Hard not to see the slant in this article....

What people fail to realize is that the 2nd Amendment was written to protect the people from the government. If the government has assault weapons, then so must we in order that they not be used against us. Spoons don't make people fat and guns don't walk into buildings by themselves and kill people. The world is filled with morally corrupt people who don't value life. Until that changes, neither will the violence.

Very, very disappointed in my congressman Randy Hultgren. Not even a statement on his web site expressing sympathy about what happened. I call his office in DC to talk to him about this very issue. The man I spoke with explained how goes hog hunting with his bushmaster rifle. His silence says a lot and his very strong support for guns says a lot as well. According to web sites he has an "A" rating from the NRA and has received $9,000 from them. We need a new congressman.

For crying out loud. The government has tanks and missiles. Should we all get those as well. The 2nd amendment does NOT give you the right to own any kind of weapon you want.

Please also google and see the YouTube video of randy Hultgren talking on "NRATV" about guns at the Chicago CPAC event. Very telling.

the right to bear arms is about having a citizen army -- raising troops -- Canadians crossing our border and systemically trying to take territory? Unlikely. Mexicans? No, they don't need to, they just make anchor babies to take over. Let me repeat. The right to bear arms is about having a citizen army. We obviously don't need that - it has caused unthinkable bloodshed, over and over again.

Kids should not think guns are toys. Any more than they should think condoms are toys or drug needles are toys. It's abhorrent that CHINESE toy manufacturers are the ones who've infiltrated our borders with these toys for kids -- and the manufacture of games and handhelds -- all with killing glorified - at the hands of guns and young people. When are people going to wake up?

The right to bear arms in the constitution was a musket. Single shot. Took a long time to load. NOTHING to do with the weapons - arsenals - people have today. If you feel the need to use weapons - hunt - or join the military or the local police.
Guns need to GO!

I do think that any elected official, whether Republican or Democrat who does not come out for an assault weapons ban, should be voted out of office. How anyone can condone what happened recently and times before due to automatic/semi-automatic weapons carnage, is beyond me. I am not against any 2nd amendment rights, but there is absolutely no reason for anyone to have "military assault weapons" as a protection or sporting right. To believe that by banning these types of weapons,is only the first step in taking all guns away, is not only ludicrous but delusional as well and in need of a strong mental health insurance package.

@Sheep
I am also a gun owner, also responsible with my weapons, but there is absolutely no NEED for ordinary people to own "assault weapons" whether or not they keep them locked up. Those types of weapons are used for only one thing, and that is killing multiple people in a short period of time.

Nicholas You hit right on the head. I agree totally. What is the proper definition of an assault weapon

No home owner or anyone should own an assault weapon.

So, if the criminal in your home has an assault rifle and you don't, who wins? If a non-criminal at the school was armed, how many lives would have been saved? Criminals go where they have a better chance of winning.

Nicholas Good definition.

Banks are protected by armed guards. Airports are protected by armed guards. Large venues are protected by armed guards. Our children need to be protected the same way. Our schools here have police officers. All schools should have ay least one. Gun control will not stop whackos and criminals. Only armed persons will stop them.

NRA live news event now! at 10 am

http://www.nranews.com/

While you make some good points Scott, then wouldn't we also have to use armed guards in supermarkets? in churches? on public transportation? At what point should we expel our tax money to protect against "if this happens" type of events? Like you said earlier-- Criminals will flock to where they have a better chance or winning. But this wasn't our typical criminal in a sense. This was a delusional and desperate attack on others by someone who had no life values.

@ Steven Jack & Melissa Sersland What in your opion is a assault weapon I would like a separete answer from both of you
Thanks Skully

For the folks against black colored rifles... There are lots of U.S. citizens that survived the L.A. Riots because they possessed adequate firepower. Your don't put pout a forest fire by peeing on it. Bad guys will always have illegal weapons. When you take these from law abiding citizens, you make them victims.

Just look at the violent crime rate in Chicago. Everywhere you target honest citizens with gun control violent crimes go up. It a pure and simple unarguable fact.

Wanna stop the murdering of our children? Focus on the premeditated murder of preborn children. 1,000,000+ per year in the U.S. The Government is already killing us off and you are all distracted by shinny objects...

