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

[fredthe3rd]

Just read in a newspaper that one of the ideas being put out there to solve the problem is people being limited to buying one gun a month. I don't see how that makes any difference....

[GNTLGNT]

That's true, Scott, and I don't think anyone is naive enough to think it won't still happen even with stricter gun control laws but at least that would make it a lot harder for them to get legally than it currently is (e.g. from the gun shows and internet sites that don't do background checks) and possibly keep them out of the hands of more criminals than have them now.

...I concur...

[PatInTheHat]

Nice, well, that is if you love the small of unbridled anything to turn a buck capitalism in the morning...
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/...?ncid=webmail2
... they all ain't even buried, talk about some havin' some stones...I just happen to have a very special tool made just for those, got it from the animal husbandry collection in the ol' Roebuck catalog so far back in the day, I'm sure PETA would disapprove

[Mojo*mofo]

I could relate different situations that I've heard about, even recently, where someone who had a gun saved lives. However, the one I choose to tell is from someone I used to work for. He was a teenager then, I think, but in a vehicle with his mom and dad. A would be car-jacker (God knows what else) tried to force my co-worker's father from his vehicle--the rest of the family still inside the vehicle mind you--but was unsuccessful because my co-workers father greated the man with a gun. The man fled.

Now I know that bad things happen, even when someone has a gun or a knife or whatever as protection, but there are just as many success stories as there are failed ones.

What I want is a world where no one feels the need for protection, because non is needed.

I'm very glad your co-worker was able to protect himself. I understand that not everyone who carries, concealed or not, goes around brandishing it and abusing the power it gives them. However, there does come a point where we have to objectively look and decide if it's worth it. Since May of 2007, 499 people have been killed by folks with a CC permit, 14 of those law enforcement. That's obviously not a gun deaths total, nor does it include open carry- that 499 deaths caused by people who, for the most part, were not saving someone, or protecting someone, but decided to kill.

http://www.vpc.org/ccwkillers.htm


As for your final statement, I think that's a Christmas miracle we could all get behind.

[exzel]

I am a realist. I fully expect the misguided focus on gun control, after this tragedy, to achieve tighter gun control legislation. I expect there to be a ban on the so-called “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines. Personally I don’t see this as a bad thing, but I fear it will lead to unintentional (intentional to some) loss of many second amendment rights. There are reports that Senator Diane Feinstein is moving to ban all Assault Rifles, High Capacity Magazines, Pistol Grips, and eliminating any “grandfathering.” and banning sales of “weapons in possession”. “Pistol Grips” is a very ambiguous term. All it would take is one judge to decide for himself/herself a radical definition of what “Pistol Grips” on hunting rifles and shotguns means, and something like the radical 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold it, making just about everything illegal. Of course I would believe Feinstein and the like to say “Oh that was not our intent (wink wink).” And yes, it could be overturned by the Supreme Court, but how long would the process take? Below is a graphic. Figure 1 is what most reasonable people would consider to be the intent of the law involving the term “Pistol Grip”. But figure 2 is what just about every hunting rifle and shotgun manufactured these days looks like, and it is considered to have a “Pistol Grip.” Figure 3 is not considered to be a “Pistol Grip,” and are only manufactured in miniscule levels. If rifles and shotguns shown in figure 2 are outlawed because the have a “Pistol Grip,” it would effectively make just about every rifle and shotgun manufactured in the US illegal to purchase or resell.

Attachment 16577

Unfortunately evil and the mentally ill, focused on causing carnage, will find a way and means. They always do. Whether that be with guns, automobiles, fire, fertilizer bombs or box-cutters.

One in four Americans own guns, so a couple of residential break-in’s will get one the means of obtaining them. Sadly, there is little being discussed to truly tackle effective means of protecting our children in school settings, such as additional armed police/security being “gun ready,” more secure and restricted access to schools including “man traps,” arming and training teachers and administrators, cutting down on violence in the media, more focus on parenting, bolstering kids' social skills, and most importantly Improving mental health care.

But all we are currently hearing about is gun control. In my opinion it is more an agenda by the liberal/progressive element to ban as many guns as possible, capitalizing highly charges emotions from this tragedy, than finding real solutions to real problems.

I do hope real meaningful discussion’s take place. Sadly though, looking at the way the media is currently handling the gun issue... I really doubt it.

[Moderator]

But all we are currently hearing about is gun control. In my opinion it is more an agenda by the liberal/progressive element to ban as many guns as possible, capitalizing highly charges emotions from this tragedy, than finding real solutions to real problems.

I do hope real meaningful discussion’s take place. Sadly though, looking at the way the media is currently handling the gun issue... I really doubt it.

Then you haven't been listening to everything. For example, in this Huffington Post report, the Biden committee, in addition to gun control ideas, has been charged with the following:

The Biden-led task force will also explore ways to improve mental health resources and address ways to create a culture that doesn't promote violence. The departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, along with outside groups and lawmakers, will all be part of the process.

[exzel]

You are correct Ms. Mod, I may not be reading or listening to everything. But I have been reading and listening to a lot. And thank you for than HuffPo article on Biden’s committee. It represents what I’m talking about. An article about curbing violence, 21 paragraphs long with 897 words, only has 1 paragraph with 21 words talking about mental health. The rest pretty much is centered on guns.

[Moderator]

You are correct Ms. Mod, I may not be reading or listening to everything. But I have been reading and listening to a lot. And thank you for than HuffPo article on Biden’s committee. It represents what I’m talking about. An article about curbing violence, 21 paragraphs long with 897 words, only has 1 paragraph with 21 words talking about mental health. The rest pretty much is centered on guns.

That would be the Huffington Post's issue not what the Biden committee is being asked to do.

[exzel]

That would be the Huffington Post's issue not what the Biden committee is being asked to do.

Correct again Ms. Mod. But it does represent an agenda and the focus of what is being presented to the general public from the majority of the media. I do hope Biden’s committee looks at all issues in earnest, not just focus the majority of their efforts on gun control. But I fear it will just turn out to be... let’s get gun control done right away, and the focus on the rest (IF EVER) later.

[Moderator]

Correct again Ms. Mod. But it does represent an agenda and the focus of what is being presented to the general public from the majority of the media. I do hope Biden’s committee looks at all issues in earnest, not just focus the majority of their efforts on gun control. But I fear it will just turn out to be... let’s get gun control done right away, and the focus on the rest (IF EVER) later.

Kind of like what's been happening with gun control for years in spite of incident after incident of innocent people being gunned down and people talking about there needing to be something done? I absolutely agree with you that it's a package deal and the message I'm hearing from the President is he understands that, too. The problem will be keeping the lobbyists out of the picture so that the dialogue on all aspects doesn't get swept under the rug yet again before policies and legislation are put in place to make a difference.