America wants to talk about this, but the gun nut right wingers always say that we can't. Well we are now.

... bear in mind that just three days ago a villager in China went beserk and attacked numerous small schoolchildren with a KNIFE. This is one of many similar incidents in China in recent years. Does this mean that there are too many knives in China? One thing for sure: in Western culture there is far too much gratuitous violence and meaness on-line and in video-games... it's always portrayed as easy, cost-free - and fun.

This is not just an American problem. These killings happen world wide, where people are free and where they are not. Guns solved this shooting as the shooter took his life when he heard the police approaching. While in the mall shooting in Portland it was the shooter seeing a civilian aiming a gun at him that forced him to end his murdering rampage shooting himself. Lack of guns in good people hands makes these incidents worse.

As an American, I don't see that we have a "gun-worshiping" culture, whatever that would look like. Promoting violence in movies and video games is reprehensible, of course. But the real problem lies in people's hearts, as Israelis, in a very tough neighborhood, should know well.

true. Ms. Shmilovitz got it right and I weep for the fact that she is so very correct.

The minute you outlaw guns, the people have no way to defend themselves against a tyrannical government - or against criminals that will get guns regardless.

Tyrannical government. What a joke. Gun lovers are simply sick bloodthirsty uncivilized losers. We call them sportsmen when they are really just primitives. Our society has no need for guns whatsoever except in the hands of the army and in law enforcement. Tyrannical government. I laugh at the fool who believes that if our Government ever became tyrannical that they could somehow fight tanks and drones with guns. I feel pity at a citizen who seems to think that he will pick up a gun and kill other citizens of his own country to defend his pathetic idea of manhood.

also a huge problem in Mexico, and these incidents are happening everywhere. Yesterday my piano teacher, along with her sisters were murdered, they were victims by drug cartel and organized crime here in Chihuahua state, northern Mexico, it's a huge tragedy after about almost two years of no drug-war related crime in this area. 99% of these weapons used by drug cartels come from the US, they are smuggled from the US into Mexico in a phenomenon that we Mexicans start to call the "iron flow". Here in Mexico is illegal to posses weapons by federal law, you can't go and buy a gun in a walmart like it is in the US, yet it so easy to obtain due to all these illegal imports. It is very sad! No words and my deep condolences to all these beautiful innocent people, students, teachers, humans.

If we get stuck with the guns, or even with the US then we are missing the point. Today the whole global society is washed over with violence from the earliest age through books, TV, movies, media, Internet, education, and generally the values and attitude in the society. At the same time young people lost their future prospects through youth unemployment that is as high as 50% in certain countries and rising. A human being is the product of the environment, if we want any change we have to change our societies and we can only change it through education. And here Israel and Jews worldwide could provide the example based on our core values and teachings, if instead of trying to assimilate into the corrupt western culture we promote our own. Of course first our own society would need to go through change so we can then provide a positive, working example to the rest of the world.

It is a society of inherent crime and evil . How would you expect the average American to behave and react when he is brainwashed that America is the best even when young US soldiers commit a brutal massacre like My Lai in Vietnam and yet escape justice ,and even when they rape innocent girls in Afghanistan and Iraq and yet get exempted from real punishment ? America always has good reasons to pardon its evil doers but when people elsewhere in the world commit same acts they are viewed as terrorists.What a disgusting double standard !

We never have anny serious discussions in the US. everything is for sale in this country and the gun lobby has already bought at least half of our politicians and bullied the rest into silence.

Again, most of he world will come to a similar conclusion as this author, yet, as you can see, most Americans will again miss the point.

In July, 1969, William Safire wrote a speech that President was to use if Armstrong & Aldrin could not lift off from the moon.Fortunately, it was not need. President Nixon also would have had to comfort the United State had the Apollo 13 crew perished. Fortunately again, they returned safely to Earth.

this ocean of clichés and scorn is the one about mentally ill dudes. Does America have the care structures and legal weapons (mandatory psychiatric placing)to PREVENT them from harming others?? i doubt it...i wonder...at least i think they could do better...difficult issue... but it's so much easier to go for the lazy "gun culture, video games blabla..." and you could not resist...

Because these were blue eyed blond haired babies things will now change in America.....

A fundamental right we granted ourselves 200+ years ago. Though individuals can abuse that right in the most tragic fashion, the right itself remains eternal.

Well said sir. Well said.

