General Gun Violence/Gun Control

[Ontario Mom]

A couple of years ago I told an American friend (gunowner) that "Guns are in the DNA of Americans". She got quite upset about that and said it's not true. I think that article I posted about the history of guns in America helps prove that I was wrong and she was right.

As a pro-2nd amendment and former gun owner American living in Canada for the last 25 years, I have a unique perspective when it comes to our different culture's opinions on gun ownership and gun control laws. I can assure you, a Canadian telling an American what Americans believe about guns, is not usually a good idea It'd be like an American telling a Canadian what Canadians believe about the Leafs, or Tim Hortons, or poutine.

My only point really is that there tends to be a lot of generalizing (which is often not accurate) and it doesn't appear to be fruitful in this conversation about gun violence. Among my American family some are pro-gun ownership and some aren't. It's roughly 50/50. Interestingly enough, literally same goes with my Canadian family.

I think we can all agree (or at least I sure hope so) that these mass shootings and this evil gun violence needs to stop. I can't agree though that more laws are the answer. These evil acts by mass shooters are already illegal and that doesn't stop them from doing it. If more laws were passed to legally restrict particular weapons, it wouldn't be responsible, law abiding gun owners affected. In a way that would be like making it a law that you can't stand upside down and eat cupcakes while juggling bowling balls. Yes, it sounds absurd and it is but the point is, no one's doing that anyway, so passing a law about it is a huge waste of everyone's time and effort. Likewise, it isn't responsible, law abiding gun owners procuring weapons and opening fire in schools, malls, workplaces, etc. Those laws, if ever passed, will never be followed by the criminals that do this, any more than any of the other thousands of laws on the books now, that they also don't follow and don't care about.

I honestly don't know what the answer is, or if there's ever going to be a way to eliminate this from our society. I come from the generation of kids who's school parking lots were full of trucks with guns in the gun racks, and where joining the Rifleman's club was a common thing. I know mass shootings happened in the 70's too but not like now. It's almost as if something in the 90's just, broke. Was it 24/7 cable news coverage? The introduction of the internet? Both? I don't know, but something is definitely different now than it was then. Sorry that was so long, I have lots and lots of thoughts on this, and I appreciate the mods giving us all a place to get them out. And for the record, poutine is gross.

jmo

 

[housewife]

Not in DNA, but protected by 2A. Most citizens agree. The problem is some of the folks that are asking for common sense gun laws - a ban on semi-automatic rifles / high-capacity magazines - get stomped upon by other folks who insist people are coming for their handguns. It’s a fallacy of logic, but you won’t convince them otherwise. My right to not want to have my family blown to bits by an AR-15 while shopping does not matter to them. They want what they want. Demand it.

IMHO Gun owners who are against red flag laws are the same people that would have had their firearms confiscated under the new regulations, and they know this.

IMHO they are mostly domestic abusers, who generally love power and their abuse is hidden from others.

IMHO these people already know they wouldn’t be eligible to own a killing tool (power) if regulations are enforced. They take it as a personal attack when they feel powerless. These gun owners have no interest in protecting children (even their own) or the general public. It’s all about themselves.

Why are these men so emotional?

Also adding: Power hungry people seek jobs that allow them to control others. If that job requires them to carry a firearm, they would become unemployed if gun regulations are enforced.

 

[Betty P]

For starters, we need long-overdue lobbying reform and campaign finance reform. Those are two problem areas that have allowed big money pressure groups to re-write and abolish the sensible, productive regulations we used to have in place.

There's already plenty of data and evidence to show which regulations will work. Many of these laws and regulations were once in place, were considered constitutional.

It's impossible for a nation that refuses to provide health care for all of it's citizens to claim they can prevent people with mental illness from accessing or using weapons to murder others. When it comes down to implementation, they and their elected leaders won't pay for it.

Our elected officials need to lock out the lobbyists and PACs and craft sensible legislation to roll back the horrible public policy that allows mass murders. JMO

 

[MyBelle]

For starters, we need long-overdue lobbying reform and campaign finance reform. Those are two problem areas that have allowed big money pressure groups to re-write and abolish the sensible, productive regulations we used to have in place.

There's already plenty of data and evidence to show which regulations will work. Many of these laws and regulations were once in place, were considered constitutional.

