Yeah, that will fix everything.

so we should do nothing? Is that your suggestion?

What can we do? Talking does nothing, laws do nothing, punishments and jail time do nothing. The problem is corruption. The problem is this country is being destroyed from the inside out, domestic terrorists if you will who run this country into the ground and the people along with it. The country spends it's way into debt, then expects the taxpayers to bail them out. Combine that with the parenting problems we have, the child abuse problems we have, the amount of guns and angry citizens we have and that people no longer have a voice or say in anything anymore because we are being run by a government that is out of control, corrupted and driven by their own selfish ambitions and you have a populace that is being pushed and pushed and pushed. The people have no power anymore. Does anyone still really believe elections aren't fixed? Politicians lie right to our faces and we believe them, time and time and time again. Stuff like this, increased crime, and all this other stuff going on that is ruining our country starts from the top. Until you fix the top, nothing you do at the bottom will fix anything. It's out of control, completely and totally. What can we really do that is peaceful? It's too late for that, IMO. The government is far too powerful and far too disconnected from the american public. There is economic warfare going on right now against the middle class and the poor. There are many symptoms, but the problems are at the top and the top don't hear us or care.

Is it any wonder violence is so widespread? Is it any wonder that so many children are abused and the quality of parents and quality of life for middle class families are deteriorating? Is it any wonder this isn't leading to an increase in people with mental illnesses? This is all a ton of chain reactions happening at the same time. The government doesn't care about the people, they only want money, power and war. BOTH parties. Don't you see? It's like 350 million firecracker fuses have been lit and slowly burning over the last decade. How do you put them out? No one hears us, no one cares what we want or what's best for us and we are just expected to just sit back and take it in the butt which we have done for a long time now. It is reaching the point now where everyone's lives are starting to be affected by all of this which was only a matter of time. This was all planned and executed in a way so subtle and slow that people wouldn't notice until it was too late. I mean honestly, how do you fix that? How do you fix a million problems when the ones who have the power to fix them don't listen to us? The only way they will listen to people is if people force them to listen. The vandalism of speed cameras is just a small example. How much longer can we go on like this, honestly?

In my mind, I believe this behavior starts with parenting. At my home, we sat down most evenings as a family, to dinner and talked. We didn't sit in front of a TV but at the dinner table. My sons didn't like it, but as I told them, "my house, my rules and we eat at the dinner table not in front of a TV." How was your day, any problems etc etc. was the topic of conversation. Usually I received one word answers, but my sons knew I was concerned about their well being. I really tried to prevent a problem before it became a problem. Parenting is the hardest job I have ever had. You almost have to be involved 24-7. If you don't want that committment, don't become a parent. There are some 'bad seed" kids but usually they have signs of negative behavior way before they act. I hope this child gets the help he needs.

Where did you read that? Are you just assuming?

Doesn't need to be read, O.Tim

A 13 year old brought a GUN to SCHOOL.

If that's not absentee parenting, I don't know what is.

And 99% of them are never used in a manner that is illegal or endangers anyone.

I guess that is really comforting to the families of the 1%......

The right to own a firearm isn't the problem; parents not properly securing their firearms is the problem. These kids aren't buying .38 specials off the streets, they're swiping them out of insecure storage in their own homes.

If you're going to own firearms and you have children, it's common sense to put them in a safe (and for pete's sake, don't give the kids the combination). No matter how sweet your little "angel" is, kids are volatile and do not fully develop a sense of judgment until later in life. Fact.

I do not believe the problem is unsolvable. I do believe we read the publication of that statement over and over again in all kinds of media so then we believe it is unsolvable. When we come to the conclusion that we need to do something about gun violence in our culture we will work to change that aspect of our culture. Discussion brings us to finding solutions.

That will fix everything. Let's also have a candle light vigil and a march!

M. Sullivan, don't you have anything constructive to say? At least people are trying to find solutions to this issue rather than just offering up sarcasm.

