The horrific mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida, has reignited protests for meaningful political action in the United States. According to Quinnipiac Poll, an independent, non-partisan public opinion poll, currently 66% of American voters support stricter gun laws, and it's the highest level ever measured. People are expressing their thoughts about these issues all over the internet, and some are resonating with the public so much, Bored Panda has decided to compile them into a list.
From brutally honest jokes to interesting insights, the entries below will certainly stir your thoughts about the uncomfortable debate American society needs to have. Scroll down to check them out, and upvote your favorites!
(h/t collegehumor)
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A kid should never have to worry about such a thing. Yet still, this is really happening. Heart-breaking. I think if I had a child and was in this situation, I couldn't hold up my brave parent face and would have broken down crying, that my baby is thinking about things like this. It even hurts me that a child I do not even know, is thinking about things like this.
That should pretty much cover everything, don't you think? 00-OMG-5a9...e90153.gif 
America has 4.4 percent of the world’s population, but almost half of the civilian-owned guns around the world.
Exactly puritan American. Kill each other but god forbid you have consensual pleasure
Australians don't know whether to laugh or cry. We are horrified by what we are hearing. Since gun control was enacted back in the 1990s we have NOT HAD ONE MASS SHOOTING! Domestic shootings have crashed and now, pretty much the only people with illegal guns are the criminals who will get them no matter what we do. Only Australians legally allowed guns are defence force personnel (and not in public) police (in public) farmers (only on their farm) security guards (only on the armoured vehicle) commercial shooters (only in their trucks) sporting shooters (only at the gun club/rifle range). Police here check their gun owners in their own districts every two years and every single licensed gun has to be accounted for and the storage comply with regulations - gun and ammo separately kept.
Is that really correct? Australians are well known for going into the bush and blasting at the wildlife legally, it is called sport and not in any club
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Here is why: The US is the world’s top exporter of arms and assumed a market share of 33% between 2011 and 2015. With factors such as size and capabilities to its advantage, the US is home to some of the top arms manufacturing companies. The top two defense contractors in the US are ranked top in the world. They are Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Company. The sales generated from the exportation of arms from the US were $36.2 billion. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/world-s-largest-exporters-of-arms.html
I can think of 5 reasons of the top of my head why giving teachers guns will cause major conflicts; 1. The teachers will need training 2. What if a kid steals the gun and uses it? 3. What if the teacher or substitute is a murderer? 4. Many parents will pull their kids out if teachers are armed which will cause economic problems 5. Are the teachers supposed use the gun on the shooter? 5.
If no sticks had ever been available for kids you would not need to be wondering about either a, b or c!!!!
Actually the answer is D) Ban the classmate. The stick did nothing wrong. If he didn't have the stick, he would just use the rock.
Oops, I meant ban the child in question, not the classmate. ><
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Here is an unpopular opinion: A) your child will still try to hit people with it. B) your child would think trice to start bashing people as everyone have a stick now. C) your child will STILL bash people, not with a stick, perhaps a stone. You will get free from mass shooting, but then if the real problem that causes a kid to have emotional breakdown until he shot people is not face and solved, it will just happen again, with knife. I still don't understand why are you all not dealing with reducing the stress level or give them a better mental consultation but kept on blaming on the tools.
A child hits a classmate with a stick. There was a rule against hitting people, so you expel the child. Tomorrow, another child comes in and hits a classmate with a stick. You do the same thing, and this time you make a rule that no one is allowed to have sticks. Except, these kids were already breaking a pretty serious rule to begin with. So they still find sticks and hit kids. Or they use rocks. Meanwhile, all of the other kids, who had not been breaking any rules, are also affected by this stick ban. Their dislike of the blanket rule doesn't mean that they don't care about the hitting. Everyone in the school agrees that we need to find a way to stop these kids from hitting. We're all in the same school. We're all affected by the violence. What we don't agree on is how to stop it. Kids who spend recess building stick cabins aren't going to want a ban, and kids who never use sticks won't see the problem. Remember who the bad guy actually is. Let's work together instead of vilifying.
D) find out why the child is acting out and offer more education and counseling for other children who show similar tendencies before someone get's their eye poked out by said stick. Because it's not fair to take away all sticks when sticks are a right of all Americans. If you don't like the stick freedom, move to another country.
No other country will accept you with that attitude, twit.
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Then why, in Japan where they made rules VERY strict, does this not happen anymore. I guess the only (which is sad) answer is: because this is the USA..
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Every adult in the USA who does not support these child survivors should be ashamed.
Teachers don't want to handle guns. They're there to educate, not kill.
A teacher in Utah shot herself in the bathroom by accident in 2014. You can watch Youtube videos of enraged teachers smashing instruments or throwing things at students. I don't trust anybody with a gun in such a tense situation -- even a teacher.
I can't believe the people at the NRA had the guts to do this...they want to show that celebrities are on their side? really?
Bill O'Reilly is a pig. He's discounting the reactions of children who've been shot at or had friends die, and given more credence to the adults who watch this happen and refuse to protect them. He must be in the pocket of the NRA
I wonder if he would've continued to stand up for the NRA had the shooter walked into his children's school and shot them dead.
"The teacher's galactic republic"! where can we sign up as a teacher's Jedi school?
had a teacher toss a chalk board eraser at our heads once because we were talking in class and he wanted us to shut up. yeah. Lets get that guy a gun.
Not to mention, most of the school shooters commit suicide or are pushing for suicide by cop anyway, so ANYONE having a gun at the school wouldn't help.