It's impossible for a nation that refuses to provide health care for all of it's citizens to claim they can prevent people with mental illness from accessing or using weapons to murder others. When it comes down to implementation, they and their elected leaders won't pay for it.

Our elected officials need to lock out the lobbyists and PACs and craft sensible legislation to roll back the horrible public policy that allows mass murders. JMO

BBM. Great idea but it will never happen because of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Serbia's citizens have had enough:

Serbia shootings: Tens of thousands join protests

Protesters call for the resignation of top officials in the wake of two mass shootings.

www.bbc.com

The protesters are demanding that top government officials resign, and want newspapers and TV stations that they say promote violence to be shut down.

Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vucic, condemned the protests.

 

[AngTxGal]

A couple of years ago I told an American friend (gunowner) that "Guns are in the DNA of Americans". She got quite upset about that and said it's not true. I think that article I posted about the history of guns in America helps prove that I was wrong and she was right.

I‘m not sure what you were trying to convey with the comment.
“Guns are in the DNA of Americans.”

What is true, is that 13 colonies won their independence as citizens against military using guns… and for this reason the US Constitution has a 2nd Amendment giving the right for all citizens to bear arms.
The word American may imply a like mind, it should not at all.

I‘m an American, and my ancestors were Texan before American.
Some immigrants from Europe moved to the 13 colonies and then west into Mexican territory.
That territory won independence from Mexico in 1886. All eight of my great grandparents were born in Mexican territory. That Mexican territory became Texas.
All eight of my great grand parents were Texan before they were Americans.
My ancestors fought the British, Native Americans, Mexicans, and also against the Union during the Civil War.

All I can say is…
Guns and fighting for freedom is in my Texan DNA, for sure.

I would guess that ALL free people won their freedom through the use of guns.
When citizens have guns it is tougher to…
- make and keep them submissive to their government.
- overtake their country with invaders.
That is the logic of the 2nd Amendment.

The idea some have that the world is safe, and therefore no one needs guns is ridiculous.
Where would Ukraine be if none of the citizens had guns to defend themselves?
It is heart breaking to see the invasion of Ukraine… they are simply wanting to stay on their own property in their own country and stay free.
How dare any of us forget the lives lost so we could have the freedoms we have.
How dare we act in any way other than to save our freedoms for our children.
We have no idea what world they will live in.

So, I’ll never be Pro gun laws that take guns away from citizens without due process, but I’m all for preventing criminals, the mentally unstable, and those that cannot be responsible from having and using guns.

For the record- any idea where the owner of Websleuths calls home?
It would be wonderful to hear her take on this issue, as a fellow Texan.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

Not in DNA, but protected by 2A. Most citizens agree. The problem is some of the folks that are asking for common sense gun laws - a ban on semi-automatic rifles / high-capacity magazines - get stomped upon by other folks who insist people are coming for their handguns. It’s a fallacy of logic, but you won’t convince them otherwise. My right to not want to have my family blown to bits by an AR-15 while shopping does not matter to them. They want what they want. Demand it.

BBM Well said!

I have never understood why any politician became so fanatical about guns that they refuse to pass common sense laws when it comes to assault weapons that keep slaughtering human beings.

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

IMHO Gun owners who are against red flag laws are the same people that would have had their firearms confiscated under the new regulations, and they know this.

IMHO they are mostly domestic abusers, who generally love power and their abuse is hidden from others.

IMHO these people already know they wouldn’t be eligible to own a killing tool (power) if regulations are enforced. They take it as a personal attack when they feel powerless. These gun owners have no interest in protecting children (even their own) or the general public. It’s all about themselves.

Why are these men so emotional?

Also adding: Power hungry people seek jobs that allow them to control others. If that job requires them to carry a firearm, they would become unemployed if gun regulations are enforced.

I’m a gun owner, female, and I question how such RedFlag laws would actually help, but I’m not a member of the scum groups you’ve described… imagine that. The demonizing of everyone who has a different opinion is not helpful.

If this is true…’these people already know they wouldn’t be eligible to own a killing tool if regulations are enforced’ implies laws are not being enforced.
Why not enforce those laws?
Why create new laws not to enforce, if the old laws are not being helpful and not being enforced?

Some people think a signature on a paper is going to force criminals who are hell bent on killing others- decide to all the sudden obey laws.
Murder is illegal

What would that signature passing RedFlag laws actually do?
-Not sure.
-Possibly nothing.
-Make people feel like they can control what cannot be controlled at all.