Michele, I just find these suggestions of community discussions laughable. How many of these discussions, marches and vigils go on in Baltimore City with no results. The only solution is serious penalties for the kids and their parents.

I agree that we need stronger penalties and more parental accountability in these matters, but a community joining together over a common goal involving the safety of our families can never be a bad thing.

Exactly !

Completely agree.

The coddling goes as far as governments. It's hard to blame the children when their parents, heroes, and other famous adults are all coddled just the same.

You are right on the money with this one Joe. How about charging EVERY ADULT living at the address from which the gun was taken and then give them a 5 year MANDATORY sentence...IF and only if no one was injured by the event. If ANYONE was injured by an adult failing to properly secure a firearm, then they need to be charged as accessories before the fact on any and all crimes committed by the person (usually a juvenile but not always) who obtained the gun. I keep all of my guns in a locked safe unless I am wearing or using one of them on the range.

I might believe that thinking the solution of beating a child is directly where the child might get the idea of shooting someone comes from. He might think, "I am too small to beat him, so I will shoot him." Does this seem like a solution or adding fuel to the fire?

I agree with Mark. Beating a child does nothing more than make them fear you (they won't necessarily stop the bad behavior, they'll just get better at not getting caught), and it teaches them that if someone does something they don't like, then they can beat that person too. Swift and serious consequences are what these children (and all adults) need! No more probations, no suspensions or community service. Expulsion and time in a detention center on the first offense, no matter what the psych eval shows! Also, every single adult living in a residence where a child obtained a gun should be punished accordingly. Zero tolerance.

Study after study has shown that beating children only promotes them to act out with anger and aggression. Teaching responsibility, accountability, and respect for human life is what is needed.

Maybe that's exactly why he did it. I agree with you, though.

Science fiction is your favorite reading?

No, Joe...we as a country need to come to some compromise and updating to make sure that guns are in the correct hands and that there is a record of when there has been misuse. All of these technologies are currently in use in other applications (cell phones, computer security, etc.) and can be used in firearms as well, but the key is to make all firearms made before these technologies become utilized obsolete and the only way to do that is to change our ammunition standards and ban the sale, manufacting, and distribution of older ammo.

Here's a better idea Baltimore Matt. Let's make only guns that are unable to fire unless they are pointed at someone who is commiting or about to commit a felony. And make the police carry these same guns. That way no innocent person would ever be injured. And while you're at it Baltimore Matt, why don't you design ammunition for all firearms that, when the bullet is moving towards an innocent person, will simply disintegrate in mid-adir before hitting anyone or anything.

To Joe:
Its not science fiction at all...You can put GPS tracking in just about anything now a days and having a gun able to alert the police when its fired is not that far fectched either. Matt good thoughts and suggestions but the invasion of ones privacy is there and this would only work for law abiding people.

Mr. Essex, there is no right to privacy. If you fire a gun on school grounds, in an urban/residential area, or somewhere else where there is very little reasonable use legal use fora firearm (reasonable use = in the country side on hunting grounds, at a range, etc), I don't think having a gps enabled records of the fired gun as unreasonable.

Furthermore, if we use fingure print recognition a gun can be programmed to only allow an authorized user

All science fiction. More restrictions like you dream of are not going to happen. Maryland passed the Firearm Act under Glendenning and it has cost the taxpayers tens of millions and not one crime has been prevented or solved using the shell casing under the law.

Your ludicrous modern firearm will be useless in solving or preventing a crime. All those things added will make the cost too high and effectively ban firearm ownership to the vast majority of people. Just do what you desire and work to appeal the 2nd amendment.

Yup! Its been going on longer than your lies Steve.

This doesn't even correlate to today's event. It was a small gun... Not an Uzi

Totally agree! Spare the rod an spoil the child! I wonder how many of these school shooter ever got spanked? I seriously doubt it!

There is NEVER a reason to hit a child, EVER. Hitting a child is abuse, you know that right? Hitting a child with an object is abuse, you know that right? NEVER, EVER is there a GOOD reason to strike a child. You don't hit children. If that is the way you think you should deal with kids, don't have them at all. You should have more faculties than that and more options than that in your mind to handle a child than HITTING them. Ridiculous.

