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There are more guns than there are people in the Untied States. The guns are not going to just magically go away. Gun control laws are like trying to reduce ocean levels by holding an umbrella over the ocean in a rain storm. We have this whole massive fight over nothing.
The colonists did not have a say in government, but did start a revolution with their guns, and won their freedom.
But, as far as us in the USA now having a say in our own government, how much of a say do we have when many of our local elected reps are financed from out of state (out of locale) money? My rep got over 70% of his money from big entities (only about 23% from individuals).
And those entities (and money) were almost all from out of the district. And I am sure there are plenty of others throughout the country with the same situation.
(And yes, money buys elections...There's no need for a link to that fact).
As a gun owner, I do believe in restricting access where someone can be a danger. That's common sense.
Unfortunately, any system and law can be abused and used for personal beliefs. And yes, we have very single minded and even corrupt individuals in all branches of government...(There's no need for a link to that...I'm sure all of us had some issue in our lives, where we were not treated fairly. at some level).
Banning assault weapons - There's certainly an argument for that. But they make up only about 3% of the guns in this country. Someone who is so mentally deranged that they want to commit a mass murder will find other ways, other weapons...Even a car or truck driven into a crowd can do more damage than an assault gun shooting.
People should spend more efforts on identifying the reasons for these mass assaults...it's not just because they can buy a gun. The shooters have a reason...a very strong reason. And that has to be addressed honestly.
As any health professional if we have a mental health crisis in this country and every one of them will said there is one. But the leadership in this country fail to acknowledge there is one. The issue is not gun. Gun do not kill people. People kill people. People just don't suddenly go around and shoot at people. They have an issue and they need help. There is no help available. The system is failing us the people.
The politicians don't care about us. We don't get them elected. We are not the one who give them the money to win the election and then profit from their positions. Just look at the wealth growth of many of the leadership position in congress. Their wealth grow faster than most of the fastest starter in our time.
Look at the way how the government treat our veteran's PTSD issue and you can tell how much they care for the rest rest of us. Hint: They don't fxxking care.
I believe certain restrictions would work well to prevent some of the tragedies we see now-days.
First I think gun owners under 25 years of age should be prohibited from owning semi-automatic rifles more powerful than a .22 unless they have taken educational classes on the destructive nature of firearms. For instance a 6 month course which might include ballistics results when shooting ballistic gelatin, carcasses, and targets so that the applicant can actually see, in real life the damage firearms are capable of causing.
Classes wherein one actually learns about the pain caused to survivor members of victim's families so that young people can put their actions to an effect instead of firearm ownership being just an extension of some popular video game as things many times are in today's world.
So many times we gladly sell firearms to individuals who have never held, owned, or fired a rifle or pistol and expect them to use the same rational judgement that gun-owners who grew up with firearms would practice. It isn't realistic and let's face it: There are bad people who hide behind our God-given right to go armed. In fact I wager back when our right to firearm ownership was guaranteed, anyone anywhere could refuse to sell a firearm to anyone he thought might be incapable of that responsibility, no matter their age.
25 years to own a semi-automatic rifle is not too old. This is the age requirement for members of Congress so I don't see it as onerous and gives a young man a "cooling off period" after he has reached adulthood.
But I also believe any citizen 10 years old and over should be required to learn firearm safety in public school and that a citizen at the age of 18 should be encouraged and expected to go armed in his daily life if he should so choose.
But many Americans would, instead of facing the problem of gun violence, just ban certain types of firearms, instead of holding ourselves and others accountable to be good citizens and good neighbors, because the alternative of demanding others do the right thing and punish them if they don't is just too hard. We blame their parents, upbringing, social circle... anything except the individual. Once you've purposely taken someone else's life you must be put down for the sake of civilized society or we decline to where we are today.
I've tried for several years to find who first stated this quote but it is oh so much the truth. firearms "...raise us above the brute." Which is to say they actually elevate civilization, not tear it down.
I don't currently live in the U.S. but have been there. During my time, it was actually safer than here in Ireland (in terms of overall crime as the police are much more effective).
I always here gun control advocates in the U.S. say that if guns were harder to access, the country wouldn't have more mass shootings. Although it does seem suspect, I have to wonder why there aren't more mass shootings in Europe (with the exception of Islamic terrorism that has impacted France, Belgium).
Take the California shooter, Elliot Rodger. He was originally from the UK. Had his parents never moved to the U.S. but he still developed the same emotional problems he did, would he have gone on a similar rampage? Almost certainly not. He wouldn't have access to guns to kill.
Some also point to culture but I don't think American culture has any more crazier people than other countries. It's probably just that in other nations, crazy people don't have an easy access to firearms.
Of course.
Regarding the shooter from the UK, handguns are banned & you have to get a license to buy a shotgun or rifle (no assault weapons allowed) and civilians aren't allowed to carry, so he wouldn't have gone on a shooting rampage there. He may have gone on a stabbing rampage. Far fewer people would get killed, and of those stabbed, more would survive than if they had been shot.
This is obvious from the stats in countries where the civilians don't have many guns vs. countries where they do. It just is. Lots of crazies in the public, and there's no way to prevent them from getting and carrying guns. Most wackos haven't been treated or declared wacko. And sometimes a seemingly normal person goes wacko because of something specific that happened, like getting fired or dumped by the wife. It's so easy to grab a gun and take the anger out on innocent people.
I don't currently live in the U.S. but have been there. During my time, it was actually safer than here in Ireland (in terms of overall crime as the police are much more effective).
