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As soon as the vast percentage of people realize that guns do not kill people and that people kill people we can progress to real solutions instead of attacking the weapon used.
What we have folks is basically a country with a bunch of loonies running around with lethal weapons and a major political party making excuses not to pass laws restricting them.
Gun control is part of the solution. Background checks, minimum age verification, assault weapon restrictions are necessary. What's missing is security arrangements at vulnerable locations. Schools need airport like security.
We spend billions fighting wars that are not ours to begin with. Can we not redirect that to strengthen campus security?
The Democrats/Liberals/Gun grabbers, call them what you want but they use a lot of Newspeak. They say they want universal background checks. But that is not what they want. They want universal gun registration. Look at the background check form. Look at page three. Make, Model and Serial number of every guy you buy. That is not necessary for a background check, but it is needed for their universal gun registration. Republicans/Conservatives/gun lovers did make the offer to require universal background checks IF they could stop having page three of the form. They were turned down flat. So one side was offered what they SAY they want but to get that they will not give up on their hidden agenda. And now that background checks have gone on line, it is only a matter of time before all the forms are collected and we do end up with a universal gun registration.
The U.S. has always had a lot of guns. It has not always had so many mass shootings. We should look at the timeframes as well and ask ourselves why these events have accelerated rapidly since the late 1990s.
There is no one solution to this problem and anyone that wants to believe that needs to reassess their line of thing.
To begin with this society has degraded so significantly we are at a point that it will take one or more generations just to reverse course to a more sane and safe world. However between now and then there are many things needed to put us on that course. Here are just a few ideas and there are many more. But it will take civil discourse to reach a good plan and it takes people looking beyond superficial aspects to get there. We can stay with this school shooting example because this whole course correction starts with them. Children that are raised well turn into adults that act well.
With these shootings of late they have shared a common aspect that the shooters left a trail of signs along their way to the end. A big part of that trail are rants on social media platforms. We have seen for the last 5+ years how social media platforms created all their algorithms to silence anyone with a different view on COVID, social issues, etc., etc., but where have they been with this problem?? How many algorithms have they created and so voraciously implemented to watch for and report these type behaviors on their platforms? I am so into free speech and believe none of it should be squashed or reported but this IS one area that should and not just for school shootings! So why not hold them at least partially responsible for missing these signs? That an be anything from very heavy fines to stripping their protections from being sued by survivors. We'll let the people decide how heavy they should be held accountable. If they are aware they are being held partly responsible watch how fast they turn their algorithms on this problem!
Next we don't need new laws since we already have more than are actually being enforced! ALL LAWS currently should be enforced down to the misdemeanor laws. Rudy Guiliani did this very successfully with his Broken Windows initiative in New York!! This should be applied all the way down to minors as well. The effects it can have on a minor are amazing to how they view future thoughts on doing wrong. Punish a child for shoplifting and you will have a major impact on whether they think of doing it again. Ask any level headed Old Timer who was in a similar situation how that affected their views going forwarded as a child and you will see it works.
Another area to work on is the family itself. For whatever reason these shooter kids felt disconnected from their families which only exacerbated their condition. Parents need to be more involved in their children's' daily lives every day and not just when it is convenient! Parents need to learn the concept of "Tough Love" and work better at teaching their children responsibility. Parents also need to understand when they have reached their limits with a problem child and be ready to call for help instead of sticking their heads in the sand hoping it is just a phase the child will grow out of just so they don't get their child in trouble. There are many, many ways this aspect can be accomplished to help parents accomplish this and no one solution is the right answer for all parents in this situation.
For those who are worried about a child "Having a record" that will screw them up for life you need to consider two things. Juvenile records are typically sealed and typically only available with a court order and for very specific reasons. Also what is better for a child's development to have a record that can affect a more positive mental attitude going forward or letting the child slide not only on the issue they caused but slide into a more deviant attitude?
This can turn into a long, long post but is just a start. As I said before solving this issue comes from civil discourse about the root causes instead of attacking the weapon used. So let's here more from others out there on suggestions.
Please provide a definition for "Assault Weapon"? Is a Sig Sauer P320 an assault weapon and why? How about Beretta M9 or Colt 45?
No sales of any type firearms to anyone under 21
Why 21 when a person is considered an adult at 18? Should we consider redefining the age of adulthood for everything that now requires a person to be an adult to do? Should that also include requiring parents to legally support their children until they reach 21?
and proof of firearms safety training required at time of actual purchase
This is a very workable step that can help! Along with the training a properly trained firearms instructor can potentially flag a person displaying unstable behavior. That person can then be checked out in more depth before the firearm is sold to them. I've been in plenty of gun safety classes and seen people that had no business owning a firearm!