I know it can be unpopular. I’m from Brazil, where guns aren’t easily purchased as in USA. I’m against such an easy way to get your hands on powerful guns, but the problem is more deep rooted. The true problem is not the guns. The true problem is that a person have a killing will in his heart. Are we ignoring the fact that someone -wanted- to kill a lot of teenagers? Why? There is more than just guns wrong in United States. There is killings with knives and rocks too. We need to work on creating children that don’t want to kill others. A society that doesn’t let violence grow. Armed or not.
of course, and that teacher will have to live with that for the rest of her or his life. Teachers teach students about life; they should never be expected to take a life.
I wonder how he'd feel if someone walked into his grand kids schools and shot them. But its sad to even think that the death of his own child might change his heart while the death of 200 other children have had no effect. Its sad....
Did you know, that practically ALL young people with voting rights in the UK voted against Brexit? It, in the end is their world WE are in control of. Why can't we just give them a bigger focus.
18 school shootings since the beginning of the year! Its only FEBRUARY 23rd! exclusing holidays and weekends, thats almost 1 school shooting a day not to mention how have occured since I started this post! but hey, in total thats still less than 500 children right? Its just a few! a few?? Any number higher than 0 is too many!
Schooled by the teenagers who are smarter and mored eloquent and more emotionally balanced that this moron.
Teens. You don't know the amount of havoc the power of angry, well-spoken teenagers can create. These kids are the future of America.
I agree and share the same brain.... call me insane , I will not kill a single soul unless they ban gun-control , here in Holland where I live I survived every school easily because no-one was pointing a gun at me but no matter how high you go up there , there's never a curved horizon to see I swear....
If Trump see this, he will retweet it to further his agenda. He's just that clueless.
Better yet, send all those who so staunchly protect their 2nd amendment to Afghanistan.They can prove that having a gun betters your odds to staying alive against others with guns. Once I see how they fare, maybe I'll change my mind.
Um RaY1, is there a self esteem issue you have ? Small hands? Small cerebrum? Just small ..uh..issues that a gun makes you feel 'protected'?
I signed up to be a teacher, not a police officer. It is time for the lawmakers to stop looking how to fill their pockets from the NRA. Arming me won't solve your problem, but banning assault weapons and reopening mental hospitals will. I am sick and tired of everything revolving around money.
Seriously, I'm tired of everything being about money too...
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How many children have to die to get gun laws changed? go ahead politicians, keep it up, the generations after you already know what to do with you.
Joyce, can you please define what constitutes an "assault rifle"?
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My teacher, after the Florida shooting, said this bit of rationality: "If any more Arming Teachers stuff goes through, I'm quitting. My job description does not include taking a bullet for a kid". Don't force this stuff on teachers.
Two teachers took bullets for the kids in this shooting. And they didn't have guns. They didn't quit. Brave people died trying to shield these kids.
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...My sister is a special education teacher in New Mexico and as a family member, I oppose the suggestion that teachers should be given a gun to protect herself or her students. She is not hired to kill people, she is hired to educate people. She should not arm herself because a school should be a safe place for teachers and students. These school shootings are meaningless and the situation is not being handled or being prevented properly by the government. The president's suggestion was very careless and not very well-thought of. Even if he blames the media for the 'fake news', media is a double edged sword and he should not state things that could be taken out of context. That just shows how weak his mind works if he is not careful with the words he says.
The comment by the 8 year old really sticks with me. I hope the adults in this country will get behind the momentum and positive energy from the students in Florida. If we can't motivate Congress now, What is it going to take? I hope more republicans lose in the 2018 elections. I hope these students keep on, keepin' on. I have their back. I'm with Barack.
Here's an idea - anyone that wants to own a gun must first serve time in the military. Not only would it provide training and structure, it would boost our armed forces exponentially. If you're caught with a gun without having served then you'd be sentenced to serve, rather than jail. Of course we'd have to grandfather in the seniors...
Its a good theory until you, potentially, have half the population suffering from PTSD (assuming that people would actually be sent off to fight as the country is currently 'at war'. Also, the streets would be empty and the economy could suffer from the amount of people going thru military training to own a gun. It could however deter a lot of people from wanting to own a gun. How about instead that anyone who owns a gun has to keep it stored at their gun range?
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Being Anti-AR15 is not like being anti-gun. It's kinda like being anti-rape but not anti-sex.
Jack, I'm afraid that analogy doesn't really hold water. A better one might be, "saying you shoot an AR-15 is like saying you blow your nose with Kleenex". There is nothing special or magical about the AR-15 that makes it more dangerous or scary than other firearms, it is just ubiquitous b/c it is affordable, reliable, easy to maintain, etc.
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This week, my 12 year old daughter was witness to the insanity that our SOCIAL PROBLEM here in America has come to. Of all places this was on her SCHOOL BUS. An aggravated teen-aged boy was doing everything possible to get on that bus because he had a problem with one of the students who rode it. Banging loudly on the outside of the bus, cursing and making threats of extreme violence against all bus riders, circling the bus like a predator, his final threat was to get his gun and shoot the young passengers, he turned to run and get said gun, but our quick thinking driver was already in motion, phone in hand, moving the bus to a safer place, while also dialing 911. Three police cars were on the scene in mere minutes, surrounding the troubled youth and restoring safety once again. These children are preschoolers, elementary aged children through high school aged, and they were ALL terrified. My daughter held three kindergarteners on her lap, hugging them close until the crying ended.