Did anyone see Morning Joe this morning? Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kansas left everyone speechless with his comments on the fiscal cliff and gun control. (click on link below)

We need to ban assault rifles and raise the taxes on those making more than $450k. Simple as that!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/#50268883

Rep. Danny Davis, 7th District
"In a short statement, Danny Davis told Patch he supports both a ban on assault weapons and on high capacity magazines or clips."

What is a high capacity Clip? Does he believe in banning unicorns too?

Thank you Pam Roth, my congresswoman for setting up concealed carry classes in Morris Illinois. Over 100 people in the area so far have gone for the class. This allows me and my wife to carry concealed on over 32 states as we travel. Our founding fathers knew that a well armed citizenry in necessary to a free country, if we had armed guards in our schools those children might not have died. The NRA's shield program to protect our children cannot get here soon enough!

I can control my guns just fine... try to take them away!

I don't own an assault rifle all my firearms are for defensive purposes. :-)

@ Olivea5307 As stated by Steved Jack he wrote this piece as a opinion. I am asking his and Melissa's opinion on what they consider a assault weapon. A lot of people here don't want assault weapons but give NO deffinition on what they think is a assaut weapon. The biggest problem in a discussion about assault weapons is ones deffinition of what it is.

@Skully

See Nicholas answer to that question.Or, you can read this. Hope this helps.

http://www.jud.ct.gov/ji/criminal/glossary/assaultweapon.htm

There already is a definition for assault rifle. It is a rifle capable of select fire chambered for an intermediate cartridge such as 5.56 NATO or 7.62x39 Russian.The key word is select fire from semi to full auto at the flick of a lever.

But more so an assault Assault Weapon: Is
an invented legal term that varies greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, in general it refers wrongly to semi-auto only firearms that in appearance (not function) look like firearms seen in movies and TV based on largely cosmetic features that in no way change the operation of the firearm to full auto.

To my liberal friends you have no idea what you are talking about.

"Second Amendment – A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

That sounds rather straight-forward to me.

'Arms' includes all firearms of every sort.
If you do the paperwork, 'arms' includes fully automatic weapons.

before you want to take my guns ask your states atty why he let the person that lives on fox chase drive that was drunk and fired his .45 cal hand gun through the man next doors fence and is also right down the road from fox chase school when all was said and done his guns and gun card where given back that is the type of people that do not need guns and give people that are responsible a bad name use the laws you have

Grandpa you are sorely incorrect. Many of you wanting a ban on Assault rifles are very short sighted, only seeing what appears not what would follow.

I just love our priorities in this country. Talking about how much it would cost to keep our children safe. Does anyone know how many thousands of police officers and security of all kinds are available for all of our athletic events?? And I'm not just talking about professional sports I'm talking about elementary, high school and college sports. Thousand and thousands but of course the money is no issue at all when it comes to certain things. Money should NEVER be an issue when it comes to the safety of our children.

Grandpa, that is not what I'm talking about. What do you believe would be accomplished by a ban? How many semi automatic weapons do you believe people
Have purchased over the last year alone?

@ Grandpamike

Certainly, if you could ever find somewhere to buy an anti-tank weapon or rocket launcher.

As I said, you can own a fully-auto weapon after the proper paperwork is done.

Semi-auto hunting/target weapons are not the same as military assault weapons that fire bursts of automatic fire.

You do not need semi-automatic to shoot relatively rapid fire. I have a single shot 16 ga. shot-gun that, with practice, can put out about 20 rounds per minute.

what is it with the US and punishing -- and making it *seem* you *need* a gun to protect yourself ? Am I the only one who fundamentally sees this as the problem ? Too many people imprisoned, too many criminals running around with guns they obtained legally, too much bloodshed. Too many guns. Too much ammunition. Too many kids who think guns are cool because of how they're portrayed in movies and on TV and in video games. Too much time being left at laser-tag and paintball arenas -- where you don't die, you just practice for the big day. Candy cigarettes used to be commonplace until we, collectively woke up and said "WTF are we doing to our kids?" ... we need some of that kick in the pants right now with respect to guns. Second amendment is antiquated. It's not relevant. It was written 200+ years ago before most guns commercially available today were even contemplated. Police State =/= safe environment for our kids. And, I *really* don't want my tax dollars going toward it!

