A few thoughts on gun control

[SHRED]

Last edited Sun Aug 4, 2019, 11:38 AM - Edit history (1)

As a starting point.

*Ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines with an aggressive buyback program and reasonable grace period.
*Ban the sale of body armour to civilians.
*Outlaw silencers.
*Strong nationwide background check and extended waiting period.
*Require registration and insurance on all firearms whether sold by a dealer or person to person. Like a car.
*Close gunshow loophole.

[jcgoldie]

1. Absolutely

[mainstreetonce]

3. I would close gun shows

Guns are too dangerous to be sold at shiws.

[brer cat]

9. They are sold at yard sales here.

[Srkdqltr]

2. Tell people that KILLING PEOPLE IS WRONG.

Apparently people have not gotten the message.

[at140]

4. All good measures in your list but....

There are already more guns than people in civilian hands. And those who ignore and break laws will not obey.

[SHRED]

5. Got to start somewhere

[at140]

54. No question, we have to start somewhere...

but unless the punishment for breaking new gun laws is very severe,
the criminal element will simply ignore the laws, as they usually do.
So will the political class have the will and fortitude to enact laws with very severe punishment for law breakers? I am too old to believe they will. And that is where the problem lies.

[SHRED]

62. Voting out Repubs will help

And pressuring our Democratic leaders to the max.

[at140]

64. Of course it helps in many directions to vote repubs out,

but I am extremely pessimistic about mass murders with guns ending any time soon.
If anything, those are increasing and happening faster.

Like I said, the punishment for mass murders with guns is not anywhere near severe. For example:

Dylann Roof, who killed nine people is alive and in prison for life. He gets healthcare, psychiatric care,
3 square meals every day, access to library & TV. Probably has access to a well equipped Gym as well.
How is that a deterrent to future mass murderers?

[jcgoldie]

7. right wing talking point

There's already too many guns so how can we control it? Only criminals will have guns. NRA bullshit.

If there's termites eating the damn house, nobody says awwe shucks there's already too many just let em have it!

[zanana1]

12. I agree.

Gun nuts have dozens of excuses.

[at140]

55. Read my post #54....nt

[Hoyt]

10. Every decade we do nothing puts another 100 million guns on the street. Might as well start now,

because sooner or later, we are going to have to quit coddling gun lovers.

[bearsfootball516]

14. It's something that may have to be grandfather'd in.

I’ve seen people suggest mandatory confiscation of high powered assault rifles. There are a LOT of insane citizens with guns that will go down in a blaze of glory before giving them up.

[Hoyt]

17. I'd just outlaw future purchases, even used. Not for searching houses, but if someone

is caught with one, say there is a fire and the outlawed gun(s) are uncovered, or one is found in a car, the gun(s) should be confiscated.

Eventually, their use would dwindle.

[at140]

58. You propose such a basic common sense solution

So why has it not happened already? My take is the punishment for breaking gun laws is not severe enough. We already have strict gun control laws in many places. Are those areas gun violence free? Hardly!

I am old enough to know the political class is no where ready to enact very severe punishment for mass gun murders. The El Paso killer will be treated like any other murderer. That is wrong! He should receive such extreme punishment so that others like him might think twice. But rest assured that is not going to happen. Our political class is not going to do it.

Sadly, I see no end to mass gun murders.

[Hoyt]

59. Might be no end, but it can be reduced and quickly. The "assault" weapon ban worked.

[at140]

60. I have zero problem with assault weapons ban!

Just do not make it expensive for little old 79 year old me to maintain a 9 mm with max 7 bullets at home.
Or some single mother living in a hazardous neighborhood.

[Hoyt]

61. Actually, don't have a big issue with one or two reasonable guns kept for

home defense and for the 3% or so that hunt for food. No public toting, though. Anything more than that, should be suspect.

[frazzled]

16. Because people will break a law doesn't mean we shouldn't have laws.

Every law that has ever been enacted has been broken by some—from murder to running a red light. The argument that people will not obey a law is entirely specious. Laws are there to set the accepted rules, regulations, and values of our society, and to administer justice to those who transgress. No law will never stop everyone, but by setting the guidelines they can massively reduce transgression and improve our general society.

