To make it easy for the NRA article monitors to follow?

May be the NRA have ownnershio in hundreds of Funeral Homes...

Because the child is still being held hostage! What else is there to be said when its still ongoing...some idiots on here!

The state run media organizations almost always provide scant details on anything of substance because they know that most people react to headlines and will never follow-up on the facts. This is especially true if the headline sounds like something they agree with. As long as you are on the media's love list, you are golden and liken to the Messiah.

wallace they have been doing it forever.................and still at it,make it up as you go,

Its called a breaking News story , dimwit

It's called MSN. If you read the two source articles they provide much more information. MSN writers apparently have ADD and lose interest half way into the article. Pretty standard for them.

Because the American public, with its penchant for voyeurism, has an immediate thirst for any bad news and so this need is met by the media who's only aim is to make money. Its the same reason no one can drive past an accident without rubber-necking.

Because it's an in-progress hostage situation and all the facts aren't yet known. You have the *ability* to know what's going on with today's vast news coverage of virtually everything, but you have no *right* to know what's going on.

Anyone else find it STRANGE that Rupert Murdoch, a staunch conservative, practically owns all the "mainstream liberal media"?

I dont understand why a staunch conservative would "spin" things the way conservatives think he is.

and trust, if you own the companies...you own the content.

and you all seem to think the "liberal media" is spinning...

So what's his motive?

Divide and Conquer?

Answer: They want to keep their chairs warm in their offices and the paychecks coming in. With so many outlets now for news stories it appears media scrambles for ANY tidbit they can get.

So over a thousand people will respond, with a majority of it being inane banter.

I'm sorry Steve in WA, I just don't get your point.

I'm actually pretty liberal minded in some ways. I just happen to be a strong 2A supporter.

So am I. I own 1 gun. Some of my neighbors own freakin ARSENALS. Unnecessary. Nothing our POTUS has proposed is outrageous, but the response to his proposals are as ridiculous as every Republican response to everything the POTUS has proposed since 2008. No reason for anyone to have clips of 30 rounds, or to own a 50 cal Barrett sniper gun.

When the 2nd amendment was proposed....they were talking about muskets.

My bad. Wrong thread. Moving my comment.

@rizter:

You said he could have gone in and smacked some body. Well that's true but instead of just shooting the driver he all so could have shoot every kid on there so where is your logic to that? Or are you one of those payed NRA nuts that dos nothing more than stroke your gun when you read stuff like this?

Deerhunter, are you kidding or just deranged. The same weapons the government has? When the 2nd Amendment was written, the armed population WAS the armed forces. I'm not saying all guns need to be banned, but why the paranoia about background checks and mental health screenings? Maybe because you think they might find something in your closet you'd rather they didn't?

Just so everyone knows. This WAS a fatal shooting of the bus driver. The bus driver was shot and killed. The child is being held hostage by a 65 year old man in a bunker in his back yard. This is a 6 year old child and it is NOT his child. The man had demanded 2 children between the ages of 6 and 8. The bus driver refused and was shot and killed. The rest of the children were able to flee the bus.

Hey govt reform, Im all for reporting the news. How about we report some of the 250,000 times a year a gun is used to save a life and stop a crime.

ge takenaka

I gave you a thumbs up ..... for consistency, not content.

Deerhunterbow1

When the 2nd amendment was proposed....they were talking about muskets.

Yes they were. Which, surprisingly enough, happened to be exactly the same firearms used by all the professional armies of the day.

Of course, the media has an agenda to push gun control advocates buttons at any and all opportunities. They will report front page news on anything that could possibly be spun in favor of their agenda. There is nearly zero unbiased journalism anymore. Nearly every news report reeks of bias and personal opinion nowadays and few care to dig into the details. it's sad and will lead this country to ruin. Just a bunch a sheep being herded along to the sheering pen.

John, if you think the government is responsible enough to keep accurate lists for anything, ask someone who has done nothing wrong and yet is unable to get his/her name removed from the do not fly list.

This was a fatal shooting. The suspect kidnapped the child and killed the bus driver in the process. He scared the hell out of all parent that had children on a Dale County bus or a relative that drives for Dale County. The suspect was due in court in the morning for pulling a gun on his neighbor and neighbors daughter. This is a mental health issue. You should read the whole article before commenting.

Rizter,

Good luck going on a school bus with a baseball bat. You wouldn't get much of a swing in such a tight space. Also, how do you say this was non-fatal? The bus driver was killed.

Donding thank you for that information. I did not read it in the article. I was thinking it was a father demanding his kids so that he could kidnap them and get revenge on the mother. I hope they get that kid away from the guy without any harm.

Jack, do you have numbers, or did you just grab that out of thin air?

sooooo...you didn't read the article, but felt you knew enough to comment and argue about it? Yeah, the government is out to get you. Better stock up....

Ban handguns.

Ban dumb a$$es

I agree chuckzul. so go somewhere else. we need to ban idiots like you.

So for all you hard core liberals that want to ban ALL firearms, does that include law enforcement and military? Because they too have been known to be off their rocker and use their weapons to senselessly kill innocent people. Say we stop firearm production; do you really think all the current gun owners (sane/insane) are going to just surrender their weapons, knowing that the criminals aren't doing the same. HELL NO!!! We will be headed toward a civil war in this country when that day comes and where will all you anti-gun liberals be? I'll tell you. You will be hiding in your licensed gun owning neighbors house begging them to protect you?

LC, The only people I've heard mention taking all guns are the LaPierre crowd. You're required to register a car, and able to prove that you're knowledgeable in the use of it. If you misuse this right it may be denied. Gun ownership should hold the same restrictions. If you misuse your weapon, there must be a consequence. While I firmly support Castle laws, I am not so supportive of Stand Your Ground. I believe that, while self defense should be a viable option, SYG offers many the opportunity to shoot first and not attempt to defuse a situation. Also, it is much too easy to use it to commit unlawful murder. It's too easy to explain a shooting as self defense when there's only one side to the story.