Jeeeeze. Your poor daughter. That is the sort of incident that leaves you scarred for life. I think id consider emigrating after that
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I've only visited this site a few times and was unaware it is a liberal POS sounding board. The "gun problem" is a problem on both sides not just Republicans you morons. Liberals had 8 years of Oduma to do something while shootings happened on his watch and what did they do. Nothing. This is truly a mental health issue which is not being addressed. Stricter gun laws, background checks, waiting times, whatever, I'm for it but until you are able to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable you will never fix this.
Even in Obama's first term he did not have a filibuster proof senate majority, and he'd go on to lose both houses soon after. What he did do was sign dozens (literally dozens!) of executive orders on gun safety, all of which were obviously rescinded by president Trump. You've got conservative democrats in purple states who need to keep in gun owners' good graces and zero republicans willing to cross the NRA on ANY gun control measure. He wasn't going to get anything pushed through congress. Sandy Hook was to be America's tipping point, but even a bunch of dead six year old's wasn't enough to tip the balance. Keep regurgitating the same old GOP/NRA talking points, keep blaming the democrats. You are clueless. The rest of the world has lost the last bit of respect for the US over the mishandling of school shootings. Every country has crazy people, one country has school shooter drills.
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This is crazy, you hear that one of the kids you probably been teaching for years flips out and starts shooting up the school, they expect in all the confusion to get a positive ID of the shooter, you're suppose to calmly take out your hand gun and blow the this kids head off while avoiding his assult rifle fire.
Why do you people insist on arguing about "solutions" that have been proven to not work? Gun control doesn't work. It has never worked. Claims that it worked in Australia or England or France, are simply not true. The NRA contributes very little money to politicians compared to trial lawyers, teachers unions, other unions, drug companies, energy companies, etc. It's not about money, it's about votes, and a whole lot of voters who own guns and understand how ineffective gun laws are, vote against politicians who don't understand, and want to push more failed schemes as "solutions." The people quoted in this article, and most of the commenters, are living in an echo chamber, and refusing to hear the real facts. None of the "solutions" proposed would have prevented or mitigated any of the atrocities we've seen over the past 20 years, but you call me a heartless monster because I oppose these false solutions. You are not debating gun laws, you're lynching gun owners.
Umm excuse me? I literally live in a country where we had 1 mass shooting and then we brought in gun control. You must be 18 to own a gun and assault type rifles are banned. Having a gun in your hand gives you a sense of power, that you can do anything and no one can stop you particularly with assault type weapons as you don’t even need to pull back the bolt every time you fire. One big thing that is proven time and time again, power currupts. Here in Australia you are unable to get your hands on a gun that would be effective in a mass shooting so no one does it, no one feels like they have enough power in their hands to get away with it. And have you ever heard of a mass shooting anywhere that is not a war zone that has gun control? I certainly haven’t and do you know what, here in Australia we can still get guns! No one has been lynched except maybe death himself.
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The problem isn't that you have crazy people or moronic suicidal and self centered teenagers. The problem is these people can buy automatic military style guns...
Only bodyguards of Very Important People should have guns. They understand this,.the rest of you are too stupid. And if you get attacked at gunpoint it's just karma for living such an insignificant life. So suck it up, losers.
Really? An inocent person getting attacked at gun point is their fault for being insignificant? WOW, just wow! If you truly believed im karma you wouldn't have made that statement.
Load More Replies... Is this just an America thing? What were the circumstances of school shootings outside of the US?
Have you ever heard of a mass shooting in a place with gun control?
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Evil is always around the corner. We protect banks, jewelry stores, airports, etc. why won't we protect our children!? A sign saying gun free zone doesn't even come close to taking care of the problem. Psychos and criminals and evil people don't follow the rules!
A "gun free zone" is a open invitation for someone with bad intent. They are inherently cowards, so will go to the place where they will face the least opposition.
Load More Replies... Murder is not a job requirement for teachers, and it should never be. Moreover, ever seen a teacher work a computer, slide projector or the photocopier without tech support?
I am a teacher and I can find my way around technology without any support.
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So these gun nuts say they need a gun in order to overthrow a tyrannical government. Well, we have a government run by the NRA and corporations only interested in profits and unconcerned with American lives. So how many are overthrowing that government and restoring it back to the people? Oh right, none.
Just in case you thought Trump and his ilk WEREN'T motivated by money ...
The 2nd amendment should be used in the context in which it was written. Everyone one who thinks they need a gun should be allowed to possess a single shot muzzle loader. I'm pretty sure the founding fathers in their wildest nightmares never imagined assault rifles for everyone.
US, your cops sometimes shoot the wrong people and they've had more trainings. Now you want your teachers armed with guns? Your government is a big joke!
If a shooter comes into the the band room, there will be SO MANY instruments thrown at them. I will throw my tuba at them.
Actually Mark, it's more tits, beer and flags. Can you blame us?
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So the teachers must live their lives with the burden that they killed a person? Even if that person deserved it? "If you kill a killer, the number of killers in the world remains the same"
Also, I don't know where that silly quote comes from, but the only way "the number of killers... remains the same" is if you kill a murderer *before* he is able to succeed in killing anyone (which is the best way to do it).
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for all the comments above, no one said anything about providing better care for those with mental illness (issues). No one said anything about the nearly 40 prior contacts between law enforcement and the shooter? Everyone quickly points to guns - would they have said the same if he used a machete or drove through a crowd in a vehicle? I think not.