Go ahead, keep hitting your children, just don't be surprised when they start beating up other kids in school when they don't listen to them or like them. GREAT way to teach your child right from wrong. If someone does something you don't like, just HIT them. You people are crazy.

.. or better yet, just set them up to be bullied in school. When they get hit and pushed around, they feel the deserve it and why not, their own parents hit them, why shouldn't other people too? Makes me so mad that anyone could even rationalize HITTING a child especially with an object like a belt or a paddle. What is wrong with you people?

So what if I said I had my head in the sand. That was yesterday. How do we move forward and FIND new solutions. You are a very articulate man. And I have read your blog articles. You do extensive work to think out your arguments. Please suggest some solutions.

By the way, although it is illegal, it's totally possible and easily done to make a gun made entirely of plastic and other materials metal detectors wouldn't pick up. People will always find a way around laws. Technology is too advanced and there are too many people who know how to utilize it. Sad fact of life, but the United States is in big trouble in more ways than one. This is just the beginning.

Well, thank you for the kind words, Mark. Unfortunately, I don't have all the answers. The growing of anger in general has been growing towards the government and how this country is run especially over the last decade. Politicians don't even try to hide their corruption anymore and the middle class is being obliterated. Everyone I know is strapped for cash right now and barely scraping by, even some people with two jobs because prices for everything are going up due to the continued devaluation of our currency.

This is a problem and a situation that has been slowly escalating for a long time now, so slowly that it's been barely noticable until this year. I really don't know. Corruption in politics, government and law enforcement is right in our faces now. They don't even try to hide it anymore, so it's much harder for people to sit in denial now. As I've said many times before, I fear for the future of this country because the path we are headed down now is one that will lead to bloodshed and war amongst our own people. I don't want that, certainly, but look at the world around you. The people can only take so much before something gives. It gives me no pleasure to say this, but I think we are too far down this road to turn back now without a severe reaction from the public as a whole happening at some point. Many Americans have guns, we are armed to the teeth. Corruption is out of control and people are powerless with their backs against the wall. Use your imagination.

"although it is illegal, it's totally possible and easily done to make a gun made entirely of plastic"

Where does it say that would be illegal? Many handguns are made of mostly of a polymer with the only steel parts being the barrel itself and a few mechanical parts to make it durable. I own a few. I do not believe a handgun could be made with a plastic barrel due to the size and pressures required to operate today's ammo like +P.

My mistake, I thought there was a law against guns without any metal parts. Well , toss that one out the window then. Even if they aren't durable, they'd only need to fire a few shots, but with the technology we have now, I'm sure we could make a plastic barrel that would compare in strength to a metal one as well as the metal parts inside and have the same effect.

At any rate, if you wanted to get a gun through a metal detector, there's your solution. I don't think durability would really matter if it was a case of someone just wanting to shoot a few rounds into some people, kind of like a disposable camera, I guess. Designed for the short term, not long term.

Mike, your point "At any rate, if you wanted to get a gun through a metal detector, there's your solution. I don't think durability would really matter if it was a case of someone just wanting to shoot a few rounds into some people, kind of like a disposable camera, I guess. Designed for the short term, not long term."
is the same point i have been making. NO LAW would prevent a person bent on destruction form doing what they please.

"is the same point i have been making. NO LAW would prevent a person bent on destruction form doing what they please."

Exactly, which is why stiffer penalties don't work. This is a problem with a scope much larger than just guns. It's the entire US, it's society and that it's run by corruption. People don't respect laws no matter how stiff they are because all anyone wants to do is fight people on everything. Make everything illegal and lock everyone up and then we'll all be safe, how about that?

Sorry, just frustrated...

