed in the newspaper.