Truth, I see your point but I believe we can all agree that "moderation" is the key to all things we have access to in life. Would alot of people enjoy having full autos and shoot pop cans in their backyard? Sure. Would alot of people like to drink beers as they drive down the road? Sure. How the people that would like to walk around town in the nude. I bet they would like that also. But as a society we have to moderate things to what we believe is as close to "fair" for all our people to ensure our safety, privacy, etc. Sometimes those who are in the minority of the group "gun owners" don't get everything they want. But is it good for society? I believe so. I'm not saying lets go ban guns (as I am and owner and hunter myself) but for assault weapons I could personally part with those. Or perhaps create a certification program one would have to pass to own this type of weapon. As Gary K. said there are specific documents that could be filled out to obtain full auto weapons why not extend this to assault weapons. Win- Win. Look at our driving system for instance. I have my license but does that mean I should be allowed to drive a semi? No. I have to receive further certification to responsibly drive that vehicle. I hope this makes sense

@ Nancy

The elected officials will want to pass gun control laws; but, they all want armed guards to protect them from the people they serve so well.

When our beloved Prez goes out, he is always surrounded by hundreds of armed guards and he would not do without them.

Why is it so silly to have one guard for a school of several hundred chldren?

@Truth

By estimates, there are over 200 million privately owned weapons in the US, how many are assault type, don't know, but would guess quite a few.

@ Oswego mom

Which parts of our Constitution are not antiquated?
Does that make the 1st useless; because, we have means of communication that were undreamed of?
Is relevancy up to you?

@ Grandpamike

Please stop being so silly and over the top.
OKla City bombing killed about 200 people, many kids, and was done with a home made bomb.

You are making the rest of us seniors look really bad.

The opinion piece is about Federal officials.
The real relevant question is:
Why do we need Federal laws at all about gun control?
Federal laws have seldom worked.
It is against Federal law to enter this country illegally and that hasn't worked so well.

We already have some 20,000 state and local laws in place about gun control.

yall can fight about guns and be proud of owning them all you want. Just start looking at the killings. The murders. The domestic disputes gone bad and little kids playing with daddy's gun that wasn't locked. What can't be disputed is that the status quo isn't working. The killing and bloodshed with an index finger on the trigger have to stop. It's broken. Our SYSTEM is BROKEN. Fight all the small battles you want and drill down into as many narrow definitions and interpretations you like. Our system is broken. We have given away all our technology to other countries - we imprison more of our population than any other country per capita - and guns are killing babies. If that doesn't give you pause, you have blinders on. SOMETHING needs to change. Why are gun owners so stuck on having a weapon capable of killing people in their home/vehicle/wherever ? It seems absurd to not be able to see that the system isn't working and needs to change. Can everyone agree with that ?

A ban on weapons will do nothing. The amount of semi automatic weapons already in circulation will never be seized. Our second amendment proves this point. What has happened with trying to eliminate drugs with laws, absolutely nothing.

I have been reading some of these comments and felt that I really needed to respond. It is obvious that some of the "anti-gunners" really will never be swayed, but I ask that you listen to what I have to say. I believe it was Grandpamike that posted a website that listed the definition of an assault rifle and by that definition the semiautomatic rifles that I own are NOT assault rifles, but at first glance looking at my Rock River LAR 15, you would assume that it is. Most of the civilian owned AR's are not.

Also, maybe you need to understand, the difference between "semi-automatic" and "automatic". A semi-automatic weapon, you squeeze the trigger, it fires 1 bullet then will advance to the next cartridge. An Automatic weapon, you squeeze the trigger and it will either fire a 3 round burst or will shoot until you release the trigger. You CANNOT own an automatic weapon without a Class 3 license which is very expensive and very difficult to get.
You ask why would you own this type of gun referring to the AR's, I own one and it is an excellent coyote gun and excellent for target shooting. I also own several other guns(semiautomatic, pump, lever, and bolt) for hunting or target shooting. You choose the right gun for the type of hunting or shooting that you will be doing. And YES they are all in a safe.
@Grandpamike, you said that you own firearms. Let me ask you, do you own a revolver? Technically, that could be a semiautomatic weapon. Should that be banned also?

