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Letter: Our gun problem goes well beyond Columbine, Aurora

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As of Thursday, July 26, 2012
© Copyright 2013 Rockdale Citizen

So wrote the Citizen's columnist on June 21:

"In Clayton County, during a routine traffic stop, a passenger in a car pulled a gun and shot the driver of the car in the stomach. The police wound up shooting and killing the man who had done the shooting.

Next came the news that a man who had been shot near Turner Field on Wednesday died of his wounds early Thursday morning while a second man, shot in the same gunfight, remains in critical condition.

Meanwhile, in Union City, the GBI released sketches of two men wanted in connection with two fatal shootings in that town that occurred back in March. In other news, Atlanta police arrested a 24-year-old man Wednesday and charged him with a fatal shooting that occurred Monday around midnight.

These stories were all in one 5-minute newscast, y'all. What is this world coming to? In the city of Atlanta alone there are almost 6,000 violent crimes reported per year.

Some people would have you believe that it is a gun problem. I don't believe that for a minute. What we have here is not a gun problem."

But don't worry, we'll soon forget about it. When was the last time you were reminded of the Columbine massacre before this more recent terror attack? What about the Heritage High shooting?

Last week, a 24-year-old university student was arrested as the alleged killer of 12 in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater. Four weapons were found at the scene. Two were .40-caliber handguns. The accused killer had purchased more than 3,000 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition. Next was a pump action, single barrel, 12 gauge shotgun, with 300 rounds of ammunition. The last was an AR-15 type rifle, 223 caliber. He had 3,000 rounds of ammunition for this rifle. All of the killer's purchases -- four guns and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition -- were legal.

After more than 10 years of war in Afghanistan, the U.S. reached a milestone when the 2,000th American died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In 2010, there were 8,775 murders in the U.S. caused by firearms. Understand that these figures are for murders alone!

Fifty-six percent of the cases reviewed by the Georgia Commission on Family Violence and the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic violence between 2004 and 2011 died from gunshot wounds.

In 2005, suicide was the second-leading cause of death among Americans 40 years of age or younger. That year, an average of 46 Americans per day committed suicide with a firearm, accounting for 53 percent of all completed suicides. Gun suicide during this period accounted for 40 percent more deaths than gun homicide.

In 2006, 642 people died in the United States from the accidental discharge of firearms. Thirty percent of these deaths occurred in persons aged 15 to 24.

Yes, we do have a gun problem. It's not in any way tied to the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution. No one can justify these deaths as an effort to defend one's self or family. Neither can anyone honestly claim these deaths were required to defend our nation. "Some people would have you believe that it is a gun problem." But don't worry. Except for the victims' families, we'll forget about it until the next time.

-- Milt Longbottom

Conyers

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Comments

INJUSTICE_FOR_ALL 10 months, 3 weeks ago

A GUN HAS NEVER KILLED ANYONE. It's the person/coward behind it. ALL law biding citizens should own and know how to use a gun.

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papamilt 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Of course, I understand now that you've explained it so clearly. You really must post this on FaceBook & Twitter so the parents, the children, the brothers & sisters, the friends of these thousands of dead will understand. I'll bet if you had been at the Aurora theater or Columbine things would have been different! PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME SERIOUSLY. This is satire! Ask someone to explain it to you.

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Elmo 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Guns have saved more lives than they have taken... http://gunowners.org/sk0802.htm

The 2nd Amendment was put into place to insure the 1st Amendment (Right to free speech) was respected and enforced...which gave you the right to publish your letter.

Other than the numbers you used to try and support your point, you certainly don't demonstrate much knowledge about guns and the history of guns in the USA.

Taking guns away from the people will put us all in the same situation as the patrons of the Aurora theatre...with only the "government" having the guns.

Taking away the guns is one of the first goals of a tyranical government and totally necessary before they become dictatorships.

Keep reading all those liberal facts, and while you're at it, put a sign in your front yard that you don't believe in guns and that there are "no guns in your house".

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papamilt 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Once again, are you seriously saying that if the patrons at the Aurora theater had been armed that there would have been no killings? As for my gun knowledge, I'll admit that I've shot fewer guns than John Wayne or other movie actors. If you knew the history of guns in the USA, you would know that most of the settlers in "Indian country" didn't carry handguns and not as many as MGM or Warner Bros. would have you believe had rifles or shotguns. Those that did used them to hunt for food. Yes, I'll keep reading FACTS and the signs in front of my house will ask for votes for the candidate that I feel will do the best job for America here and at home.

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Frustrated 10 months, 3 weeks ago

What th egun control advocates fail to understand is that the thugs dont buy their guns legally. They go out on the street and buy them or trade drugs with the little thieves that break into houses and businesses and steal them. Thugs dont go through background checks and dont get a permit to carry guns. Making stricter laws will only make it harder for the law abiding citizens.

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papamilt 10 months, 3 weeks ago

The killer in Aurora Colorado bought all four of his guns and 6,000+ rounds of ammunition legally! Enforcing reasonable laws will save lives.

http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/users/photos/2012/jul/27/50167/

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AJK 10 months, 3 weeks ago

You just admitted the killer in Colorado bought his tools legally. But then you say "Enforcing reasonable laws will save lives." Tell me, what are the "reasonable laws" that should be enforced?