The difference with a machete or a car is that they both have a purpose other than killing lots of people, no one rides to work on their assult rifle. Lots of things can be turned into weapons but they have primary function which means baning them is not such a great idea, what other function does an AR-15 have?
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Really idiotic thinking here. First, the shark one... sharks killing, would be: Let's get teeth to protect against the sharks; not lets get sharks to protect against the sharks. Or, lets get dolphins. Armed teachers: No weapons in the Whitehouse? I'll bet if you find a secret serviceman who is unarmed he will be fired retroactively. Should the teachers be armed? Not all of them--that would mean we would need all dual class when we have enough trouble getting one well qualified for one role. (The armed teachers would be the dolphins versus the sharks.) It's not the gun owners that we should be afraid of what they'll do. It should be the rogue wings of government, the cartel members, and the foreign invaders. But who am I. Just enjoy your time in the CONCENTRATION CAMP because it's people like Adolph Hitler that ban guns among the populace. And Chairman Mao. The one reduced to 'worrying about what kids think.' In neither situation was the opinion criticized using child advisers.
What f***s me off is that a teacher has the ability to teach but if they have to shoot someone (let alone a minor) or they accidentally shoot someone how is that going to affect their mental stability let alone that of the children my question is how can a teacher be expected to teach if their mental stability becomes unhinged due to the shooting, I mean you can't expect the children to not suffer in either mental health or education when the teacher is suffering themselves. Its the blind leading the blind how can adults and teachers take a responsible front in all this when they are as f*****g scared as the children, children who may I add look to adults for guidance so what's seeing them with a gun going to do? Its ridiculous its like asking a post woman or man to start saving human lives like a doctor!! I'm from the UK and this topic has infuriated me so so much its unreal
I lived right by Townville, where that shooting was, and I had a friend who went there. He is scarred for life. BAN GUNS!!!!!!!!!!1
Sooo, Parkland had what, 12 buildings & how many floors. You've paid 100 or so teachers extra to train for hunting down & attacking a shooter (who's better armed & has more ammo, smoke bombs, & a gas mask). What would you tell your students as you desert them & walk out the door ?
I just don't understand why America values guns SO MUCH. Every time I try to look into it, I feel like my brain cells dying trying to understand this dumb s**t. It's like we 're touching a fire, getting confused when it hurts and burns our hand but then touch it again thinking it'll be different after (1) changing nothing or (2) adding more fuel to the fire, making it bigger and hotter
I wonder what the gun proponents are so afraid of? There were trained military personnel all over the place during Ft Hood. Calling the truth about the gun situation must strum a deep-seated fear about race. The right is not changed. Your paranoiac ramblings about Obama, Hillary, etc. doesn’t do much but reveal the fear of white entitlement. You got, to quote de Toqueville, the government you deserved. Truth is no one besides military/paramilitary personnel need access to assault rifles. Who benefits when a tween shoots himself in the head at a gunshow playing with one? No ine But jbee-jerk adherence to the arms industry only serves to orove that the joke is truly on you. Sadly every nutjob with internet access thinks bullying those who disagree with them will work. Game over. Btw, I live in the boonies, where you accidentally run over deer. If you think you need assault weapons to hunt them, well, frankly you are a really bad hunter.
Gun control will happen in the US only after every single person in the country has been affected personally by a mass shooting. Perhaps Australia should lone John Howard to the US so he can show them how to properly respond to a mass shooting. I'm 24 and I can't think of a mass shooting happening in Australia in my life time simply because of John Howard.
I believe that gun laws should be stricter in the USA. 14-year-old girls who have a long life ahead of them are being shot and 8-year-olds are worrying about shoes. It puts unnecessary stress on kids and parents who fear a shooting might happen at their school. Why worry more about kinder eggs than guns?
America, the level of the constant fear your kids have to face truly not portraying your belief as the "greatest nation on earth" or "most advanced country" or heck, "the Land of The Free". You sure you're still a first world country? Anyway, don't get me wrong, I actually am amazed by your the Parkland survivor teens. Hope that incident is the last ever. Stay strong, guys.
Honestly strict gun control isn't going to help much. Evil people do evil things. If someone starts stabbing people at random what next? Ban knives? Unfortunately criminals will always have weapons and then people are going to demand their weapons to protect their own family cause the police aren't always going to be around. Arming teachers isn't a good idea either.
All this speculation about what might or might not happen and what evil people would theoretically do... this whole mental exercise... is perfectly pointless because America is not the only place in the world and you can just look out your proverbial window and watch what actually happens.
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So you're okay with kids getting shot in school, don't think that's a problem.
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So, what is the solution? Option one - make getting gun as hard as in Australia. Option two - vault doors in schools, semi-automatic turrets in halls, operated remotely by teachers or director by system with no external access. America, the choice is yours. And if you will select the second version I have some ideas about how-to make this work, let me know...
Putin would like you to get rid of your guns. The Chinese invaders would like you to get rid of your guns, too. But until that happens, the criminals will enjoy the benefits of you not having a gun.
Yes, that's right. Vladimir Putin would like you to get rid of your guns. Because America has the largest conventional military in the world several times over, but Putin could destroy all those tanks and missiles and aircraft carriers and millionish soldiers and artillery pieces and all the rest of it if he wanted to. It's civilian firearms that he's afraid of.
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Good lord, Trump is Shaggy. Even when presented with tons of evidence, "It wasn't me." Yes, let's arm teachers. Let's give them all semis, that's a great idea. I guess all teachers in America have to be Dwayne Johnson now.
