[QUOTE=kladner;324544]I present this for informative purposes. I'm not sure if it qualifies as an argument one way or the other on the availability of these weapons. That would depend on one's point of view.[/QUOTE]

Have you ever pulled a trigger on a gun, and killed another living thing?

[QUOTE=Nick;324532]I think sensational news stories give people the impression that many people with a mental illness are dangerous, but the statistics tend to support jasong's view that, in general, those with such an illness are not violent (and, in fact, more likely to be victims of violence).

The most basic classification of motives underlying violent behaviour is the distinction between expressive (hot rage) and instrumental (cold & calculating) violence.
Modern researchers are refining this, pointing to normative and status-related violence in particular.[/QUOTE]
Awesome post, Nick, thanks.

[QUOTE=chalsall;324545]Have you ever pulled a trigger on a gun, and killed another living thing?[/QUOTE]

I have slaughtered domestic goats by shooting them in the back of the neck. I have also killed and plucked chickens, though that was a manual operation all the way.

EDIT: The former was with a fairly ordinary .22 rifle. As to high velocity, high capacity military weapons, I don't see why they should be general circulation. I had an uncle who hunted deer. He used a bolt action thirty ought six Winchester. While I think this was considered a sniper rifle in WWII, but it has little resemblance to the assault rifles of today. I have never owned a gun, and plan never to do so.

[QUOTE=c10ck3r;324490]...I would like to add, that the antidepressants the "experts" put me on has since caused my thyroid to cease functioning, and the hormones are now replaced by pills that taste nasty :raman:[/QUOTE]
:sad:
What were the antidepressants?

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXUJbW9rg8U"]imagine(it)[/URL]

In my experience, mental illness can take many forms. My son has Aspergers syndrome. He is well above average in terms of IQ but his social skills are extremely inadequate. He is a non-violent person, primarily because strong emotions are repulsive to him, and violence usually involves strong emotions.

I've often heard it said that 99/100 people will commit suicide under some set of conditions. Maybe from a terminal illness, maybe a blown relationship, etc. But you don't have to worry about the 99/100. They will take their own life and that is the end of it. You have to worry about the 1/100 who is different. They don't have a problem with the idea of suicide, but they plan on killing everybody else first. I would point out that the Michigan school bombing in 1927 seems to fit this profile of a person who wanted everyone else to suffer.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster[/url]

My point is that there seems to be a special category of mental illness(es) that lead(s) to mass murder.

Loughner, Holmes, and Lanza are mass murderers. I would submit that the interplay of their particular mental illness with mainstream society must be considered when trying to understand why they crossed the boundaries to commit murder.
DarJones