the mass shooting of late appear to be happening due to a combination of mentally disturbed people and their ability to obtain weapons capable of killing large numbers of people quickly. We definantly need to improve on both of those fronts. While i am a hunter and desire to have a weapon for self defense, I don't see where a near fully automatic weapon with a high volume magazine has any place in society except the battle field in the hands of trained soldiers. i do not fear that my right to own a firearm is ever going to be denied, and I am willing to suffer a few incoveniences in order to keep a device that can so easily kill a human being out of the hands of the mentally ill and non law abiding citizens.

If we are truly concerned about gun violence, we need to be concerned about all violence. We need a holistic approach to reducing violence in the country. It requires an approach that deals with mental health, social and cultural values, and aspects of the legal system that fail to prevent violence. More than anything else - politicians need to stop politicizing the issue. Issues that are made political only become divisive and no real progress is made. The congress's and administration's efforts and promises so far have been partisan. The biggest problem with gun violence is that the states have allowed the federal government to lead this effort. There is no one-size-fits all federal solution. The states need to reassert their primacy on this issue.

Though such mass shooting are deplorable, the truth about such wicked things ought to be made known. Their frequency has been declining over the decade not increasing. Further, a common thread in all such events (not counting terrorist acts) is the psychiatric drugs used by the murderer by prescription. Peer reviewed articles have warned about the side effects of mind altering drugs including tendencies to violence and to suicide. Israel stopped school violence by allowing school personnel to defend themselves. They allow staff to carry firearms. Does anyone not realize that "no self defense" zones are invitations for disaster? The real world statistics are readily available, but they do not coincide with the agenda of those who love power and design tyranny.

I am a 2nd Amendment advocate. We must ask ourselves, "As responsible gun owners, how do we appropriately respond and confront the opposition to the 2nd Amendment Rights of personal gun ownership and reshape the gun-control debate into one of caring for those hurting individuals who need help?” We must take up a media campaign strategy. The shootings are only a miserable symptom of a much bigger problem in our society, the root cause, hurting people in need of love and care, those enduring hard and stressful times in their lives and noone reaching out to them appropriately. 1) The NRA and ALL other gun and hunting organizations, along with independent gun owners and hunters who are NOT currently organization members, must be rallied to collectively support a PROACTIVE and united front, and take ownership of the responsibility to take the Legal Gun Owner and 2nd Amendment Rights message to the public and liberal media…A MESSAGE of hope and of helping others who are under personal/mental stress and perceived hopelessness, and coupled with a strong message of personal responsibility for gun owners. We must rally our forces and begin forming immediate partnerships with good Care and Help Organizations to see that hurting people get the appropriate help to relieve mental and situational stresses in their lives. 2) We CANNOT ALLOW THE LIBERAL OPPOSITION TO OWN the entire debate and stage; calling for gun-control as a means to fix the problems when we know they are barking up the wrong “root cause” tree. We MUST put the problems on the individuals who demonstrate irresponsible and blameless behavior...but in a tactful and strategic manner. The stage has already been set, and sadly so, but not by our own choosing; it has been set and we must respond to invoke a message of both personal responsibility and one of responsibility to help others. If we as gun owners are not taking our implied and inherent responsibility seriously, we should be the first to condemn our own (within the 'gun owning' family). Don’t be an outsider (anti-gun liberal) and inject yourself to condemn our family (of gun owners) and our business. We allow them because we don't confront or condemn our own irresponsible (family) behavior. 3) Legally owned guns should NEVER be found being used to inflict harm on others. That’s egg on ALL our faces from the hypocrisy. Gun owners must be more proactively responsible to ensure guns are not accessible to those who may improperly use them to harm others or themselves, either unintentionally or intentionally. Some advertizing messages needed: A tragic event such as those recently publicized in the media reports is a manifestation of a much greater set of problems within our society. With gun ownership comes much responsibility. We need to stop shirking personal responsibility (as a society) when those around us are emotionally hurting. We must reach out in love, not condemnation, to those who show signs of stress and despair. It shouldn’t have to get to this point before we start caring. Where were all the people in all these (over the past 30+ years) shooters' lives who saw/should have seen the signs in those people's lives and been morally courageous enough to step in to help them appropriately, with compassion not condemnation? Is someone near you hurting? Are you demonstrating that you care about them personally?

The above comments show limited understanding of effective means to reduce such incidents. Prohibitition of future sales of assult type weapons would help (somewhat), the reduction of magazine capacities would also help (somewhat); but the non-availability of assult weapon ammunition would be a better method (when the current supply is exhausted, "empty magazines" would guarante non use of assult weapons).

Dear Congressman Forbes, Thank you for sending these surveys and asking constituent's input in this all too important process. In regards to your comments on the tragedy at Sandy Hook, your first comment 'improve mental health screening' is a bit too simplistic for this extremely complex issue. Parents and loved ones need to be vigilant, first. A family in denial to such realities is a significant part of the problem, better screening exists, our mental health care practitioners can attest to this-- The onus must start in the home, and people must act on said realities. Remember, the Son of Sam was a mass murderer, as well, the signs were there well before he acted. As for the gun regulation, I do believe assault weapons should be banned. The only people who are truly trained in using these firearms are regulated, and must return those weapons to a safe place, empty of ammunition.

I'm curious why I've not heard anything about the controls in the household for these guns. Safety starts at home. Guns should not be left lying around regardless. They should always be locked up, especially if you have young children in the house or if you have mentally "challenged" teenagers or adults.

One observation on the violent school killing . We have a child from an affluent family with an income in the top 1%. We have a mother noted for spending her time in a bar and a troubled child. It would seem that they had access to guns, mental health care and education. Then the question why they took no action when they clearly were not disadvantaged in any traditional sense. I can see no law that could have fixed this other than a total ban on firearms. Is society really that dysfunctional or is it just exacerbated by the attention bad events get in the media. Solutions will require a societal attitude change and a program akin to MADD (mothers against drunk driving).

I fully support the 2nd Amendment that gives us the right to protect ourselves. However, assult rifles and semi-automatic weapons are not designed for defense purposes and should not be allowed for civilian use. I also believe that advancements in understanding and working with mental health illnesses should become a priority. As a Christian, but more as a believer in human decency, I have a hard time believing Jesus would advocate the use of gun violence as an appropriate measure to deal with gun violence.

