我最小的孩子最近刚从小学毕业。我住在波士顿地区的牛顿镇，距康涅狄格州的纽敦市144英里。牛顿和新镇之间的区别是一个字母。昨天对无辜的儿童和老师的屠杀使我感到震惊，悲伤和愤怒。这是可以预防的。
Gun homicide in the United States far exceeds 那 of any other country on our planet. It is 30 times the rate of Britain and Australia. The frequency of massacres with automatic weapons is increasing; this past August we were horrified 通过 the killings at the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, in July a gunman with automatic weapons opened fire at the Batman premiere in Colorado leaving 12 people dead, in January 2011 there was the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Gifford and others, and in 2007 a murderous rampage at Virginia Tech killed 32 people and wounded 17 others. The United States has the most lax gun control laws of all developed countries, and as a result incidents of gun related violence and death far exceeds all other countries on Earth. Gun-related homicide is directly related to the loose gun control laws.
独立选民网络 报告：
在美国如此多的凶杀案中，枪支是首选武器，请考虑其他国家，这些国家拥有更严格的枪支管制法律，而涉及枪支的谋杀案的发生率要低得多。
日本– 在日本，大多数枪支都是非法的，几乎没有人拥有枪支。日本被称为世界上最严格的枪支管制国家之一，每100人只有0.6支枪支。在2006年，日本只有两起枪支凶杀案。 2008年有11个国家。该国几乎消除了枪支谋杀案。
英国 - 英国的私人枪支拥有率为每100人6.72支枪支。 2009年，只有18人被枪支谋杀。在过去的14年中，枪支凶杀案发生最多的一年是2004年，有52人丧生。
美国– 与所有其他工业化国家相比，美国在民用枪支拥有量方面排名第一。在过去的14年中，美国每100人中约有88.8支枪支.2006年是枪支凶杀案最多的一年，2006年有10,225人被枪支杀害。美国每年的枪支自杀率也很高。 2005年，有17002人使用枪支自杀。
Apparently the ante keeps needing to be upped, so 那 we finally initiate appropriate action. It’与气候变化完全相同。我们需要 桑迪飓风的破坏 甚至开始侵蚀我们 否认. It reminds me of the ten plagues 那 had to be visited upon the Egyptians before the Pharoah finally freed the Israelite slaves and allowed Moses to lead them out of Egypt: the Nile turned to blood, then came Frogs, Lice, Flies, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness and finally the 死亡 of the First Born. We have had the BP Oil Spill, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the extinction of myriad species, the melting of the Polar Ice, Drought, Forest Fires, the unprecedented rise in the incidence of Autism, Cancer, and Diabetes, the contamination of our food supply with factory farming and GMOs, and after repeated shootings with automatic weapons, yesterday the slaughter of our little children.
We are at a most unique and perilous juncture in human history. Either we will wake up from our trance and take on these literally life or death issues with the urgency 那 they demand, or face the tragic consequences of our paralysis. Each and everyone of us must act now in our own ways, speak out and put pressure on our leaders to take immediate steps to more tightly regulate the process of acquiring guns and to save our planet from ecological disaster.
希勒尔 是公元前一世纪著名的拉比，以这种格言闻名，
“如果我不适合自己，谁会适合我？
如果我只是为了我自己，那我是谁？
如果不是现在，什么时候？”
那里 is no time to delay any longer.
希勒尔也经常被引述为：
“Whosoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whosoever 那 saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”
Many worlds were destroyed yesterday. 我不’t know how these families will go on to find joy and meaning again after the loss of their children and family members. Life will never be the same again for the survivors; it will always be before and after 那 terrible day.
杰伊·布克曼，一位来自亚特兰大的专栏作家提出了以下建议，
“It is reasonable to propose 那 the legal ability to purchase and possess deadly firearms be linked to training and testing on the responsible use of such weapons. That would be a regulation of people, not of guns. Such proposals would nonetheless be fought bitterly 通过 the NRA because they would reduce gun sales, and the NRA is in many ways nothing more than a front for its gun-industry sponsors. Such laws would in no way infringe on constitutional rights as outlined in the Second Amendment and Supreme Court opinions.”
