Mass shooting on campus in Oregon

[JohnHammond]

Unbelievable.

I know. The Yankees should have been the cover story.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Unbelievable.

What's the problem?

 

[Vombatus]

I'm sure those people who jumped off of the World Trade Center towers were cowards, too.

Boy, I'm offended by that one. That might be the first post on sj that I have found really offensive.

 

[Dick Whitman]

What is the NRA's position on laws prohibiting felons from owning guns?

 

[JohnHammond]

Boy, I'm offended by that one. That might be the first post on sj that I have found really offensive.

Why are you offended? Just pointing out how calling those who commit suicide are cowards is an overly broad statement.

 

[Vombatus]

Why are you offended? Just pointing out how calling those who commit suicide are cowards is an overly broad statement.

Well, yeah I get your point, but that's a heck of an example to draw on - one of the worst days in the history of the nation.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I have a question for all the gun control advocates.

There are roughly 300 million guns in the United States. How do you plan to remove all of the from circulation?

 

[Neutral Corner]

No, no. It's actually a fair enough question. Where's the line?

It has already been established a number of times that there is, and should be, a line. Back in the 1920's and 30's the public could still buy fully automatic BAR's and Thompson machine guns. This led to bank robbers armed with those weapons going against policemen with .38 cal revolvers. Legislation was passed drastically restricting access to such firearms. This continues today - it is possible to buy full auto weapons, but only those who have a federal license may do so. The holders are screened and well documented.

I can't buy a .50 cal Ma Deuce for home protection. It's deadly dangerous overkill. If I want to own something even approaching that sort of firepower, I have to submit to much more rigorous screening and licensing. That's fair and wise.

You don't *need* a military style CQB weapon to defend yourself or your home. I submit that a 12 ga. pump shotgun is a damned effective home defender. Load it with BB or smaller shot and it is much less likely to penetrate the walls and hit your family in the next room, and the clack-Clack! of that gun's action being racked is generally enough to signal to an intruder that this is the appropriate time to find the exit door.

The police did not carry the sort of firepower they do now until criminals started to. Six shot .38 and .357 revolvers were replaced as carry guns because the bad guys were routinely using 9mm automatics with a 14 or 17 round magazine. The firepower did not match up.

The biggest problem regarding functional gun control is the sheer number of firearms already available and how easily they are bought or stolen.

 

[Neutral Corner]

I have a question for all the gun control advocates.

There are roughly 300 million guns in the United States. How do you plan to remove all of the from circulation?

Australia managed it. It can be done. I just don't know what it would take to produce the needed political pressure from the public if the Sandy Hook massacre didn't do it. This is the fourth university shooting since August.

You saw it from Obama yesterday - It pisses him off badly that there is *nothing* he can do to change it. He's rolled a lot of rocks uphill and gotten things done, either by passing laws or by executive order, but he has come to understand that this one will require enough public pressure on the Congress to overcome resistance to change and the NRA's influence. He knows it won't happen while he is in office.

What kind of massacre will it take, how dreadful an event, to make a dent in this? I hate to imagine. Half a dozen guys with AR's and AK's spraying randomly into the crowd at a sports arena?

Congress don't give a shirt. They have pockets full of NRA money or they are scared of an election challenge, and besides, you'd have to go through metal detectors and the Capital security to get at THEM.

 

[doctorquant]

How do you plan to remove all of the from circulation?

Australia managed it.

No it didn't. Low-end estimates are that one-fifth of the guns were removed, high-end estimates are that one-third were.

 

[Stoney]

I have a question for all the gun control advocates.

There are roughly 300 million guns in the United States. How do you plan to remove all of the from circulation?

It doesn't have to be "all." As pointed out many times, gun law reform does not necessarily mean a complete gun ban, and there's nothing unconstitutional about reasonable laws regulating our gun world in a more sane manner.

As noted, I'd be happy if we just tried the much smaller step of stopping the sale of military-style assault rifles to civilians. Let people keep their hunting rifles, shotguns and reasonable-caliber pistols, but for god's sake, let's stop letting unhappy people buy these ARs that serve absolutely no lawful non-combat purpose.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

I have a question for all the gun control advocates.

There are roughly 300 million guns in the United States. How do you plan to remove all of the from circulation?

It's not possible. We know that. Nobody is seriously arguing that we should take away everyone's guns.
I have no problem with stable, law-abiding citizens owning guns.
I just want some reasonable assurance that they are stable and law-abiding.