The guns used were handguns and the rifle which was not used was a semi auto. It is not easier to buy a gun than to see a doctor. What a bunch of journalistic crap. We have had gun registration ever since the 1968 gun control act. Anti gun laws are just as effective as anti drug laws. I remember when Rick Roth was running for public office and he was waving a semi automatic assault style rifle at a school saying we needed gun control. It was illegal for him to do that and when I complained to the BATF about it their response was "What's it to you?" They acknowledged that it was illegal but had no interest in enforcing the law. As long as government picks and chooses what laws they will uphold laws mean nothing. We need to enforce the laws we have and not keep writing new ones. Eric Holder under Obama was running guns to Mexican drug lords. How can anyone believe that by taking away the rights of honest people the world will be a safer place? The two things the author is right about though are the violence in video games (movies and television too) and the poor care of people with mental issues. There are ways we can improve and should but more gun control isn't one of them.

It's about a sick society where the main symptom is meaninglessness.

The people need to screen for psycho killers and make sure they don't get near a gun.Specially screened persons ought within a school act as guards at any school no matter how peace loving and gentle the great majority are.

i have an answer, maybe we should build a wall on the border to keep firearms from the US making their way south into Mexico. B

Guns dont kill people, people kill people and if you saw all the people who were in my concealed weapons class getting guns you would run out and get one yourself. Everyone has the right to defend themselves and I'm betting of the 7 teachers and staff killed, there were at least 7 teachers and staff who wished they were allowed to carry guns that day to defend themselves. Outlawing guns is as effective as outlawing cars because they can be used to run people over. Outlaw kitchen knives while we are at it, and lighters, and 3 story balconies or higher, stairwells, hands, water, baseball bats, rocks... you see where I am going here. Use common sense and realize the criminals have guns and the people who should be allowed to carry them are not allowed to do so in many cases. Thank god I live in Florida.

What some people are not considering is that the weapons used by that mentally unstable mass murderer were not his according to the news that I have seen. If guns get banned for the regular civilian most outlaws will still get weapons from the underground market and then it will just be much more difficult for law abiding citizens to protect ourselves. We cannot count on the police to be nearby when an assault or robbery is committed in our property. People should be background checked before being sold a firearm and I do not think a citizen needs a machine gun or an automatic assault rifle to secure their homes. A gun, shotgun, and or hunting rifle should suffice. I also think schools need to have security guards, at least at the entrance to the schools. We are living in difficult times, and it seems it will only get worse.

It would make more sense to ban cars than guns. Cars kill many more people. Guns in the hands of good citizens reduce crime and guard freedom.

The problem is not a "gun control" issue but rather a mental health issue. The "gun" was merely a tool used in the commission of this heinous crime. Lacking guns to commit it, he would have used an alternate method. I see no need to go into details of these alternatives, but he could have caused many more deaths using household goods. The criminal will always have access to guns. Unfortunately, the utter ignorance of the "gun control" advocates has no bounds. The 2 cities in the USA with the tightest gun control laws have the highest gun crime. Furthermore, very few legally owned firearms are used in the commission of a crime. The sad thing here is that the mother did not follow the basic rules of firearms safety, granting UNAUTHORIZED access to her son. And the reason he committed the crime was not the availability of the guns, but rather his mental illness. Tzipi, you really need to get educated and get the facts before you start spewing such nonsense.

from a Jewish-Conservative, College Educated, Right-to-Carry WOMAN. LET'S DISCUSS THE PAINFUL ISSUE OF LIBERALS CHANTING "ABORTION IS A WOMAN'S RIGHT." Have you or your friends ever aborted an unwanted pregnancy, Tzipi? Sol has your wife, daughter, sister, ever had an innocent Life suctioned out of their wombs? Let's hear you defend the lives of the UNborn, you hypocrites.

"the gun lobby has already bought at least half of our politicians and bullied the rest into silence." And the Women's Rights Pro-Abortion Movement has bullied young girls into believing that ABORTION IS HIP.

I don't see YOUR government turning down AMERICAN MILITARY AID.

The hand-wringing about the availability of guns, etc. in the U.S. is about as useful as the tears that are being shed. Gun control, while an important issue, is not THE issue. THE issue is lack of mental health services for children and adolescents and pervasive violence in the media. Yes, the same media that is drowning us in the personal stories of those who were killed. Their over-dramatization will simply inspire the next lunatic to gain national notoriety by surpassing this tragedy.