Yes they were. Which, surprisingly enough, happened to be exactly the same firearms used by all the professional armies of the day.

Following that line of logic, Denver Bill, we should all have the constitutional right to possess nuclear weapons?

kaybeetoys

Yes they were. Which, surprisingly enough, happened to be exactly the same firearms used by all the professional armies of the day.

Following that line of logic, Denver Bill, we should all have the constitutional right to possess nuclear weapons?

What you say is true, if you thread my statement of fact into a line of logic that comes to an illogical conclusion know in the logic biz as the Slippery Slope Fallacy. The Second Amendment cover the right to "keep and bear arms." Since the amendment says nothing about keeping cannons, the WMD of the day, I presume the Founding Fathers didn't mean to include them.

My post will get better and better as I debate with people that actually try to dispute what I have posted.

Do you think there's a chance your baseless and pointless attacks will get any better?

The one thing you can count on is that the more baseless the attack and ridicule you receive from the Left the more threatened they feel.

I love it. Please keep calling me names, ridiculing, attacking me, etc. After four years, you would think they would realize I am immune to it, I have been called everything they can think of and then some, and it just spurs me on even more.

David Noah

The primary reasons criminals have military style assault weapons is that the NRA and other gun lobbyists have fought against a reasonable system of background checks AND that people who purchased such firearms legally have sold those weapons to criminals. Without the so-called "law-abiding citizens'" demand for assault weapons they would not exist in the hands of any citizens, including criminals.

The actions of the gun loving citizens of this country are the reason that criminals have assault weapons. Now those same gun lovers want more assault weapons to protect themselves from the problem that they caused.

Folks like you are also the reason that we have such a weak background check system in this country. Gun advocates have fought universal background checks and now want more firepower to protect yourselves from a problem for which you are largely responsible.

I have never been against background checks. Do you really think we are against something that protects us as well? Do you really think we want guns getting into the hands of criminals so that our families etc will be at risk?

Would you like to post some evidence to show that the NRA is against background checks?

What good does it do when thousands of people fail background checks and only a handful actually ever get prosecuted? What good does it do when States are not reporting mental Patients, drug convictions, etc.

Maybe it isn't a problem of not tough enough gun laws maybe the problem is the laws we do have are not enforced and the systemic failures in the system itself.

Passing more gun laws will work how when they can't even enforce the ones currently in place?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/29/gun-debate-lawmakers-eye-troubled-background-check-system/

Currently, gun purchases are prohibited for anyone found not guilty by reason of insanity, involuntarily committed to a mental institution by a court or found legally incompetent. Lawmakers in many states want that expanded -- to those under treatment for mental instability, or those released from treatment or a hospital because of medication. Police fear the moment someone goes off their medication, they can become unstable. Therefore these individuals, while not committed, should not be allowed to buy a gun.

Like mental health records, the GAO found drug violations are also under-reported. The agency said most states are not informing the FBI of failed drug tests, as the federal background check law requires. It found:

• 44 states had submitted fewer than 10 records to the NICS controlled-substance file.
• 33 states had not submitted any records even though the law bars anyone with multiple arrests for drug use or possession within the past five years, or those convicted for use or possession within the last year, including marijuana. Yet the report found states with lengthy registries of medical pot smokers did not provide that information to the NICS system.

"Available data suggest that most states are not making these records available," the GAO audit said. Additionally, it said, "On May 1 2012, DOJ data showed 30 states were not making non criminal (drug test results) records available."

It is not for lack of money. Under the NICS Improvement Amendments Act, Congress provided the federal government both a carrot and stick to prod states into compliance, giving the Department of Justice authority to give and take money away from states that did not cooperate. The GAO audit found the DOJ doled out more than $25 million in grants but did not penalize one state for non-compliance.

"DOJ has not administered the reward and penalty provisions of the NICS Improvement Amendments ACT," the report said.

Nevertheless, NICS performs millions of checks every year, and usually in under two minutes. In 2010, the agency reviewed more than 6 million 4473 forms. Just 72,142 were denied the right to buy a gun.

Among those denials, 47 percent were rejected because of a felony indictment or conviction. Yet, just 44 were prosecuted, and 13 convicted of lying on their 4473 form, according to a report prepared for the DOJ by the Regional Justice Information Service in 2012. That represents just .0002 percent of all denials, and an even smaller percentage of the total number of background checks.

don97524

That's all Bull $hit. 99.9% of criminals don't carry an AR-15. A couple of Loonies have used them & they way they used them & the Babies they used them on is what made the headlines. Criminals carry high capacity handguns that are concealable. An AR-15 stands out like a pink elephant. We are only having this discussion because Hussein & MSNBC are making a big deal about them. About 340 deaths last year out of the thousands by all guns & this is the topic? BAAAAAAA BAAAAAAAAAA Sheeple.

David Noah: Keep it short to get your message through, maybe bullet points. People don't read those long posts.

They should read it but they won't, no matter how simple it's written. You could show them videos, news reports, etc. they'd still argue with you.

It's too late for this generation. I'm glad I'm 57 and not 27. It's sickening to see this country go down the toilet thanks to the young, liberal people in this country they're the most spoiled generation in history. My generation has done it and it makes me sick to my stomach.

God help the USA.

Everyone has broken the law one time or another. Even I have, though I've never been to jail. That makes the line between law abiding citizen and criminal very fine. I'm sure Lanze was an awkward, ordinary guy with a gun at one time and then his mother tried to have him committed and he Snapped and took out his rage out. We have something to protect us from the government in case they go beserk (the constitution) but who will protect us from ourselves in case we do? Not much...