I always here gun control advocates in the U.S. say that if guns were harder to access, the country wouldn't have more mass shootings. Although it does seem suspect, I have to wonder why there aren't more mass shootings in Europe (with the exception of Islamic terrorism that has impacted France, Belgium).
Take the California shooter, Elliot Rodger. He was originally from the UK. Had his parents never moved to the U.S. but he still developed the same emotional problems he did, would he have gone on a similar rampage? Almost certainly not. He wouldn't have access to guns to kill.
Some also point to culture but I don't think American culture has any more crazier people than other countries. It's probably just that in other nations, crazy people don't have an easy access to firearms.
Would he have had access to a vehicle? Because it's likely that someone whose sole intent is to kill people, a large truck on a crowded street could do far more damage than most people with a gun. How about access to fire? derailing a train? Taking out utilities in the winter? Putting Covid patients into nursing homes? Starting useless wars? Having revolving-door DA's in our largest cities? Major media putting out lies that a large segment of the population is "under attack" by the police and government, doubling the murder rate in most of our larger cities in a single year?
Bottom line, for most people, firearms are not the most efficient way to kill a lot of people, if that is your aim. I for one am happy that so few mechanical engineers lack homicidal intent. Maybe we should be glad that guns ARE readily available, so the crazies among us have a less-efficient medium to go to. Perhaps we should focus on identifying the lunatics who are prone to murder to begin with?
Finally, how about if we start enforcing our existing gun laws before we start talking about ending 2A? My area (Illinois) has very strict gun laws, but around Chicago, criminal possession or use of a gun is typically not harshly punished. In fact, I think that most murders only net the murderer something like ten or fifteen years in prison in IL, and that's after the abysmal conviction rate. How about we enact AND ENFORCE Federal minimum sentences for gun crimes, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders?
Would he have had access to a vehicle? Because it's likely that someone whose sole intent is to kill people, a large truck on a crowded street could do far more damage than most people with a gun. How about access to fire? derailing a train? Taking out utilities in the winter? Putting Covid patients into nursing homes? Starting useless wars? Having revolving-door DA's in our largest cities? Major media putting out lies that a large segment of the population is "under attack" by the police and government, doubling the murder rate in most of our larger cities in a single year?
Bottom line, for most people, firearms are not the most efficient way to kill a lot of people, if that is your aim. I for one am happy that so few mechanical engineers lack homicidal intent. Maybe we should be glad that guns ARE readily available, so the crazies among us have a less-efficient medium to go to. Perhaps we should focus on identifying the lunatics who are prone to murder to begin with?
Finally, how about if we start enforcing our existing gun laws before we start talking about ending 2A? My area (Illinois) has very strict gun laws, but around Chicago, criminal possession or use of a gun is typically not harshly punished. In fact, I think that most murders only net the murderer something like ten or fifteen years in prison in IL, and that's after the abysmal conviction rate. How about we enact AND ENFORCE Federal minimum sentences for gun crimes, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders?
What does citizen on citizen crime have to do with the 2nd Amendment?
The 2nd Amendment guarantees citizens always have the ability to protect themselves from the Govt, (or agents of the Govt), it has nothing to do with protection from 'other citizens'.
What does citizen on citizen crime have to do with the 2nd Amendment?
The 2nd Amendment guarantees citizens always have the ability to protect themselves from the Govt, (or agents of the Govt), it has nothing to do with protection from 'other citizens'.
But it is the rising number of firearm deaths in the country that are being used to undermine 2A. Decrease those, and those that hate guns would have nothing. And I admit it IS a problem, but not one that can be solved by taking away guns from law-abiding citizens. Incidentally, check out the demographics of who is responsible for the vast majority of gun crimes in the U.S.. Remove that group from the statistics, and the U.S. murder rate drops down to that of many countries in Europe. Hint: it's not "Angry White Men" who are responsible for the majority of gun deaths, especially if you take suicide out of the stats (it's only in there to prop up the Left's argument, anyway).
But it is the rising number of firearm deaths in the country that are being used to undermine 2A. Decrease those, and those that hate guns would have nothing. And I admit it IS a problem, but not one that can be solved by taking away guns from law-abiding citizens. Incidentally, check out the demographics of who is responsible for the vast majority of gun crimes in the U.S.. Remove that group from the statistics, and the U.S. murder rate drops down to that of many countries in Europe. Hint: it's not "Angry White Men" who are responsible for the majority of gun deaths, especially if you take suicide out of the stats (it's only in there to prop up the Left's argument, anyway).
I don't think that anyone in this debate has claimed that it's "Angry White Men" who are responsible for the majority of gun deaths. If gang members or members of organized crime of whatever race and ethnicity want to kill each other in their turf wars, I will try my best to stay away from their turf while the police and FBI deal with them.
However, I'm not finding it so easy to stay away from my synagogue, despite knowing that synagogues have been a target in this country for such attacks: List of Attacks on Jewish Institutions. This fact came closest to home for me personally, when the police recently caught and arrested Christopher Keller on Long Island, who had been shooting his gun into the houses of Jewish people for several months.
I don't want to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. I want to take guns away from hateful nutjobs like Christopher Keller.
Since 2021 started, we've been averaging more than one mass shooting per day. But the gun laws have not changed during and preceding this time. So we're not seeing a causal relationship.
.
STOP..........Can you post a link showing that we have AVERAGED more than one shooting per day in 2021?
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