It's really interesting the different opinions that have popped out of my starting this thread, and that was the whole point.
Its sad that things like this happen, but the problems start at home with the parents and the family.... to blame it on religion/non-religion, guns, video games, movies peer-pressure is excuses IMHO.
I grew up with peer-pressure, religious issues and everything else that goes with being a teen-ager in the 70's and 80's. This is nothing new, and blaming it on the media, in part is true and not.
My Da taught me to shoot a gun when I was 5 yrs old, and drilled the importance of how dangerous they were to all us kids. We had loaded guns in the house the whole time I was growing up, and NONE of us touched them without permission. As for where kids get the auto's, semi's and grenades and such. You can buy them out of the back of blackmarket dealers cars... Gun control is one thing, but by banning certain types of guns, all you are doing is making them more accessible on the black market. The waiting period is working, it justs takes awhile for it to work right. And yes, there are alot of irresponsible parents out there, who DO NOT teach their children right, and to put this on teachers is not right. They have enough to do with trying to teach children what they need to know from SCHOOL, not what parents should be teaching all along at home.
I hope I have not offended anyone, as I said this is my personal opinion, and two of those shootings have occured in my state (Arkansas), so..........
Being 35 yrs old, and 14 yrs in the military, I have traveled all over the world, and seen alot of different people and countries. It is not just the U.S. that has this problem. When I was in Israel, a 12 yr old, carrying an M-16 rifle fully loaded, came up and asked if he could have his picture taken with me. A 12 yr old carrying a gun in public. So, it could be alot worse??
I will step off my soap-box now,
and let someone else have a crack at it...