Additionally, it is my opinion 那 careful assessment of the legitimacy of the perceived need for a weapon and psychological evaluation are reasonable minimum prerequisites.
I pray 那 this tragedy will finally bring the shift in consciousness 那 will result in the necessary legislative changes in gun regulation, so 那 the nightmare in Newtown will at least have contributed to reducing the probability 那 this will ever happen again.
这是有关精神药物和枪击事件之间联系的更多信息。显然，作者有一个议程，大型制药公司也有。如果《福布斯》真的发表了这篇文章，我想知道为什么。无论如何，这看起来都是一个有趣的博客。
//www.madinamerica.com/2013/01/forbes-unpublishes-commentary-on-medicationviolence-link/
我不’t think we’在这个问题上我会越来越接近共识，所以我赢了’不要继续殴打这匹死马。
讨论很有趣，但是我仍然会用我的合法半自动手枪开枪杀死我家里任何人’t belong here. And I seriously doubt 那 I’我会感到any悔。一世’我才刚刚老，厌倦了人们互相利用的机会。只有当每个人都开始尊重他人的权利和财产时，武装社会才是不必要的。
I believe 那 banning weapons for hunting will be a whole other mountain to climb – considering 那 Americans seem to be avid hunters in the US and abroad.
但是，促进道德狩猎（仅用于食物+禁止罐头/奖杯狩猎）确实是适当的，并且这样做可以消除对动物的野蛮屠杀。
遵循这些原则，禁止对地球和食死鸟的有毒铅铅弹，这些铅和子弹因将这些子弹吞入尸体而死亡。
It is documented 那 most of the trophy hunters in Africa are actually Americans.
至于辩论的实际主题– My personal opinion is 那 the 2nd Amendment is largely symbolic and not truly practical > if one believe 那 they will stop a government from imposing fascism and resist an army or a tank with their private rifle, they are fooling themselves.
If we ever get to 那 point, rebellion will have to be much more complex than 那 –想想阿拉伯受春季影响的国家中的叛乱分子，或叙利亚目前的内战–您认为他们是用床底下的旧枪支来与政府斗争吗？是的，我也不这么认为…
过去，对纳粹政权的抵抗也是如此。有效的武器会在需要时穿越边界…there will always be a party 那 will enjoy making a good buck from conflict.
什么 a great comment, 莫里斯, both in terms of the thoughtfulness about the lead issue, and the abhorrent practice of canned hunting. I am in full agreement with 您 about the symbolic meaning of the Second Amendment, and 那 there is very little realistic possibility of defending 您rself and 您r family with a private rifle against a totalitarian regime and its army.
Thank 您 for 您r thoughtful reply. I understand 您r frustration with the prevailing gun laws, but I have yet to hear what 您 want to happen here. 我不’t mean a “perfect world”没有卑鄙，疯狂或不受欢迎的人的场景。一世’m talking about laws 那 allow responsible people to protect themselves, because we can’所有人都有私人保镖或我们自己的住家警察。
Hence the scenario I presented above. 什么 would 您 have us do?
If someone felt endangered in 那 way, I would advise them to go through the appropriate channels to get trained in self defense, and defend themselves if the situation arose. That could include a gun if 那 is what made them feel more safe, given the provisos I outlined in my last response to 您.
I find it interesting 那 my comment from 18 hours ago has not been approved and posted.
这里’s a scenario for 您.
You awake during the night to find 那 there is someone in 您r home who has no business there. 什么 do 您 do? “Wake my husband” is not a fair response, since it is not an option for everyone. You must assume 那 您 live alone, other than possibly with a child.
Please feel free to clarify 您r response 通过 stating if it applies to city-dwellers and rural residents alike.
嗨，凯西，
I did not respond to 您 right away because I wanted to give 您 the thoughtful answer I thought 您r question deserved, and I realized 那 I did not know what my stance actually is.