If mass shootings are about- mental wellness of young men, video games advertising guns, and easy access to weapons of war…Red Flag laws may do zero to prevent mass shootings.

If mass shootings are about young men who are mentally ill, displaying all kinds of obvious warning signs of homicide such that anyone could see… then maybe RedFlag laws will help cause people to do what they can already do…
You don’t need a RedFlag law to commit an adult to a mental facility based on clear threats of violence against self or others. You can do that now.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

<modsnip - quoted post and response removed>

JMO

Powered By People

Powered by People will organize grassroots volunteers to do the tough, necessary work right here in Texas.

betoorourke.com

And while it might not be the easy or politically safe thing to say, I don’t believe any civilian should own an AR-15 or AK-47. When a gunman drove to a Walmart in my hometown of El Paso and managed to kill nearly two dozen of my neighbors with an AK-47 in under three minutes, it made it all too clear to me that it is far too easy for Texans to get their hands on weapons of war that are designed specifically to kill people in masses in as little time as possible.

 

[MyBelle]

IMHO Gun owners who are against red flag laws are the same people that would have had their firearms confiscated under the new regulations, and they know this.

IMHO they are mostly domestic abusers, who generally love power and their abuse is hidden from others.

IMHO these people already know they wouldn’t be eligible to own a killing tool (power) if regulations are enforced. They take it as a personal attack when they feel powerless. These gun owners have no interest in protecting children (even their own) or the general public. It’s all about themselves.

Why are these men so emotional?

Also adding: Power hungry people seek jobs that allow them to control others. If that job requires them to carry a firearm, they would become unemployed if gun regulations are enforced.

BBM. Well said! I think gun laws will be a big issue for the 2024 federal election. Red Flag laws are effective and so are other gun regulations.

I read about this appalling case in Buffalo involving a school bus driver. Bravo to the student who recorded it!

The Editorial Board: Red flag laws should be strengthened and made national

Recent events – one thwarted and one ending in unspeakable tragedy – point to the critical need for effective red flag laws to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not possess them.

buffalonews.com

The incident last week involved a Buffalo school bus driver accused of threatening a student on his bus.

His chilling rant, “They gonna jump me? I will shoot you. I will shoot them,” was recorded on cellphone video taken by a student and first reported by WGRZ.

The bus driver’s guns were seized and he was fired.

The incident was deemed a “temporary extreme risk order of protection,” also known as a “red flag” from Erie County District Administrative Judge Kevin M. Carter. Following a search of a home on the 100 block of Woodridge Avenue in Cheektowaga, police found three legally owned handguns, which were seized under the red flag order. They also allegedly found one non-SAFE Act compliant Smith & Wesson Model M&P 15 rifle.

 

[AngTxGal]

JMO

Powered By People

Powered by People will organize grassroots volunteers to do the tough, necessary work right here in Texas.

betoorourke.com

And while it might not be the easy or politically safe thing to say, I don’t believe any civilian should own an AR-15 or AK-47. When a gunman drove to a Walmart in my hometown of El Paso and managed to kill nearly two dozen of my neighbors with an AK-47 in under three minutes, it made it all too clear to me that it is far too easy for Texans to get their hands on weapons of war that are designed specifically to kill people in masses in as little time as possible.

<modsnip - political>
I don’t see any use for an AR-15 for myself, I would be fine with them pilled up and destroyed. I do know people who own them and they aren‘t mass shooters.

Would I support anyone coming to their home and taking these guns away? No
Do I think taking the AR-15s from law abiding citizens prevents mass shootings? No.

Mass shootings are not caused by murderers stealing guns away from law abiding citizens.
Mass shooters are legally purchasing an AR-15 they intend to use to kill people.

The million dollar question is…
How do you figure out who these mass shooters are before they buy the gun?

How about make a person wanting to purchase an AR-15 jump through a 1000 hoops before they can keep, own, and use such a gun.
I think owners of AR15s would find a compromise they could live with.
They would see themselves as special, like having a CCL.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

<modsnip>
I don’t see any use for an AR-15 for myself, I would be fine with them pilled up and destroyed. I do know people who own them and they aren‘t mass shooters.

Would I support anyone coming to their home and taking these guns away? No
Do I think taking the AR-15s from law abiding citizens prevents mass shootings? No.

