Hi Ron, I don't think there's any amount of preventative action that will 'cure' any society from the occasional 'extremely divergent' doing something awful like the VT shootings. When someone is sufficiently far enough off the track, it doesn't matter what weapons are available - they will use whatever they can get their hands on. If we banned all guns, we'd see a machete attack. If we banned all blades, we'd see a spear or other such pointy-stick attack. If we banned all sticks, we'd still see someone poking everyones' eyes out with their fingers. We can limit the tools all we like, but the underlying impetus remains, undeterred in its course of action. Outreach programs help, though I doubt they can ever be perfect. There's no telling how many similar events have not occurred thanks to the intervention of such programs. It's unfortunate we can so easily count the failures but not the successes.
Keep in mind the same divergent seedlings that lead some people to violence also lead others to inspiration or invention. The dynamic urge to stray from the norms is a necessary trait of our humanity, though extremes such as this do not always lead to good endings. Back to the gun ban idea, what of consequence? If our reaction is to ban guns, do we not trade a degree of biological safety for reduced social (and arguably intellectual) freedoms? One of the most pivotal cornerstones of American government is the right of the people to overthrow its government if it becomes irreparably corrupt. By banning the tools necessary, we concede this right and thus reduce the intellectual oversight we have placed upon our social institution. The standard 'slippery slope' argument follows ad nauseum. -Laird > [Ron] > Would tougher gun control laws or banning guns all together stopped this > sort of violence? > > Would outreach programs stopped this sort of violence? > > Or is it a question of a "crazy straw" gene and just try not be in these > peoples way > When they go off? > moq_discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > moq_discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