Just think about something. Think about how many guns we have in the US and a quick and crude internet search says that there is probably enough guns in this country to give one to each person, an estimation of between 360-380 million gun owners in this country. How many LEO and military do we have and more importantly, how many of those people would side with the government and how many would side with the people? If the US population were to awaken out of their decade long stupor and see what is really going on in this country, there will be hell to pay and there aren't even close to enough opposition to stop a population of about 350 million people who are fed up and are armed.

I really hate to always be the cynic or the one who always has something bad to say, I just don't live in a bubble and I try to see things for what they are even if they scare the living S out of me. The people have allowed their rights to be taken away, slowly but surely, as government intrudes more and more into people's lives. We are so far in debt that it is impossible to pay back. Even if the US gov seized every dime from every US citizen, it STILL would not be enough money to pay off the US debt. I believe the only reason our economy hasn't crashed is because the markets are being manipulated while we continue to print money and spend billions without thinking twice about it. What do you do to fix that? How do you even begin to fix that? The people will fix it, but it won't be pretty.

In the UK and Greece and even France in the past, the people revolt and riot to bring change when they don't like something and ya know what? It works. In the US, we are so arrogant and apathetic and believe that we are "too great to fall" just sit back and do nothing. The general public of the US is like a volcano building up pressure.

We have tried peaceful protests even in the recent past, but what happens? Nothing, except LEO officers blend into crowds and pretend to be protesters and start riots, fights and other such things. Then, comes the tear gas and dispersion of the crowds as well as arresting people for things started by the cops themselves. Peaceful protests don't work.

If you don't believe the police provoke riots at peaceful protests, just go search the internet as there are plenty of instances especially from last year. They don't want protests, they want everyone to just fall in line which is what we've been doing for far too long. Not enough skepticism, people aren't paying attention and the government does what it wants. By the time people realize what's going on, it's already too late. Ugh... it's really depressing, really.. at how far this once great nation has fallen and what it will most likely take to fix it.

That is so sad.. makes my eyes water. Once again, investigate deeply into this child's home life. His life is so miserable that he would do this? Ugh... makes my heart ache... makes me want to say things I'm not allowed to say on this forum.

Did not see that anywhere. Where are you getting your information?

"At this posting, I currently have a fully loaded shotgun sitting in the back floor board of my truck - if someone breaks in and uses it, should I be liable, even if it's my own child?"

In Maryland you WOULD be held liable for leaving that in an automobile if used to harm another.

See my posts about early training and it success.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League occasionally hold Open Carry Day in Virginia. they open carry as a group into restaurants as a show of support for the 2nd. Many feel uncomfortable around them but I guarantee there will be no robberies during their stay while eating.

http://www.vcdl.org/

"The facts tell a different story. What is even more interesting about Kennesaw is that the city's crime rate decreased with the simple knowledge that the entire community was armed. The bad guys didn't force the residents to prove it. Just knowing that residents were armed prompted them to move on to easier targets. Most criminals don't have a death wish.

There have been two occasions in my own family when the presence of a handgun averted potential disaster. In both instances the gun was never aimed at a person and no shot was fired.""

He seems to think that because everything is ok where he is, that it must be the same everywhere else. It's not.

We have kids owning guns and shooting up schools or bringing them to schools with presumed intent to use them and all he wants to talk about is how great Kennesaw is. Great, enjoy Kennesaw, it is the exception to the rule in most other places. Congrats.

I'm sure the government would rather no one own guns, then we'd really be in trouble. The overly armed populace of the US is the only thing slowing the government from completely taking over everything. They don't want a revolt, but I guarantee they want to disarm the public. The media is controlled by the government and the government wants to disarm the public, so there's your connection. The media always has an agenda, but to sit there and say gun violence isn't a problem in the US because everything is A-OK in Kennesaw is pretty short sighted, IMO.

People won't give up their guns, so history says the strategy they will try is to scare everyone into thinking guns are bad and to hand them over for your own protection. The recent spike in crime and shootings are only helping that cause.

At the same time, a disarmed populace is probably more dangerous than an armed one just because of how much power it gives the government over us. They have enough already and guns are the biggest thing stopping them from having more.

