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Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
one thing I am extremely favorable is to have armed staff (including teachers) at schools, as the "gun-free zones" enforced at schools have proven themselves a failure to prevent mass-shootings not just there in the U.S. but here in Brazil too.
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Something like 95% of mass shootings in the US are in "gun free" zones. Knowing people will not be capable of defending themselves sets up the perfect scenario for someone intending to kill unimpeded.
The school officers I've seen in Oregon have been armed, and I might be open to teachers voluntarily carrying after passing a rigorous psych eval. Might just be another opportunity for a kid to get their hands on a toy the second the teacher isn't paying attention. Protocol would have to be very rigorous, such as no leaving the gun in the car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecky
Wikipedia estimates the US has 4x the guns per capita when compared to Switzerland:
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The interesting statistic isn't guns per capita, because some people have a hundred guns, but you can only fire 1 at a time. The interesting statistic is percentage of population that owns at least 1 gun. I don't know how Switzerland compares to the US, but I'm curious to find out.
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Originally Posted by All Darc
...over 21 can buy guns, and sh..t heads can sell for teenager with money. The many shooting indicates kids/young teens, can get guns, find a way, despite not allowed by law.
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The legal age to purchase a firearm in most states in the US is 18. It's proven that the male brain hasn't fully developed the rational centers until about 25. I'd be open to raising the age of gun ownership to something higher, like 21. I'd let minors operate firearms under the supervision of a responsible adult, but not own and freely access guns. Let them grow up and get a handle on their emotions first.
As All Darc points out, the problem really is family / cultural. Boys need to be taught that it's a virtue to possess great power only when accompanied by great restraint.