Thorough background check
This is something that should be done but is not. There are so many things to be checked on top of typical crime database searches that can turn up an unstable person.
with waiting period of 3-4 weeks
A reasonable requirement and would most likely happen anyhow with an extended background check.
All weapons to be registered.
I would disagree with this mainly because registries are typically always used for purposes they should not be and that is not for any good purpose. The only purpose a registry serves is to intrude on the privacy of the firearm owner. If you properly vet the buyer there is no need for a registry.
On a side thought would you require a registry for a crossbow or even a regular bow? How about for large purchases of fireworks that are so popular today and can be re-purposed into bomb material. How about black powder purchases for those that re-load their own ammunition?
Want an assault weapon? Join the Army or the Marines. They'll give you one free
Again please define "assault weapon" since there is no real definition of one.
Responses in blue above.
Another thought that nobody seems to address. How many adults who own firearms or other weapons have been held accountable for others living in their home (Child or adult) getting their hands on those and committing a crime? Why are they not being held responsible? Wouldn't holding them responsible send a message to the rest to secure their firearms/weapons or face responsibility for their use?
There is no one solution to this problem and anyone that wants to believe that needs to reassess their line of thing.
To begin with this society has degraded so significantly we are at a point that it will take one or more generations just to reverse course to a more sane and safe world. However between now and then there are many things needed to put us on that course. Here are just a few ideas and there are many more. But it will take civil discourse to reach a good plan and it takes people looking beyond superficial aspects to get there. We can stay with this school shooting example because this whole course correction starts with them. Children that are raised well turn into adults that act well.
With these shootings of late they have shared a common aspect that the shooters left a trail of signs along their way to the end. A big part of that trail are rants on social media platforms. We have seen for the last 5+ years how social media platforms created all their algorithms to silence anyone with a different view on COVID, social issues, etc., etc., but where have they been with this problem?? How many algorithms have they created and so voraciously implemented to watch for and report these type behaviors on their platforms? I am so into free speech and believe none of it should be squashed or reported but this IS one area that should and not just for school shootings! So why not hold them at least partially responsible for missing these signs? That an be anything from very heavy fines to stripping their protections from being sued by survivors. We'll let the people decide how heavy they should be held accountable. If they are aware they are being held partly responsible watch how fast they turn their algorithms on this problem!
Next we don't need new laws since we already have more than are actually being enforced! ALL LAWS currently should be enforced down to the misdemeanor laws. Rudy Guiliani did this very successfully with his Broken Windows initiative in New York!! This should be applied all the way down to minors as well. The effects it can have on a minor are amazing to how they view future thoughts on doing wrong. Punish a child for shoplifting and you will have a major impact on whether they think of doing it again. Ask any level headed Old Timer who was in a similar situation how that affected their views going forwarded as a child and you will see it works.
Another area to work on is the family itself. For whatever reason these shooter kids felt disconnected from their families which only exacerbated their condition. Parents need to be more involved in their children's' daily lives every day and not just when it is convenient! Parents need to learn the concept of "Tough Love" and work better at teaching their children responsibility. Parents also need to understand when they have reached their limits with a problem child and be ready to call for help instead of sticking their heads in the sand hoping it is just a phase the child will grow out of just so they don't get their child in trouble. There are many, many ways this aspect can be accomplished to help parents accomplish this and no one solution is the right answer for all parents in this situation.
For those who are worried about a child "Having a record" that will screw them up for life you need to consider two things. Juvenile records are typically sealed and typically only available with a court order and for very specific reasons. Also what is better for a child's development to have a record that can affect a more positive mental attitude going forward or letting the child slide not only on the issue they caused but slide into a more deviant attitude?
This can turn into a long, long post but is just a start. As I said before solving this issue comes from civil discourse about the root causes instead of attacking the weapon used. So let's here more from others out there on suggestions.
Of course, if the idea is to stop school shootings, you make it impossible to bring guns into a school, or for those who do not need access to be able to get into a school.
There are no gunfights inside prisons or in the secure area of an airport or at the NFL game..... There are shootings and schools, malls and churches.... so what are different about these targets?
Well, if you do not want your child going to school that looks like a prison because it will make them feel bad... then you are an adult taking the acceptable risk that a school shooting probability is less important than the child going to school with fences with razor wire and impact alarms, armed patrol to check the fence alarms, clear bags and x ray screenings, metal detectors and sallyports with control room locked doors for access. Logistically staggered start and end times to screen more carefully in a timely manner, etc.........
If you modified the school to make access impossible without some inside help, then you eliminate shootings or even attempts at shootings inside the school.
The issue does not seem to be about ending school shootings though.......
They should just pass a law to outlaw guns!! Better yet they need a law that makes it illegal to shoot guns in a school! Let's just make murder illegal also and we should make drugs and alcohol illegal!!............. because making it illegal ends it from happening.... Detachment from reality solves no problems.
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