OMFG Mark! You wanted a discussion and got one now your whining about the content! Geeeez!

Oh Mark, I have no fears of anyone taking my firearms. Never happen in my lifetime.
Since that will never be the solution and will never happen you seem to be making things up. See the crime rate in Kennesaw Georgia for the truth.

If anyone wants to silence others it is you sir! Your post prove that.

"He seems to think that because everything is ok where he is"

For the life of me i can never understand why you people tend to put words in others mouths. It is a terrible habit.

I post one story to reply to the Georgian comment and you now believe "all he wants to talk about is how great Kennesaw is."??? What a fool! Nothing like creating drama you dram queen.

"I'm sure the government would rather no one own guns"

The government has no option but to secure the God given rights that are enumerated in the Constitution.

What wouldn't matter? And with all your falsehoods Steve your credibility is shot anyway. I only posted the story made no comment on it one way or another. Just another one of your straw men among your false claims.

Steve, do you EVER own up to your falsehoods? Like 30,000 people killed by forearms a year?

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10shrtbl08.xls

You trust a group of biased people at Harvard. i will trust the FBI and the statistics that are reported to them by the states and local LEO.

FBI UNIFORM CRIME STATISTICS
Homicides in 2010: 12996
Total by firearms:8775. 6009 by handgun. 1704 by knives.

Yeah, because the FBI and government never lie. THEY are the reason we're in this mess in the first place. Laughable, believe the FBI and even cite them as UNBIASED over one of the most prestigious schools in the country, who is BIASED? LOL .. yeah, blind trust in the government has worked so far, so just continue believing them and everything will be okay.

Since you want to believe the FBI, do you believe this site?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/10/gun-crime-us-state

Halfway down the page, there is a "Gun Crime in the US" Data sheet showing Georgia having one more death per 100,000 people than the average in the US. Funny, but you're naive if you blindly trust any government agency just because they show stats that support your opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO0k9SHljCc
Still think the US doesn't want to take your guns? Get ready, because one day, they're coming for them. This is a global agenda and it's a power grab to allow governments to become tyrannical and corrupted, more so then they already are. Despite statistics that gun bans increase crime, they don't care. They have an agenda and it is coming to the US. So, will you hand over your guns or will you start shooting? What do you think most Americans would do? Civil war, that's what.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPBrFXDt6q8
Romney against gun control amongst other things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9X2VbhSH9o
Obama pushing anti gun laws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-4jqZSEo0Q&feature=related

Obama supports a federal ban on firearms, he has since 2004. They will come for your guns eventually. To think otherwise is just being naive.

Mike Fisher, again with the foriegn websites. Why would I trust a report from England over a report from the good old USA? You believe your "facts", I believe mine. You seem to have "blind trust" in any site that agrees with you.

Yeah, because nothing said in that video is true. You don't believe evidence or facts no matter where they come from, US experts or otherwise, so don't even bother participating. Facts to you are your opinions, nothing more. You ignore traffic studies done by US agencies, so you don't believe anything no matter where it comes from unless it's your opinion. You have zero credibility and it goes into the negative everytime you talk. All you do is spout your opinion and call it fact. No credibility at all, zero.

Geez, Other Tim, you are such a hypocrite, I swear, You don't even trust studies done in the "good ol' USA"... and you wonder why you have no credibility. That's all I'll say to your posts from now on because there's something wrong with your thought process.

.. and this is the last post I'll say to you that isn't simply "zero credibility". You do realize that all countries in this world are connected, right? You do know that people from England are not of a different race than people in the US right? You do know that studies done in other countries have relevance to *every other country* on this planet, right? Human beings are human beings, they behave the same everywhere.
That video was about a GLOBAL situation which involves the US and had plenty of video evidence, straight from the horses mouth which included Americans and people from other countries concerned about the US. I don't know, maybe you are disabled or have some medical condition, but I don't think you really listen to yourself. You flip flop more than Romney does.