到目前为止，这是我得出的结论：
Anyone who wishes to own a gun needs to have a thorough background check, and psychiatric evaluation and through training in gun handling and safely. Insurance would need to be carried. Guns would only be sold through state regulated agencies, just like the Registry of Motor Vehicles 那 issues licenses. No assault weapons. No weapons for hunting for sport. Weapons can be owned 那 fire a few shots and no more. I am open to modifying my position. Its in process.
这里 is a really interesting post from the National Journal 那 contains very useful information about our gun laws and what is problematic about them:
如何理解美国’枪支管制法则千差万别，令人困惑
什么’在一种状态下为真，而在另一种状态下为真。美国枪支管制入门：
哥伦比亚特区获得自治后一年半（除了国会之外，该市有能力管理自己的事务），它大胆地采取了行动。这座城市取缔了手枪。
当时是1976年，尽管该法案对遏制城市中的枪支暴力几乎无济于事，但这是对《第二修正案》适用范围的大胆考验，《第二修正案》没有像现在这样全面地进行裁决。最高法院在1939年仅受理了一个与此有关的案件，其中允许采取一定的枪支管制措施。
But in 2008, a 5-4 decision in the Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller overturned the ban. In the majority opinion, the court determined 那 the ban violated the Second Amendment’持有武器的权利，无论此类枪支是否打算与“a militia.”2010年的后续案件将此裁定扩展至所有50个州。但是，法院裁定，各州确实有权通过枪支管制措施，例如要求获得隐藏武器的许可证。国家就可以’t完全拒绝枪支。
“The Court only held 那 the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding responsible individuals to possess a handgun in the home for self defense,”预防枪支暴力法律中心的法律总监朱丽叶·A·左威奇说。“The Supreme Court made clear there was still a lot 那 state and local governments could do to prevent gun deaths and injuries 那 would be consistent with the Second Amendment.”
因此，出现了联邦和州法律重叠的拼凑而成的情况。携带武器的权利无处不在，但是武器的控制和传播方式却有所不同。这使问题变得令人困惑：美国目前的枪支管制状况是什么？
让 ’s break it down.
什么 the Federal Government Says:
根据联邦政府和1994年《布雷迪手枪暴力预防法》，’s illegal to receive, possess, or transport guns or ammo if 您
Have been convicted or are under indictment for a felony 那 would result in more than one year in prison.
Have been convicted of a misdemeanor 那 would result in more than two years in prison.
是逃犯。
是吸毒者。
有精神残疾或已投身精神病院。
是非法移民。
被无耻地从武装部队中解雇。
Have renounced 您r U.S. citizenship.
处于特定类型的限制令之下。
已被判家庭暴力。
枪支零售商向上述任何人出售枪支都是违法的。这些经销商需要联邦许可，并且必须进行背景调查，以了解买方是否符合上述任何条件。但是，作为公共诚信中心的报告，用于背景调查的国家数据库可能已过时或缺少信息。
那里’s also a major loophole here: Federal law does not mandate private individuals to conduct background checks before they transfer their gun to another owner, if 那 person lives in the same state. This is what allows for the “gun-show loophole,” where people in certain states can buy guns at large expos without a background check. The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence states 那 40 percent of all gun purchases take place among private parties.
国家进来的地方
“Federal laws are the floor and not the ceiling, meaning 那 states are free to adopt stronger laws,” Leftwich 说.
尚无宣布全面禁止枪支的规定，以下是一些旨在遏制枪支暴力的州目前可以使用的选择（在赫勒（Heller）判决之后，其中一些限制正在法院提起诉讼）：
需要国家许可或许可证。
需要枪支注册。
禁止或限制攻击武器。
要求举报被盗枪支。
Limit the amount of guns 那 can be purchased 通过 one person in a given amount of time.
禁止大容量杂志。
需要长时间的等待时间才能购买枪支。
签发隐藏武器许可证。
允许或拒绝隐藏的武器。
NRA’《州枪支法纲要》（2010年更新）是比较各州限制的很好资源。另一个很好的资源（从意识形态的另一面来看）是布雷迪运动，旨在防止枪支暴力行为的州/州报告卡。
什么 您 learn in looking through this data is 那 the ease of gun ownership varies widely across the country. For instance, according to the Brady report card, in Georgia 您 can buy guns at gun shows without a background check and 您 do not need a permit or license to own a gun. Connecticut, on the other hand, requires safety training of gun owners and has closed gun-show loopholes. As has been observed, Connecticut has some of the toughest gun laws in the country. So stopping mass shootings isn’t always in the hands of local powers, although there is evidence 那 suggests gun violence is more prevalent in areas with looser gun restrictions.
