Well, The idea is certainly not a new one...but...

1. I Don't know if we want our schools to start looking and functioning like prisons but it may come to that unfortunately.

2. Washington D.C and Detroit are crawling with armed police and have the highest crime rates in the country.

and 3. Most school districts are already running budget deficits and many of them cannot afford even one full time security guard, or modern electronic security systems. Hell, some of them can't afford heat, school supplies, food etc.. Most of what you listed, malls, games, concerts, etc.. are privatized.

One of these days the people of this country will realize we can't tax and spend our way out of our nationwide deficits. I guess its going to take four more years of this nonsense, when inflation is thru the roof, unemployment 30%, the deficit is 20 trillion and people are rioting in the streets before they will go to the polls and get some fiscally responsible politicians to fix things.

The mental health system also will not be improved until then.

Not a new idea, Karen. About the financial stuff John's correct... reallocating resources is one solution...anything but taking away my gun!

Not only here. Here's a similar case in China. Since China has laws against private citizens owning guns, the perp used a knife.

They at least understand that it's a mental health issue.

This says it all, and I lived  about  a 2 hours drive. they have brought gun laws in Tasmania Australia since this  IDIOT  done this, now the only people are allowed to have  guns are Farmers and they must be registered, cops and security guards but if you have broken the law or  have a criminal history you are not allowed to have a gun or license

Port Arthur massacre footage posted on internet

Graphic police footage showing the aftermath of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania has been posted on the internet.

The footage was part of a 12-minute police training video and shows images of some of the victims of the massacre, when Martin Bryant shot dead 35 people at the historic site.

The entire video has been posted on the social networking site Facebook while parts of the tape have been uploaded to YouTube.

Tasmanian police say they have been flooded with calls from distressed residents and they have contacted victims of the massacre.

Facebook and YouTube have been contacted in an attempt to remove the video and police are investigating the source.

They believe it is 'almost impossible' to stop the spread of the video which is now appearing in edited forms across the web.

Deputy Commissioner Scott Tilyard says it is not the first time the training tape been posted on the internet.

They first became aware of the video online in February.]

Current Australian firearm laws

State laws govern the possession and use of firearms in Australia. These laws were largely aligned under the 1996 National Agreement on Firearms. Anyone wishing to possess or use a firearm must have a Firearms Licence and, with some exceptions, be over the age of 18. Owners must have secure storage for their firearms.

Before someone can buy a firearm, he or she must obtain a Permit To Acquire. The first permit has a mandatory 28-day delay before it is first issued. In some states (e.g., Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales), this is waived for second and subsequent firearms of the same class. For each firearm a "Genuine Reason" must be given, relating to pest control, hunting, target shooting, or collecting. Self-defence is not accepted as a reason for issuing a license, even though it may be legal under certain circumstances to use a legally held firearm for self-defence.^[2]

Each firearm in Australia must be registered to the owner by serial number. Some states allow an owner to store or borrow another person's registered firearm of the same category.

Firearms categories

Firearms in Australia are grouped into Categories with different levels of control. The categories are:

• Category A: Rimfire rifles (not semi-automatic), shotguns (not pump-action or semi-automatic), air rifles, and paintball markers. A "Genuine Reason" must be provided for a Category A firearm.

• Category B: Centrefire rifles (not semi-automatic), muzzleloading firearms made after 1 January 1901. Apart from a "Genuine Reason", a "Genuine Need" must be demonstrated, including why a Category A firearm would not be suitable.

• Category C: Semi-automatic rimfire rifles holding 10 or fewer rounds and pump-action or semi-automatic shotguns holding 5 or fewer rounds. Category C firearms are strongly restricted: only primary producers, occupational shooters, collectors and some clay target shooters can own functional Category C firearms.

• Category D: Semi-automatic centrefire rifles, pump-action or semi-automatic shotguns holding more than 5 rounds. Functional Category D firearms are restricted to government agencies and a few occupational shooters. Collectors may own deactivated Category D firearms.

