[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

I appreciate the reply, and I'm starting to understand where you're coming from. In spirit, I agree with much of this. Practically, though, I think there is a huge web of complex problems to disentangle if we're going to get there. Would enough Americans agree on ways to form such a foundation?

(And, I have many thoughts on the very important issues you mentioned regarding trust in government and illegal drugs, but I'll hold off on veering this thread into even more controversial territory...)

Responding to the bold...

- No, because there isn't enough proper education on the topics, and not enough people who care to go beyond what they're spoon fed by the media and politicians. This is why it's so important to denounce the term "assault weapons" because there is no such thing, and it's a propaganda term.

- One of my first posts questioned the OP's motives behind starting this thread, as his original post had a huge slant and the discussion is political in nature. Again, in my opinion, you cannot discuss this issue productively and work towards an actual solution without turning the focus to the other areas we've agreed upon. Until we restore decency and healthiness to the majority of society, we will continue to see criminal attempts like school shootings. The only solution in the interim is to fight fire with fire, tear down the "gun free zone" signs, and protect our children with the same level of protection as our politicians, etc.