Mass shootings are not caused by murderers stealing guns away from law abiding citizens.
Mass shooters are legally purchasing an AR-15 they full intend to use to kill people.

The million dollar question is…
How do you figure out who these mass shooters are before they buy the gun?

How about make a person wanting to purchase an AR-15 jump through a 1000 hoops before they can keep, own, and use such a gun.
I think owners of AR15s would find a compromise they could live with.
They would see themselves as special, like having a CCL.

JMO

I think there will be federal gun control legislation after 2024.

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

I think there will be federal gun control legislation after 2024.

JMO

Maybe, but I do not think that gun control legislation will include taking AR-15s from the hands of law abiding citizens who currently own them.

I hope a lawsuit comes about to sue Gun Manufacturers and Video Game Companies who advertise guns in first person shooter video games marketed to young men.
And I hope those Gun Manufacturers and Video Game Companies lose billions.
And I hope it becomes illegal for a video game to depict humans shooting humans, humans running cars over humans, men enacting violence against women.
Who knows, young men may find other hobbiles.

JMO

 

[Cota332]

What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

While the number of gun deaths in the U.S. fell for the second consecutive year in 2023, it remained among the highest annual totals on record.

www.pewresearch.org

I found plenty of interesting insights throughout this article :

- "Rifles – the category that includes guns sometimes referred to as “assault weapons” – were involved in 3% of firearm murders" (according to FBI statics)
- "While 2021 saw the highest total number of gun deaths in the U.S., this statistic does not take into account the nation’s growing population. On a per capita basis, there were 14.6 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2021 – the highest rate since the early 1990s, but still well below the peak of 16.3 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 1974."
- "Though they tend to get less public attention than gun-related murders, suicides have long accounted for the majority of U.S. gun deaths." (more than half)

 

[steeltowngirl]

How about make a person wanting to purchase an AR-15 jump through a 1000 hoops before they can keep, own, and use such a gun.
I think owners of AR15s would find a compromise they could live with.
They would see themselves as special, like having a CCL.

This is a reasonable compromise and a good start, IMO.

 

[housewife]

If this is true…’these people already know they wouldn’t be eligible to own a killing tool if regulations are enforced’ implies laws are not being enforced.
Why not enforce those laws?
Why create new laws not to enforce, if the old laws are not being helpful and not being enforced?

Some people think a signature on a paper is going to force criminals who are hell bent on killing others- decide to all the sudden obey laws.
Murder is illegal

What would that signature passing RedFlag laws actually do?
-Not sure.
-Possibly nothing.
-Make people feel like they can control what cannot be controlled at all.

If mass shootings are about- mental wellness of young men, video games advertising guns, and easy access to weapons of war…Red Flag laws may do zero to prevent mass shootings.

If mass shootings are about young men who are mentally ill, displaying all kinds of obvious warning signs of homicide such that anyone could see… then maybe RedFlag laws will help cause people to do what they can already do…
You don’t need a RedFlag law to commit an adult to a mental facility based on clear threats of violence against self or others. You can do that now.

JMO

Good point. I wish we did enforce the laws that already exist. Has there been an investigation in why we don’t?

At least 74 Illinois sheriff’s departments vow to defy state assault weapons ban​

“He can’t fire an elected official,” he said. “I have the support of the people of Monroe County.”

Or can we at least enforce the laws consistently?
But the vast majority of sheriffs are independently elected, so they have autonomy to set and enforce policy, said political scientist Emily Farris of Texas Christian University. Farris helped oversee a survey of American sheriffs and found about 38% opposed a requirement to confiscate firearms from people who pose a public safety risk.

The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) and Richard Mack: How Extremists Are Successfully Infiltrating Law Enforcement​

 

[Lexiintoronto]

As a pro-2nd amendment and former gun owner American living in Canada for the last 25 years, I have a unique perspective when it comes to our different culture's opinions on gun ownership and gun control laws. I can assure you, a Canadian telling an American what Americans believe about guns, is not usually a good idea It'd be like an American telling a Canadian what Canadians believe about the Leafs, or Tim Hortons, or poutine.

My only point really is that there tends to be a lot of generalizing (which is often not accurate) and it doesn't appear to be fruitful in this conversation about gun violence. Among my American family some are pro-gun ownership and some aren't. It's roughly 50/50. Interestingly enough, literally same goes with my Canadian family.