Randy, I took the poll on how to tackle the heartbreaking issue of how to stop another Sandy Hook. The only issue on controlling guns I believe we should look into is the availability of assault weapons that are not useful for hunting. I do not understand why normal citizenry needs assault weapons for recreation or self-protection, at least not at this point in our cultural demise! On the other hand, simply creating tighter reulations on registering weapons certainly would not address such a situation. The mother did not cause anyone to question her rightful ownership and she was registered, as I understand. We must look at all the angles of this, especially how to provide substantive assistance for parents and families facing mental illness. How do we get intervention before someone snaps? Education is important as well. I have to wonder if the mom was about to institutionalize her son (allegedly), then why would she have guns available, knowing he was unstable? Do all you can, Randy. The cultural issues are major, and the media plays a huge role in this whole juggernaut. Thanks and know we're praying for you! Joan

This is not about some silly superstition or about teach "Bible morality" (as if there were such a thing!). This is about accepting the obvious: that the more guns there are in circulation and the easier they are to get and the less control we exert over them as a society, the more people will be harmed by them. Even responsible gun owners can see this. If you can't see this, then you are obviously not a responsible gun owner and your voice should be minimized by the vast majority who understand this.

Whatever is good for US citizens should be good for the president Obama, other politicians and the Hollywood left. So, whatever type of guns are banned for US citizens should also be for their body guards & Secret Service. (No disrespect intended toward Randy Forbes

In light of the fact that the wound to kill ratio of rifle ammunition is close to 100% as opposed to roughly 20% for pistol rounds and because of the large capacity magazines that assault style rifles are fitted with, I'm feeling that the assault rifle ban is an appropriate tool. In other words; because mental illness will always be with us I'm more comfortable with less lethal weapons on the street. As an example, I think we could all agree that anxiety over Iran would be much less if they were building underground bow and arrow production facility's rather than uranium enriching facility's. In the same way that hand grenades and machine guns are too lethal to allow on the street, semi automatic rifle's with more than 4-5 shots in my view are also unneeded.

The average number of victims when Law Enforcement Officers stop these mass shootings is over 18. The number of victims when the shooter is stopped by a citizen with a firearm is less than three. The average response time of Law Enforcement Officers to these events is over 7 minutes. The average response time of a private citizen is 5 seconds. These are FACTS. The folks clamoring for "gun control" care nothing about violence or guns, rather, like the Kings of old this is about turning one's political opposition into criminals to control THEM. Anyone who believes otherwise is not thinking rationally. Our Lord said, "He who has not a (weapon) let him sell (an article of clothing traditionally 'pawned' in emergencies) and obtain one. When I was with you yo had no need of these things but now you do". (Luke 22:36) I trust my Lord more than I trust my government, frankly. You folks in DC are becoming "progressively" less responsible. It is past time for Truth. Please, please I beg of you, demand the truth and settle for nothing less. If we continue to let lies and liars participate in our communities and government and continue to let liars wave the "bloody shirt" we may find ourselves where we have been before. It was known afterwards as "the late unpleasantness". Hundreds of thousands were killed. It may already be too late but please, please, I beg you stop dealing with liars and deceivers.

I believe the second amendment is important. I believe an individual has a moral right to defend himself, other inocents, and his property. I do not believe that government or anyone else has the right to deprive him of the means of doing so. Having said that, I also believe it is possible to do better at defending innocent children and others without punishing responsible and law abiding citizens. Too often, with gun control and other issues (airport security for example), our society has been conditioned to accept punishment of the innocent instead of targeting likely offenders. If it's OK to strip us of our second amendment rights, why is it not OK to profile - characteristics of killers for example. Surely there is enough data available by now to identify high risk persons. Of course this would be expensive and would further degrade our second amendment rights, but I believe it is a better direction than arbitrarily disarming the entire population. What a windfall that would be for criminals and other foreign and domestic enemies! I also believe that some kind of brokerage in all firearms trade would help enforce existing laws regarding criminal possession and possession by mentally impaired people. This would be another erosion of the second amendment, but to me, it is preferable to the more serious consequences of punishing the innocent mass of law abiding citizens. Make no mistake, the second amendment has already been eroded because of abuses by a few. When I was growing up in West Virginia in the 50s and 60s, guns were common in most households, and nobody was concerned about it - it was taken for granted. In those days, none of the mad kinds of acts that we witnessed at Sandy Hook were occurring. Why? It wasn't because there were no guns around. So what else has changed? The answer to this question has to be part of any solution that might be entertained as credible. The root causes of this cultural shift must be understood. Otherwise, the burden will still be borne by victims and by law abiding citizens, while those who have committed or might commit an attrocity, and those who contribute to social conditions linked to such attrocities, are meticulously protected.

I believe there is a law that bans the possession of guns in the Congressional buildings. If that is true, why are the men and women of Congress permitted a safe gun free work environment and we the public are not. I would not feel safe knowing people around me could be carrying a loaded weapon. More guns does not equal more safety. Limit the ability to purchase guns and the types of guns available, improve on the background checks and increase availability of resources for mental health patients.

I recently learned that some school districts in Texas actually encourage their teachers to get their conceal to carry permit. Teachers should be allowed to protect their classrooms if needed.

I am a teacher and a gun owner and a member of the NRA. Because of the NRA I have been trained in gun safety, am comfortable with my firearm and am a responsible gun owner. Since our government has created gun free zones in our schools, it is an open invitation for wackos who want to make a statement to attack. No amount of gun control in the world will keep a deranged individual from obtaining a firearm...unless of course you want our government to confiscate all guns. Then guess what, our government holds us hostage.

The time has come for us to see the truth and do what must be done for the safety in our schools and other public places. The places where guns are prohibited are the target of shooters who are basically cowards and will not walk into a place where guns are allowed. Arm teaches if they are willing and show the ability and have training to carry a weapon. As to the complaint that what if the teacher flip out or something. Use common sense and do a test to see how the teacher reacts in emergency situations. I think the way the teachers in Sandy Hook responded, without any weapons shows us that if just one of these brave teachers had been armed much of this could have been avoided. If we don't want to provide safety to our students let's just discontinue it for elected officials.