The politicians are only trying to make themselves look good so they can come back and say see I was for banning assault weapons when they go up for re-election.

The true issue here and I know that most of my fellow gun-owners will agree is that we need to enforce the laws that are already in place and place a focus on mental health. Does anyone posting on this thread really think that the individuals that committed these crimes did not have some sort of underlying mental disorder?
I am 110% behind background checks, waiting periods and being aware that someone has mental issues before they are allowed to purchase a firearm.
Don't blame the guns or responsible gun owners. I could load one of my guns and place it on my dining room table, it will not fire until someone squeezes the trigger.

"Why are gun owners so stuck on having a weapon capable of killing people in their home/vehicle/wherever ?"

Wellll; for one thing, it will encourage the nasty folks to go to your home/vehicle and leave me and mine alone.

Let's get down to the basics which are that ANY firearm in the right hands can create overwhelming firepower...ANY. That means then that the only solution is to ban ALL firearms! Next, no one does much to help the mentally ill. There are a lot of them. So, simply said we need to test them and lock up ALL the loonies.
Now, if you think anyone can confiscate ALL the guns...you are a loonie! That simply will not ever happen. Face it! And, if you think anyone can weed out and lock up all the loonies...you are a dreamer. That being said and being the raw fact here...the only thing decent people can do is arm themselves and prepare for another loonie attack. To do so I need a handgun!

Will this include the assualt rifles that Obama supplied for "Operation Fast And Furious" that were used against US agents?

@ Grandpamike

From some one who used the M!, it had an 8 round clip.

You could empty the clip in 10 seconds; but, you could not have any accuray at that rate.

The 223 cartridge has a bullet diameter of .224(1/4th) of an inch.
Firing rapid fire, it is difficult to be accurate.

Shooting a lot of bullets does no harm if you have hit nothing.

As I have said, I can get off about 20 rounds per minute with my 16 ga. single shot and accuracy is not such a concern. At 30 feet, it's unchoked pattern is about 4 inches and that is 16 times that of the 223 caliber bullet.

@Edward A.
I would suggest a shotgun. They look more nasty and you do not have to be as accurate.
Also, bird shot will not go thru walls and kill your neighbor.

I am all for taking high powerd guns out of the hands of americans and if personally feel that a shotgun or gun used for hunting should also have strict restrictions the owners should have to pass an extensive mental evaluation. But with that said all video game producers should be limited to the content they can include in the game. most popular video games include murderous acts and it is ridicoulus three year olds are allowed to play these games.

@Gary

You are correct on the rounds per clip, I thought it was 9, it was a long time ago. Actually, I was pretty accurate fast firing it, but the point is, any "semi" automatic weapon with a large magazine whether it is a Bushmaster AR15, a Garand M1, or
and RR LAR15, in a crowded theater, or gymnasium or a classroom, accuracy is not tantamount to killing large amounts of individuals , especially at close range.

As for home defense, my .40 loaded with Hornady 155gr XTP is fie, but a better weapon would be a shotgun, especially if an intruder hears you rack it, he gets the idea immediately.

Wow, patch you really are not very intelligent. No I gave the example that I could put a loaded gun and it would not fire itself. And as for your ignorant shower comment, you really are a complete idiot. Also, they aren't emails they are posted comments. Until you have the slightest clue, or something halfway intelligent to say you should keep your ignorance to yourself.

OK MikeM, I'll bite... where exactly does one keep a loaded weapon such that they can get to it, while showering, just in case someone breaks in the front door?

@ Grandpamike
Yah. it was a loooooong time ago.
The M1 was a heavy monster too.

Especially it you were a skinny kid.

You don't need to ask these people where they stand...their FEC reports will tell you all you need to know. If you go to www.fec.gov you'll find nearly half the illinois congressional delegation has taken money from the national rifle association. So, the reason why you haven't heard from many of them in this article is that they're waiting for the NRA to tell them what to say.

