A horrible tragedy happened in upstate New York last year. A man named William Spengler, 62, killed 2 firefighters and injured the rest of the firefighters who first responded to a 911 call. Spengler deliberately set fire to his sisters house across the street from his home. Spengler's sister had burned to death during the blaze as well. Luckily an off-duty police officer was nearby to provide cover fire for the firefighters. In the end, Spengler was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
People who are mentally unstable should not be able to own firearms. They have no responsibility whatsoever to be able to use a gun. Many tragedies within our society could have been avoided if these mentally unstable people did not have access to weaponry. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Therefore, thorough background checks should be in order to ensure the safety of our communities.
Ex-convicts should not be able to own a weapon. Spengler was convicted in 1981 of first-degree manslaughter in the death of his grandmother. "I think there are still people that need to be in institutions that are a danger to themselves or others. And this is a classic example," says police chief Pickering. They are a danger to our society especially when they own weaponry that can hurt others. Violence like this can be prevented if people step up to the challenge and recognize who is a threat to our society.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/24/us/new-york-firefighters-shooting/index.html
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