I am just as upset as the rest of you over this incedent but it ticks me off to see how the media and talk shows have tried to capitalize on this. Piers Morgan is just one of them and he isn' t even an American. He says these are automatic weapons that can shoot 3 to 6 rounds a second. Why doesn't someone stop these false nonesense statements. They are scaring the uninformed public and forcing them to make uneducated decisions on gun control issues. We should look at the mental health system first. second, until the mental health issues are addressed put more guards in our schools.

The second amendement was formed during a time in history when man may have needed a gun for survial,No one today needs a gun that shots that many times.We are suppose to be a civilized society.What about all the children who are killed each year by a gun in the home because someone owns a gun.Maybe the guy was mentally ill but if he had not been able to get a gun owned by his mother, maybe this and other mass shotting could have been avoided.

Dear Sir I feel that we don't need more gun laws to punish the law abiding citizens. We need to enforce the laws on the books now. The criminals don't care what the law has to say (that's why we call them criminals). Yes Sandy Hook and many others are extremely heart breaking BUT those people that committed these horrendous crimes where going to kill people regardless of how they had to do it. It would have been so much difficult to deal with if they had chosen to use a sword or machete and had hacked at the victims. Guns are not the problem it's the lack of law enforcement and the continuing loss of funding for police and courts by our governments.

The solution is in plain sight - stop the no-gun-zone approach - it does not work, it invites criminals. We take our children and our guns to grocery stores every day. Grocery store is a gathering place for people of all kinds, nice and not nice, violent and not. Yet how many times do we hear about massacure in a grocery store? No one considers a grocery store "a sensitive place" similar to school and suddenly bans guns in grocery store. We take our kids and our guns to Pet stores, kids stores, etc. Kids are everywhere. Criminals are everywhere. So we need to have our guns everywhere we and our kids are.

The real problem appears to be the access to multi round semi automatic weapons that give a sense of invulnerability to criminals and the mentally compromised that leads them to believe they can engage in criminal activity with impunity. These kind of assault weapons must be banned and removed from access by the general population.

every anti gunner wants to point fingers and blame the gun owners.there are millons of gun owners in this country.and since the sandyhook incident from what i have seen at the locale gun shops there are a lot of first time buyers out there.the histeria that all of this has caused.why when someone is suicidal do they want to take someone with them.adam lanza's mother knew he was ill but she chose not to get him help or buy a gun safe to keep guns out of his hands.she paid for that with her life.this young man snapped and who knows for what reason.middle and high schools have armed policeman to help with delinquints but they were never at the elementry schools until last week.also when a lunatic goes off and kills it is usally of massive size.you also have murders everyday and all to often i read in the paper that they charged convicted felons with possesion of a firearm.they are not getting these legally no back ground check what so ever.the laws that are there now are being used by the law biding citizens but not the criminals.take guns away and only the criminals will be armed.

Randy, This past week I submitted an email to you, Senator Warner, the Speaker, the Vice President and the President expressing my views on what I believe to be the core problem, thought about weapons classification and Gun Free zones. There is not a perfect solution but I hope these recommendations are helpful and stimulate some productive dialog. Best regards, Pete

INFORMATION ON WHETHER OR NOT A PERSON HAS EVER HAD A MENTAL PROBLEM SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED AND READILY ACCESIBLE TO STATE POLICE IN THE CASE OF BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR THE PURCHASE OF FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES ETC. THIS INFO. SHOULD BE IN A SEPARATE FILE ON THIS INDIVIDUAL TO BE ACCESSED ONLY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ONLY FOR THE REASON STATED ABOVE. WE ALL NEED OUR PRIVACY BUT THAT, AS ANYTHING ELSE MAY BE CARRIED TO EXTREMES. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO EXPRESS MY THOUGHTS IN THIS MATTER. H.M.

To bad this WHOLE topic is NOT more slanted towards "Mental Health". Just WHAT meds are/were these young men (who commit these mass shoot'g deaths) taking? Just who is his Doctor, who is writing ALL these prescrptns? I my self wonder ~if~ any "Big Pharma" companies just happen to give some of the (more) well know Senators & Congressmen. & THAT is why, Mental Health AND pill perscribing & Doctors are NOT being looked into. Sir, DONT take my guns! As ya'll have already heard ~ Guns dont kill, People DO!

Privacy laws get in the way of family helping family. Mentally ill patients need their families to intervene on their behalf when the patient's thinking is not right. The government has taken this away. Children are not the only ones who need to be protected. The mentally ill need to be protected. Why does our culture believe children seeing adults smoke cigarettes on tv and in the movies is bad but ignore the affects of viewing violence in video games? Our government is hypocritical to be so concerned about the innocent life lost at an elementary school while allowing innocent and defenseless children to die every day in what should be the safest place for them, the wombs of their mothers. We need to protect all of our children, born and unborn. We need to protect the mentally ill. We need to be able to protect ourselves.

In light of the Press Conference of theNRA, the suggestion of putting a policeman in every school is a great idea. Of course the question of cost, why not put an additional tax either on the sale of guns or on the sale of ammunition to fund the cost of putting police in every school. Thanks, Craig

With all the thoughts about gun control, the only one that I kind of agree with is the ban on semi-automatic "assault' weapons. I can see why people need a handgun, rifle, and shotgun, but I can't think of a reason to have an assault weapon. I have firearms for self defense and I believe in the 2nd ammendent. Continue your good work representing the 4th district. God bless you and your family. Merry Christmas.

The media is really getting a lot of mileage this week, questioning why the general public needs a particular type of firearm. Based on the rapid fire, inaccuracies during and immediately after the Newtown shooting, maybe we should ask ourselves why do we need media - biased as they are - inciting panic through misinformation? I mean, who are they accountable to? Based on recent observations, makes me question the trustworthiness of every other story!! Wouldn't it be much better to get the story straight from the government who will (eventually) get to the bottom of the story? In fact, I've been wondering why we need a third ammendment. I mean, doesn't everyone support the military? Of course I wouldn't mind quartering soldiers in my home. Why do we need a fourth ammendment? If you don't have anything to hide, why shouldn't you trust the government to occassionally conduct a spot check of your person, house, papers, etc. Don't get me started about the fifth ammendment, I mean, THATS probably why we don't have personal accountability anymore! If someone does something wrong, I think they should man up and tell their side of the story - it should be mandatory - instead of wasting everyone's time trying to figure out who did what. The second ammendment is the last ditch line of defense against an out of control government. Asking that same government what they think is best for us is like asking welfare recipients if the rich should pay more taxes!!