If its well written and something that hasn't been posted 100 times before, meaning that I'm not familiar with it, I will read it no matter how long it is.

The people who wont read an entire post are the people that read the post until something is written that challenges their beliefs, or they don't agree with it and are closed minded, so they won't read anymore.

They are usually the ones that can only respond with ridicule and attacks.

"All truth passes through three stages.

First, it is ridiculed.

Second, it is violently opposed.

Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." -Arthur Schopenhauer

So many are saying that weapons that have application outside of hunting or target shooting should be banned and that only our trusted government should have access to anything designed or capable of harming multiple targets at the same time. So what this says to me is that those that support this idea can see no instance anytime in the future where our government has finally gone too far and needs to pushed back? Is that about right?

If you look back throughout history is there not a lesson to be learned about public defenselessness against a government gone tyrannical? Did not the people of Austria trust there populist leader Adolph and agree to surrender their arms to provide a safer place to live? I still have family alive today that remember this and do not want to ever see a time where this could happen again. Americans need to stay well armed so they offer a deterrent against a repeat of the past and are a deterrence not only against a government gone bad but against criminals, gangs, foreign forces and of course zombies.

Enforce existing laws, improve mental health care in all states, and address the root issues that create violent criminals before you just knee-jerk react with measures that have no track record of working.

Let me be Clear; don’t make the Mistake of believing “No one is trying to take away your guns”.

Having been so successful with getting so many on board with banning assault rifles and anything that even looks like one... whether it actually is one or not.... Commissioner Kelly of New York made the statement yesterday after admitting that out of the 1,400 firearms confrontations last year only three involved assault rifles.

He said that the "real enemy" on the streets was concealed handguns.

The setup has begun for the call to ban handguns from all citizens.

don97524:

I think it is also reasonable to believe that if semi-auto rifles are banned, the gangs and criminals will obtain them, as well as full-auto AKs, from manufacturers in China and smuggled into the US. Surely you can recognize this?

All I'd like to say is I'm sorry for the family of the bus driver - someone who doesn't get paid much and has the responsibility to ferry kids to school and back home again safely. I also feel sorry for the chidren involved, who witnessed such a traumatic event.

BabyBoomer,

"When the leader of our military says a certain type of weapon should be "only" for military use and never on our streets, I tend to agree with him."

Gee, why would the military be interested in having an unarmed populace, or at least one with only 6-shot revolvers? Could it be we would be easier to control in the event (when) the military declares martial law and tries to disarm the citizenry?

screminmimi - You are absolutely correct, this must be done carefully, slowly so people don't notice. The evidence is all around. We have become blithly accepting of continuous government surveillance, welcome it in fact. We willingly surrender our freedom so that we can feel safe. Our best defence against tyranny is a health distrust of our government. They are NOT our friends. They wish to be our masters. And with eyes and arms wide open many are just walking into the trap.

kattlekween: You said you're 57? I bet in just a few years you're going to be thankful that all those awful Liberals in the past were able to pass Social Security and Medicare. After all, I suspect you're going to use those, aren't you? If you're so against Liberals, you might want to pass on them. I'm 58 years old and am thankful that there are Liberals to protect me from some of the demented crap I read from conservative wingnuts that think only their idea about morality and economics are the only ones that matter. Maybe you need to turn off Fox News for a while and get a clue.

Oh, and DAVID NOAH: I have to agree with a previous comment. Many people just skip over the long diatribes you post (as well as any others like it). You need to make your point and keep it short and coherent. Use bulleted points, if necessary. Every time I see a post as long as the ones you've posted here, I skip over it. Who knows if it has valid points or not, I'm not here to read a thesis on a topic.

Today's society is so sad. The American people don't stand up and fight for what they believe in anymore. Our doors are left open and allow foreigners to come in and take what is our's and all people want to do is argue about guns. It doesn't matter if you have a permit or not it will happen. The boy who shot is mother and then went in and shot all those children in the school obtained the guns from his mother's collection. So if they want them they are going to get them some how some way. It's not about what was used to do this hanious act it's about cleaning up this country and taking back what belongs to the Americans that were born here. So much has been taken away and given to the foreigners who come over and decide they want to become and american citizen. JOBS are becoming less and less in this country and if you look alot of the good paying jobs are filled with someone other then a caucasion. People are acting up and lashing out because of the way that society has become. The American people need to stand up and take back what is rightfully theirs. Just like our Great Grandfathers and Fathers did when they fought for us. It's not about what weapon was used or how it was used it's about people caring for other peopl. I guess the saying love thy neighbor isn't what it was way back when. People are pathetic and won't even extend a helping hand anymore. Instead of helping these foreign countries with billions of dollars how about putting back into this country. You don't see Great Britian, China or England handing out money like the US does. What happened to the people's voice in this country? My condolences go out to the family of the bus driver and the child but it's time for change in this country. The one's who committ such acts just need to receive the same as what they do to that person. None of this wating for years for a trial and then appealing the decisions for 100 more years while the life of the person they took is over and they are still living and breathing. Nope just end it and save time and money. An eye for an eye, do unto others as you would have others do unto you. This country needs to follow these two quotes and maybe things would change. People have no value on human life anymore to some it's just like going out and hunting an animal. Remember once you pull that trigger there is not turning back and death is final. Which is so not fair for the inoccent ones that are involved. This just makes me sick.

"Gee, why would the military be interested in having an unarmed populace, or at least one with only 6-shot revolvers? Could it be we would be easier to control in the event (when) the military declares martial law and tries to disarm the citizenry?"

That is exactly why. A female soldier and a gay boy scout will be by shortly to collect your weapons. Do not resist or you will be given free healthcare.

Mr Noah - Gotta tell you, with your posts being as long as my arm, I am very disinclined to read it/them. Don't need a diatribe on the situation, especially how banal it is.