I think we can all agree (or at least I sure hope so) that these mass shootings and this evil gun violence needs to stop. I can't agree though that more laws are the answer. These evil acts by mass shooters are already illegal and that doesn't stop them from doing it. If more laws were passed to legally restrict particular weapons, it wouldn't be responsible, law abiding gun owners affected. In a way that would be like making it a law that you can't stand upside down and eat cupcakes while juggling bowling balls. Yes, it sounds absurd and it is but the point is, no one's doing that anyway, so passing a law about it is a huge waste of everyone's time and effort. Likewise, it isn't responsible, law abiding gun owners procuring weapons and opening fire in schools, malls, workplaces, etc. Those laws, if ever passed, will never be followed by the criminals that do this, any more than any of the other thousands of laws on the books now, that they also don't follow and don't care about.

I honestly don't know what the answer is, or if there's ever going to be a way to eliminate this from our society. I come from the generation of kids who's school parking lots were full of trucks with guns in the gun racks, and where joining the Rifleman's club was a common thing. I know mass shootings happened in the 70's too but not like now. It's almost as if something in the 90's just, broke. Was it 24/7 cable news coverage? The introduction of the internet? Both? I don't know, but something is definitely different now than it was then. Sorry that was so long, I have lots and lots of thoughts on this, and I appreciate the mods giving us all a place to get them out. And for the record, poutine is gross.

jmo

Because of the border and differing gun laws and availability in the US, it’s our issue as well.

In my home province of Nova Scotia a shooter killed 22 people. 3/5 of his weapons were sourced from Maine.

“According to Commission documents, Conlogue later told RCMP investigators he believed the killer took one of those guns, a Glock 23, without his knowledge. Conlogue said he didn’t discover the gun was missing from where he’d kept it, until he checked on it after the tragedy.

Conlogue said he gave the second firearm, a Ruger P-39, to Wortman as a thank you gift after he helped him with some work around the house.

According to other witness statements, the third gun was a semi-automatic Colt Carbine (also known as an AR-15). It’s believed that gun was bought illegally for Wortman, through a third party, at a gun show in Houlton.

"It is not legal to give a gun to a person who is not a citizen of the state in which the person resides," says Margaret Groban, a former U.S. federal prosecutor who is now a law professor at the University of Maine in Portland.

But she doesn’t believe prosecutors would pursue any charges against anyone who helped the gunman obtain weapons illegally in the States at this point.”

Nova Scotia shooter's illegal arsenal outlined at Mass Casualty Commission

The commission examining Canada’s worst mass murder released its findings regarding the killer’s arsenal Tuesday, and heard how much family, friends, and neighbours of Gabriel Wortman knew about his collection of firearms.

beta.ctvnews.ca

In April a major US/Canada gun smuggling operation was busted.

“Canada's gun homicide rate is a fraction of the United States' rate, 2020 data showed, but is still higher than other wealthy countries and has been rising. Most of the handguns used in crimes in Ontario, the most populous province, are smuggled from the United States.”

Police bust major US-Canada firearms smuggling operation with 42 arrests

Canadian and U.S. authorities worked together in a year-long investigation into cross-border firearms trafficking that led to 42 arrests and the seizure of guns and illegal drugs, Toronto police said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

‘"Our problem in Toronto [is] handguns from the United States," Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw told Canadian parliamentarians during hearings on gun violence in February. In his city last year, he said, "86% of crime handguns [that are] able to be sourced were from the United States."’

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/09/1108967278/canada-gun-control-us-guns-trafficking

 

[MyBelle]

Good point. I wish we did enforce the laws that already exist. Has there been an investigation in why we don’t?

At least 74 Illinois sheriff’s departments vow to defy state assault weapons ban​

“He can’t fire an elected official,” he said. “I have the support of the people of Monroe County.”

Or can we at least enforce the laws consistently?
But the vast majority of sheriffs are independently elected, so they have autonomy to set and enforce policy, said political scientist Emily Farris of Texas Christian University. Farris helped oversee a survey of American sheriffs and found about 38% opposed a requirement to confiscate firearms from people who pose a public safety risk.