A recent FB post caught my attention: "If a madman wants to kill innocent people he will find a way. Killers don't need guns to kill people. Timothy McVeigh used fertilizer. 9-11 terrorist used box cutters and & planes. The Nazis used cyanide gas... Taking guns from innocent people will not protect innocent people. The problem is not guns. It is a Godless society!" Personally I am saddened but not surprised at the violence in this country. The concept that every human being has an inherit right to life starts at conception and continues as a preservation for the elderly. Those basic of biblical truths to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.’ and to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ are not the words of radical fundamentalist. They are values of an infallible creator whose wisdom should be reinstalled in the curriculum of every school in America! It was Daniel Webster who concludes: "If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."

1) Statistically violent crume has increased in every western democracy / democracy country where strict gun controls were placed on the books. 2) The 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. It relates to the citizens of this nation being able to protect themselved from from an oppressive government. The militia in English Common Law was every able bodied male between the ages of 16 & 60 who could supply their own arms. It was not the National Guard (a federal entity). While the extreme left may choose to use a more modern understanding of the term militia, they are simply preying upon the ignorance of the populace. You must go back to seek the intent of of our founding fathers and not view their wording of 236 y/o through a prisim that is manipulative of ingorance. 3) Gun free zones are actually "criminal safe zones". They realize that the people there will be unarmed so they are soft targets. There are no gun free zones in Israel & Switzerland. Its been awhile since anything has happened in either location. 4) The citizens of this nation may take serious exception to the draconian measures being considered. The years that have elapsed since the last gun ban have shown the American People that government cannot be trusted to act in there own best interest. The secret gun cabal headed by Mayor Bloomberg (who has no need of of a weapon since he has bodyguards) in collusion with Obama, Soros, the UN, and the US Dept. of Justice, will stop at nothing to achieve the turning every citizen in this into a subject.

I believe that the laws concerning background checks for purchases made a gun stores should also apply to gun shows just passing through town. Also restore the bang on asult weapons and do not allow extra large clips

Congressman J. Randy Forbes, I feel that many lives could have been saved at Sandy Hook had any one of the teachers or administrators had had a weapon and did not have to face this situation empty handed. Cowards choose gun free zones so that they will not encounter any viable resistance. Gun free zones increase the carnage in every situation. Our constitution is already being dismanteled and now we, the law abiding citizens, are faceing more anti-self defense legislators thinking that they could have talked their way out of the killing all these kids and teachers. I feel that more gun control will add to the carnage in future situations. Thank you.

What happened in Sandy Hook was tragic! Live is full of tragic events, thats life. Whenever something like this happens it opens the door for knee jerk reactions. As my pastor said so correctly this is not a gun issue ... its a heart issue. When Cain killed Abel, it was a heart issue. The club didn't kill Abel, Cain did. And if he hadn't had a club he would have killed him with his bare hands or a sharp bone. What we need, is to remember who it was that worked behind the scene, manipulating things according to his purpose, that made us the nation that we are. We have been given a great opportunity to govern ourselves, with more personal freedom than any other nation of people in the world. God gave us this opportunity and this freedom for a reason. Our founding fathers saw the need to depend on him for leading the nation. Many of us have lost that vision. Its funny ... no its tragic, how when something like this happens, even the president starts talking about the bible and what Jesus said. Where is that need for the bible and Jesus in the course of a less than tragic day. On a tragic day we don't worry who the bible or Jesus offend but on a "normal day" Jesus has to stay of the shelf with the bible. In its simplest form ... its a heart issue.

These days everyone wants to be so politically correct and ignore any differences. The reality is that there are some differences that we cannot overlook. A cognitive deficit puts not just the person with the disability at risk but those around them at risk as well. In the past, someone with a disability was warehoused away from society and kept out of the public eye. Today the pendulum has swung too far the other way. The mentality seems to be that if you put someone in the right setting they will magically be able to understand and function. This is just not true. There are too many people that need help and don't know how to get it. These shootings may be the only thing they think of and they don't think about the consequences. We need to be taking care of everyone, not just making a law that takes something away from everyone.

The threat of legislation to suppress our civil rights (to keep and bear arms) by those who do not even understand firearms, using the tools of presentism and emotion, is dangerous to our Republic.. There is a system for changing fundamental rights in America. It is through constitutional amendments. There is no other approach than is morally acceptable in our system of ordered liberty. Politicians who swear an oath to support and defend our constitution, then vote to destroy the individual freedoms that the Bill of Rights guarantees, are hypocrits and liars. Those that sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.

The common saying is "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." I agree. The same applies to video games, tv, and movies. Games, shows, and movies don't kill people. People kill people. People need better access to mental health treatment. It is easier to get a gun than for someone without insurance to get treatment.

No need for a sport shooters or a hunter to have an assault rifle. A sport shooter prides him/herself by an accurate placed single shot. A hunter if he does not get his game with the first shot might get it with a second shot and should not be hunting if it is going to take three shots. The animal will long be gone. I am a sp0rt shooter and use to be a hunter. If you want to use an assault weapon join the military or better yet join the marines where you can have a personal relationship with your weapon. They will offer many opportunities to use your weapon against real threats instead of helpless young kids.

C. Eugene Meek and Dan Comins, you are wrong. The Second Amendment is meant to protect the people from THE GOVERNMENT. We see daily (those of us who are aware), assault and even murder under color of authority by an increasingly militarized government, at all levels. Our rights are being stripped bear in the name of security. A security which never seems to materialize, no matter how many liberties and intrusions we are subject to. Feeling safe is not the same as being safe. Some of us do not suffer from the delusion that safety can be legislated into existence against raving lunatics. But the bleating sheep continue to whine for even greater restrictions and the implementation of a police state. If banning guns would stop gun violence, banning drugs would stop drug abuse. The reality is, this just ain't so. The common thread among all the mass shootings, not picked up on by the main stream media, is the treatment of the perps with legally prescribed mind altering substances. Why are the pharmaceutical companies and physicians supported in this by our regulatory systems?