Babyboomer, the "Head" of our military who says that assault weapons should ONLY be in the hands of our military was APPOINTED by the community Leader who himself is against assault weapons in the hands of the public.

See the connection?

For those of you that complain about long posts, what are you here for then? What are you afraid of?

Are you afraid it is five minutes you wont get back compared to the hours you will spend watching the Kardashians or Americas Next Top Model.

Isn't the Point of being a Newsvine member to "Get Smarter Here"?

Is the problem really the length, or is it the message, and you dont like having to think about it if it challenges your beliefs.

Maybe its because your having a difficult time ridiculing and attacking it, because I took the time to try and write a well thought out comment and supported it with news articles to make the points, and the best you can do is complain about its length.

Afraid of long winded and pontificating sermons.
Guess you are under the mistaken assumption that anyone really cares, frankly.

@ David Noah I do read your post all the way through, and all are filled with facts and good arguements or points as the case may be. However, as others have pointed out, some are rather long and the average liberal mind can only take so much in one dose. Please keep up your postings, but shorten them up just a little. Thanks from middle-america, we are with you.

Nice retort there bob. Completely meaningless, but nice.

Ban handguns.

@takenaka

Ban handguns.

How original! How many times have you posted that same statement now, 400, 500 times?

Taken aka is what ya might call a "one trick pony."

and yet.............in as they say, wanting to reduce gun deaths. they see no problem in doing whats necessary to (read: kill ) law abiding american citizens to collect the guns by force. really bad idea.

kilroy 63

and yet.............in as they say, wanting to reduce gun deaths. they see no problem in doing whats necessary to (read: kill ) law abiding american citizens to collect the guns by force. really bad idea.

This holds no water, sorry friend. If they're killing a gun owner, it's because the gun owner uses or tries to use lethal force against law abiding citizens that are just following orders. People with families, people that don't get paid enough to risk their lives reigning in nutjobs...AKA the police and the military.

Here's the thing about democracy...laws usually get passed that the MAJORITY agree with. The minority have to live with this in a democratic society. If they ban something and refuse to give it up, you are no longer a law abiding citizen, it's as simple as that. You do not get to pick and choose what laws you think are valid. If you don't like the laws of a country, how about you move? But no, the first response is to attempt to kill a policeman or a servicemember, and deny a family (likely your own) of a father, husband, brother and son.

I'd like your sources, MPA, because I see completely different information when I search.

FBI/DOJ unuform crime reporting.

really CJ ?,

so americans who have broke no laws that own guns that are now legal, suddenly are told those guns are now outlawed, you must turn them in and if you dont we will come and take them forcibly , and use OUR guns to make you do it. this is just plain wrong, these idiot freaking laws these idiots in washington are trying to pass will not do a damn thing to curb gun violence. not a damn thing. they want the guns and obummer will stop at noting to push his will on the people with no vote. he is about to get his butt impeached, he is just arrogant to realize it, or he is blowing smoke to save face, either way these draconian gun laws by funkystien will NOT pass the senate. way too many democrats in the NRA. and way too many politicians that want to keep their cushy jobs. just watch and see.

Really, Kilroy.

Whether you think the law is correct or not is irrelevant. I'm sure we could each come up with a dozen laws we each think are entirely stupid. The difference is, since we live in a Democracy, we either accept them and move on, or we do what we can to change them...in a manner that DOES NOT involve killing fellow Americans. Again, if you find the laws so disagreeable that you're willing to end a life and ruin a family, you should consider moving to a country with laws that don't make you think murder is an acceptable means of settling a difference of opinion.

well said

you are missing the point, the president knows by making these laws that will not fix anything and have not fixed anything on gun violence that this IS going to be the result; he is whining about public safety , but willing to use lethal force to confiscate firearms. knowing full well that people will not just give them up. how many americans own legal firearms right now and if these new laws that WILL not work are passed will become criminals simply because they refuse to comply? we as people as you say must find a way to change the law without killing anyone , but its ok for the federal government to make a law knowing for a fact they will have to kill to enforce it and pursue it anyways. whats worse the president says, if this bill is not passed he will use executive order to make it so. so voting on it is irrelevant, and one man gets to decide? that is not his job. even though he thinks it is. you seem to think im willing to kill to keep my guns. thats bad you say,and it is, but you see absolutely no problem with the feds killing you and me to take them. unbelievable.

MPA, So what you're saying is that the news should only be about the next quilting bee or who just had twins? Sorry to tell you but the 19th century has been gone for a very long time. Another "patriotic American" that believes in suppression of the press. Granted, there are problems with the way news is reported, but I'm sure that you wouldn't be happy with my suggestions to fix them. First and foremost, the press needs to be more like it was during the fifties. Get rid of all corporate ownership and sposorship of news outlets. News at one time was viewed as a public service, not influenced by market trends and corporate orders. Any editorial comments should be labeled as such and kept separate from raw news. Every newsman, like all the rest of us, has an opinion. They have a right to express that opinion, but not to use it to slant news reports.

CJ, you mentioned stupid laws. Did you know there are 14 states in which you can legally have sex with four legged animals? I might not have been imagining things when that lamb looked at his herder and said "Daaaaaaad". What I'm trying to say is that there are many laws on the books all over the country that need to be stricken. We all need to put on our big boy pants and act like we're adults. I agree with the gun rights people on one point. Nobody'll get all the guns, and shouldn't. But the constant acceleration of gun purchases makes it much easier for crackpots like Bunkerman to arm themselves, and that puts all of us at risk.

you are missing the point, the president knows by making these laws that will not fix anything and have not fixed anything on gun violence that this IS going to be the result; he is whining about public safety , but willing to use lethal force to confiscate firearms. knowing full well that people will not just give them up. how many americans own legal firearms right now and if these new laws that WILL not work are passed will become criminals simply because they refuse to comply? we as people as you say must find a way to change the law without killing anyone , but its ok for the federal government to make a law knowing for a fact they will have to kill to enforce it and pursue it anyways. whats worse the president says, if this bill is not passed he will use executive order to make it so. so voting on it is irrelevant, and one man gets to decide? that is not his job. even though he thinks it is. you seem to think im willing to kill to keep my guns. thats bad you say,and it is, but you see absolutely no problem with the feds killing you and me to take them. unbelievable.