The reason why NRA officials didn't take any questions today is because they know their proposal is nothing more than a smokescreen to get people to chase a red herring and leave them to their true purpose, which is to block any meaningful gun control legislation. A recent National Institutes of Mental Health's Epidemological Catchment Area Study indicated that alcohol and drug abuse are far more likely to result in violent behavior than mental illness by itself. In fact, the study showed that people with no mental disorder who abused alcohol or drugs were nearly seven times as likely as those without substance abuse to commit violent acts. But you're not going to hear that from the congressional hacks the NRA has bought and paid for.

John -

You are correct.

The NRA’s primary strategy (this is well documented) is to channel any public discussion on gun control to tangential subjects until the discussion dies (like the 20 kids). These include:

1) We need an armed guard in every school (or movie house after the Aurora massacre or place of worship after the massacre at the temple in Wisconsin).

2) We need to understand “Why?” Was it video games, music, single-parent households, drugs, etc. “Why” will not help the 20 dead children.

3) We need to improve our moral code (e.g., more prayer) and our education system so people understand it is wrong to kill.

4) We need to enforce the laws we already have. But, these laws do nothing to stop the illegal flow of arms into areas that want to be gun free. A town is not like O’Hare Airport where there are screeners at every entrance.

5) It’s the government’s fault. This spin’s up the “it’s the democrats’ / republicans’ fault” arguments.

@ Grandpa Mike -

You are correct. Many Federal Laws are successfully enforced.

For example:

Environmental Laws such as the Clean Air and Water act. - Lakes Michigan and Eerie were "dead" lakes in the early 1970s. They aren't now.

Aviation Maintenance Laws - we don't see aircraft dropping out of the sky.

The most powerful military on earth, our Federal Military, obeys our Federal Executive Branch (i.e., the President), without question. There hasn't been even a hint of a military coup since revolutionaries attempted to recruit Major General Smedley Butler (USMC) in the "Business Plot" in 1933. (B.t.w. Butler had two Medals of Honor!)

The big difference is that we did not have a generally over-30-years-old, generally white, generally male, generally less educated, group of people working against the Fed and the betterment of our nation, as we do in this case.

It's been fun folks, I am sure will be discussing other subjects in the future.

Grandpa mike, I add factual articles and the truth that you do not seem to comprehend at times. All the blabber you spout will accomplish absolutely nothing. You have your opinion I have mine, live with it, we still have a free society,the 2nd Amendment will and still stands as written. Many on the "left" would see it destroyed.

this country has shifted left ever so slowly over the last 40 years. people today do not know what true republican form of government even stands for and don't even care.

The article by the Chinese and Obama was and is factual. The UN through treaty is working to remove our 2nd Amendment rights, but I doubt you have a clue.

Nuf said.

Why is it that prior to the 70's guns were available by mail order, through the Sears catalog or walk in to any Sears, Wards or sporting goods store and people weren't shaking in their boots? Pistols, rifles and shotguns we're available for purchase with no background checks, no permits or questions asked. And they were cheap.
I still think we've lost perspective on the problem. It's about "why" these people and kids are being killed, not what kind weapon is being used. What has warped the psyche of members of society that promotes violence? If its video games, movies or television, nothing is going to be done because those political contributions dwarf the NRA. I guess it's just easier to focus on the guns (especially since more NRA dollars went to November's losing party). And now NY Governor Cuomo says that confiscation of firearms is a viable option. It's not about the magazine capacity, it's about the mental capacity of who's pulling the trigger.

@SonofJohn - We welcome facts!

Please tell me how many people were shot, not murdered, by guns in the USA in 2011, or 2010, or 2009.

Also, please tell me how many suicides there were by gun, for those same years in the USA.

Thank you much, in advance.

Regards, Patch61

Wow didn't know there were so many wackos living in the Yorkville area. Keep up your uneducated and biased posts, makes me laugh my way through the work day.

I have one simple question for everyone. What will this push for gun control accomplish??? Will it stop the bad guys from obtaining guns illegally? Will it prevent psycos from killing people with different weapons, ie knives or explosives? I understand this is a nation in morning over a senseless tragedy but I do not believe this is the right time or platform for all the leftists to start preaching gun control. How about morals control??? This country has gone to shit in the last 20 years. People need to start looking in the mirror at themselves and stop worrying about others. The only way this country will become great again is when everyone starts taking accountability for their own actions and become part of the solution and not the problem!