Our focus should be on 'People' and their lack of respect for human life, not guns. Consider the thousands of children murdered [each and every day] in this country by abortion. We freely vent outrage for 20 innocent children slaughtered in Conn; yet condone the 'daily' murder of an estimated 3,000. Is it because we do not see their innocent faces? A search on Google for "pictures of abortion" will reveal not only the faces, but perfectly formed little hands, arms, legs and feet, cut into pieces and thrown into the trash. You will not see nor hear of these children on TV, because the liberal media has convinced us they are only "lumps of flesh." What a backward nation of hypocrites!

I would change the third to last responce to read, "fear that cultural shifts away from spiritual values contribute to violence." In this and many other areas I feel that we have turned our backs on God and his will for us as individules and as a nation and are thus suffering the consequences. Not that He is punishing us but we are turning our backs on the rules (for lack of a better word) that lead to life and Life.

There is no one solution. We need more help for parents that deal with children with mental and social conditions. We need to ban assault weapons. We need stop taking thing out of school and the public that tears down traditional beliefs. Today parents & teacher have lost their rights to even discipline the children we are raising and teaching. Children now rule the home and class rooms. The school needs more security. They don't need more guns in the school, that wouldn't have stopped the killer in sandy hook. They need more secure entrances. If the school had a double entrance made from bullet proof glass and a metal detector, the killer would not have be able to get in the school. A person would buzz to get into the first door and have to go through a metal detect0r. If they have weapons it would set off the metal detector and the front door would lock. This would have locked him between the two doorways with no way out. Police would be called to take care of the person. All other exits would be metal doors. This would help even with students that bring weapons to school.

First and foremost I do not own a gun. However, I strongly oppose any legislation that infringes upon the 2nd Amendent. We have strong laws opposing drugs but the use is increasing, the destruction of personal lives is out of control and most importantly the deaths resulting from drugs (many involving guns) are excessive. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. As far as putting armed persons in the schools, I think a mock reconstruction of Columbine, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook, placing an armed person at a strategic location would go a long way in determining the value of that idea.

Congressman Forbes, I am appalled that you would release a poll on the shooting at Sandy Hook and not include banning semi and automatic weapons. Apparently you are a true politician who is not interested in an accurate poll, but in one that will reflect your views and support the NRA. This is exactly what is wrong with Congress!!!! You should be ashamed to publish such a biased poll. Guess you don't really care about those children and adults who lost their lives at Sandy Hook. If you did you could not in good conscience fail to give those taking your poll a choice on gun control. As a teacher who doesn't want to be armed, let me say NO ONE needs an assault weapon unless they serve in the military or the police force!!!!

The breakdown on the traditional family is at the core of all the violence we are experiencing as a society. Honoring The word of God and the strengthening of traditional marriage is absolutely necessary to change the culture of death into a culture that honors and respects human life from conception to natural death.

What happens when an armed teacher shoots an innocent student? Don't think it will happen...think again. Arming teachers is the wrong answer. All this will lead to is an arms race in the schools. If a criminal is intent on doing harm and knows there is an armed staff, that criminal will be better equipped. For example, in the next attack, the criminal will be wearing body armor and a gas mask, have modified fully automatic weapons and disperse tear gas before shooting. You see where this is going? What will be the next step in school defense, land mines and missiles? Parents are responsible for their children, even as they become adults. The best solution here is for the parent to have options for mentally challenged children/adults. Whether this be professional therapy or being placed in an institution. I believe part of social security was intented to care for these citizens and not for lazy people that claim disability for stress or some other nonsense/fraud.

I believe some resources to deal with security in our schools is necessary, I don't think that it takes serious resources. Some resources should already be being used, as we had an article in the paper just this week that our local schools had already planning an upgrade to school security. Better screening of people to discover who else might be capable of such an atrocious act is necessary, but banning guns in any form is just wrong. Think about it, what was the British mission when they marched on Concord and Lexington in 1775; to seize a cache of guns. This government, which also has the most powerful military in the world, just like the British did then, and has been undermining and attacking our bill of rights. With this attack on the 2nd amendment, it is now literally half the bill of rights that is under attack from Washington. From the 1st, 9th, and 10th amendments under Obamacare, and the 4 under the Patriot Act. And that is just the past 10 years.

We should have remove all guns that hold more than ten bullets,as of last monday. also clips that hold more than ten bullets. we don't go hunting with assult guns

I'm really dismayed that the options Congressman Forbes regards as sufficient do not include anything that might be interpreted as "gun control." When did the right to bear arms become so sacred that it can't even be tslked about? Twenty six dead children and you can't even muster the backbone to discuss gun control?

There are Americans in places right here in America that need the protection of rapidfire weapons, I have a friend that has a ranch on the Border, he has to protect his family from drug cartels, he doesn't feel that he should move and neither do I

This tragedy was an accident. The gun owner, the mother, did not properly store her weapon from her emotionally unstable son. She was irresponsible in her gun ownership rights. It is a mistake she paid for with her own life. I know of incidents were guns were stolen from friends or family members and shootings of self and others have occurred. Legislation should begin by making gun owners (with children under 18 years of age or mentally ill family members) more accountable for their storage method. Gun owners by law should have either their firearms or ammo locked up. They should be held accountable if they fail to exercise their gun ownership right responsibly and lose that right, a fine/firearms confiscated and a probationary period before legal gun ownership is restored. Children shouldn't have easy access to a gun. Mentally unstable friends or family shouldn't have access to a gun. Strangers shouldn't have access to a gun. I am legally responsible if my dog attacks someone b/c it wasn't under my control. I am legally responsible if I choose to drink and drive and, because my vehicle wasn't under my control, I injured or killed another. Gun owners should be responsible if their fire arm falls into the wrong hands due to negligence.

