Should gun laws be changed in light of what happened at Virginia Tech?

Answer 1

Changing Gun Laws Not the SolutionWhile what happened at Virginia Tech was horrible, changing the gun laws is not the answer. I know you have heard this before, but it was not the gun that was responsible for killing those innocent people! The killer was a man who had serious psychological problems, and had shown evidence of those problems before killing anyone.

A better answer would be to find a way to require people who exhibit SERIOUS psychological problems to get help before they kill others. However, that would have far-reaching implications that people would not accept, and I'm not sure people should accept them.

The best solution would be to examine history. What has changed in the course of the last 50 years or so that is leading people to use guns to massacre others?

When my dad was in high school, his principal would joke with him about having his gun in his car and visa versa. Both were avid hunters and neither would even have considered using their guns to kill another person. Less than 40 years ago, when I was in high school, it was not uncommon to see gun racks in the back of boy's pick-ups with guns in them in the school parking lot. No one thought anything about it. Today, children can get in trouble for taking what? Kitchen knives, nail files, anything that could remotely be used for a weapon? to school. Virgina Tech still happened, so did Columbine and others.

Fifty years ago, children were taught to take responsibility for their actions, self-control, respect for others, etc. Today, children are taught that if they do something wrong, do not control their actions, etc. they have a disease and it's not their fault, or they're taught it's the other person's fault. An example was when a boy called another boy's mother a name at school and boy #2 punched boy #1. I intervened, of course, and boy #2 was adamant that it was the other boy's fault. I never did get through to that boy that he was responsible for taking his own hand and punching the other boy. That was ten years ago. Earlier in history, children were under no illusions about whose fault it was if they took their hands and hit someone. Why the change?

Fifty years ago, if you did something that you shouldn't, you would be punished and that punishment might be a spanking. My worst one is when I lied and dad took me out behind the shed. Today, people think spanking leads to violent individuals. Think about it. If that is true, shouldn't the massacres have happened back then, not today?

Many other changes have occurred, but I'm sure noone wants to read a book about societal changes that are the root causes of massacres like Virginia Tech, at least not here on WikiAnswers.

No, changing the gun laws is not the answer. Changing the root causes of people killing others in mass is the answer!

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. . er, wasn't it about guns rather than spanking? . . :). Let's call them what they really are. The laws need changing so that fewer people have access to people-killing machines.

Answer 2

no. see the laws would not help as much as the consiquenses. the consiquences are what would keep the people from doing what they do. if the laws stand and they were tweeked a bit then there would be a stronger hold on the criminals. so The guns and gun laws are not the problem. If one wants a gun, one can get a gun almost immediately legally or illegally. The problem is people. You see, a gun is just a tool. That guy could have used a nail gun, machete, or any other tool. The solution to massacres and murders lies in human psychology and better security.