No surprise here considering the other extreme legislation introduced by this VA legislator and fellow anachronistic party members. VA may well have one of the oldest representative bodies in the nation but to have members that continuously propose laws that are aimed at limiting human rights or in this instance propose laws that will aid gun manufacturers by proposing legislation that increases demand for more guns should help sensible citizens make the right decisions when 100 of those representatives are up for reelection next year.

I wish I could read an article by a 'progressive' that would define in detail their plan to solve this issue. All I ever hear are derogatory comments with no plausible plan. When a Conservative mentions a plan that most likely would have a positive impact, then suddenly the politics come into play with no viable option provided by the opposition to problem solving but just to leave citizens with a hand-wringing situation. Taking all guns away is not a practical option as it would only leave criminals with guns. Mexico is a good example with the cartels in charge. Look at the city of Chicago. Where is the outrage about Chicago murders on a daily basis? Gun ownership reduces crime and there are stats to prove it. Enough of this politicking and let's start enacting solutions to solve our problems in this country, whether it be guns or the budget.

I meant to state in my previous comment "I wish I could read a comment" not an article.

By the same logic, no assembly of more than two citizens should be permitted without an armed guard: cookouts, book clubs, sewing circles, and cycling clubs. Rowing shells should be fitted with holsters and church pews with gunracks. Restaurants should set the tables to add Mausers to the knives, forks, and spoons. Next thing, animal rights folks will be calling for the arming of flocks of birds in winter and herds of deer all year long. Chickens will join the universal squalk for feathered rights, and shoals of fish will be notified that they must be equipped with underwater cover. Only then will gun rights be truly universal and the world safe from the senseless violence brought upon us by the few remaining non-NRA members left in the biosphere.

Martin and Coilin, please state your answer to solving the problem of school violence. And please don't go off-topic with frivolous statements about Mausers on tables and get over the politics. I have many Democrat friends that own guns. Many liberal celebrities own guns or have security. Let's have a comment with a solution and not just more blah-blah-blah political rhetoric. That gets us no where to solving a problem.

There is no answer to make like on earth a utopia. There will always be good and evil. That is why I believe in a God and don't pretend that I will be able to make life on earth perfect. The simple solution you mention of criminalizing gun ownership isn't the answer even if it was possible because even fertilizer can be used as a mass murder weapon as well. Rocks, knives and on and on are weapons as well as fists and boots. How many articles to we read daily about young people getting drunk and getting in fights and beating others to death almost on a weekly basis? No outrage about the daily violence we face. We have to be realistic. Mental health is where we need to start. Since the ACLU gave the keys to the insane to run their own lives when they need help and medicines have left families of the mentally ill without any recourse until the individual hurts themselves or someone else. This is where we need to start - with the mental health system. And yet, that is never seriously addressed. Never. Just more hang-wringing and ranting against guns which do no good. Mental illness expert DJ Jaffe had an excellent article with a 5 point plan. I hope this link works. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dj-jaffe/violence-mental-illness_b_2308848.html
Let's start reading and working on where this problem seems to start which is with the mentally ill. They need our help since when in a psychotic state they can't understand they need help and need medication.

(Continued)Also, let's work with the FDA for better mental health medication without so many side effects that leave the person with horrible side effects. FDA is working on a once a day pill for the mentally ill since most of us can't remember to take our pills on a regular, timely basis. We need this approval as quickly as possible. I would love to start reading on a daily basis the improvements made to our mental health system. This is what can be done and can make a difference for all. The families of the mentally ill can't even have access to their records without the patients approval and yet they are the ones who have to house and deal with a mental ill person in their homes and they have no recourse. Even to remove them from the house, they need to give 30 days notice, like the person is a renter. Families of the mentally ill need help also. This mother wasn't perfect as she should of had her guns secured and perhaps not taken this son target shooting. But we should be asking what could have been done to help her with this situation. She was trying to have him hospitalized, if what I read is true, but then she had to live in this situation until that happened. It seems the father abandoned the situation and the older brother wasn't involved. So this mother was left alone to deal with this. Please no more politicking and bashing guns. Let's talk about actually helping the mentally ill and their families. Otherwise, we wasting the value of the internet.

In his sermon last Sunday, our pastor asked us to think about the presents we'll be giving our children and grandchildren for Christmas, and to consider carefully those which involve violence. My mind went immediately to any number of video games in which the taking of human or "alien" life is the measure of success. And then I thought of Hollywood and TV. If our children are fed a steady diet of violence, are the odds increased that some of them will act it out in their own lives? And to what extent has our entire culture been changing to mirror what is served up to us daily by the "infotainment" industry? This isn't a new question, of course. And we've heard for years that industry's answer: "We're only giving them what they want!"

Is it really what we want?

I always thought these shows were scripted that way because of the restrictive nature of the FCC in those days about what would get airtime. Are you suggesting these shows accurately mirrored society at that time or would you be suggesting that we have a more restrictive FCC about what gets air time?

Have A Merry Christmas, Martin and others.

There is a difference between being a teacher and an armed guard. I am a nurse and I am not comfortable being required to carry a gun to protect my patients or myself. If the only answer the NRA has is more guns in more places, then we need guns in church, in nursing homes, and everyone in every house needs a gun because you never know how the "monster"(NRA speak) will get in. Maybe it would be a good idea to try something a little more reasonable - fewer guns available, limited ammunition clips, no assault weapons for civilians, background checks before purcahase. There are lots of ideas that make more sense than living in the "Wild West".

The NRA message is one of fear. Fear your neighbors, be afraid in your community, be fearful of your political adversaries with whom you disagree. A political climate of giving no ground to those with whom you disagree destroys the art of politics and creates parties that become bitter enemies fearful of one another. Armed militias afraid of immigrants or the very person elected as President. Fear has had a prominent role in many of our national embarrassments such as slavery, voting rights, women's rights, immigration etc. Fortunately, citizens past and present have risen above the fear and moved forward to do what history has judged to be the right thing. The NRA is entrenched and unwilling to budge on its positions and is thus using fear yet again to try and sway citizens. Politicians who seemingly care only about getting reelected are perhaps the most fearful of the NRA because of their threats to defeat candidates that don't support them. In my view, they are legends in their own mind about their power with the electorate. Elected officials signing pledges to give unwavering support to 2nd amendment rights or to not raise revenues is an affront to democracy and the citizens that elect them to govern and to take action on the issues that impact their constituents. Lobbying groups like the NRA only have power and clout when citizens are unengaged in the civic and social fabric that holds elected officials to accountable for the peoples interest not the special interests.

There is no one answer to this problem. But one thing is that we know these killers crave attention. They are done with their life and they want to go out making a big statement. One small suggestion from this liberal: dont show their faces, dont tell us their name. I dont need t know that info and it takes away their glory. Remember years ago when fans used to run out on the baseball fields? Well, they stopped showing them on tv, they just cut away and the problem has virtually disappeared. Stop "glorifying" these killers. Instead, put on the front page of the Washington Post the picture of another person who was killed.