If it's in the interest of public safety and the greater good, then I don't see a problem with feds defending themselves against people willing to murder to keep their deadly contraband when the feds simply show up to remove illegal material. It doesn't matter if it's an automatic weapon, a kilo of cocaine, or a friggin' streetbike that exceeds the maximum allowable horsepower.

It's a matter of opinion whether you think the government is right for doing so, or whether or not it will be effective, so it seems you have more of an issue with the theoretical contraband rather than the methods used to remove it. So yes, people willing to kill to keep contraband are criminals as a rule, and do not deserve special treatment.

I do agree with you that getting rid of assault weapons won't make much of a difference though. In order to reduce the frequency (because total elimination is unrealistic) of tragedies like the recent school shooting, we'd likely have to limit non-police, non military/ex military citizens to bolt-action rifles and revolvers. THEN, and this is important, we'd also need to take a good hard look at mental healthcare, and see what we could do to get selfish, lazy, and incompetent people from raising monsters. Tighter restrictions or even total restriction isn't the only answer. There is something very wrong with our people to begin with, and while limiting the availability of guns will potentially reduce their capacity for violence, we need to address the fact that we have far too many freaks willing to kill in the first place.

ok, CJ. i hear what your you are saying. you have a good point. we should obey the laws.

my point is. the president is willing to force his will on the people without the vote and then knowing that by making guns that are legal to own today illegal tomorrow. knowing that by forcing this insane law that people are not going to comply and meekly give up their guns, and killing them may be required.

you have to wonder if the idiot really does have our best interest in mind. i do not want to kill anybody to keep my 2A rights. but i will do what it takes to keep them these are the only things that keep us free.

i hear too many times we are not repealing the 2A we just wanna take your guns......it's the same thing . what do they think we are really that stupid? have a good one CJ keep the debate going i like that .

We need some serious mental health screening in the U.S.

Yes we do. But guess what? They are taking 1.2 trillion dollars from those programs in the next 10 years. We have been cut back for so long we can barely operate. But most people thing that social workers are lazy, over paid people. It's a tough job and nobody is in it for the money because you don't make money in social work but you deal with all the people no one else wants to deal with. No, that would make too much sense to have more MH screening.

Gandi5000: I'm well aware of budget cuts, believe me. People think that anyone that works for the government is a "lazy, leeching parasite" or other phrases I've heard put. They fail to realize that government funding pays for a lot more than bureaucracy. I've always felt we could reduce our prison population if we invested more in education, public outreach, community building, and mental health support. It would probably save us a lot of money in the long run, too. Not everyone is lucky by incident of birth to have the head start some people get - I have to admit I didn't get a head start, but I was lucky enough to be adopted from a foreign country to a great set of parents. That put me ahead of 99% of the rest of the world. The system needs an overhaul, and we need to get smarter about how we spend what we spend, and not just some idiotic "cut spending" ideal that offers no real solutions.

Have you ever thought about who is actually fit to own a gun? I been to Walmart and occasionally seen day time tv. The average person is not responsible enough to take care of a pet, let alone own a gun. Yet these people have the right to decide who they can legally execute. How would you feel if it was up to one moron to decide your fate in a court situation? This country is so infested with guns, that it is impossible to control them. The body count is something that we are all going to have to put up with.

We need some serious mental health screening in the U.S.

Yes, and we need to start with some of the people commenting on this article.

Dave, who are you to determine who is or isn't fit to own a gun? The average legal gun owner is a law abiding citizen who would not use their weapon for anything but sport unless attacked.

While you may not the like the looks of this person or that, that doesn't make them unfit.

Really Janine? I guess you never go to Wallyworld to shop? Or are you one of the "ladies" in torn tights 3 sizes too small with the dirty squalling kid you are pummeling? Is that toothless illiterate at the sporting goods counter with the ammo your hubby?
When gramps in this story, aka "kidnapper" and nut, beat his neighbor's dog to death - he should have been fast-tracked to a rubber room and his "gun rights" permanently suspended.

Janine, do you have school-age children? If so, after Sandy Hook and now, bunkerman, you should be in favor of tighter screening for purchase of a gun. I'm not saying that nobody should own a gun, I'm just saying that not everybody should have that right. Not everybody should be allowed to drive a car. Why not the same rules for guns?

Keep us posted, kayew. I hope this child stays safe. Take care, yourself.

I hate to say it, but that kid will probably be dead by morning. Nutcases who take children are generally beyond negotiation, and usually the child dies within a few hours of abduction. This situation is absolutely horrible, and it's disappointing that most of the comments here are about gun rights. I'm more concerned with the well-being of the kid than the gun/anti-gun debate right now. Gun Schmun, this little boy is probably never going to be the same if he comes out of this alive. Too much crap like this is happening in the world, and my heart goes out to him and his family.

God, please keep this child safe, bless him and his family and give them comfort in this trying time.

As for gun control, the attack happened against a child an an elderly bus driver;a knife or stick would have done just as well. I am in favor of psychological checks before someone can own a gun. Police officers have to take them so I think that's fair.

My main concern is, where all of these nuts with their agendas coming from?! Is it something in the water? Something in the food? Why is this happening now when it didn't ( very rarely) in the past? Is it a simple case of copy cat weirdos or something more?

So, you want an AA gun mounted on all school buses? The NRA does!