• Category H: Handguns including air pistols and deactivated handguns. This class is available to target shooters. To be eligible for a Category H firearm, a target shooter must serve a probationary period of six months using club handguns, and a minimum number of matches yearly to retain each category of handgun.

Target shooters are limited to handguns of .38 or 9mm calibre or less and magazines may hold a maximum of 10 rounds. Participants in certain "approved" pistol competitions may acquire handguns up to .45", currently Single Action Shooting and Metallic Silhouette. IPSC shooting is approved for 9mm/.38/.357 handguns that meet the IPSC rules, but larger calibers are not approved for IPSC handgun shooting contests. Category H barrels must be at least 100mm (3.94") long for revolvers, and 120mm (4.72") for semi-automatic pistols unless the pistols are clearly ISSF target pistols: magazines are restricted to 10 rounds. Handguns held as part of a collection were exempted from these limits.

• Category R/E: Restricted weapons: machine guns, rocket launchers, assault rifles, flame-throwers, anti-tank guns, Howitzers, artillery, etc. can be owned by collectors in some states provided that these weapons have been rendered permanently inoperable. They are subject to the same storage and licensing requirements as fully functioning firearms.

Certain Antique firearms can in some states be legally held without licences. In other states they are subject to the same requirements as modern firearms.

All single-shot muzzleloading firearms manufactured before 1 January 1901 are considered antique firearms. Four states require licences for antique percussion revolvers and cartridge repeating firearms, but in Queensland and Victoria a person may possess such a firearm without a licence, so long as the firearm is registered (percussion revolvers require a license in Victoria).

Australia has very tight restrictions on items which are far less controlled in comparable societies such as the UK. Air pistols, elsewhere unrestricted, are as difficult to get as centrefire and rimfire handguns, and low-powered airguns are as difficult as cartridge arms to license. Airsoft guns are banned in all states and non-firing replicas banned in most. Suppressors (or 'silencers') which are legal in the UK and New Zealand, are extremely restricted in Australia to a few government bodies

The gun culture in America existed before the constitution. We have a constitution today bought with the lives of private citizens owning guns, ironic isn't it.

There was no such gun culture before the Constitution, ernie leo. Gun ownership in America far exceeds anywhere else on earth. The reasons cited are: Fear of criminals (although the guns at home supply them and harm far more family members than criminals), hunting and sport. Big problem: Guns don't know the difference between hunting, sport or self defense. All they seem to know how to do is kill. 

People had weapons as part of a similar reserve system as the one Israel has. That has changed. They also had weapons to fend off attacks from Native Americans (which evolved into exterminating them), the British and the French. Since the War of 1812, we haven't had that worry). Current America is radically different from those times. Time to adjust, no?

Oh yes... those were my relatives... and America was given an instrument which could evolve and change with time. It isn't a holy relic... it's supposed to be a living document.

Last live amunition I actually held in my hot little hands was 9mm teflon-coated [cop killers] designed to penetrate body armour, and available for use by Armoured Car crews who can 'expect' to be confronted by typically more dangerous critters than the average cop needs to deal with.  The owner coincidentally was from Tassie...and even though fully licenced in Tas for concealed weapons, etc.  he was required to reapply in Vic when he moved here....which ended up as a pain because there's no record of his birth certificate [it happens]...

Yes...I don't have one now...but in the "future" one reason to buy one "may" be out of necessity. The world is rapidly changing...and if I see things are getting to the point where there might be a threat...perceived or otherwise...I sure as hell am not going to stand here with my pecker in my hand and not buy a gun because some people choose to live in fear or assign some hysterical stigma to a gun. I would buy one hoping to never have to use it...but if it comes down to me and my family over a criminal with a gun...he's going down. Now if you want to call that fear be my guest. I just don't see this as being fearful of anything...it's being prepared for a real and possible scenario. Luckily I live in an area that hasn't seen home invasions...so the need isn't there right now. I'd sure as hell not go to war without a weapon...this is no different. Sure...I could just use harsh language and wave my big pecker at them, but somehow I just don't think that would be enough. 