Loved the comment about blaming the spoon for America's obesity problem. I have been using that one for weeks. Its very typical of how society is nowadays. Everyone is looking to blame someone else. This country has become to politcally correct and soft. You cant even discipline your own children anymore because someone will but in and tell you otherwise. Gone are the good ole days when my dad used to tell me how he brought me into this world so he can take me out of it. I never messed up when I was a kid because the fear of the punishment I would receive from my parents. It wasn't abuse. That belt may have hurt, but my actions warranted it. Today, kids will call DCFS and the parent would be arrested. Kids today are not forced to carray any responsibilty for their actions. They can not even carry conversations anymore because they would rather text their friends even if they are sitting next to one another. The moral and ethical compass of this nation is gone and nobody is trying to restore it, especially the moron in the white house.

@Steve you re so right and I know many many others that feel the same. We are so sick and tired of there always having to be something to blame for everything that happens nowadays that we're running out of excuses we can all agree upon. It's become a nation of blame, laws for this laws for that, a policed country. Makes me scream. We should be totally focused on helping the people in Conn., totally, thinking of them, the loss of life and the rebuilding, but this event has given the blamers something to rant about. Makes me sick.

As I have said and continue to say, "all the new laws being pushed by the left on gun control will not change a thing to keep our children safe, a good example is an illegal alien that shot his wife and child just after the Conn. massacre. The controlled left news media almost blacked this out, ask your selves why. Then read this article and learn. http://www.examiner.com/article/media-blackout-shooter-kills-family-members-wounds-baby-and-police-officer?CID=examiner_alerts_article

we do have a problem in America and it is not legal gun owners, it is government that will not enforce our laws, it's liberal judges setting on the bench allowing a revolving criminal element in and out of our prisons. It's people that do not understand that government cannot and will not be there when you need them. It's about self responsibility and individual freedom to make your own choices without overt government control. Many have forgotten these principles, we all have a civic duty to our Republic and the Constitution of the united States. I took an oath to defend it to the best of my ability and I will continue to do so, anything less is treason.

Strange to blame suicides on guns.
90% of attempted suicides are done with drugs and cutting tools.

Japan has few guns and the highest suicide rate in the world.

Our highest rate was in 1932 during the big depression and very high un-employment.

Current un-employment is high and matches the increase in suicides.

Think about this; why are 'assult weapons' called 'assullt weapons'?

It is because they are used when making an assult, unlike machine guns which are mostly defensive.

True 'assult weapons'; such as the Uzi, are fun on a target range and nothing else.

American Indians used bows and arrows as 'assult'weapons' very successfully.

Once again you left wing loons are blaming the millions of law abiding citizens in this country who are responsible gun owners for the acts of a nut. Typical liberalsm, its never the perpetraters fault its always someone else. Using the tragic deaths of children to push your anti constitution, anti freedom agenda is sickening.
I have owned firearms for decades, never committed a crime and I will never give them up. I know the intention of the founding fathers. The Supreme court has upheld that the individual right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
The moral decline in this country is not the fault of gun owners.

New menber of the NRA, joined yesterday. knee jerk reactionaries drove me to make this decision.
Her's Uncle Ted's view on anti gun pinheads.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soH2S9ZHeWE

Myself I don't have any use or need for assault rifles, shotguns or other high powered rifles and all that crap. I'm happy with a couple of guns, Walther PPK .380 and a Glock 40. Screw the other crap in a house.

Really wish the patch would require people to post their real and full names when something gets posted. Would they really say crazy things as above if they had to do so?

Well, you just did. Hmmm.

I'm a professional, I work, I own my home, I pay taxes, my kids go to school, I vote, I'm not a felon, we got to church, all the regular things a normal citizen does.So why exactly, are my semi-automatic weapons a problem? Or, more precisely, why do some folks believe these semi automatic weapons of mine would all of a sudden become a problem? Fear not people like me with weapons.
I would support laws that tighten the requirments for buying/selling weapons to do background checks for all transfers, and tightening and improving mental health requirements. But banning certain types of weapons? No. Banning magazine sizes? No. I can load the same bullet into several types of weapons, so it would make no sense at all to ban the "scary" looking one. I can also reload any weapon fairly quickly, so the magazine size really doesn't matter, just let me keep my freedom of choice. Responsible law abiding citizens are not the problem.