Less guns and stricter control over them wpuld definitely be nice but I also feel like if people need to be protected then sometimes you got to make the best out of a bad situation... Well I mean on one hand if someone is unprotected becsuse they don't have a gun it would be sad if they got shot and couldn't defend themselves... But on the other hand I wonder if a teacher with a gun would make people more or less secure around said teacher...
Bullet proof vests and helmets is the only thing that may protect them from guns....
Load More Replies... Guns guuuuuuns! a-shaking in terror - Guns guuuuuuuuns! killing in error - Guns guuuuuuns! guilty hands - Guns guuuuuuns! shatter the lands ♬♪ (sad to see that a 1980's song about gun violence is still relevant today)
Aaaaand here we go. The downvotes slide begins. Guess people don't really like The Clash. ♥
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Thanks a lot Bored Panda 👎 This was one of the last sites that I could enjoy without all the BS left or right extreme views on politics. I'm just going to give up on anyone being rational and discussing anything on its merits without each side of the table TRASH talking. So disappointing
It's not Bored Panda's fault that you've been trained to see "Let's stop children from being slaughtered" as an extreme political view.
Load More Replies... What. I work at a state run boy's juvenile lockup, which has several gates, metal detector and searches required -EVEN FOR STAFF-. I can't bring any metal or glass. GUM is contraband and I could be arrested for bringing it to work. Our one teacher had a mental breakdown saying he wants to shoot all of us last week and is fired.... I literally can't bring my legal gun anywhere near my job and I know how to deal with a crisis situation. The teachers who can opt out of restraint training can bring theirs? They won't even help when a staff is being assaulted, caught on camera AT LEAST once a week!!! Or they want to shoot all of us? Because he was asked to document when he lets sharp knives be used... by the kids that will kill anyone over something insane. Yeah, 'Merica.
vote-help others register to vote-soon hopefully we can overturn Citizens United to get PAC money out of elections
Lets get real, people. Criminals are criminals right? So, if guns are banned, are you all expecting them to go " Oh my god!!!!!! We aren't allowed to have guns anymore!! Oh no, we have to go turn these in right away!!!!!" No, they're criminals, they couldn't care less about laws. If guns are banned, criminals are still gonna find a way to get what they want. As it is, it's not like they're about to walk in a store to go get their gun. So, if you think about it, if we can't have guns, there are no means of protecting ourselves, unless everyone has got a skilled knife-thrower living in their house, which is very unlikely. It's only worse if guns are banned.
I think we should play "Hunger Games" with polititians. But instead of using children as the prey, we'll use all the politians. they will all be hunted down with guns provided by the NRA and just to be fair we'll give all the polititians sticks. Problem solved
Completely disagree. After Port Arthur we brought in stronger gun laws and guess what, we stopped having mass shootings. When are you guys going to realize putting more guns out there is only aggravating the situation. Even the founding fathers of the NRA were all for stricter gun controls and proper background checks and licenses.
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THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE FORGETTING ABOUT! THANK YOU!
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I may be ignorant about guns, but you are also ignorant about any other person's opinion that doesn't match yours. From all your posts, I undestand your point why you want to own a gun for self-protection. But you should also try to understand that everybody having easy access to legal guns also isn't ok. At least make them take a psycho test and do a background check. If you aren't mentaly un-stable or with criminal record, you'll have your gun, but at least this could prevent a few crazy people getting guns.
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Violent video games are played all over the world, yet America is the only country that has a problem with mass school shootings, most western European countries are less religous and have far stricter gun control laws than the US, at some point you're going to have to face up to the fact that your countries gun culture is to blame, you've had 8 school shootings so far this year and it's still only february, while over here in godless, UK it's 22 years since we had the last major school shooting.
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I signed up to be a teacher, not a police officer. It is time for the lawmakers to stop looking how to fill their pockets from the NRA. Arming me won't solve your problem, but banning assault weapons and reopening mental hospitals will. I am sick and tired of everything revolving around money.
Seriously, I'm tired of everything being about money too...
Load More Replies... How many children have to die to get gun laws changed? go ahead politicians, keep it up, the generations after you already know what to do with you.
Joyce, can you please define what constitutes an "assault rifle"?
Load More Replies... My teacher, after the Florida shooting, said this bit of rationality: "If any more Arming Teachers stuff goes through, I'm quitting. My job description does not include taking a bullet for a kid". Don't force this stuff on teachers.
Two teachers took bullets for the kids in this shooting. And they didn't have guns. They didn't quit. Brave people died trying to shield these kids.
Load More Replies... ...My sister is a special education teacher in New Mexico and as a family member, I oppose the suggestion that teachers should be given a gun to protect herself or her students. She is not hired to kill people, she is hired to educate people. She should not arm herself because a school should be a safe place for teachers and students. These school shootings are meaningless and the situation is not being handled or being prevented properly by the government. The president's suggestion was very careless and not very well-thought of. Even if he blames the media for the 'fake news', media is a double edged sword and he should not state things that could be taken out of context. That just shows how weak his mind works if he is not careful with the words he says.
The comment by the 8 year old really sticks with me. I hope the adults in this country will get behind the momentum and positive energy from the students in Florida. If we can't motivate Congress now, What is it going to take? I hope more republicans lose in the 2018 elections. I hope these students keep on, keepin' on. I have their back. I'm with Barack.
Here's an idea - anyone that wants to own a gun must first serve time in the military. Not only would it provide training and structure, it would boost our armed forces exponentially. If you're caught with a gun without having served then you'd be sentenced to serve, rather than jail. Of course we'd have to grandfather in the seniors...