[at140]

56. Correct, but the penalty for breaking laws should itself be a deterrent

The gun violence has reached horrible levels. So what will happen to the El Paso mass killer?
He will be in prison after a long trial, then he will receive psychiatric care, healthcare, 3 square meals a day, access to library, access to a Gym, etc. May be it is Texas and he will receive a death sentence. But how many years (or decades) will pass before this SOB is actually executed?

At the risk of sounding cruel, these mass murderers using rapid fire guns should be punished so severely that few in future will attempt to try it. Sadly that will never happen. And that is why I am pessimistic about mass gun murders ending.

[MyNameGoesHere]

44. Those who ignore and break laws

Will need to be arrested and prosecuted. We do that already. It's a very lame excuse for not doing it. It's a defeatist attitude or a NRA response. We can control criminals and law breakers.

[at140]

57. Please read my post #56...nt

[dameatball]

6. I have yet to hear a good reason why anyone would need a silencer, other than to more expeditiously

kill people. Auotomatic, semi-automatic weapons either. There have been a few comments here and their from people trying to justify the availability, but none of them are valid in the big picture.

[Hoyt]

19. Oh, gun-humpers who like to shoot a thousand rounds are targets resembling people say

silencers help protect their hearing. CHRIST, FIND ANOTHER HOBBY, A-HOLE.

I believe like you. In fact, anyone who attempts to buy a silencer, body armor, etc., should be suspected and put on a watch list.

[lark]

8. Freaking 100% yes to all.

I also think we really need to limit the purchases allowed per year. There's a strong correlation with mass killers buying tons of guns & ammo just shortly before they go on a rampage, we need to limit guns to 1 per year and limit the ammo as well. This alone would really help decrease the mass gun killings, IMO.

[NoMoreRepugs]

11. I often wonder why no national group has ever formed

to counter the NRA. Surely there are more of us than the what, 6million NRA members who would be willing to pay dues and solicit the support of corporations interested in stopping the madness. Just a crazy thought from a saddened old man.

[SCantiGOP]

13. Agree with every point in OP

And realize it won’t happen until we start defeating red state republicans and the NRA has disappeared.

[Drahthaardogs]

15. Yes to all except #1. I am afraid that ship has sailed

Long ago when they allowed the assault rifle ban to sunset. There are simply too many out there at this point. Most of the people I know who shoot have multiple AR-15.

[SHRED]

18. Then...

After the buyback grace period anyone in possession would have a stiff mandatory minimum prison sentence and fines enough to do them damage.

[Drahthaardogs]

24. That is a losing strategy

Any Democrat who calls for this commits political suicide

[SHRED]

29. What's your solution?

[Drahthaardogs]

46. Closing loopholes, mental health background investigation

Red laws for imminent danger.


Confiscation by law enforcement is too much for most people.

[Polybius]

37. My idea is the government pays them triple of what each assault weapon is worth

This way it makes them feel better, like "we're not your enemy, see?"

[jcgoldie]

20. thats the most important thing on the list

"Too many out there". What other product that does nothing but kill people do they refuse to regulate because "there's already too many out there?"

[Drahthaardogs]

22. Cigarettes, alcohol, and high fructose corn syrup.

Eom

[jcgoldie]

25. So you think a person's choice to ingest unhealthy things into their body...

...is somehow analogous to weapons that any asshole can use to kill dozens of innocent people in a school or in a mall??

[Drahthaardogs]

47. I think big tobacco has killed more people than all guns combined

As has big corn growers association

Plus personnel choice was not your question. You asked specifically what other product has the government failed to restrict that only kills people.

I have two very relevant examples

[Voltaire2]

48. We regulate tobacco and the FDA could

regulate HFC.

So like that rw talking point is stupid.

[Drahthaardogs]

49. And we regulate guns as well

You are talking about prohibition not regulation.

It's quite comparable. How many children are impacted by second hand smoke?

[Voltaire2]

50. Basically we don't regulate guns.

But carry on.

[Drahthaardogs]

51. Nonsense.

I'm not going to entertain ridiculous statements. Guns are regulated on the federal, state, and local level.

[Voltaire2]

52. Lulzd.

[Voltaire2]

21. Mental healthcare has nothing to do with

gun control, and linking it stigmatizes people who have mental health issues.

Otherwise, yes. All of the above. Plus as the gun radicals love to point out, it is very difficult to fully specify exactly what is an assault weapon and what isn’t, so gun manufacturers should have to get regulatory approval from a federal agency to manufacture any weapon.