Herron does it make you feel good to state non-facts. Did the NRA personally tell you they wanted an AA gun on schoolbuses? Did you read it somewhere? Cite your sources or quit acting a fool.

you ever been in a knife fight? I doubt it and no, you don't stand a chance against anyone who is totally going to get what he wants. Period.

I am conservative, I am liberal, I am human and I have many different facets. I have so far raised my children to be productive citezens and be useful to scoiety. this society is under attack and I will not stand back and let the spineless cowards who are to afraid to fight for whats right ruin this country for my children. What it all comes to on the last page is the anti- gun sentiments are from people who have never been around weopons, never tried to use logic and will never stand up to the bully on the playground. you left wing morons have the right to run down the great people of this country because the people that are standing for their 2nd amendment RIGHTS are preserving your right to get on here and argue with every valid point made with the same ridiculus excuse for logic that you have been force fed from your "Anti-God, Pro-Homosexual marriage, anti right ( as in correct ) draft dodging" predecessors. If your anti gun agenda somehow gets through the next to go will be having a voice and your own ideas about things, wich is apparent that you wouldn't mind that any way as you do not have the mental capacity to form a coherent thought individually anyway. GOD BLESS THE USA and they won't take my guns but I will gladly give them my ammo , one round at a time.

have you ever been around a dictionary?

"If your anti gun agenda somehow gets through the next to go will be having a voice and your own ideas about things, wich is apparent that you wouldn't mind that any way as you do not have the mental capacity to form a coherent thought individually anyway."

Huh? The irony of your post is priceless (incoherent string of grammatical and spelling errors). You've already proven your mental capacity (or lack thereof), and you expect people to take you seriously? Why is it the people calling others morons typically come off the bigger fool?

You know "dad" home schools the 6 kids, sigh.

Jack, using the same argument you used with Herron, did Obama ever say a word about all guns? never. Maybe you should use your own advice and state your sources.

Alabama, shooting, bunker? But he's still smarter than many gun nuts, in that he didn't shoot himself!

An Archie Bunker?

H8TPARTY,

After reading the rant you posted I'd say you belong in the bunker along with the nut case. You both seem to have a lot in common. Neither one of you make any sense.

What the hell is wrong with people-even the animals are scared of humans today...get ready for some citizens to start taking their own actions soon and be VIGILANTES bc if law makers and shakers and politicians dont start doing something then the people will...and with Immigration reform get ready to fight their crazies too...just sit back and watch crime and drugs and porn skyrocket....this nation is losing control and soon to be like a THIRD world country....

Too late! As we pray for the safety of the child apprehended by another nut job, it should be noted that Norma Jean, JFK, MLK, RFK, the USS Cole, 911 and everything since has demonstrated that yer 'soon' is history!

Dont forget:

-Trying to protect God from Atheists.

-Trying to protect unborn children from abortion, so they can be birthed in an alley due to lack of healthcare.

-Trying to protect this immigrant country from immigrants.

-Trying to protect minorities from people who help minorities.

-Trying to protect the vast fortunes of the incredibly fortunate by taxing the unfortunate.

The GOP ? For the last 20 years 40% of gun owners are self described Democrats 43% are women.

It's not a Left vs Right thing. The Second Amendment is an American thing. Start taking peoples guns & see how fast the change their votes. Harry Reid would be the first to tell you that.

Ah, Deerhunter, save your breath. This board is filled with party drones from both parties. Facts just confuse them.

Deerhunter, let me clarify something, I have been a gun owner, and would own one now, except I share a home with my brother who has severe anger issues, and I, for one, couldn't live with myself if I knew that I had any part in arming him to kill someone because he was pissed.

Interesting point on the anger issues - the 2 least stable of my extended family - yep, own hand guns. Keep waiting for that call from reporters, hope it never comes.

Show us legislation based on facts not emotions that will actually help.

Spout off all you want about banning this and that but FACTS prove that you are wrong.

Happytimes, I only hope you never get that call and experience the feeling of remorse to think " I could have prevented this".

An AA gun on each bus would help, so says Wayne La Pew!

You mean sort of like our air marshals who are on commercial aircraft in case of crime attempts?

Ifyou...........

the problem is that the 36 republicans that voted against sandy aid must think that it was just another unfortunate occurrence. The odd thing is that many of them filed for Fema Aid days before the storm. and after the storm didn't hit their areas they voted against the funding. Once again the republicans have shown the world that they have mastered the art of hypocrisy.

Sandyhook Elementary dude ... not Huricane Sandy.

depraw

Oh look, a squirrel.

Depraw.....another well informed Obama voter. They breed, they vote!

Why do you think I keep coming in here to blog?

I do love the number of pointless attacks and naming calling I receive from the Left but I really do it hoping that there is someone from the left that can actually dispute what I write with an articulate argument.

@David Noah

Not going to happen dude, they're way too stupid for that!

Not going to happen because you don't know the facts either. Your just an arm chair reporter that knows nothing about what happened here, or in any media circle. But I suppose that won't stop you so keep blabbing and act all smart. Your the Bee's Knee's daddy O.

Not going to happen because you don't know the facts either. Your just an arm chair reporter that knows nothing about what happened here, or in any media circle. But I suppose that won't stop you so keep blabbing and act all smart. Your the Bee's Knee's daddy O.

Yes, my thoughts exactly. It's pointless to argue with people like you, David Noah. That's why most people don't. It has nothing to do with your "logic" and more to do with your attitude and general demeanor. Besides that, you've proven yourself a hypocrite time and time again. You moan and groan at people calling you names and then you turn around and do the same thing. Arguing with you is pointless because you are one of those "I know everything/I'm right and you'll always be wrong/my crap doesn't stink" type of people that is a complete waste of time to discuss anything with.

