No answers but observations on recent shootings....

Aug 4, 2019, 12:22 PM

First off I am a gun owner to set that point clear.

Currently there are 350-400 million guns in private citizens hands today, best estimates. Much like nuclear arms there is no putting that genie back in the bottle.

On any given weekend in cities across the USA the combined death and wounding totals far exceed these 3 events. They get little to no media attention as they are in poor and minority areas. Seems the media really does not care about them, I suspect neither do the vast majority of citizens either.

Gun control will be at the forefront on all the talk show and print media. It will all be an exercise in futility for many reasons in my opinion. It does nothing to deal with the guns currently out there and only applies to future purchases. Then what types of operating systems will be banned, all so called assault weapons are semi-auto that are allowed purchase by the average citizen. Yes one can own a full auto weapon but one must also have a Class 3 FFL and the guns themselves are very expensive. Bump stocks, DragonFire and the like never should have been allowed as they skirted the laws and all common sense to boot. Will it only be the black scary weapons that are banned because a Mini-14 in wood stock does not look evil yet operates the same and can attach high capacity mags? High capacity magazines are low hanging fruit, go ahead and ban them as there are many mulitple millions out there already. In truth if one practices with 5 round mags one can maintain a fairly high rate of fire anyway.Ban all semi-auto's? Revolvers can be reloaded using speed loaders rather quickly , banned too?Pump actions can produce a pretty good rate of fire , banned too? Just single shot weapons allowed?

We will also hear of stricter background checks, problem is they are only good for telling a persons past and are not predicators of future actions. I have no issue with a National Registry for background checks and it should also include convicted domestic abusers and those with mental health issues. How many folks would be comfortable with health records mandated on to a Federal Registry is my question. Mental screenings sound good but also are only valid at that point in time, does nothing in predicting whether a person will go Postal in the future.

We can talk about better mental health programs/social work in the USA but it has been my experience that folks with serious issues do not recognize they have a problem. So that leaves it up to who exactly to say someone needs help,commited or placed on a hold? Today we barely know our neighbors, families are spread across the country and co-workers just avoid those they find odd.

We can argue till the cows come home on what the 2nd means, until SCOTUS changes their opinion it does not matter. That or repeal the 2nd but if one looks at what is required for that endeavor you have a better chance of making ice in hell.

The issue of gun ownership in the USA is a complex one and most things will not prevent gun violence in truth. To believe that any Laws enacted while still allowing private ownership will eliminate gun violence is simply silly. SO either we accept that there will be times like these when fools do stupid thing or we ban them entirely. No such thing as a little bit pregnant and the same applies here.

As a law abiding gun owner that has never had a rifle or pistol jump out the safe and go on a rampage . Be it the mass shooters or bangers in the hood of inner cities I detest them all. A gun is neither good nor evil, it is an inanimate object with no free will . It remains inanimate until a fool puts it to use for evil purposes.

SO as I have no answers on a solution because I think most of them are just exercises in feel good, I ask for your thoughts and solutions.

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It is a complex one and it's rooted in our history and our culture, not to mention our constitution. I would, however, ban the ownership and purchase of weapons of war. They never should have been sold. Not because they are inherently evil themselves but because in reality we have to stop their availability to the fringe elements in our society. No reasonable person would argue for the sale of hand grenades, rocket launchers or .50 cal. machine guns at Walmart.
They are inanimate as well. So are cocaine and heroin.

I think it is dangerous for us to pretend that there aren't evil people in this world and our country who will do harm to others. We have to, at least, limit the availability of weapons of war to the general public. Perhaps there should be a licensing process for the ownership of those weapons like in other countries. It would be a pain in the asss to legitimate gun owners, but worth it I think.

I grew up hunting, it is a part of mine and particularly our southern culture.
But I've never shot a deer with an AK-47.

No answers but observations on recent shootings....

Not one single mentally stable, mentally healthy person

Re: Not one single mentally stable, mentally healthy person

I agree. The lobbying for 'loopholes' could be nixed, though...

Re: No answers but observations on recent shootings....

Re: No answers but observations on recent shootings....

i still haven't been able to wrap my head around

Here's some info from an FBI study on active shooters...

Re: Here's some info from an FBI study on active shooters...

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