Bottom line is I'd do whatever I had to to protect my family or myself if I felt there could be a threat...perceived or otherwise...and the decision on how to best go about that is mine alone as well as the consequences. If you choose harsh language that's up to you...I would choose to not gamble with their lives...and in the end I can always sell the gun with my family intact and have a laugh over my possible momentary lapse in reason. I'd choose being prepared over not being.

What's with this need to be conditioned or desensitized to a gun. It's a piece of metal that shoots bullets. You either respect that or you don't. I don't need therapy to handle a gun or counseling after I shot one. If your to weak to understand and respect a gun you shouldn't touch one. And I really don't need to justify my handling or use of a gun to anyone. I don't have a problem with it...you obviously do.

Really!? Look...you obviously had a bad experience or something with guns...I didn't...deal with it. I grew up with a healthy respect for guns and what they can do. I do not now nor have I ever thought of them as nothing more than a tool or something to use as sport. Now...I'm sorry as hell that there is idiots in the world that can't deal with life to the point of doing something as cowardly as killing another human being out of spite for his/her unhappy life...I don't have that problem. I've got numerous reasons to be angry...but I've never felt the need to take out a bunch of people because of it.

Maybe if doctors stopped putting themselves on pedestals and started charging people a more realistic amount of money for guessing...then maybe the mental cases could get some help. It's not like your gonna run out of patients. Now...if your really serious about your rants here then you need to open a clinic and start helping these mentally unbalanced people. Here's your chance to make a difference.

And please by all means point out my contradictions. On second thought don't bother. It's just getting insulting now...and after this I'm done here...it's just going round and round and getting pointless...I've made my stance known...I stand by what I said...now you all have to deal with it. I have a clean and clear conscious.

Can we please be a bit more considerate in our choice of words!? Just because you "think" your in the right doesn't mean you are or give you some right to insult people. Pathetic? Melodramatic? And of course your not being any of those are you Doc...yeah right. You need to be more respectful and considerate.

Karen stated a "fact"...to bad if it doesn't fit into your argument, instead you chose to ignore it or brush aside since you obviously have no concern over her concerns...the "fact" remains that people are killed by all kinds of things...cars being one of them...that can be and are used as weapons. Just because a car wasn't designed to kill doesn't mean it can't and it has been used just for that reason. Again...humans are the problem...not guns.

Nope. The other folks did. It was a war. 

Your anger is evident. Your fight is with the system and with other people. 

But then...it's ok for you to do.

As for the rest of your diatribe? As I said... pointless to show you where guns are a threat. You can't see it? Too bad. Cars? Really?

Adios. I'm gone.

.. AND PROTECT.

Quite Ironic to see the Pres. making his speech tonight... surrounded by Secret service agents carrying automatic Weapons... to protect him from mentally ill people who want to harm him.

Are they going to follow everyone else around when everyone's right to personal protection has been taken away from them? Which.. is.. exactly.. what he wants.

From a Yahoo News commenter:

" And here comes the gungrabbing Marxist president to the rescue after all his faux crocodile tears for the cameras of the media pimps. You know what the real problem is? It isn't firearms which have existed in great numbers since before the official founding of America. If you consider the first primary school education mass killings didn't occur until 1974 it's pretty clear that it's a more permissive and liberal society that has created narcissistic sociopaths that have confused moral license for liberty and believe they are entitled to other people's lives, liberties and wealth. Abortion, gun grabbers, and Occupy Wall Street thuggery are exhibits one, two and three. The problem isn't guns, it's the culture of violence compliments of liberal narcissism, Hollywood and media pornsters which pushes those "on the edge" to the tipping point. It's many factors, but post-modern "progressive" culture only needs to look in the mirror to see their part in these kinds of atrocities which weren't happening until after the explosion of radical liberalism in the 1960s."

I believe there would be a civil war in this country before innocent, law abiding Americans will allow the minority liberal cause to take their rights away from them.

Note. No offense Doc.. but I have to agree, sometimes you do come off as condescending, righteous, know-it-all'y? You might step back just a little and choose to modify how you make some of your points.