枪支也可以在市政一级进行监管，但是只有少数几个州允许这样做。这些州包括加利福尼亚州，康涅狄格州，夏威夷州，伊利诺伊州，马萨诸塞州，新泽西州和纽约州。例如，Leftwich解释说，地方政府可以限制枪支经销商可以在何处操作或要求在家里安全存放枪支。
但是，如果枪支是通过合法手段从购买枪支的人那里偷走的，这一切都是没有意义的，就像在桑迪胡克小学枪击案中那样。
I find it curious in this conversation and many others all over social media, 那 there’s very little reference to the gun violence 那 doesn’不适合将精神疾病的射手带出无辜受害者的行列。我住在芝加哥以外，我们的儿子是该州的检察官’s attorney’s office in Chicago’的库克县，是洛杉矶以外该国最大的检察院’s。每天，他都看到了不断增加的帮派暴力，家庭暴力，凶杀案的结果，在这里由于容易接近而使用了枪支…并非所有这些权力和金钱匮乏的罪犯都是精神疾病诊断的候选人。撇开这个争论‘sporting’我认为使用是荒谬的…没有理由为了运动而杀死野生动植物’的虚荣心。如果需求如此强烈，请使用弓箭…这是中西部某些地区的一种选择…or find another way to satisfy 那 need.
Thanks for writing Gaye. The reference to hunting for sport is one 那 I particularly resonate with. It is a violation of life itself.
I must say 那 I feel like anybody perpetrating violence with weapons be it in the context of gangs or domestically, is ill. They perhaps do not qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis, but there is spiritual and emotional illness.
The China incident is being repeated 通过 all gun control advocates, and it looks very persuasive on the surface. But gun control is a complex issue and the devil is in the details, in the implementation. 要是我们 implemented more gun control, we would end up with a disarmed population and a heavily armed government. The is exactly the dangerous situation 那 tyrants love and the second amendment was designed to address. If all guns were really banned, I might not object. But guaranteed the government will exempt itself from the regulations, despite the fact 那 they are the ones who have shown a disturbing propensity for using violence in all sorts of inappropriate ways.
那里 is also the question of proportionality of response. While one shooting death is too many, it is important to realize 那 hundreds of times more kids will die in auto accidents this year, yet nobody is clamoring to ban kids from riding in cars. You may not see guns as being as essential as cars, but a lot of thoughtful, responsible, sane, law-abiding people do see their guns as essential, and for 您 to advocate taking them away because of a few crazy incidents can easily be viewed as a an overreaction and disproportionate response.
我认为关于我们的暴力社会是问题的评论是最贴切的。我在Facebook上说的是： “上周美军宣布打算无节制地瞄准儿童时的愤怒和绝望在哪里？他们每个月在环球旅行中杀死20个孩子，并且会按照您的一毛钱和
name. If 您 want to talk about gun control, let’s start with them! Or does 您r compassion not extend any further than pretty white American children?”
暴力是我们最受尊敬的领导人用来解决冲突的方式。为什么我们对最受困扰的公民的期望比对领导人的期望更高？所有质量射手只是继我国总统响亮连任所示的模型。朱迪，您为奥巴马投票吗？与乔治·布什在两个任期内所犯下的罪行相比，他在第一任任期内所承担的暴力行为更多。
Thank 您 for writing, 凯西. I agree with 您 那 there needs to be a focus on providing good psychiatric care, which at this point in time is very inadequate on so many levels. And its a huge problem.
But 那 being said, there is no rationale for automatic weapons to be routinely available to anyone. As I wrote in my post, in countries where there is no access, the rates of gun violence are miniscule compared to the United States.
我同意不使用自动武器。他们被那些可以’t hit what they are aiming at, so the solution is to spray enough bullets 那 “you’一定要撞东西”.
