Colorado Shooting - How horrible!

[cupman]

Yeah but I'd say all things considered this shooter was unique in regards to his education. I'm still a fan of educating potential gun owners but I realize a lot of gun owners are against the idea of requiring someone to be educated. I mean the constitution doesn't say you have to be smart, right?

 

[dainerra]

I've never met a gun owner who doesn't think that people shouldn't be educated to own a gun. You should know everything possible about the law and basic gun safety at the bare minimum.
Any other knowledge/education is actually pretty irrelevant to being a gun owner and especially for carrying concealed. Knowing algebra isn't going to help you with a split second decision if your life is in danger. It's not going to help you to have a PhD in literature or medicine or education.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Seems to me that most mass murders have a rather high IQ...

Low IQ people hold up 7/11s for $50 in change.

 

[cupman]

Taking my point too literally. I just see all these people that get overly excited about their gun but they can't formulate a sentence without a half dozen errors.

 

[wood&feathers]

Cupman, I am both a college graduate and rural resident adept at skinning all manner of critters. Personally I would feel more comfortable around the "possum skinner" with a gun than some college kid who thinks it is his manhood.

As a wildlife biologist working alone I packed a pistol for 8 years, mostly open carry. At least twice a year it made a whole lot of difference in some really hairy encounters. I drilled with an old IPSIC shooter, and at every opportunity - not just set piece paper punching. I have NEVER been comfortable with urban carry. The time and distance within which one must make a decision is just too tight for me. I have no objections to others carrying concealed or otherwise, but I am really uncomfortable with the decision making framework of employing lethal force in that environment. When you sit down with the benefit of hindsight and analyze EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO YOU, it is amazing how tricky mind and perception can be. It really becomes obvious how confusing reality can get. If there's a lethal weapon in your hand pointed at someone you owe it to yourself to make darn sure you have things straight.

At work I relied upon situation awareness. The snippets I have heard suggest that the scene in the theater was very confusing - many people thought it was part of the show for critical moments. So say more than one CCW person was in there, and they also return fire, in the dark and tear gas, who do you shoot? What about the body armor?

Ain't nobody gettin' out of this world alive - we live with countless risks every day. Neither a "nanny state" or a carrying a gun on my hip will change that.

 

[Mattemma]

I'm not against guns I just think we should better screen who owns them. For instance: if you know more about skinning possums than you do algebra you probably shouldn't be allowed to have one.

I feel that is wrong.

The shooter had a college degree,and had just left a graduate program,but looking at his mug shot you would not think so.He looks pretty wacked in his pics.

I do not think a higher education means you will handle guns better. There was a guy about 2 cities over who killed 4 people and himself.They slapped his hands 10 years ago when he was busted with guns,cash,and many prescription pills. He got off and got all but the pills back.Guess what they found after the murders? Guns,cash,pills,and bombs.He wasn't an uneducated twit.Wasn't the Virgina Tech shooter a college student? 32 dead there.

I think in some cases skinning a possum is more useful than knowing algebra..Screening really doesn't help.

 

[thaiturkey]

Perhaps the issue is intelligence and moral code. Dumbos with little or no idea of right and wrong may not be safe gun owners. Those involved in massacres around the world seem to have had more wrong with them than that. Howoever, I wouldn't want to meet a retard with a gun whilst taking a walk in the woods.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I'm not against guns I just think we should better screen who owns them. For instance: if you know more about skinning possums than you do algebra you probably shouldn't be allowed to have one.

Given that this guy was a brilliant academic mind, I'm not sure your screening analysis holds up.

 

[JD4570]

What gun did you use to threaten people who wanted to steal animals? What guns did they carry?

That would be a SLR-95, an AK variant. I got the drop on them. Two had Remington 700 turnbolts , the third a Ruger mini 14 rifle. The fourth was unarmed. The guy with the Mini14 was an even match for my AK, I just was able to come up from behind. Fortunately the property owner's son showed up less than minute later. He had something I didn't have, a cell phone. Lesson learned, always have a way to communicate! I also use the same rifle for hog hunting.

 

[cupman]

Where I'm from algebra is not a part of higher education. Well unless 9th grade is higher education.

I guess I'm just skeptical. Reading this thread you would ask how any shooter would ever kill anyone at any time ever. It appears that if any one of you was at the theater this would have never happened... but given the fact that there were 300 people there and none of them did what all of you claim you would have done I suspect you are being a little naive in your assessment. Like a Monday morning quarterback.