Despite Heightened Fear Of School Shootings, It's Not A Growing Epidemic

I agree, SSG Robert Webster the last sentence about gun availability in the story turned me right off. It's all about an inanimate object when it comes to guns. If no guns, they make bombs, crash planes into buildings, use knives, etc. If someone is hell bent to kill, they will kill! That is the issue that needs to be addressed!

It's NPR, so it wasn't a huge surprise.

MSgt Steve Sweeney - I have never seen a gun shoot someone or rob a bank, it takes a criminal or mentally deranged person to do that behind the gun. Do we make cars illegal because it was available to a drunk and he kills someone...nope! Do we outlaw cars when a person behind the wheel exceeds the speed limit and crashes with all passengers killed?..Nope! Should we make knives illegal because they can kill in the wrong hands? Nope! How about pressure cookers, did we outlaw them because in the wrong hands they are a lethal device which killed a massive amount of people? Nope! The point I am trying to make, is there are a lot of deadly things in out lives. You can't make them illegal. If a person has his/her mind set on killing someone, they will do it with or without a gun. Look at the bomber in Texas.

MSgt Steve Sweeney - Some drugs are over the counter, and that is because they are most likely not narcotic drugs. It takes a Licensed Physician to prescribe drugs to a patient and require a prescription by a doctor. They know the drug that is needed, body weight ration to drug, and the proper strength of the drug needed. They take into account the patentient's tolerance and consider if the patent might be allergic to a particular drug. Joe blow the drug dealer can't do that, and who knows how that drug they sell was made? Thus deaths occur due to overdose, allergic reactions, etc. Since the opoioid drugs are prescribed, it can not be refilled with out a Dr. The reason selling drugs is illegal, is that that it takes a Pharmacist to insure the proper drug is sold and they can speak to it's quality. Drug dealers do not have a product. You have no clue where those drugs came from or how they were made. Comparing a drug dealer to a Gun shop owner/gunsmith, is like comparing apples to dog shit. The gun dealer in any state must abide by the federal law and the State law, which requires several forms of ID, and NCIC criminal check, a waiting period of 5 days, the product sold in the gun shop has already been run through the National checks to see if it is stolen or wanted and in some states the procedure is even longer. And the gun shop dealer will only sell quality firearms. I doubt the drug dealer will do all of that?