In my mind, "reasonable laws" would allow anyone with the proper credentials to carry the tools necessary anywhere they want to protect from, stop, or mitigate a situation. That way, when someone who has obtained their tools legally (or illegally) decides to use those tools in an illegal way, the innocent bystanders will have the tools necessary to stop or mitigate the illegal activity.

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papamilt 10 months, 3 weeks ago

A reasonable law to most people would limit or deny 100 round drum clips of ammo for assault weapons. To many of us, a limit or denial of assault weapons seems to be a great idea. How many would have died in Aurora if every "innocent bystander" had the tools/guns necessary to stop the illegal activity? Mitigate means "to cause to become less harsh; to make less severe or painful." I don't believe a theater full of teens watching Batman could have "mitigated" any activity, armed or unarmed.

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VPublicola 10 months, 3 weeks ago

No law, enforced or not, will not prevent a deranged idiot from carrying out their psychopathic plans.

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AJK 10 months, 3 weeks ago

I was going to respond, but VPublicola said it better and with a lot fewer words.

papamilt, you and I are just going to have to agree to disagree.

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Duster 10 months, 3 weeks ago

It’s not a gun problem! It’s a people problem. We will blame the gun, while we shay "Oh that poor person" he was treated badly as a kid. We need to punish the people who do such things. We baby the criminal. And that shows that we will not deal with the real problem. Then it happens once more. And we blame the gun, and so on and so forth. It’s time to start dealing with the real problem. Really punish these people. Don’t punish the masses over some problem child. Look at all the home invasions that have happened that the owner dealt with the problem swiftly.

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papamilt 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Duster, We've heard that song before. It's the NRA Anthem! Let me repeat what I've said from the beginning. In 2010, there were 8,775 murders in the U.S. caused by firearms. In 2005, 48 Americans per day committed suicide with a firearm. In 2006, 642 people died here in the U.S. from the accidental discharge of firearms. 30% of these deaths were persons aged 15 to 24. "Don't punish what masses over what problem child?" Let's use some of our God-given sense to alleviate/reduce the unbelievable tragedy of thousands dying annual by an "armed people problem."

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Duster 10 months, 3 weeks ago

"In 2010, there were 8,775 murders in the U.S. caused by firearms". Are you serious! They gun never caused a death! The PERSON at the end of that gun caused the death. Do You really think that taking my gun away will stop the armed intruder? NO not one bit. IT will however stop my ability to protect my family from that intruder. Deal the problem. We talk about rights and the ones the so-called thug has. Well, what about the rights of the ones that die or get hurt by the thug. Why are you not out there demanding their rights? The man who bought those guns should not have been allowed to buy them with his apparent mental background, oh but wait. That would go against his rights to have a mental background check! You see. You had rather deal with the people that can stand up and defend their rights then the ones that should have no rights in this area! Look at the real scores. More drugs have killed people then guns, yet no one will really fight that fight. It's to political. Cars have killed more people. But you are not out there trying to take the privilege of driving away. Work accidents kill more people, but you are not out there trying to stop all of us from working. That is because it is a choice PEOPLE make. It’s the same with gun ownership, or thug position. IT’S A CHOICE!

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papamilt 10 months, 3 weeks ago

OK, are you denying that there were 8,775 murders by guns in 2010?Where did you get your data? Your quote: "Well, what about the rights of the ones that die or get hurt by the thug. Why are you not out there demanding their rights?" I AM DEMANDING THE RIGHTS of the 8,775 who were murdered in 2010. I am demanding the rights of the 642 people who died in 2006 from the accidental discharge of firearms. Almost 200 were between the ages of 15 and 24. Keep your gun(s) but don't let it/them be used in a suicide or accidental shooting. YES! I would rather deal with the people that can stand up and defend their rights than the ones that should have no rights in this area. Wouldn't you? I'd like to see your data with sources for your claims that drugs, cars, work accidents have killed more people. Our government and most law-abiding citizens are working to eliminate drug use, to make cars and workplaces safer. IT'S A CHOICE between citizens and thugs - nothing else.

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Frustrated 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Ever heard the saying "where there's a will there's a way"? When someone has the will to get a weapon and go out and kill people he will find a way to do it, legal or not. The only REAL way to prevent this from happening is to take away ALL guns. How would that work for you? But then you take away guns and someone will come up with something else. So you see, its a never ending circle. Take away one thing and someone comes up with another and another and another.

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papamilt 10 months, 3 weeks ago

If we took away a killer's gun(s), he can chase you with a sword, a knife, a bat, a rock. If you take away guns "someone will come up with something else." That would work for me. It's unlikely the killer in Aurora could have cut up or beat to death twelve (12) innocent people before he was stopped. Don't you agree?

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AJK 10 months, 3 weeks ago

It seems the folks over in Cobb County realize you have to fight force with force.

Cobb authorities say movie theater shooting behind spike in gun permits

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