Gun control discussions in the wake of the Newtown, CT deaths

[Todash]

Ya know, I really get tired of my opinions being "an agenda" while the Right-Wing talking points are "truth." Pretty darn biased.

Well, suck it up, buttercup. That's just how it is.

[Todash]

Its comments like that that supports my viewpoint that there will be no meaningful dialogue on the matter, and little will get done.

There are always people on either side of any issue who at times let their passion override their thinking capacity/speech filter. That doesn't prevent intelligent dialog or resolution; it just makes the job more difficult.

[exzel]

unfortunately, my dear exzel...while i would love to agree whole-heartedly with you at my supposed malignation...the first thing you posted was a disrespectful, derogative view of what you percieve to be a liberal/progressive agenda...all while lambasting the media

talking points, anyone...hmmmm, i thought the election was over, but nay...there are still hearts and minds to win...and what better canard to toss to the unsuspecting masses, yearning for a free exchange of thought and ideas, than the old bugaboos of the secret, evil empire of progressive liberal media elites, right ?

yes, well...let he who is without sin cast the first stone and all

i, too, watch/listen to npr/pbs/bbc quite a bit...and every one of them has reported extensively about mental health issues with each and every one of these incidents...so, exZEL...how could you possibly have missed that ?

look...i'm not trying to be a MONSTER or anything, but...sheesh...don't get all butthurt when you start out fanning flames and get caught with the smoking match...besides, if we can take you at your word...and if you'd actually read any of mine...you'd see we are not that far apart...in fact, far closer than, say, obama and boehner and the fiscal cliffs of doom

but, true...exzel, we must all do as the late rodney king implored and just all get along here...of which i have every intention

so, shall we kiss and make up, zel ?

There is a big difference between lambasting a political party and an individual member at SKMB. I don’t take issue with the disrespectful and derogative comments thrown at republicans, conservatives or such. And when it comes to liberals/progressive ideology, I give as good as I get. I understand our ideolgies are on opposite ends of the spectrum, and hold firm to our beliefs, and believe at times consider each other’s group is a bit bonkers. Hopefully though, compromise comes of it at the political level.

And I actually got a kick out of “there are still hearts and minds to win...and what better canard to toss to the unsuspecting masses, yearning for a free exchange of thought and ideas, than the old bugaboos of the secret, evil empire of progressive liberal media elites, right?” You have a better flair for words than me.

But when we go after one another here at SKMB, we make it personal. Do you really want to make it personal?

I did hear some take about mental health on NPR, but it was vastly overshadowed by gun control talk. I even chuckled the other day that one NPR presenter actually took the line, with supporting data, that as we look at the most effective methods of combating this type of carnage aimed at our schoolchildren, gun control only came in fourth as and effective measure (with arming and training teachers and administrators as fifth). I thought to myself, this person won’t be working at NPR very long LOL.

And sure we can make up, but as for kissing… well I don’t think you’re quite my type.

[exzel]

Ya know, I really get tired of my opinions being "an agenda" while the Right-Wing talking points are "truth." Pretty darn biased.

Did I go after you personally? And yes, the Right-Wing has its "agenda" also. And I believe we both think our respective sides represent the "truth." But ultimately I think the "truth" lays somewhere in-between.

[Neesy]

....allow me to make a small attempt to lighten the mood a bit...and this from a "gun nut"...

She needs to have a strong male standing behind her to hold her shoulders so she doesn't fall over from the recoil. Seriously - this is what we did in 1980 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia in basic training. We actually had a "brother platoon" that went out to the range with us. OMG - am I that old now? It's hard to believe that was 32 years ago.
p.s. thanks for the humour!
How about sub machine guns (or SMGs as we called them back then)? Are these banned? I did not want to get into this whole Colorado shooting discussion and I have been avoiding it until now but really what is next? Will a gunman go into a maternity ward and start shooting up the newborns? I think when they put in the American Constitution that part about the "right to bear arms" never in their wildest imagination could they picture what is happening these days.

