Sparq

The AIDS thing isn't exactly a fair example. It's not the guns, it's the people who use them. Consider the 'good guys' to be an antibody as opposed to just more of the same disease, and it starts to make more sense. As for the "15 bullet a second gun" ...I haven't heard anything about that. Got a link? If it was an automatic Glock, then he should not have been able to buy it without a special permit for automatic weapons. But if it was just an illegally modified semi-automatic...well, that's criminal behaviour for you. And I agree - aside from screwing around on a range or collectors, there is really no reason for any civilian to have a fully automatic weapon. And finally, lessening the number of tools - There's the big problem. It's like the 'genie in the lamp' metaphor so often applied to nuclear proliferation. It's out now, and the powers that be have proven almost totally impotent when it comes to stopping the trade of weapons on the street. You make them unavailable legally (even if companies like Smith & Wesson, Savage Arms, and Federal Ammunition would allow it) and you're just going to drive it underground. You CAN NOT get rid of the weapons which are already out there and will continue to flow.

No doubt about the school dropping the ball there. And you're right, I wouldn't trust the majority of people I know with firearms either. Sort of an all-or-nothing issue, and it's not something that could be implemented overnight.

Hence 'responsible'. Which should, of course, include NOT carrying one's weapon while intoxicated. Just like driving. Again, hard to regulate. But in states which allow concealed carry, or in cases where people do it illegally, I don't believe there is a huge number of 'got drunk and shot his friend' situations. There's the core issure, right? The system is based on some degree of reason, empathy, and common sense. None of which are actually common.

Then propose a better solution. Campus security, certainly. But there's going to be uproar over that as well if they're allowed to carry more than a flashlight or some pepper spray. What's to stopa security guard from opening fire on the unarmed masses? Nothing more than what stopped the guy who carried out this shooting. Like I said, no easy solutions.

Remember to drip a little blood on the corner of the exam.

Oh, wait. It's Solanum. Definately. Get your guns and crow bars everyone, we may have a Zombie outbreak in...shit, Ottawa.

I agree that most are not, and also that it would be extremely difficult to make that system work. It would likely involve a number of very serious accidents before the bugs worked out. I'm not saying it's a good idea, or that they should actually attempt to implement it...but it's not flat-out idiotic either. A sprinkling of law-abiding, trained shooters in the population could have a positive effect. The problem is that it would be extremely dangerous, probably deadly, to actually test the system.

I'm going to have to take the opposing stance on almost this entire post. I had a whole thing written up here, but I'm sure I've said alot of it before in other threads. In short: Gun control is an issue, certainly. But it is not the primary concern because it is not, and will never be, effective in it's current form. Banning something that is readily and cheaply available illegally helps no one but the criminal. Not to mention the impracticality of trying to shut down or heavily regulate an industry so huge. One firearm in the hands of a security guard, or even a responsible, properly trained student or staff member, could potentially have decreased the death toll. Or increased it, depending on circumstances - I won't deny that. There are no easy answers here.

It's not neccessarily stupid, just risky and complicated. Given the track record of things like this, I have no doubt that they'd find a way to screw it up. But under the right circumstances, and properly executed, it could be a good thing.

Lycanthrope Edit: Lycanthropy?

Brock Samson, for many hilarious reasons.

Goddamnit. They do this every time. It was Doom and Quake for the Columbine bit. GTA3 has been blamed for countless things...bah.

Enter The Babylon System Unpacking Gun Culture From Samuel Colt to 50 Cent Rodrigo Bascunan & Christian Pearce

I can't agree on the stiffer gun control bit. I've probably been over this before in older threads, so I won't argue the point much. But put simply - most guns used in violent crimes are not legally owned anyway, and if even one person in the school had been carrying a gun for protection, the shooter may have been neutralised before he was able to do so much damage to the unarmed populace. At any rate; Supercanuk (Erik) and I have discussed this sort of thing extensively a number of times since the Columbine shooting. You'll notice that the media tends to be hinting at things we can blame - music, movies, games - long before the world is even sure what happened. I don't know if it's sensationalism or what, but it's ridiculous and doesn't help matters.

They got Shatner to be a team captain for a massive scenario paintball game lasting a couple days and involving hundreds or perhaps thousands of players, a few years back. He skydived (skydove?) into the event. The guy's like 60. And his team won. je game was apparently pretty good, despite the Star Trek jokes and imagery. So I am a Shatner fan, if not a Star trek fan. Also, yeah, I saw this on TV the other day. The Priceline bit was good.

With few exceptions, the furthest I have run in years is probably about 15-20 meters in a burst. Such is the bunker-to-bunker paintball sprint. Occasionally cross-field flag running, but with gun, flag, and paint one's back it's more like a jog.

Forgot that one. Also, Prodigy - Voodoo People (Pendulum Mix) If you can find it, it's awesome.

He speaks the truth.

You all complain too much. The roads were pure, monstrous, slushy death getting out of Kanata today, and I don't mind. Nasty roads are more fun to drive on than dry ones. My only complaint is that I'll need to wash my car to get all the salt off...again.

Did everyone except me go to university?

Hooray! Anti-Flag and Rise Against were painfully bracketed by Moneen and Billy Talent at the last show I went to. Ugh. PS: I love me some Dakar truck class.

Heh. Yeah. Apparently I'm the only person in the world who doesn't like pearl jam. Excess traffic due to a hockey game. That better unfuck itself and start shitting me tiffany cuff links.

5,282 in my playlist at the moment. 5,786 files in 340 folders. Just under 42 gigbytes. In excess of 500 hours. O was it 600? I forget.

Fixed! ;) ('m gonna catch hell for that again)