如果您的枪支管制形式仅包括全自动武器，’米在你身边但是这些对话常常是关于禁止所有私人枪支拥有权的–步枪，shot弹枪和半自动手枪。也许您可以阐明您的立场。
我听到你了，安迪。当我知道世界各地一直在发生可怕的可怕事件时，我对自己对这一特殊事件的反应深度感到惊讶。我认为这是因为它对我来说离家这么近。一直遭受悲伤是可以理解的。
让 ’s说您得到了想要的东西。没有枪。甚至对于警察来说也不是，因为如果有的话，某人会找到一种方法将他/她的手放在那儿，然后在罪犯的手中握着枪。
什么’s left? Well if 您 want up close and personal, there are knives, baseball bats, nail guns (or shall we halt construction?). 那里’s man’一直以来都是空手，可能还需要加上绳索，金属丝或任何可用的勒紧装置。
对于广大观众来说，我们有毒气和各种其他形式以及毒药，炸弹（特别是嗜血的管道炸弹），火（可爱的死亡方式，’t 您 think?).
Still looking for 那 “just-perfect”方法带某人出去？电锯，也许吗？
看到– where there’s a will, there’一个方法。因此，在我们将自己带走之前，先解决我们之间的疯狂，因为我们不’没有任何保护自己的手段。
我不’t think it is possible to ban all guns, nor do I think 那 is what most gun control advocates are calling for. 什么 would be effective is a gun buyback, under which people could own one handgun and one non-automatic rifle or shotgun, no more. Ample for self-defence but not enough for a mass killing rampage. Americans need to look outwards more, at what works in other countries. Look at Canada, so close but so different, so much safer.
Thanks so much Steve for taking the time to write and provide 您r perspective. I appreciate it.
Oh, but 那 the problem was the gun.
http://mattsmeditations.com/2012/12/16/is-that-all-there-is-our-existential-crisis/
我也很担心：精神药物–know of four horrendous murders in our community 那 occurred when people were started on SSRIs. Total of six dead.
Thank 您, 背风处 for writing. I know 那 the problems are so much deeper than the gun itself. 看到my comment to 安迪.
But 那 being said, yesterday in China a man with a knife attacked and wounded 22 school children, and no one died. On the material level, this is a first step.
非常感谢您撰写本文，我完全同意。如果我们作为一个社会不能或不团结在一起解决这些问题，那么我们这个社会就是自杀。我还认为，这些大规模枪击案与另一个问题息息相关，那就是，许多如此失衡的年轻人（和老年人！）都大量使用了改变情绪的处方药。我最近看到了在最近的悲剧中各种射击者服用的精神药物清单（合法地开具了合法处方）。我毫不怀疑这个射手也正在服用此类药物。的“side effects”众所周知。 （我用引号引起来是因为，IMO，毒品只有作用，而不是“side effects”;这些效果中有些是需要的，有些是不需要的，但都有可能显现出来。药物的组合使问题成倍恶化）。我不放宽枪支的供应！把这两个问题放在一起：改变情绪的药物的使用和高功率武器的可用性，这是灾难的根源。服用这类药物的许多人需要的是真正的食物和生活中的真正意义，而不是毒品。正如标准流程补充之父Royal 背风处所说，您可以’用药物治疗饥饿–that’s criminal.
感谢您撰写乔伊斯。请参阅我关于精神药物的其他回复。
Thank 您 for sharing 您r feelings and views in these horrendous times. Being able to see the overall bigger picture and 您r call to wake up is so needed and helpful.
我想知道精神药物的作用，特别是。抗抑郁药，在这起其他凶杀和自杀惨案中？
也许学校官员有办法捍卫自己… If we’re talking about tragic deaths, how many people die and get maimed in auto accidents vs gun shots? 什么 about 其他国家有无人驾驶飞机袭击？ 做 处方药与造成袭击者心理状态有关吗？
也许我们的问题是道德问题之一。
这些是非凡的联系。我对有关无人机使用的帖子特别共鸣。操纵杆的名称冷却到骨头。
与汽车死亡的比较是荒谬的。有人可以开车进入学校并跑26人吗？
The fact is, people living in Australia, Canada and Britain are free and they maintain this freedom without widespread ownership of firearms, let alone firearms 那 were developed for military purposes rather than hunting or self-defense.