I beleive it is not the means of the destruction, no matter which is chosen by the people that commit such unthinkable acts that make us feel sick to the core when such as this act are done! It is the perputrator himself, how many of these sick minded acts have to take place before the Gov. sees the mental health Prof. in this country take or have no responsibility for their lack of action. Most of the time they think they evaluate people who know how to out fox them at every turn! I have had just that type of thing done this very week, because the analist did not want to be called out after hours! He told us he did not take any responsability for anything that resulted from his decision! If I screw up at my job I am held accountable, THEY ARE NOT!! This is what I believe took all those lives, not my right as a law abiding gun owner!! These sick people are slipping through the gaps!!

Automatic and assault weapons should illegal and should not be or imported to be sold. One way to control the problem is to control the ammunition. Improving and enforcing the laws on selling and buying weapons would be nice. WEhat ever happened to the need for metel detectors in schools. An armed law enforcement officer would not hurt.

The only addl lesgislation that I would be in favor of would be restriction on the type of gun that Lanza used - these weapons should only be in the hands of the police and our military soldiers.

I am very concerned that once again the government, and my elected officals will try to provide a knee jerk solution to a problem that has absolutly nothing to do with gun ownership by the law abiding people in America. I have a novel idea as a solution, ENFORCE THE LAWS WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS NOW! Do pencils mis-spell words? Do cars make people drive drunk? Careless and reckless? No, Theses are inanimate objects, that while in the hands of the irresponsible, and careless, can cause more harm than any other tool of destruction. Thank you for the opertunity to have my voice heard, other than on election day , that is.

After months of rhetoric leading to last November's election I have been payng closer attention to the way questions in political polls are framed. I often find that my answers are not listed on the choice of scripted responses and; the response that most closely matches my opinion is phrased in a way that makes me sound like I support the left wing when I wish to advocate a moderate approach. I find myself in the same position with this poll. All the responses that do not touch the third rail of gun control are phrased in non-specific or moderate terms, i.e. "demonstrates the need" to improve mental health screening and support; "I am concerned" that gun control legislation will infringe on the second amendment rights of law-abiding citizens... But the sole response mentioning gun control is stated in absolute terms "Violence...could be controlled by restricting the sale and possession of firearms." While I support the values Congressman Forbes represents, I would appreciate the opportunity to express "my opinion" in these polls (e.g., restricting the sale and possession of "some types" of firearms, high capacity magazines, or ammunition). How can my representative support me if he doesn't know my opinion? How can he know my opinion if he doesn't allow me to express it?

Mr. Forbes, I think we should try to do something to try to stopthings like Sandy Hook. I could live with lower restrictions on magazines more than 10 rounds. Requlating the "Military looking semi-automatic long guns" like the way we do fully-automatic would be a good idea. I think that would stopa lot of Rambo wannabes from buying thm but still allow those who a highly responsible and law abiding to own them. I also think better gun registration laws are appropriate. Closing gun shows and having private sales be brokered thru a licensed firearms dealer would help ensure sane people are getting firearms. The NRA needs to push training, gun safety get the message out to young and old a like about good thing like marksmenship, hunting, compitition. Look I own guns always have and hope that I always can (getting very worried about that one), howerver, we in the gun community need to try to help curb gun violence. Quite honestly the AR platform and other military style semi autos have just taken over the gun market. Going to gun show ans gun shops since the 90s pre ban and now post ban/sunset all I see are these types of guns. I've had a hard time finding a lever action. These guns are fun to shoot and I believe that the are good for home defense (not myfirst choice for CQC home defense) and you cna make an argument for hunting some game as well (again there are better choices) but an experienced shooter can do all of that with a 10 round mag. I know bad people will always get what they need to do evil but I think we could make changes to try to curb the mass shootings. I really don't think we should have to arm our schools. Crazy folks and evil folks will always find a way to meet there mission but I would like to try to make it a little harder. Lastly, Mr. Forbes, since I'm quite sure no matter what the antis are going to get a ban and soon. This current group cares little about the law or Constitution. So 1. we need to make sure that a granfather law is in place for current legal owners of semi-automatics and we need language that only the type of weapons they are afraid of meaning "Military look alike" are the only guns targeted and to ban any other type of firearm will directly infringe on the 2nd Amendment, i.e. this is a one time deal folks to make you feel safe. v/r Mike

I am a hunter and own guns for hunting and don't believe such guns should be banned or restricted (our family eats venison as my heart surgeon recommended venison instead of beef.) The Commonwealth of Virginia already requires a security check before buying guns. Assault rifles and large clips for weapons should be banned from the general public as they are not needed for hunting or for self-protection. I do not believe that restrictions on guns will keep criminals from getting them.

We should encourage everyone from schools to Hollywood to emphasize non-violent resolutions to differences of opinions. We need to improve access to mental health treatment for those who need it. We need to insist on registering all gun sales so that felons and people who should not have guns don't get to buy them and arrest those felons who try. We need to ban semi-automatic weapons and especially the huge ammo clips which are unnecessary for the average American. This does not mean taking away everybody's prized hunting rifles or target pistols. Restrictions on some weapons does not mean losing them all any more than restrictions on speed limits means not being allowed to drive.

Guns have no place in a classroom or with a teacher. Teachers are often in classrooms under very stressful conditions and could easily lose control of emotions. It would be much too easy for a student to overpower a teacher and take possession of the gun. I do favor armed security personnel at schools.

Start with people selling guns through the newspapers, they seem to sell to anyone. Have a central database linked for all guns and ammo purchased to all major law enforcement groups so warning signs may been seen for certain individuals who may all of a sudden start purchasing mass guns and ammo. Limit the type of weapons people can own. I am a firm believer we should have the right to make the choice of responsible gun ownership, bad people will find a way to kill if they want to do so, it is not the gun behind senseless killings it is the person holding it. I lost a family member to a senseless shooting he just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time trying to do a good deed in helping someone. I know I should not say it but will anyway, I am just glad he shot himself after shooting several innocent people he got his punishment in the end, our judicial system does not always give what I feel is the strongest of penalties to those who commit such a crime. I back the death penalty as well. Not forever in jail for us tax payers to support.