OKAY...let's ban assault rifles but leave everything else. Maybe we could appease everyone then. Also, I pilfered this from someone on yahoo. Thank you to Dana.

• A LITTLE GUN HISTORY
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. >From 1929 to 1953,
about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up and exterminated
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5
million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and
exterminated.
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total
of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves
were rounded up and exterminated.
China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million
political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and
exterminated
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000

Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and
exterminated.
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000
Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and
exterminated.
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one
million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up
and exterminated.
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century
because of gun control: 56 million.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes,
gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.
With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'
SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN!
SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE A RIFLE.
SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!

I love the anti gun loons who jump on silly "what if" situations to disclaim the value of having a firearm. They obviously have no clue regarding the tables of probability. Yes, your wife may be in the shower when someone kicks in the door. But, what are the odds? There is a very small window in which that has to happen...very small! Simply said with no protection you are a victum with zero chance. With protection your PROBABILITY for survival increases dramatically over the greater span of time.

OMGSh this is useless to try to reason with anti gun loons. I'll tell ya what it will take more time to panic trying to protect yourself then retrieving your gun. And those what if's are ridiculous.

"SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED"
Te 2nd Amendment is the law of the land, don't like it, too bad!

It may be the law of the land but like other legislation/laws that have passed over the years, as society has change, cultures have changed, technology and new inventions impact societ, laws change. When the second amendment was approved, it was during a time when assault weapons and multiple bullet clips did not exist nor, I'm sure, were not a part of any ones futuristic thinking. I can't think of one good reason for anyone to own assault weapons or clips that allow the shooter to fire multiple shots at will. Guns belong in our society for protection. Assault weapons are made to cause severe injury and damage to many people before they can bring the shooter down. If they are confined to limited shot type guns, less damage and fewer people will be killed by psycho's trying to achieve their 15 minutes of fame. Gun laws need to be changed now, so that years from now, even criminals have a hard time getting their hands on guns that create the damage done in the most recent assault type shootings.

CCW will do crap to deter crime. Two Police Officers in Uniform and armed were shot and killed today. One in Houston and one in a suburb of Wisconsin. Plus two firemen were also shot and killed in Webster N.Y.All were ambushed. Same will happen when people are armed.

Fully auromatic weapons have been banned for years yet they are on the streets in every state. What we need are stiffer penalties when arrested for having one. Right now it's a slap on the hand and a small penalty. If caught with a fully automatic weapon prison time should be the norm, most of those in possession of one will end up there anyway.

I would like the Patch, and every media outlet out there, to publish a listing of all citizens home addresses that are anti-gun. If you are ant-gun please place a large sign in your front yard claiming so. Please notify all of your beliefs and that your home / property is a "gun free" zone!!! Let's see how that works out for you and your family!! IF you are an anti-gunner and unwilling to do this, WHY???

@Tom...good one!!!!!

Our kids deserve the same protection: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/12/23/School-Obama-s-Daughters-Attend-Has-11-Armed-Guards-Not-Counting-Secret-Service

For many years, the media had portrayed all gun owners as mentally unstable or worse, criminals. Now the press had a real kook with which to beat up law-abiding gun owners. Day after day, week after week, the media gave up all pretense of objectivity and demanded a total ban on all handguns. The Dunblane Inquiry, a few months later, sealed the fate of the few sidearms still owned by private citizens.
During the years in which the British government incrementally took away most gun rights, the notion that a citizen had the right to armed self-defense came to be seen as vigilantism. Authorities refused to grant gun licenses to people who were threatened, claiming that self-defense was no longer considered a reason to own a gun. Citizens who shot burglars or robbers or rapists were charged while the real criminals were released.

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

--YODA, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Hey, should revolvers be banned??? See video: 6 shots, a reload, and six shots on target in 2.99 seconds!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ5Pts9dUdA How about old West style rifles?? Anyone remember "The Rifleman"??? http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rifleman+intro&mid=A642E4A5C111B8924C72A642E4A5C111B8924C72&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1 Now Anti-gunners, are THESE "assault weapons"?? Why / Why Not??