Its a good theory until you, potentially, have half the population suffering from PTSD (assuming that people would actually be sent off to fight as the country is currently 'at war'. Also, the streets would be empty and the economy could suffer from the amount of people going thru military training to own a gun. It could however deter a lot of people from wanting to own a gun. How about instead that anyone who owns a gun has to keep it stored at their gun range?
Load More Replies... Being Anti-AR15 is not like being anti-gun. It's kinda like being anti-rape but not anti-sex.
Jack, I'm afraid that analogy doesn't really hold water. A better one might be, "saying you shoot an AR-15 is like saying you blow your nose with Kleenex". There is nothing special or magical about the AR-15 that makes it more dangerous or scary than other firearms, it is just ubiquitous b/c it is affordable, reliable, easy to maintain, etc.
Load More Replies... This week, my 12 year old daughter was witness to the insanity that our SOCIAL PROBLEM here in America has come to. Of all places this was on her SCHOOL BUS. An aggravated teen-aged boy was doing everything possible to get on that bus because he had a problem with one of the students who rode it. Banging loudly on the outside of the bus, cursing and making threats of extreme violence against all bus riders, circling the bus like a predator, his final threat was to get his gun and shoot the young passengers, he turned to run and get said gun, but our quick thinking driver was already in motion, phone in hand, moving the bus to a safer place, while also dialing 911. Three police cars were on the scene in mere minutes, surrounding the troubled youth and restoring safety once again. These children are preschoolers, elementary aged children through high school aged, and they were ALL terrified. My daughter held three kindergarteners on her lap, hugging them close until the crying ended.
Jeeeeze. Your poor daughter. That is the sort of incident that leaves you scarred for life. I think id consider emigrating after that
Load More Replies... I've only visited this site a few times and was unaware it is a liberal POS sounding board. The "gun problem" is a problem on both sides not just Republicans you morons. Liberals had 8 years of Oduma to do something while shootings happened on his watch and what did they do. Nothing. This is truly a mental health issue which is not being addressed. Stricter gun laws, background checks, waiting times, whatever, I'm for it but until you are able to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable you will never fix this.
Even in Obama's first term he did not have a filibuster proof senate majority, and he'd go on to lose both houses soon after. What he did do was sign dozens (literally dozens!) of executive orders on gun safety, all of which were obviously rescinded by president Trump. You've got conservative democrats in purple states who need to keep in gun owners' good graces and zero republicans willing to cross the NRA on ANY gun control measure. He wasn't going to get anything pushed through congress. Sandy Hook was to be America's tipping point, but even a bunch of dead six year old's wasn't enough to tip the balance. Keep regurgitating the same old GOP/NRA talking points, keep blaming the democrats. You are clueless. The rest of the world has lost the last bit of respect for the US over the mishandling of school shootings. Every country has crazy people, one country has school shooter drills.
Load More Replies... This is crazy, you hear that one of the kids you probably been teaching for years flips out and starts shooting up the school, they expect in all the confusion to get a positive ID of the shooter, you're suppose to calmly take out your hand gun and blow the this kids head off while avoiding his assult rifle fire.
Why do you people insist on arguing about "solutions" that have been proven to not work? Gun control doesn't work. It has never worked. Claims that it worked in Australia or England or France, are simply not true. The NRA contributes very little money to politicians compared to trial lawyers, teachers unions, other unions, drug companies, energy companies, etc. It's not about money, it's about votes, and a whole lot of voters who own guns and understand how ineffective gun laws are, vote against politicians who don't understand, and want to push more failed schemes as "solutions." The people quoted in this article, and most of the commenters, are living in an echo chamber, and refusing to hear the real facts. None of the "solutions" proposed would have prevented or mitigated any of the atrocities we've seen over the past 20 years, but you call me a heartless monster because I oppose these false solutions. You are not debating gun laws, you're lynching gun owners.
Umm excuse me? I literally live in a country where we had 1 mass shooting and then we brought in gun control. You must be 18 to own a gun and assault type rifles are banned. Having a gun in your hand gives you a sense of power, that you can do anything and no one can stop you particularly with assault type weapons as you don’t even need to pull back the bolt every time you fire. One big thing that is proven time and time again, power currupts. Here in Australia you are unable to get your hands on a gun that would be effective in a mass shooting so no one does it, no one feels like they have enough power in their hands to get away with it. And have you ever heard of a mass shooting anywhere that is not a war zone that has gun control? I certainly haven’t and do you know what, here in Australia we can still get guns! No one has been lynched except maybe death himself.
Load More Replies... The problem isn't that you have crazy people or moronic suicidal and self centered teenagers. The problem is these people can buy automatic military style guns...
Only bodyguards of Very Important People should have guns. They understand this,.the rest of you are too stupid. And if you get attacked at gunpoint it's just karma for living such an insignificant life. So suck it up, losers.
Really? An inocent person getting attacked at gun point is their fault for being insignificant? WOW, just wow! If you truly believed im karma you wouldn't have made that statement.
Load More Replies... Is this just an America thing? What were the circumstances of school shootings outside of the US?
Have you ever heard of a mass shooting in a place with gun control?
Load More Replies... Evil is always around the corner. We protect banks, jewelry stores, airports, etc. why won't we protect our children!? A sign saying gun free zone doesn't even come close to taking care of the problem. Psychos and criminals and evil people don't follow the rules!
A "gun free zone" is a open invitation for someone with bad intent. They are inherently cowards, so will go to the place where they will face the least opposition.