I have great concern when our first reaction is to impose a new law as though that will fix the problem with our young people. Only law abiding citizens obey the laws, new laws bind up the obedient and preoccupy the police and business owners with new restrictions. At the very least, the schools should set aside a day where concerned parents can speak publicly to all the kids on the importance of valuing life and not turning to violence for answers. We should teach them to love their neighbors as themselves (especially in public schools). For the kids to see hundreds of parents taking time to talk to them would create a tremendous impression on them and unite us as a nation on a common problem.

this act was terrible to say the least. with that said the type of gun that was used is NO different than what many were brought up with while hunting and plinking with their fathers ,it is a semi-automatic rifle one pull of the trigger =one bullet fired,these weapons just have a lot of plastic on them to make them look like a military gun.THESE guns do NOT work like military weapons no full auto no 3 round bursts. It has been proven by government studies that the last ban had no effect why do something that will have no effect now.PUT GOD back to being first in our country and instill good morals in our children.Look at the violent games ,T.V.shows ,nasty rap music and plain lack of self respect in younger people.This was a act commited by someone on a mission the gun happened to be the tool, for 25 dollars he could have gone to the local hardware store and bought enough material to make a half dozen pipebombs and done more damage.By the way the worst killing in a school happened in i believe the 1930's about 50 pepole were killed NO guns dynimite was used.

Please take the following views with a grain of salt. They are not intended to represent extreme views (because of their edited brevity they might be read that way). Instead they are intended to indicate a direction in which the American pendulum should swing. SCHOOL SAFETY: Schools need REAL security measures rather than policies, rules, or laws that, when implemented, present the ILLUSION of security while doing effectively nothing to hinder a determined aggressor. A multi-layered set of real security measures is needed to positively ensure safety from a determined aggressor. An example of one possible set would be (1) a physical security perimeter around the school property, (2) metal detector and explosives detector screening of personnel entering the school building, and (3) a trained and armed force dedicated solely to the security of the students and staff within the school building. Taken together, these measures would essentially eliminate the possibility of a similar attack within our schools. They provide defense in depth and a weakness in one can be shored up naturally by the other two. If that example sounds extreme consider that a nuclear power station does far more than that (orders of magnitude more) while the possibility of hazard to the public from an attack is far less. These school safety measures would have significant cost (that money would have to come from taxes). Where do we stop? If we implement the above measures does the bad guy now focus his attention elsewhere (to school busses away from school property, to places of worship, movie theaters, or any other place with low security and large concentrations of potentially vulnerable people). Former President Jimmy Carter frequently said “there are no easy answers”. We (the people) have to decide what we are willing to do and where we choose to draw the line. BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR PRIVATE SALES OF FIREARMS. Private sales of firearms should require a background check similar to that required of firearm dealers. The check could be a service offered by gun stores for a nominal fee (the gun store would make a small profit and the gun would not be sold to a person failing the background check). This check would be an inconvenience for the private arms transaction but it is one I would be willing to endure. GUN OWNERS MUST POSITIVELY SECURE THEIR FIREARMS: Safes, chamber locks, trigger locks, separating ammo from the firearm, separating a critical component of the firearm (the bolt, for example) from the firearm…there are many ways we can protect our loved ones. We can choose the ones that work best for our particular situation. Many accidental shootings could be prevented. Incidents of deranged individuals obtaining another’s firearm to commit a crime would be reduced. There should be a legal penalty for negligently failing to secure ones firearm adequately if that negligence results in injury due to accident or theft. IDENTIFYING AND HELPING THE DANGEROUSLY MENTALLY ILL. While there is a lot of mental illness in our society, there are not many people who are dangerously mentally ill (dangerous to other people or themselves), and fewer still who would plan, organize, and conduct mass murder. Common words after events such as those that have recently occurred are "we knew something was wrong but we couldn't get him help" or "we tried but the police said there was nothing that could be done legally until an actual crime was committed". We need to take a step back as a society to identify those who are dangerously mentally ill and be willing to take protective measures both for them and for the public BEFORE their illness advances to the level of mass murder and/or suicide. This is a very touchy area because of its subjective nature. Not everyone has a group of people that care enough to take the necessary steps. Often we fear over-reacting or damaging our relationship with the troubled individual (usually a close friend or family member). We have to proactively treat these people medically to prevent events rather responding to a criminal event because we failed to act. An ounce of prevention… THE SECOND AMENDMENT: “A well regulate militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”. Why is the Second Amendment the 2nd amendment? I believe it relates to its great importance in defining and securing the United States of America. Although technologies have changed, I believe it is still applicable in today's society. It functions on many levels from the micro to the macro. It protects the natural right of individuals to defend themselves and their families. It protects our society from armed invasion and from a tyrannical government. It functions to support hunting and agriculture. It provides a mechanism by which the people can defend their rights when all other reasonable avenues have failed. It is as vital to our way of life as any of the other amendments. Great men, wise beyond their time, understood its importance. CONCEALED CARRY: Violent predatory criminals search for easy prey. They know that an armed citizen does not fit that bill. If more good citizens exercised concealed carry it would not be possible for violent predatory criminals to know with reasonable certainty whether or not a single citizen or a group of citizens was armed and able to defend themselves with lethal force. If more good citizens exercised the right to keep and bear arms crime would be reduced significantly. Unfortunately, laws related to concealed carry significantly restrict the areas where concealed carry is allowed. Many of the restrictions are not logical. The restrictions appear to treat the act of concealed carry as a bad thing (as if the person exercising concealed carry is not a good citizen). We (the people) need to revisit our concealed carry laws so that concealed carry can play a more active role in establishing a safer society. TEACHERS TEACH – SECURITY OFFICERS PROTECT: While I am not opposed to allowing concealed carry for teachers, I am opposed to counting that as our sole answer to school safety. Our great teachers already have their hands full. It would be so wrong (and ineffective) to try to make them responsible for the physical security of a school. REAL school security was discussed previously. Those responsible for school security must have it as their sole responsibility. They must possess a special skill set that they have acquired through training, practice and evaluation.