Don't know if anyone has followed the story about the sniper that opened up on the volunteer firemen in New York. I believe he killed two firemen and injured two. Not sure exactly. The problem is not that he had a firearm, the problem is he was in prison for killing his grandmother, and they LET HIM OUT. When they pass a law that says the fork made me FAT, maybe I'll have a different opinion on gun control.

Oh I know. Liberals are all about rights and losing them at the same time; most confusing group. This is how I see it. If the first responder, in Newton, which in this case just happened to be the principle, had a gun, this tragedy may not have happened. Trained properly in first response he/she could have taken this guy out. They ended up calling 911. Why? Because the POLICE have the guns! But, by the time the police got there it was too late. Guns are not the problem, just like the spoon didn't make me fat or the car I drove after the 10th beer didn't cause the accident.

Those of you willing to get duped from those seeking political expediency to restrict weapons from law abiding citizens, seem to fall for any tragic headline seeking to right a wrong.

The issue in this country is not a 2nd Amendment issue or an assault weapon (that was not used but people still make this claim for the Sandy Hook tragedy). It is a mental health issue. This young man was troubled and his mother had available means to get her son mental help. She didn't and this somehow relates to the 2nd Amendment how? It doesn't. It allows treasonous liberals and RINOs, in congress, to push an issue using this tragedy and using the emotions of fool hardy individuals. Those same foolish individuals have not an understanding of how rights came about and from those who have sacrificed their lives defending the Constitution and Our Country.

It is about education not restriction...

It is funny we teach our kids "Don't mess with guns,don't be violent,no violent video games,no violent movies,no violence at all" then in the same breath,same house,same family...praise our children for joining the military where they "Mess with guns,shoot people,blow people up,commit suicide at an alarming rate,become more violent than the average citizen,and cause more destruction than natural disasters....we wonder why kids are so confused...educate your kids about weapons,violence,survival and stop trying to shelter them..what did alcohol prohibition do?war on drugs?..caused more violence than the drinker or user it's self is what it did..People make guns and people will continue to make guns...and if you restrict people will make deadlier guns..right now gunmakers follow a guide line and most are registered gunmakers...make people not follow the rules and they won't....you have no idea about the guns that your average citizen makes that can not be put on the Internet by your average citizen because government will raid them or they are not allowed to have...to ignore the fact where guns come from is crazy..teen angers know how to make bullets from tradition being passed down from generations and have never shot anyone....

Gun advocates want the ability to defend themselves from the unstable loons. If more of us were armed we would have better results, like this one: http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/12/media-quiet-about-san-antonio-theater-shooting-2524596.html

Chicago with the toughest gun restrictions in Illinois, and now over 500 murderes. 90 % with firearms. Its the culture of gang crime in our cities NOT the Firearms.

The Gun grabbers......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDglpt8hpyg

Time to take a stand for all 2nd amendment citizens and constitutionalists.

The argument seems to be about firepower/Semi automatic firearms and connecting them to assualt weapons for scare tactics and possible confiscation. The example is the school shooting. However, it is said that a cap and ball musket, which is a single shot ram rod loaded weapon can be fired and reloaded and fired again in three seconds. I'm gonna give it ten seconds per fire and reload and fire again. That means that the creep who was not under any attack himself could have killed just as many kids in three and a half minutes! He had no opposition! The firepower argument is useless. The school should have CCW people, someone with a taser and or other devices and a training program to defend their ground. Being prepared these days is everything! Mentally ill, drugs are far and wide the first place we need to look to solve some of these problems...not guns and law abiding folks.

Gun control is about ignorance on the part of those that would limit a Constitutional right. Death will always be a part of life. How do we as Americans prevent untimely death? I suggest it is not possible in a free society. Thousands die from cars, do we ban cars? thousands die from drowning do we ban water? or the ability to swim in water?, hundreds die falling off ladders , do we ban ladders? The left only cries for those that meet their narrow mindedness.

For all you anti gun people...we can charter a bus and drop you and your wife and kids off on the south side of Chicago for a four block walk through "the neighborhood"...a gun in a sealed envelope. If you open it before you get back to the bus which we will park four blocks down...you have to promise to change your position on CCW and guns in general. Any takers?