[guido tkp]

hey...i resemble that...guess that's why they call me ol' one eye

[PatInTheHat]

How about sub machine guns (or SMGs as we called them back then)? Are these banned?
Nah, not really, and I mean really, really nothing is, really just depends on how much and how many rigamaroles and hoops you want to jump through, paper work paper work paper work, and more paper work is what I'm guessin'.
That and pay the big boy (and girl) toy tax stamps, oh, and fork over some serious artillery purchasing power beans, and just maybe you too can be the proud owner of such deadly yard art, as mortars, grenade launchers, tanks....
But the general populace, fired up by the whole of a mostly gun ignorant media, would just as soon freak out over what used to be considered nothing more than an undesirable varmint rifle, at least around these here parts til I suppose just here in recent years.
That .223 caliber, it ain't never been nothin' to us but a varmint gun, and at least at one time it was justa wee little too expensive for this kinda hill country, a little too much overkill for these days even, 'cept maybe for coyotes.
It's better for wide open country is the opinion I always understood, and at one time, and not all that long ago, you could barely have traded a .223 for a can of name brand chili beans, less ya threw in a couple boxes of bullets, not around here...but now I'd just bet that sure has changed.
But hey now, here's a fun fun fun for the whole machine gun lovin' family kinda place, and we've got it rightchere in The Mighty BlueGrass, y'all think every neighborhood needs one of these, it's killer.....
" Rifles, pistols, shotguns, cannons… Whatcha got? We got a 350-yard Outdoor Range, plus other secret ranges we’re not even supposed to talk about."
http://www.knobcreekrange.com/
And if your past the bullet proof window shoppin' stage, this Knob Creek event is a pretty big deal where to rub some elbows, lotta winkywinky goin' on...America, whatta country!
http://www.knobcreekrange.com/events...hine-gun-shoot

[kingricefan]

So, the head of the NRA wants to put armed police in schools? Sorry, this is not the answer! Adding more guns to an already gunned-out society? Antiquated thinking! Nothing (in the report that I just read) said anything about a ban on assault weapons. Nothing. I don't care about any of the other types of guns that are out there, but there needs to be a ban on these types of weapons. Period. What good is a handgun when you're faced with an assault rifle? People have posted on here that the majority of NRA members want to have a ban on assault weapons and yet their leader comes out a week after a horrible massacre of innocent children with this statement? How out of touch is he? He also takes NO questions from anyone after making his speech. Two protesters who shouted out at him from the audience were briskly removed from said premises. His 'solution' is to add more fuel to the fire. What a load of crap!!! Jesus God, why must our children grow up surrounded by an arsenal of weapons in their schools??? This type of (non) thinking is why these massacres continue to happen. Our fore fathers didn't have an assault weapon in mind when the constitution was written! I bet he'd change his mind real fast if one of his kids gets murdered by someone using an assault weapon. Again, this is my opinion, humble (or outrageous) as it may be, it may not be yours, so be respectful, as I am being with those who don't share my life view.

[guido tkp]

...and...you expected anything different from wayne lapierre???????????????????????

mayhap you've never heard this guy talk

i'm still not sold, despite all the reaslistic viewpoints offered, on the idea that a ban will achieve what we want: a safer america

bans have never really worked..ask anyone who lived during prohibituion...ask that mormon congressman who's very religion bans the use of alcohol....ask willie nelson

there's been, essentially, bans on adults having sex and or sexual contact with kids...and yet we have the cathoilic church...jerry sandusky...and a billion other stories...bans will not solve a thing: it's a placebo

i just think we need to think smarter than trying something that probably won't work and will, inevitably, be highly divisive amongst the type of crowd that has spent the last 4-5 years saying the black guy in the white house only wants to take their guns...let's get armed to the teeth for the upcoming war !!

we'd be falling right into thier scenario of doom and destruction....

our silent friend corbin had oft pointed out his illustious new group, the oath keepers...or some such...and they were going around the country, just a few years ago...contacting 'patriots' who were willing to fight our govt when that time came: and everybody wants to jump down that rabbit hole like it's nothing

it'd be nice to think that the overwhelming majority of gun owners would side with the smart and intelligent...but they haven't so far: they all still belong to the nra...and it hasn't changed it's tune once in a millenia...have you hear of nra members leaving en masse since lapierres speech ????

i haven't...not a peep......

just sayin'

[Moderator]

And there has been yet another situation in which more people have lost their lives when firefighters were ambushed and shot, two fatally, in New York on Monday. The gunman was using a Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle--the same kind used at the Sandy Hook shooting site. And again, this is most likely a situation where guns came into the hands of someone who was mentally unstable with the result that innocent people lost their lives. How many times must this happen before something is done?!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/25/us/new...ing/index.html