There are two sides to every story.

I have been following this thread, vowing to myself that I wouldn't post......rather silently pray that whatever power let the events of that day happen would now try to fill the huge void left in the lives of those families and be the much needed support system for them moving forward.

That is what I vowed to myself.......over and over.......but then I kept reading and some of the almost intentionally obtuse replies (from what seem to be mostly pro-gun-toting americans) have pushed me into opening my big mouth.

While there have been a few people I have felt the need to respond to in this thread I hope you don't feel singled-out WebGizmos since you obviously aren't the only one in this thread with your sentiment. 

Sure.....anything can be used to kill someone.  Only one problem with your sentiment, guns are the only thing explicitly designed with said purpose in mind.

It is especially at times like these that I am grateful I live in Canada where I do not fear the government, I do not fear my neighbor, and no I do not even fear the criminal because should I ever need them,  the appropriate law enforcement are a simple phonecall away.  I am deeply saddened that in the US it appears your culture of violence and fearmongering has your nation frozen in inaction.  You can't help anyone (least of all yourselves) if you are afraid.  Up here in Canada we are not afraid, that is why we can help ourselves, each other and others around the world.  For the most part keeping peace, spreading peace and living peace are all possible up here because we don't constantly buy and distribute the "tools of war".  Gun sales in the US go up everytime something like this happens?  Are you kidding me?!?  Just crazy....

It's STILL not a right, John.  Self-protection may be a right.... but owning a gun is not....

Who gets to decide whats a "right" and 'not a right"?

Far more often true, it seems when I or someone else disagrees with one of your sacred cows. .. and true of you, John and your comments on other peoples' art... you see them one way, others see them differently. The blessing and curse of the written word.

It most certainly is. Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

In other words " I believe we would kill a hell of a lot of people in this country (with guns probably) before ...........yada yada.......take those guns away."   I mean...my god........maybe it's because I'm Canadian and all.......but holy crap how's that for irony?!?

You don't protect human beings with guns, you protect them by taking the fear of guns away.  How is a nation that can't stop pointing guns at themselves ever supposed to be a model for peace to anyone else?  Fat lot of good that yankee F-word (freedom) does if it is more often used to mean being "free to kill" than "free to live".  Might do the yanks some good to look to some of us other nations and how the rest of us are able to live without fearing the boogeyman down the street......

I am so saddened by the american gun-crazy attitude and the FEAR it perpetuates.......and I fear that if the US doesn't wake the hell up soon, things like what happened the other day are just fated to keep happening there.  So sad......

A quick look at your profile shows that you live in Australia. A cursory search on the internet shows that 5 years after Australia implemented a gun control law homicides are up slightly and assaults are up by some 44%! So much for gun control.

You stay in Australia and I will stay safe in the US with my 2 semi-auto handguns, 2 shotguns and a deer rifle with scope. I also hold a concealed weapon license and regularly carry by Ruger LC9 9mm.

I'm saddened by a 'so-called' Government slowly and steadily chipping away at the constitutional rights of it's people... and using ANY crisis imaginable to reach their political goals.... its more about the rights, than it is the guns. I don't even have one, and probably wouldn't but if I did want one for personal protection, I want to maintain the right to do so.

Why, that is so difficult to understand for some folks, is beyond me.

And for what its worth, there ARE "boogeymen".... bad guys, with illegal guns... in every city, in every country. Just because you don't concern yourself with it.. doesn't mean others don't.

I grew up in England..No guns allowed (at least back then) a friend of my sister was shot dead by a man entering their home after they were asleep... her father was also shot.. but survived..

He had a gun, they didn't.

So.. PLEASE.. don't lecture me about Boogeymen.

.....because battling for right(s) over human lives is crazy......and incomprehensible to the rest of the world!

Which has nothing to do with guns as the majority didn't have ownership of guns and those who had (like me) still have weapons. It was just the automatic and semi automatic weapons which was taken out of the general population, to stop mass killings .... and it has worked so far. Also Australians don't feel the need to have guns to be safe.