We would do well to emulate the Israelis. They've got a real good handle on protecting aircraft also.
Posted on 12/16/2012 6:03:03 AM PST by jjotto
It is uncommon to see an American president and an entire nation weep. It is also rare to hear about 20 precious children (and six adults) being gunned down at a school for no reason.
But in America, horrific and senseless mass killings are not unusual and Americans cannot understand why they happen. Every so often (Columbine High School, Virginia Tech and the Colorado movie theater), a mass killing causes us to once again write about the unbearable ease at which lives were taken. There have been 31 school shootings in America since the Columbine massacre in 1999. Why?
That was the question that kept being repeated this weekend. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal had no answer for this question. There is no answer to why there is no immunity against such events.
On Friday morning, Adam Lanza, a pale and skinny 20-year-old, was able to tear an entire nation, the world's strongest superpower, to pieces. Why? Perhaps, as explained by Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy, because "evil visited this community."
But an x-ray of American society reveals an abundance of weapons. There are 280 million weapons circulating in America's homes and streets. This is not Afghanistan. This is America.
Shimon Peres used to talk about "a car for every worker." In America, the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment has led to "a gun for every citizen." Originally, this was meant for defense. Adam Lanza, as well as other perpetrators of mass shootings in America, apparently never heard of this reason for the amendment.
Ironically, America marked on Saturday the 221st anniversary of the passage of the Second Amendment, which granted Americans the right to bear arms. America, after Friday's massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, needs to change this amendment.
American society does not tolerate restrictions on its freedom, but even more so it does not tolerate harm to its children.
The National Rifle Association of America knows that tough days are ahead. The NRA will probably emphasize that the weapons used in the Sandy Hook massacre were purchased legally in a state with tough gun laws and that an armed guard could have thwarted Adam Lanza. It will also probably point out that in the more than 60 mass shootings in America over the past three decades, more than 3/4 of the guns used were purchased legally. But the "right to bear arms" is facing great scrutiny at the moment.
In March of this year, three young Jewish children were gunned down at the Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse. Just like Adam Lanza in Connecticut, Mohammed Merah shot children at close-range in Toulouse.
In Toulouse, we know why this happened. In Connecticut, it is not certain we will ever know. The pain is equally terrible. An answer to the question of 'why' does not ease the pain. It is only meant to reduce the frustration.
America is burying 20 small coffins. A statistic: 87 percent of children killed by gunfire in the world's 23 richest nations were American.
President Barack Obama, the U.S. Congress, governors, state and local legislative bodies and law enforcement agencies now have a new mission – to protect America's children.
NOTE: Israel Hayom is the largest distribution newspaper in Israel and is owned by Sheldon Adelson of Newt Gingrich (and Mitt Romney) support fame.
If Israel were to disarm their population, why I'd think they'd just be as helpless as they could be in the face of muzzie threats.
I dunno, the whole citizen “subject” thing just makes my skin crawl.
(rolls eyes)
“In March of this year, three young Jewish children were gunned down at the Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse. Just like Adam Lanza in Connecticut, Mohammed Merah shot children at close-range in Toulouse.”
I was under the impression that France has strict gun control laws. Am I missing something?
here’s an idea ... instead of banning guns... lets ban mentally ill people from walking free amoung us!!!!
reopen the mental institutions!!!!
guns don’t kill, mentally ill people who should of been locked up long ago do!
Again I say, ban the video games, technology is creating a void in this nation. We are becoming more and more detached, violent video games, texting, twitting and email, the human touch is going away. Enforce the gun laws we have, and the people will take care of the criminals when necessary.
Israel’s left, including Boaz Bismuth (probably not his real name), do indeed wish to unilaterally disarm Israelis!
in America, horrific and senseless mass killings are not unusual
This a-hole must never read a paper/ America is not the only country with mass killing or crazed killers.
We would do well to emulate the Israelis. They've got a real good handle on protecting aircraft also.
http://www.mindlink.org/rights.html ~ this is all about the rules in Connecticut. Reading through them I gather the right to refuse care and to walk away from a mental institution or hospital is written in stone ~ no matter how dangerous you are.
Bismuth is being disingenuous and knows it.
Note that Bismuth is considered a right winger in Israel, spokesman and cheerleader for Netanyahu.
Most FReepers do not understand that a ‘conservative’ in Israel would not necessarily be a conservative in the USA.
And it's about time we be allowed to use it for that again......
You will never be to legislate against the evil in the human heart.
Someone who wants to kill someone is not going to be deterred by all the laws in the world.
The only way to stop someone with a gun is to stop him yourself with your own gun.
Guns save lives.
Only by those who were seeking to eliminate it before Newtown ever happened, and only for the purpose of furthering their authoritarian agenda......
Yea, as you type this on your computer and press send.
Ban NOTHING!!
Bring back the rope: final, swift, and sure.
Restore moral instruction to the schools.
And for God’s sake, restore sanity to our broken mental health system. My wife works at our state mental hospital, and the tales she tells would curl your hair.
BRAVO!
Actually, Israel has pretty strict gun control laws for civilians. Look them up if you want.
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