Perhaps some self defense classes from first grade onward. Each student, every year. Without these tools people don't have any means to take action to protect themselves and maybe others when in a situation such as this one.

Sometimes the best defense is to run like hell. Sometimes it's to fight like hell. But how do we decide this without some training?

He is not in a custody dispute. He took a random child!!!

He wanted kids between 6 and 8 I wonder if he had a child who was that age and passed away or maybe he lost his kids in a custody battle and they were that age. Either way I hope the child he did take is alright.

I feel bad my early post mentioned nothing about the poor bus driver, God be with his family he did a courageous job trying to protect those children.

tynabee you f&%*$%%G Moron!!!!! What does this have to do with the NRA? Ignorant S.O.B.

Ok most of you did not even read this article but as it is in most of Hollywood Media some of the facts are incorrect.
This Guy is a mental case and in time the facts will come out soon.
But have you noticed no news on how many children have been shot in Chicago already this year...The laws cannot stop the violence we have people that are mentally ill but most of all people that have no value in human life. Truly Chicago has some of the toughest guns laws in our country that has not done a thing to make it a safer city. We have in our state over 200 gun laws on the books now. If you just read the comments hear and really pay attention to how people are responding to each other and tell me what the problem is.
Civility doesn't seem to exist any more. Our problems in this country is much deeper than gun control. You can't take every thing a person can hurt someone with away we must look at why so many people are flipping out. I believe I no why and most of you do you may not want to admit it but you know.

Good grief Charlie tynabee. The NRA is nothing more than an organization with some 4 million members that represent Americans just like you, assuming your are a citizen. It's not an entity pushing an agenda but a collective voice. Think about unions, the DNC. NAACP, etc., they are membership organizations that represent people and voters. To constantly call the NRA out as some evil mindless entity hell bent on the destruction of life is simply absurd and ignorant. Try to use some level of intellectual discourse if you ever want any credibility.

I'm hearing too many eerie things about kidnapper, all I can do is pray for the safe return of this little boy. God watch over him and protect him.

People are saying what if it was a knife or bat should we ban them. One even said should we ban shool buses. The difference is people are being killed with, not by but with guns. People aren't running people over or killing people with school buses, knives or bats in record numbers. An automatic weapon is a convenient way to kill a large number of people easily and seems to be the weapon of choice for murderers and lunatics. I don't suggest banning all guns especially for responsible citizens. The access is just toooo easy.

You are preaching to ideologues who will never let facts get in the way of their vision of Utopia - and hunger for control.

Why don't we just ban school buses. So if you fail a class is it the pencil or the chalks fault.

Dowhat......its in the bunker,watch and see.

@jks1

Dowhat......its in the bunker,watch and see.

And if it isn't, NBC will say it is!

Geez Herron, Ive now read three of your lasts posts and all I can say is that for your sake I hope your a little schoolboy getting his jollies by typing immature emails and giggling. Watch out mommies coming!

Dowhatisright76

Its a breaking news story with one person dead and a child abducted , if any of those affected were your family members would you still think it is a non event blown out of proportion by the media .

A story about another gun nut with his personal bunker who's afraid of the government. Sounds like about half the gun nuts that post here doesn't it.

The only private citizens that should be allowed to own guns and buy ammo are licensed hunters. No private citizen should be allowed to own a handgun which have no other purpose except to take lives.

Do the gun nuts that amass stockpiles of weapons really think they're ready to take on the government? David Koresh tried it and look where it got him:)

People will do just fine without assault weapons. You don't need them for personal protection. You'll do just fine with the other 42 guns you have...no one is coming to take those away from you. Have a glass of milk, sit under the kitchen sink and everything will be OK. Trust me.

Except that the constitution does not specify that I need to manage my guns by YOUR opinions, there Billybob72. So nice try, but mind your own business. I haven't broken the law, I haven't used a gun for illegal purposes and I don't have to lose one or two for any reason. 88 guns per 100 people in this country, and a 10 year shooting war to confiscate any of them. Nothing in this country has ever successfully been banned, what's your plan to get it done?

That would be like somebody coming to take YOUR car because there was another incident of drunk driving somewhere by somebody else.

Once again we have a crazed loner, exhibiting mentally ill behavior out in public night and day... At some point in digging a bunker around his home, the mental health squad might have caught him out in the open, tazed the crap out of him, drug him into a locked facility for a 90 day hold and a little talking to.

@Rick,

What's a "gun nut" please explain.

Right and wrong. Statistics collected by independent and government agencies have shown that while gun violence and death has gone done in relation to the total number of crimes the actual percentage (once again) in relation to criminal activity and firearms has stayed the same and has even increased from time to time.

You are running on old flawed logic. What you are saying is no different from the commercials that state, "The greatest action movie of the year!" Jan. 3rd. Most people don't appear to realize that it is the FIRST action movie of the year.

Here is another example: A city with 500,000 people all driving their own car has a total of 1,500 accidents yearly. Another city with 1,000,000 people all driving their own car has a total of 3,000 accidents yearly. Yet another city with 250,000 people...total of 750 accidents yearly. The majority of the time the graphs and numbers must be viewed more closely as very often the overall percentage will stay very close to the same.

It doesn't matter if there are 70million people in the United States and there are 6200 reported uses of a firearm against another person and the next year there are 70mil ppl in the U.S. and there are 5800 reported uses of a firearm against another person. We are talking about maybe 6ish% difference of REPORTED cases. Multiply that by two for those who haven't reported it or haven't been able to report anything.