[SHRED]

23. I see your point

It's mentioned in the party platform however.

[Voltaire2]

26. The platform is wrong on this.

Just move the mental healthcare point over to the universal comprehensive healthcare section where it belongs.

[SHRED]

27. You are correct

I'll remove it also.

[DVRacer]

28. Let's just take point one

There are approximately 330,000,000 firearms in the United States. Of those 85% fall into the category you set out that’s 280,000,000ish. Like eminent domain the courts will require fair compensation so average for that would be about $1,000.00. So I would ask how do you plan to pay for 2,800,000,000 yes that’s 2.8 trillion dollars?

My reasoning for being against more laws is because of what happened under the 94-04 ban. It was heavily enforced on inner city’s and let slide in rural communities. Just like hardened drug laws it will be disproportionately enforced against minority’s. I don’t want to give them more reasons to lock up minority men for 10 years especially when you have officers like the one in Florida planting drugs. He was able for years to take drugs from evidence and plant them. So now these departments will have all the guns they want to plant on people they want to make go away. I’m worried this is a trap and also can’t see how to pay for it too.

[Voltaire2]

30. 500.00

I think you have grossly inflated the value of a used semi auto rifle.

But I don’t care. The buy back grace period should be short: 3 months. After that the fair market value of your lovely precious is zero.

[SHRED]

31. Then no buyback

You go to prison if caught with one.

[DVRacer]

34. Well you can't do that legally

The courts right now are trying to come up with an amount the Federal government has to pay for bump stocks. The previous owners want $500 the government says $100 but nevertheless they have to pay. So whatever it is it will be a huge sum for 85% of all firearms in the country.

Just take Oregon for an example rural counties say they won’t enforce the law there. The cities say enforce enforce it will be the same nation wide. You will make the private prisons very rich and ruin many lives in the process. Like the ‘94 crime bill you will look back and go oh that was a mistake.

[ooky]

35. Sounds like we need to be more aggressive with enforcement action then.

Sorry but its time to stop making excuses, the assault weapons need to go. Give them a tax loss write off and get going. Reinstate the assault weapons ban and put those who are still caught with them in prison with mandatory prison time. If they break the law and get caught they ruin their own lives.

[jcgoldie]

32. copout

WTF difference does it make really if more assault weapons are taken from minorities? Pretty sure that is an issue which pales in comparison to dozens of innocent people being killed day after day with guns that are USUALLY PURCHASED WITHIN WEEKS OF THE SHOOTING.

[Demsrule86]

43. I call bullshit on that...it was enforced...we need gun control. This mass murder of innocents.

must stop...we register cars from manufacture to destruction with insurance requirements. And you need to check backgrounds thoroughly...and a wink and a nod from corrupt law enforcement gets a conspiracy charge if the gun is used in a crime.

[hunter]

33. The second amendment is bullshit just as the Constitutionality of slavery was bullshit.

It's time to end this nation's disgusting and dangerous gun culture, it's time to separate fools from their guns, it's time to destroy the guns.

[Demsrule86]

42. You have to have an amendment...or you have to find ways as did anti- choice activists in terms of

Roe...we need to get practical and get what we can and get Trump out so hopefully we can get a better court.

[Polybius]

36. Why ban body armor?

How does that harm anyone else?

[SHRED]

39. Difficult to bring down

Law enforcement doesn't need added hindrances when confronting an active shooter.

[Demsrule86]

41. It keeps the assailant alive longer so he can kill more people.

[former9thward]

63. Show where that has happened in a mass shooting.

[Demsrule86]

67. No, if you want to check it out fine with me but logic dictates that body armor is used to protect

the killer and unless you are in law enforcement, there is no need for such an thing.

[Elmer1007]

38. Suppressors

Suppressors are already treated as machine guns, fingerprints, photo, $200 tax, 3 months or more for permission to purchase.

[Demsrule86]

40. Gun needs to registered like a car with a Vin number from manufacture to destruction.

[pecosbob]

45. I believe several of those conditions existed when I was a young man

silencers were illegal...body armor was illegal...background checks were conducted. Seems like Republicans must have gutted these laws at some point...I wonder why.

[MaryMagdaline]

53. Yes to all of these measures

[Joe941]

65. Law really work for people who follow laws - not criminals.

Really have to confiscate all guns.

[spanone]

66. K&R...