The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) and Richard Mack: How Extremists Are Successfully Infiltrating Law Enforcement​

Richard Mack started Oath Keepers. The same extremist group that is being convicted along with Proud Boys for the Jan. 6th riot. Sheriffs who refuse to enforce laws should be removed from office. jmo

Former Oath Keeper Has Trained Texas Law Enforcement From More Than 80 Departments

“Against All Enemies,” a new streaming series from NBC 5 Investigates, premieres Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. on NBC Dallas-Fort Worth News on two streaming services.

www.nbcdfw.com

Retired Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack, a former board member of the Oath Keepers, teaches county sheriffs that they are more powerful than the FBI and even the president of the United States.

Mack, who founded the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), maintains that the U.S. Constitution gives local law enforcement officers powers to block federal officials, and even powers to personally determine whether laws are constitutional.

Legal experts who spoke to NBC 5 Investigates said the theories Mack teaches are a false and dangerous interpretation of the Constitution and could put legitimate federal authorities at risk.

 

[AngTxGal]

What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

While the number of gun deaths in the U.S. fell for the second consecutive year in 2023, it remained among the highest annual totals on record.

www.pewresearch.org

I found plenty of interesting insights throughout this article :

- "Rifles – the category that includes guns sometimes referred to as “assault weapons” – were involved in 3% of firearm murders" (according to FBI statics)
- "While 2021 saw the highest total number of gun deaths in the U.S., this statistic does not take into account the nation’s growing population. On a per capita basis, there were 14.6 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2021 – the highest rate since the early 1990s, but still well below the peak of 16.3 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 1974."
- "Though they tend to get less public attention than gun-related murders, suicides have long accounted for the majority of U.S. gun deaths." (more than half)

The devil is in the details of the study.
And the goal of any new laws.
I would aim change where gun control legislation can have the most impact.

Of course it makes perfect sense that assault weapons do not account for even a majority of gun deaths in this country.
Problem is, assault weapons make up 100% of the multiple deaths by a single shooter.

I’m not worried about a single gunman with a handgun, or even a rifle in our malls, fast food restaurants, other public places, and schools- I’m worried about the guns that are mostly being used in mass shootings.

If we are going to change gun laws, surely we all can agree that preventing mass shootings in public places and schools is the place to start!

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

Good point. I wish we did enforce the laws that already exist. Has there been an investigation in why we don’t?

At least 74 Illinois sheriff’s departments vow to defy state assault weapons ban​

“He can’t fire an elected official,” he said. “I have the support of the people of Monroe County.”

Or can we at least enforce the laws consistently?
But the vast majority of sheriffs are independently elected, so they have autonomy to set and enforce policy, said political scientist Emily Farris of Texas Christian University. Farris helped oversee a survey of American sheriffs and found about 38% opposed a requirement to confiscate firearms from people who pose a public safety risk.

The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) and Richard Mack: How Extremists Are Successfully Infiltrating Law Enforcement​

Political groups and politicians don’t get voted into office or reelected on a platform that says they will enforce existing laws.
Politicians get voted into office for saying they will make new laws.

So, what is their motive? Votes
What is their aim? Votes
Who are they caring about when they make such promises? Not public safety
Who are they making angry- anyone who doesn’t agree. And when someone says, “Hey why not enforce laws already on the books, there is no need for new laws.” They claim that person is not interested in gun control reform, and that person is hindering progress.

Hmm, the problem is a public without critical thinking skills… IMO
This isn’t my first rodeo

JMO

 

[steeltowngirl]

I never said he wanted to take away All guns. I did say he wanted to take away guns.
It will never never never never never be ok with Texans for the government to come in and take guns away from law abiding citizens- no matter what kind of guns those are.

That is what he said he wanted to do. No way that will fly here. Some will always think that is one step from taking their guns away.
It doesn’t matter that people understand, or agree, that is what many think.

What he should have done is lay out a plan to have AR-15s and other types of assault weapons already owned by law abiding citizens registered with a special permit. Then he could lay out a RedFlag process for the screening prior to registration of such gun types to future owners. Texans may have seen that as a compromise, I would.

I don’t agree with all Texans, but I absolutely understand how the majority thinks, and how they think is how they vote.

JMO

Yeah, I don’t have all the answers as to how to get to a compromise. Texas is huge and California and Texas have the majority of mass shootings, so they have a lot to sort out. I hope the rest of the states come up with something. My city has seen its fair share too. The synagogue massacre was the largest antisemitic attack on U.S. soil. And the most deadly mass shooting in Pittsburgh. 11 killed with a legally purchased AR-15 and (3) Glock 357s.