Load More Replies... Murder is not a job requirement for teachers, and it should never be. Moreover, ever seen a teacher work a computer, slide projector or the photocopier without tech support?
I am a teacher and I can find my way around technology without any support.
Load More Replies... So these gun nuts say they need a gun in order to overthrow a tyrannical government. Well, we have a government run by the NRA and corporations only interested in profits and unconcerned with American lives. So how many are overthrowing that government and restoring it back to the people? Oh right, none.
Just in case you thought Trump and his ilk WEREN'T motivated by money ...
The 2nd amendment should be used in the context in which it was written. Everyone one who thinks they need a gun should be allowed to possess a single shot muzzle loader. I'm pretty sure the founding fathers in their wildest nightmares never imagined assault rifles for everyone.
US, your cops sometimes shoot the wrong people and they've had more trainings. Now you want your teachers armed with guns? Your government is a big joke!
If a shooter comes into the the band room, there will be SO MANY instruments thrown at them. I will throw my tuba at them.
Actually Mark, it's more tits, beer and flags. Can you blame us?
Load More Replies... So the teachers must live their lives with the burden that they killed a person? Even if that person deserved it? "If you kill a killer, the number of killers in the world remains the same"
Also, I don't know where that silly quote comes from, but the only way "the number of killers... remains the same" is if you kill a murderer *before* he is able to succeed in killing anyone (which is the best way to do it).
Load More Replies... for all the comments above, no one said anything about providing better care for those with mental illness (issues). No one said anything about the nearly 40 prior contacts between law enforcement and the shooter? Everyone quickly points to guns - would they have said the same if he used a machete or drove through a crowd in a vehicle? I think not.
The difference with a machete or a car is that they both have a purpose other than killing lots of people, no one rides to work on their assult rifle. Lots of things can be turned into weapons but they have primary function which means baning them is not such a great idea, what other function does an AR-15 have?
Load More Replies... Really idiotic thinking here. First, the shark one... sharks killing, would be: Let's get teeth to protect against the sharks; not lets get sharks to protect against the sharks. Or, lets get dolphins. Armed teachers: No weapons in the Whitehouse? I'll bet if you find a secret serviceman who is unarmed he will be fired retroactively. Should the teachers be armed? Not all of them--that would mean we would need all dual class when we have enough trouble getting one well qualified for one role. (The armed teachers would be the dolphins versus the sharks.) It's not the gun owners that we should be afraid of what they'll do. It should be the rogue wings of government, the cartel members, and the foreign invaders. But who am I. Just enjoy your time in the CONCENTRATION CAMP because it's people like Adolph Hitler that ban guns among the populace. And Chairman Mao. The one reduced to 'worrying about what kids think.' In neither situation was the opinion criticized using child advisers.
What f***s me off is that a teacher has the ability to teach but if they have to shoot someone (let alone a minor) or they accidentally shoot someone how is that going to affect their mental stability let alone that of the children my question is how can a teacher be expected to teach if their mental stability becomes unhinged due to the shooting, I mean you can't expect the children to not suffer in either mental health or education when the teacher is suffering themselves. Its the blind leading the blind how can adults and teachers take a responsible front in all this when they are as f*****g scared as the children, children who may I add look to adults for guidance so what's seeing them with a gun going to do? Its ridiculous its like asking a post woman or man to start saving human lives like a doctor!! I'm from the UK and this topic has infuriated me so so much its unreal
I lived right by Townville, where that shooting was, and I had a friend who went there. He is scarred for life. BAN GUNS!!!!!!!!!!1
Sooo, Parkland had what, 12 buildings & how many floors. You've paid 100 or so teachers extra to train for hunting down & attacking a shooter (who's better armed & has more ammo, smoke bombs, & a gas mask). What would you tell your students as you desert them & walk out the door ?
I just don't understand why America values guns SO MUCH. Every time I try to look into it, I feel like my brain cells dying trying to understand this dumb s**t. It's like we 're touching a fire, getting confused when it hurts and burns our hand but then touch it again thinking it'll be different after (1) changing nothing or (2) adding more fuel to the fire, making it bigger and hotter
I wonder what the gun proponents are so afraid of? There were trained military personnel all over the place during Ft Hood. Calling the truth about the gun situation must strum a deep-seated fear about race. The right is not changed. Your paranoiac ramblings about Obama, Hillary, etc. doesn’t do much but reveal the fear of white entitlement. You got, to quote de Toqueville, the government you deserved. Truth is no one besides military/paramilitary personnel need access to assault rifles. Who benefits when a tween shoots himself in the head at a gunshow playing with one? No ine But jbee-jerk adherence to the arms industry only serves to orove that the joke is truly on you. Sadly every nutjob with internet access thinks bullying those who disagree with them will work. Game over. Btw, I live in the boonies, where you accidentally run over deer. If you think you need assault weapons to hunt them, well, frankly you are a really bad hunter.
Gun control will happen in the US only after every single person in the country has been affected personally by a mass shooting. Perhaps Australia should lone John Howard to the US so he can show them how to properly respond to a mass shooting. I'm 24 and I can't think of a mass shooting happening in Australia in my life time simply because of John Howard.
I believe that gun laws should be stricter in the USA. 14-year-old girls who have a long life ahead of them are being shot and 8-year-olds are worrying about shoes. It puts unnecessary stress on kids and parents who fear a shooting might happen at their school. Why worry more about kinder eggs than guns?
