On the 10th day of Xmas....

I bring the real.
The unworldly amount of coverage of the school shootings in CT should be focused on a number of other issues. I bring up some of them...

10. Violence in America is everywhere. It is not isolated to the slums of Chicago, LA, New Orleans or New Jersey. Yes, even in the most isolated of areas, people kill people.
9. To echo that, no where is sacred. Schools, malls, movie theatres, churches after funerals, etc. This is not the first act committed at a school, we all remember and forget somewhat about Columbine and Virginia Tech most notably. I only say forget because there is always the next one that makes the last one seem so long ago. There have been over 181 school shootings since 1999.
8. Why do the shooters get all of the glory? I haven't been following the news too much on this one or the Batman shooter, but they were all over the news for weeks. I think the fake Morgan Freeman statement said it best....

7. When in doubt...ask Chris Rock.
6. Reinstate the ban on semi-automatic weapons. Almost all, if not all of these mass murders have been by semi-automatic weapons. Get rid of them. As well as large capacity magazines. Why do you need to hold 100 rounds at once unless you're going on a killing spree?
5. Can someone send a memo to potential mass murderers and tell them it is cooler to kill themselves first instead of at the end? Why do they do that? If you know you want to die, just off yourself off the top.
4. 40% of gun sales are from unlicensed gun sellers. Background checks are not required when purchasing from an unlicensed seller. You might as well have people passing out guns on the streets with all of the serial numbers scratched off. 
3. Re-funding for mental health crime prevention. There's already a few programs out there that have had success preventing such crimes.
2. How about we limit the number of guns one person can have??? Existing gun owners are responsible for most new purchases (about 20% of gun owners possess 65% of the nation's guns, according to a 2006 Harvard study).
1. How about we take a page out of the Japanese playbook for once...In order to purchase a gun you have to go through this process.
First, you have to attend an all-day class and pass a written test, which are held only once per month. You also must take and pass a shooting range class. Then, head over to a hospital for a mental test and drug test (Japan is unusual in that potential gun owners must affirmatively prove their mental fitness), which you’ll file with the police. Finally, pass a rigorous background check for any criminal record or association with criminal or extremist groups, and you will be the proud new owner of your shotgun or air rifle. Just don’t forget to provide police with documentation on the specific location of the gun in your home, as well as the ammo, both of which must be locked and stored separately. And remember to have the police inspect the gun once per year and to re-take the class and exam every three years. …

But look at the results...
In 2008, US had over 12,000 gun-related homicides, Japan had 11.
In 2008, US had 587 killed by accidental gun discharges, Japan with there 128 million population had 2. Yes 2.