问题不在于精神疾病。这是精神疾病和枪支的结合。
您可以’t eliminate mental illness or social disaffection, but 您 can regulate gun ownership.
A conservative Prime Minister of Australia brought in heavy restrictions on gun ownership after a 1996 mas shooting and the country is a better place for 那.
阿们，史蒂夫。感谢您的来信。当我在这个上午听广播时，似乎最后一次在纽敦发生的最近无法形容的悲剧足以刺激美国人，向我们的领导人施加压力，要求他们制定适当的枪支管制措施。这些孩子和教育者为此付出了生命，许多其他人将被拯救。
希望这也将为精神病患者提供更适当的护理和跟进，这些患者在我们的社会中服务不足。
Nobody is comparing mass shootings directly to automobile deaths. They are obviously not equivalent. But when people start talking about policy prescriptions (i.e., gun control), then all of the normal aspects of public policy are fair game. How big is the problem compared to other problems? How much are we willing to pay to solve the problem? 什么 are we willing to sacrifice to solve the problem? In this context, the comparison between automobile accidents and mass shootings is completely appropriate. Auto accidents are a huge problem 那 we are willing to make only minor sacrifices for. Mass shootings are a dramatic problem, but a small one from a public policy perspective. Yet gun control advocates are willing to propose sweeping prohibitions on all citizens to confront a problem 那 affects a tiny percentage of people. Nobody kills 26 people at once with a car, but the number of innocents needlessly killed is thousands of times greater than the number killed in mass shootings.
现代社会可以’没有汽车就可以壮成长。但是，如果公民不被允许拥有用于军事目的的武器，则可以相处得很好。如果人们只限于一支手枪和一杆步枪或shot弹枪，那么自卫仍然有足够的空间。
朱迪
I have heard 那 all mass shooters in the last few decades have been on psychiatric medications when they went on their sprees. The implication is 那 the medications are causing the sprees, similar to the way they cause suicidal thoughts and actions. 做 您 think there is a causal link between psych meds and mass shootings?
安迪
嗨，安迪。
I have received multiple comments regarding the link between psychiatric medications and the shootings. I am planning to write a post about this issue in the future, but for now let me say 那 I believe to blame psychiatric medications for these massacres is to miss the point. The killers are all 通过 definition mentally ill, probably have been so for sometime, and either they or their families have tried to alleviate their suffering with medications. All medications carry the risk of 副作用, and I have no doubt 那 some people experience increased dysphoria or aggression on the medications. But suicidal and homicidal ideation are very often expressions of serious mental illness itself.
Now, I know 那 there is a huge problem with out medical pharmaceutical industrial complex and lobbyists, there is a lack of transparency and manipulation and suppression of research data and 那 the profit motive trumps concern for public health. Its the same as with industrial agriculture, factory farming, GMOS’和公共卫生，与能源行业相同。利润动机驱使一切，而不论对公共健康的可怕后果，以及实际上地球的生存。
But all 那 being said, I have seen psychiatric medications be of great use to many people, and have seen many patients become violent when they go off of their medications. These medications need to be used judiciously, and in combination with proper nutrition, life style changes, therapeutic conversation and attention to a person’s spiritual needs, with an eye to helping a patient eventually wean off of them if possible. Too often they are the only treatment offered. And 那 is an enormous and pervasive problem. 那里 is also a lack of skill and care in diagnosis, and often inappropriate prescription of them. It’这是一个巨大的话题，我不会在这里讨论。
But in terms of these repeated massacres with automatic weapons, this has to do with access. It does not happen in other countries where these sorts of weapons are not available. I also believe as has been pointed out 通过 other commenters, 那 we have lost our moral compass and we are an extremely violent and callous society. 看到the links in the comment 通过 js290 about drones and violence. We are in trouble, and only a major and profound shift in consciousness accompanied 通过 compassionate and skillful action will save us from ourselves.