America, the level of the constant fear your kids have to face truly not portraying your belief as the "greatest nation on earth" or "most advanced country" or heck, "the Land of The Free". You sure you're still a first world country? Anyway, don't get me wrong, I actually am amazed by your the Parkland survivor teens. Hope that incident is the last ever. Stay strong, guys.
Honestly strict gun control isn't going to help much. Evil people do evil things. If someone starts stabbing people at random what next? Ban knives? Unfortunately criminals will always have weapons and then people are going to demand their weapons to protect their own family cause the police aren't always going to be around. Arming teachers isn't a good idea either.
All this speculation about what might or might not happen and what evil people would theoretically do... this whole mental exercise... is perfectly pointless because America is not the only place in the world and you can just look out your proverbial window and watch what actually happens.
Load More Replies... So you're okay with kids getting shot in school, don't think that's a problem.
Load More Replies... So, what is the solution? Option one - make getting gun as hard as in Australia. Option two - vault doors in schools, semi-automatic turrets in halls, operated remotely by teachers or director by system with no external access. America, the choice is yours. And if you will select the second version I have some ideas about how-to make this work, let me know...
Putin would like you to get rid of your guns. The Chinese invaders would like you to get rid of your guns, too. But until that happens, the criminals will enjoy the benefits of you not having a gun.
Yes, that's right. Vladimir Putin would like you to get rid of your guns. Because America has the largest conventional military in the world several times over, but Putin could destroy all those tanks and missiles and aircraft carriers and millionish soldiers and artillery pieces and all the rest of it if he wanted to. It's civilian firearms that he's afraid of.
Load More Replies... Good lord, Trump is Shaggy. Even when presented with tons of evidence, "It wasn't me." Yes, let's arm teachers. Let's give them all semis, that's a great idea. I guess all teachers in America have to be Dwayne Johnson now.
Less guns and stricter control over them wpuld definitely be nice but I also feel like if people need to be protected then sometimes you got to make the best out of a bad situation... Well I mean on one hand if someone is unprotected becsuse they don't have a gun it would be sad if they got shot and couldn't defend themselves... But on the other hand I wonder if a teacher with a gun would make people more or less secure around said teacher...
Bullet proof vests and helmets is the only thing that may protect them from guns....
Load More Replies... Guns guuuuuuns! a-shaking in terror - Guns guuuuuuuuns! killing in error - Guns guuuuuuns! guilty hands - Guns guuuuuuns! shatter the lands ♬♪ (sad to see that a 1980's song about gun violence is still relevant today)
Aaaaand here we go. The downvotes slide begins. Guess people don't really like The Clash. ♥
Load More Replies... Thanks a lot Bored Panda 👎 This was one of the last sites that I could enjoy without all the BS left or right extreme views on politics. I'm just going to give up on anyone being rational and discussing anything on its merits without each side of the table TRASH talking. So disappointing
It's not Bored Panda's fault that you've been trained to see "Let's stop children from being slaughtered" as an extreme political view.
Load More Replies... What. I work at a state run boy's juvenile lockup, which has several gates, metal detector and searches required -EVEN FOR STAFF-. I can't bring any metal or glass. GUM is contraband and I could be arrested for bringing it to work. Our one teacher had a mental breakdown saying he wants to shoot all of us last week and is fired.... I literally can't bring my legal gun anywhere near my job and I know how to deal with a crisis situation. The teachers who can opt out of restraint training can bring theirs? They won't even help when a staff is being assaulted, caught on camera AT LEAST once a week!!! Or they want to shoot all of us? Because he was asked to document when he lets sharp knives be used... by the kids that will kill anyone over something insane. Yeah, 'Merica.
vote-help others register to vote-soon hopefully we can overturn Citizens United to get PAC money out of elections
Lets get real, people. Criminals are criminals right? So, if guns are banned, are you all expecting them to go " Oh my god!!!!!! We aren't allowed to have guns anymore!! Oh no, we have to go turn these in right away!!!!!" No, they're criminals, they couldn't care less about laws. If guns are banned, criminals are still gonna find a way to get what they want. As it is, it's not like they're about to walk in a store to go get their gun. So, if you think about it, if we can't have guns, there are no means of protecting ourselves, unless everyone has got a skilled knife-thrower living in their house, which is very unlikely. It's only worse if guns are banned.
I think we should play "Hunger Games" with polititians. But instead of using children as the prey, we'll use all the politians. they will all be hunted down with guns provided by the NRA and just to be fair we'll give all the polititians sticks. Problem solved
Completely disagree. After Port Arthur we brought in stronger gun laws and guess what, we stopped having mass shootings. When are you guys going to realize putting more guns out there is only aggravating the situation. Even the founding fathers of the NRA were all for stricter gun controls and proper background checks and licenses.
Load More Replies... THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE FORGETTING ABOUT! THANK YOU!
Load More Replies... I may be ignorant about guns, but you are also ignorant about any other person's opinion that doesn't match yours. From all your posts, I undestand your point why you want to own a gun for self-protection. But you should also try to understand that everybody having easy access to legal guns also isn't ok. At least make them take a psycho test and do a background check. If you aren't mentaly un-stable or with criminal record, you'll have your gun, but at least this could prevent a few crazy people getting guns.
Load More Replies... Violent video games are played all over the world, yet America is the only country that has a problem with mass school shootings, most western European countries are less religous and have far stricter gun control laws than the US, at some point you're going to have to face up to the fact that your countries gun culture is to blame, you've had 8 school shootings so far this year and it's still only february, while over here in godless, UK it's 22 years since we had the last major school shooting.
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