I honestly belive that this person had mental illness. I also believe that there are enough gun laws on the books. How about enforcing them Nation wide. Telling people who have a desire to own certain guns and then telling them they can not have these or those will only increase the number of unknown guys people actually have. Nationwide gun registration would only work for the good guys. Enforecement of current laws would be a great start. Gun owners (parents of children and disturbed children) need to be held accountalbe for their recklessness if they are guilty of such. The NRA has a hold on some politicians and I fear they speak as a voice for a large number of people in our country. Its kinda scarey. I've heard so many comments about hoarding weapons, ammunition etc just because of the talk of what might happen. This country has a real problem with violence and i think it comes from the cultural shift away from traditional values slowing fading away in our society.

When I went to school no student was rude or disrespectful of a teacher, No one carried guns or knives, there was a dress code. There were no armed guards. Once in a while boys had fights - generally behind the bleachers. What has changed, parents who think working is more omportant than family, Guns that should never be sold to the public. A lax code of behavior in school and mostly in the home. Coddling and excusing bad behavior - The Twinkie defense. There has been violence on TV since Vietnam. Don't blame games or movies for it. The world has been in a constant state of war sine 1950. Plentiful guns makes it easy for impulse shootings, big magazines make slaughter possible. Arming the public is not the answer. Restricting gun sales does not infringe upon #2 rights because people must be armed "In orfer to support a militia" Not for the fun of it.

"Ban 'Assualt' weapons, they kill people." WRONG answer, the truth of the matter is any one individual who owns an "assault" rifle has an inherent responsiblity to maintain proper physical security of such weapons. If you review the past incidents of "massacre" you will find 95% of weapons used were procured illegally. Legal ownership should NEVER be prohibited due to the simple fact that as Americans we are a militia within ourselves aside from the Armed Forces. Scenerio: China decides to invade the continental United States with 700,000 well trained well armed soldiers. Before the invasion they strategically struck many of our bases rendering our defenses crippled. Would you rather have well armed/equipped citizens with the same or greater firepower defending our great Nation or severely under-armed/equipped citizens fight a losing battle? "Japan would never invade the United States. We would find a rifle behind every blade of grass."-- Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese Fleet Admiral, WWII.

As a 30 year Army veteran, I am lost to understand how people can make an argument that the public needs to have assault weapons and large capacity magazines. What purpose do these items serve, but kill and hurt people? How can people leap to the conclusion that if assault weapons and large capacity magazines are restricted that that equates to the Government coming to get your guns. I heard a coverstaion at the gas station the other day and this gentleman was asking the attendant if he had heard that the Government is tryingto take our guns. I have listen to the debate very carefully and no one is avocating coming to anyone home and taking thier guns. But this is the exact paronoia that talk radio and the NRA is feeding to the public. I am also concerned that in Virginia a person can go to a gun show and purchase a weapon with no background check being performed and I don't understand why the legislature in Virginia thinks that is ok. I want my legislative representative to stop supporting things that don't make common sence. I want to see an open debate on the merits of having full access to assualt weapons and large capacity magazines.

I'm glad to see participation on this question. I'm equally distressed that there is no limit to the passion the gun nuts, and that is a widely used descriptive, will resort to in actions to perpetuate the insanity that harms this nation. You cannot even proclaim 'enough is enough' to penetrate the conscience of gun rights legislators, and I'm very sorry to say that includes Congressman Forbes. For 2 years I've called attention to the problems of gun violence on this blog and asked Mr. Forbes to act. In my view he has been intellectually dishonest with the voters regarding the truth of the Fast and Furious problem. I asked that he write a letter and apologize to the Attorney General for the contempt vote given that the investigation cleared Mr. Holder of having no knowledge of the program. Mr. Forbes refused to do this. Apparently it was more important to act out of political dishonesty, and I might add not a first occurrence, than it was to do the honorable thing here. Perhaps this is strongly worded, but Mr. Forbes, if you do not act aggressively to respond to the out of control problem with gun violence in America then I believe there is no action you will not pursue that isn't designed to harm the country. That's just the sad truth sir. Last year you actually voted to shove our nation into financial default, an act so irresponsible that presidents, past and present chairmen of the Federal Reserve, the IMF, Treasury secretaries, Nobel prize winning economists, academia, the nation's CEO's and the overwhelming majority of your constituents begged you not to do. You acted sir to harm the very private sector you claim to support. This act sir, makes you no credible when it comes to economic stewardship of the country. Now as I'm sure you are preparing to do again, you are harming this nation with inaction on economic matters, utterly invisible, utterly ineffective in forging cooperation, and utterly unable to be of influence in your party caucus. That is a deep, very deep disappointment for someone who has been in Washington for 12 years now and has helped to implement all the policy that put us in this terrible place to begin with. Now here we are, with defense kids, grandkids and I have to rely on you to protect me with common sense action to reel in a problem so out of control? I got a call from your office after having appealed to your office to please, please post a question on this issue on this blog. The American people deserved to communicate with you on this matter. When I expressed my support for action the conversation quickly sprinted to the constitution, as is gun violence is utterly invisible. It left me simply stunned. I could not believe that the conversation took a turn toward violence by machete as an example. What? I told your staff that if and when 19,000 people commit suicide this way then I'll talk about that kind of violence. It is always a sane person with a gun the day before they do something incredibly stupid. If you want to be taken seriously sir, sever any association you have with the NRA and rescind your commitment to the Cancer on America, the Grover Norquist blackmail pledge of destruction. What a disgrace this congress is, and the constituents are utterly hopeless of action that does not harm our society here.

One can believe in the second amendment and still want a ban on 30 round clips! No one needs that much fire power. Real hunters and sportsmen/women don't need it -- it is for one purpose only, which is to kill another human being. There people in this country who live in fear everyday (even of their own government) and apparently only feel safe if they are armed. It is a good thing that one cannot buy a tank or a SAM! As to the refrain that this happened because we don't have prayers in public schools any longer -- in the view of some, apparently God allows innocent chidren to be slaughtered to make a point?! What nonsense!

Taking away our 2nd amendment rights will not stop acts of terror. If someone wants to bring harm to a person or a group of people there are a variety of ways it could be achieved. A person could make a gun or buy one through black market connections, build an explosive device, a fire bomb, use knives and swords or many other devises of destruction. To disarm the nation would make everyone in it a potential easy victim of those, including our own government, who would rob, rape and terrorize. Other countries that have disarmed their population as part of the control agenda of "The New World Order" are experiencing a significantly higher rate of crime and violence.