TonyJL, thanks for taking us to Pluto and back. And not even mentioning the topic here. You and folks like you, makes me sick. You're so dam busy trying to be smart, until your point is so dam far off the target. Noone comes to these blogs to spend 10 minutes being educated by your dumb logic and by statistics that anyone can look up for themselves. The main thing here in these blogs are people who always tends to miss the freakin' point. Like, the gun-happy folks talking about the man could have used a knife. No shhhhhzt! Everytime a crime is committed with a gun, you gun-happy folks go crying that he could as well have used a knife, a car, a bottle, a sheet of paper... Get real! He used a gun and it seems as if they all uses a gun. So, its time we start fantasizing and call this what it is: a Gun-related crime. How many times has someone committed such a horrific crime with a knife? Right! This nation needs to do something about the guns in our cities. Our kids are being murdered and we can only be concerned about our selfish want to have more guns. Its just pathetic.

"No private citizen should be allowed to own a handgun which have no other purpose except to take lives."

Statements like this by you left-wing nuts are why the right-wing nuts are so paranoid.

The FACT is that the constitution has raised the ownership of arms to the status of a protected and recognized right, and has forbidden the infringement by the government on the free exercise of that right. Speaking purely in constitutional terms, our government has already infringed upon the free exercise of that right, and the vast majority of US citizens are comfortable with this level of infringement. Let's just stop the infringement at today's level. NO NEW GUN CONTROL LAWS. Enforce what we have, maybe that'll help.

Your NUTS! Why was an idiot like that allowed to have a gun and where and how did he get it?

CPH - we are talking Alabama here - a real flag waving, yet anti-government (whatever that means - they like their welfare well enough), that speaks volumes as to why some ex-Vet old man, despite having been a neighborhood terror - and killing a neighbor's dog - walked freely instead of being in a rubber room, much less being allowed to own a multitude of guns.
Shameful, really, feel for the neighbors, the kids and the driver on the bus - and the poor little boy taken most of all.

No doubt happy times. The local D.A. really dropped the ball with this guy.

He killed a dog. That's scary and it should (and did) raise eyebrows. Then his extreme paranoia causes him to dig up his yard. Red flag #2.

THEN, he takes a loaded firearm, aims it a human being, FIRES HIS WEAPON, and the only charge the D.A. files is "menacing", a misdemeanor? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME.

Here in Maryland (and most states), if you take a loaded firearm, point it at a human being and fire the weapon, that's attempted murder, not "menacing". If this guy had done this in MD, he'd still be in jail awaiting attempted murder charges. Meanwhile, some back country D.A. LET THIS GUY OFF with a misdemeanor and look what happened? A good man is dead and a 5 year old boy traumatized. All because a D.A. didn't prosecute a CLEAR CUT CASE of attempted murder.

Menacing? Really?

Exactly! why didn't they take the guys firearms when he shot at somebody or even put him in jail for that . something!

To whoever said that this was clearly the act of a deranged parent, go back and read in the article that it was a random act. The shooter was no relation to the child and there's no evidence that he ever knew him at all.

To the deniers saying that the same crime could have been committed by a madman with a knife; it wasn't. It was a madman with a gun. The gun is what made him bold enough to do this. Using a knife takes guts, that's why there are far fewer knife attacks in the news. Get a clue gun loving morons. You're on the losing side of the argument so shut up and go hug your gun.

You're right, At the very least, they should have seen this guy as presently a threat and, if not lock him up, at least confiscated his weapons until he could be evaluated.

The moral of the story is "real" men don't need guns.

I don't know.. seems like the big mouth got shot...was he your "real man"???

and the PUZZY grabbed a CHILD and ran away. So my answer is yes.

Well your real man got shot and lost his passenger...so that seems to take care of "real men" being able to handle the situation...

And your thought process shows everyone why YOU should not be able to carry a gun.

Come and get it...

DeeTen, You should be ashamed of yourself. You did not know this bus driver to talk about him in this manner. He was not a big mouth that was out starting trouble. He was doing his job, minding his own business and tried to protect those children and he was killed for no reason and you taking up for the murder is sickening. While you are on here shooting off your mouth a childs life is in danger and you have absolutely no compassion in talking the way you are. The bus driver was a vey sweet man that loved his job and those kids on his bus and he was killed for it by a mentally unstable man. The suspect was due in court in the morning for pulling a gun on his neighbor and neighbors daughter in December. I do not believe in outlawing guns because if you outlaw guns only outlaws will have them. The way I see it, law enforcement didn't do their job in December when he threatened his neighbors...all guns should have been removed from this man until his court date and a competency hearing.

Bama, I agree with you, but how dare you impugn the sanctity of the gun. Gun is great, Gun is good. I still can't believe the post I read a few weeks ago where some idiot said that if we enforced gun laws that would restrict gun ownership to sane people. Am I over reacting, or was that just a bit odd?

I am not impugn the saanctity of the gun but these people are not shooting up police stations they are shooting up schools. Why? Is it because police stations are full of guns and people that know how to use them? This man had already been arrested in December for pulling a gun on his neighbors. When that happened, law enforcement should have removed all guns from this man until his hearing and a competency hearing should have been ordered. The guns don't tote themselves to a crime scene. The people that do the crimes are on most cases mentally unstable and should not have a gun and once they have committed a previous offence then their guns should be removed from their possession.

Dee Ten, I'm sure it gives the bus driver's family great comfort to see how much respect he gets for trying to defend the safety of the children in his care. If there were any justice in the world, you would have the opportunity to lose a loved one in a similar situation and feel what they are feeling reading your posts.

You can try that "serious dialogue" sh*t with a gun in your face...but that wouldn't be the first thing that would come to your mind...it would more likely be what is that smell coming from my shorts...

Dee- Cool your jets and untwist your undergarments. It is people like you making baseless attacks that keep the conversation from moving forward.

I have been in combat Dee and doubt that you have done the same so save the threats for someone else.

You have not been in combat you pathetic liar...if you had tried a "serious dialogue" with the enemy you wouldn't be clicking on your keyboard...you'd be dead...

Very mature Dee. Not.

You're awfully young to have been in combat. Thank you for your service.