[Aluminum Kam]

I was reading over a few threads and i just thought to myself, if someone would have been packing, they could have stopped that crazy motherfucker before he killed all of those people who did him nothing(that we know of). I know that guns dont solve everything, but there simply could have been alot less of a death tally if someone wouldve had something extra in their backpack.

[Art Vandelay]

The numbers killed would have been greatly reduced if there had been unarmed response.
Lawful firearms would have lowered the number from there.

It's easy to speculate, but I can't help but think that something could have been done to drastically reduce the bloodshed.

[XTrainer]

That's all it is, speculation, but I can't help but agree with it.

[Jiu-Jitsu Cop]

Of course there probably would have been less deaths if more peopel were armed. The big problem with this is when too many people are armed sometimes people start to think that they are a little badder then they are. All of a sudden people can get more confrontational. THe idea of if everyone is armed then no one will mess with each other only works to a point. THen people start to thnk that they are better then the other guy at shooting.

Case in point if everryone was afraind that the other person was armed then no one would shoot at each........Gangsters do it all of the time and both sides are most definently armed.

[XTrainer]

Which is why ALL and ONLY responsible law abiding citizens should have the right to carry and should do so.

[skinny_dan]

Originally Posted by XTrainer

Which is why ALL and ONLY responsible law abiding citizens should have the right to carry and should do so.

How would the authorities actually determine a person as being a responsible, law abiding citizen? One way would be to have psyche tests, much like they do for the police or armed service. But that would not be cost effective or timely.

[skinny_dan]

I agree with the original post, that if someone else was armed on the campus, in the hall, then the casualty rate would have been less.

However, you could argue that by allowing more guns into society, then the number of deaths from shootings would increase (road rage, crimes of passion, people losing control). You could very well end up with more deaths overall.

[FatTire]

i agree with the TS, and would encourage all to check out John Lotts book, 'more guns, less crime'

[Jiu-Jitsu Cop]

All are valid points and this discussion could go on and on. Thanks Aluminum Kam (I think you ask stuff just to get me going). I work in the ghetto and we always joke that there would be no Columbine shootings there as everyone is armed. On the flip side of that there are many shootings all of the time just on a smaller scale.

[XTrainer]

Originally Posted by skinny_dan

How would the authorities actually determine a person as being a responsible, law abiding citizen? One way would be to have psyche tests, much like they do for the police or armed service. But that would not be cost effective or timely.

Well let's look at it this way. How many "gun crimes" are committed by those with CCW/CPL licenses? A statistical zero, I would bet. I'll pull the statistics if I have time. But background checks and a simple training course seem more than suffcient.