@Chutebox: Good point. More security would help a lot, whether cops, vets, contractors, whatever. People then argue that they don't want their schools militarized, but guess what... we live in a dangerous world. People (especially the most vulnerable among us) need protecting when human trash decides to unleash hell on those unaccustomed to such savagery.

My solution about the teachers being mandated by law to be protectors I still think would be a good long term solution, but it would take years to implement and finally reach full potential. There'd be a long transition period, but I think it would work. I'm not too worried about kids nabbing the teachers guns, but you can never safety proof life itself, or be completely certain about future outcomes.

@james47: Agreed. It's about power, and the fear of losing that power once you've achieved it.

@needhealing: Did they say so (as in they have proof of it), or were they just speculating like all news outlets do these days?

Solution: Mandate public school teachers to not only carry, but as part of their teaching requirements train with these weapons multiple times a year to become comfortable and proficient in them. Teachers who do not want to put their student's lives first will have to look for another job or work at a private school. These school shooters are fucking cowards. They only attack people and groups they know are going to be easy targets. If they knew that every public school teacher was mandated to be protectors that can lawfully use deadly force, these already very statistically low school shootings would almost never happen.

Now let me rant about guns, because like all school shootings they become political tools to bitch about guns. The 2nd amendment exists for a reason. It does not exist for collecting guns, for the fun of shooting guns, or for hunting with guns. It exists so that if the government becomes an ACTUAL TYRANNY then the people can rise up en mass and fucking kill the tyrants and reinstate the Constitution. That's it. 17 dead people is nothing compared to millions that would be slaughtered if we (or our children) had to deal with an actual tyrannical US government. By and large, people in this country are soft and weak. They do not like to think about having to defend themselves or others in a life or death situation. Violence and death will never go away, they are inherent to the human experience, so stop cowering and hoping it will go away. It will not. Instead learn to fight, learn to protect yourself, and if you ever find yourself in the awful situation where deadly force is necessary, show them no mercy, because they will surely show you none.

@needhealing: Why would someone blame illegal immigrants for this? Was the guy an illegal?

Tragic, but not surprising. We live in a dangerous world and no amount of technology will ever change that.

Yeah... that's kinda part of the anime/JRPG genre. There's always going to be some character you fucking hate and who ruins or worsens the whole experience.

Deal with it, they're your parents. However, when you hit 18 emancipate yourself, get your own place and do whatever the **** you want. Just prepare for it before time. You're 13, you've got more than enough years to save up money and prepare for the real world.

The gaming industry is so fucking dumb these days.

@LJS9502_basic: Your point? Yes we do spend a lot on military... and we should continue to do so. It doesn't account for nearly as much of the budget as people think, but it's well worth it. If we weren't the big dogs on the block, guess who would fill the inevitable vacuum? Russia and China come to mind. One is a gangster run oligarchy and the other is a communist hole. You want either of those leading the world?

As far as social security goes, that's going to drain out eventually anyway. I guarantee, you and I are not going to be collecting from it by the time we're old enough (assuming you are a younger person). By then it'll be long, long gone. I also don't have a problem with the government severely cutting back entitlements, but that's just me. It's not the governments job to support everyone. A small safety net for those who really need it, sure, but the system we have now is incredibly bloated and inefficient. The military (and a powerful one) is a necessity to the survival of the country, entitlements are not. Cut unnecessary stuff first, or at least cut it back a bit, before cutting into necessary aspects of our budget.