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

[Shasta]

I understand priorities.

http://www.whitehousedossier.com/201...n-defend-home/

Thanks for posting. Though I didn't see much back up source on that either. But I do believe he did that. Heck, 17 years ago I wore dog-collars and blue lipstick and thought we should be communist.

Some people do change their minds when exposed to relevant data and/or upon reflection.

That's the point I was trying to make. 17 years is a long time and there has been absolutely no RECENT history to backup Obama wanting to secretly get rid of guns. None.

AND he's changed his mind on gay marriage so he's clearly open to new ideas.

[Lily Sawyer]

I understand priorities.

http://www.whitehousedossier.com/201...n-defend-home/

Hey man, just making it tougher and more expensive to own and operate a gun of any kind. Your right to bear an arm will not be taken away; it'll just be taxed and regulated within an inch of its life.

-Which is as it should be. Would that *all* gun owners in the U.S. follow Autumnlyn's example of training every last person in their family to operate and maintain a gun.
The NRA needs to get over itself and quit circulating the propoganda that the Second Amendment rights in the U.S. are about to be taken away from Americans.

[Shasta]

That's the point I was trying to make. 17 years is a long time and there has been absolutely no RECENT history to backup Obama wanting to secretly get rid of guns. None.

AND he's changed his mind on gay marriage so he's clearly open to new ideas.

I just realized Todash may have been talking about me since you lovely people convinced me not to get a gun.....

I'm more sure of it the more I type.

[exzel]

Thanks for posting. Though I didn't see much back up source on that either. But I do believe he did that. Heck, 17 years ago I wore dog-collars and blue lipstick and thought we should be communist.

LOL... got pictures? And I'm willing to wager you weren't a state senator at the time.

That's the point I was trying to make. 17 years is a long time and there has been absolutely no RECENT history to backup Obama wanting to secretly get rid of guns. None. AND he's changed his mind on gay marriage so he's clearly open to new ideas.

You're right, he may have changed his views. We shall see.
(But oddly enough I remember during the election... shortly after Obama’s suspect remarks to Russian President Medvedev, Romney warned the NRA that an “unrestrained” Obama would look to clip gun rights. And soon afterwards, Obama “joked” at a White House Correspondents’ Association dinner about his “conspiracy-oriented friends on the right, who think I’m planning to unleash some secret agenda: You’re absolutely right.” Just sayin' )

[GNTLGNT]

I would like to hear from Blunthead and GNTLGNT on the mental health side of this discussion, please. I understand the young shooter in CT was on anti-psychotic meds.

...as far as more extensive background testing to attempt to cull out those with mental health issues goes, THAT is going to be a monstrous task to get it right-and I fear will never be done correctly...I'm in favor of it, IF it's assembled and administered properly...and as far as meds go, they are no guarantee of "control"...some people respond wonderfully, but many more never seem to get the right "combination" down...and then there's the whole "are they taking them properly, or at all?" issue?...like guns, meds are a tool and depend on people to help them achieve their PROPER uses and efficacy...

[hossenpepper]

Not quite. If the states use their own funds to fund their own welfare, then have at it and so as you wish, I say. Free cheese for all! But not so with federal funds.

Perhaps I’m not a pure Conservative, just mainly Conservative. Do people who consider themselves Liberals, believe in everything Liberal?

You had me at federal mandate, you sexy thang you!!

[Todash]

I just realized Todash may have been talking about me since you lovely people convinced me not to get a gun.....

I'm more sure of it the more I type.

Nope, not specifically. I was implying that it is sensible to change one's mind when exposed to previously unknown, salient facts, or after periods of reflection, if the facts point in a direction other than the one you've been heading--and the opposite of sensible not to do so.

[guido tkp]

i find it immeasurably guffaw-inducing that some would easily/seemingly encourage and/or rather restrict hollywood, and thus the first amendment...then make any...even the smallest, realistic attempt to 'well regulate' the second..

i'm gonna go back to watching me some of them old-timey movies...like john wayne in the searchers...or some tv like gunsmoke or dan'l boone...'cause they never had any o' that violence stuff

[Todash]

This is too funny; I gotta share. A friend of a friend and I were having a mini-gun violence debate on FB (I try to avoid that stuff there, but sometimes I get sucked in in spite of myself), and his rationale for why we need semiautomatic* guns and large clips was this: Someone who is a bad shot might need a semiautomatic with a large clip to defend his family. Yeah, go ahead and read that again and let the meaning really sink in. After reading that and sitting in stunned silence for a few minutes, I replied, "That is the most terrifying rationale for semiautomatic weapons and large clips that I have ever heard." I mean, really. A person who is an admittedly bad shot in a confused/tense scenario with a lot of gun power he can't control well? And his family is there? As Craig Ferguson would say, "What could possibly go wrong?"

*Please note I am not suggesting we outlaw semiautomatic guns, which are guns that reload bullets into the chamber automatically after each shot. I'm just saying this particular bit of reasoning was screwy as all-get-out.

[Mary19]

I find this debate very interesting. Living in Canada we just don't think about guns the same way. The only people I know who have guns are hunters and I know very few of them. I'm not saying people don't have a right to them but I know for myself if I had access to a gun in the few moments I've been very angry who knows?? Best not to have that option. I'm completely stable but high emotions sometimes lead us down a scary path.