You ask for evidence, it's given to you, you dismiss it because it's new from another country even though it directly has relevance to the US. Evidence is given to you from US agencies, you dismiss them as biased. You're one of those people who, quite frankly, qualify as a "troll". You ask for evidence even though you have no intention of acknowledging it as significant or satisfactory and you criticize people for things that YOU do all the time. You accuse me of not trusting studies done in the US when you yourself don't trust studies done in the US, UK concerning the US or ANY study ANYWHERE. You don't show sources, you just spout opinions and call them facts. Zero credibility, your new name. Done.

"Romney against gun control amongst other things."

ROTFLMAO That is one of the funniest things I read today. Romney is against gun control. He is staunchly pro Gun Control as his actions as Governor of Massachusetts will attest.

Romney signed into law the nations first ban on "assault"rifles
Romney increased Handgun Permit fees 5,000 per cent
Romney made Massachusetts into one of the least gun friendly states in the country.

Turn off the Faux New man. It's rotting your brain.

LOL Steve that was a mistype, I saw that after I posted it, but I didn't fix it because I got sidetracked. The video obviously shows he is for gun control. I don't watch the news, any news because it's all biased BS. Trust me, I know all about Romney and his stance on gun control, well, sometimes, when he's not flip flopping around.

Mike Fisher, you have your beliefs, and I have mine. I don't get upset by your opinions, I just don't agree with them. Do you not believe I am entitled to my opinion? Why do you get so upset when I express my views? Sorry, but you can rant and rave all you want. I will still offer my opinions.

Zero credibility, Other Tim. Opinions are all you've got and they're based on nothing but warped thinking. Zero cred, dude. Nothing you say means anything. You ignore evidence, studies and data. Those are your beliefs and they mean nothing, empty and hollow. Zero credibility.

Back at you, Mike. And goodbye.

Bye, Z-Cred. Open your mind one day, it won't hurt. You may even learn something.

Public apathy rules our society today, more than ever. Politicians base their campaigns on this fact and this is why the best that Kamenetz has to offer is to add one more police officer to each Baltimore Co. school.....knee jerk reaction at best.

Wow...Is your last name Biden?

So Buck, you have no problem with these attacks on American soil and the lack of response form our Commander in chief?

Joe, you really are insane.

No Joe, I'm just slow to judge this harshly until until I can see the facts...could you provide some that would verify your claims here?

Bart, you area dhimmi.

What do you need to know Buck? Our embassies were attacked, burned and 4 people slaughtered and dragged through the streets. that is an act of war.

SoS Clinton gave the Egyptians $1.3 billion in aid just a few months ago. We are funding terrorism when we fund the Muslim Brotherhood.

Insane is you people who support terrorism and Obama.

ISLAMISTS DRAG DEAD BODY OF US AMBASSADOR THROUGH THE STREETS OF BENGHAZI!
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/09/islamists-drag-dead-body-of-us-ambassador-in-the-streets/#comments

I don't support Obama, or Romney for that matter Joe. I would like to see the actual evidence that Obama knowingly financed these attacks that occurred.

" U.S. approves 1.3 billion dollars in military aid to Egypt
Clinton waives conditions placed by Congress on the 1.3 billion dollars of aid - requiring Egypt to meet certain democratic reforms before being granted the funds."
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-approves-1-3-billion-dollars-in-military-aid-to-egypt-1.420447

"President Barack Obama’s deputies are negotiating a $1 billion aid package with Egypt’s new Islamist government, even as Egypt’s cash-strapped military revealed that it is trying to buy $1 billion worth of German submarines that could threaten Israel’s fast-growing offshore energy projects."
http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/10/obama-aids-egypt-as-it-tries-to-buy-u-boats/

And the Islamist Obama is off to Las Vegas to campaign while our diplomat is dragged through the streets of Bengazi.

Buck: Take it from me - it's a waste of mental energy.

Tim, you have so little mental energy and your posts show that to be a fact.

Why?

I expect no answer form a primate chucking his own poop.

Good to see Steve supports the Islamists and their terrorism against America as the good dhimmi he is. Isn't it time for your prayers?