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Originally Posted by Guest
wjboyer1
We are living in a time where there is a great deal of violence, much of which is related to guns.
Extreme voices on both the liberal and conservative way of thinking seem to drown out the necessary intelligent discussion about what to do to diminish the chances that more gun violence will take more innocent lives.
There are compelling instances of both law and emotion being screamed at each other currently, and no-one is looking at ways that we, as a nation, can address this situation.
As of today, and not counting the possible deaths of any of the surviving people who were injured in the gun violence of Las Vegas, over 407 people have had their lives ended as a result of gun violence this year alone. That does not include the many other instances in past years, but it does warrant the questioning of our leaders why has nothing been done to address this issue?
Currently a gun law that would permit silencers to become legal is before Congress, and just recently a bill was defeated in Congress relating to having background checks be performed before a purchase of a firearm could commence.
It looks like we cannot have confidence in our elected representatives to actually represent you, and me: their constituents. It looks like a national organization which has, in the past, directed significant funds to political candidates that support unfettered access to any kind of firearm, and made huge economic efforts against any who would even have an intelligent discourse about some sort of limitations.
Political groups will now rise up and blame their counterparts, but we will still have the problem before us. We need to actually start talking WITH each other, find solutions TOGETHER, and stop being so divisive as a nation and intolerant of each other.
Please contact your representatives and ask them to start talking with each other to address this, and many other problems. If they are not responsive, consider using your VOTE to change direction from being polarized and blaming each other to being an instrument of making America better and working together for that end.
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I wonder what solutions
you would suggest.
Let's look at the shooting in Las Vegas.
1. A "silencer" was not used.
Why did you feel the need to bring up the issue of suppressors? (They muffle sound, but they do not
silence it.)
2. There is no allegation that the firearms used were illegally purchased.
Why do you bring up illegal purchases?
3. It is early in the investigation, but it appears likely that the shooter
illegally possessed firearms capable of automatic fire. It is conjectured that he personally,
illegally converted the firearms from semi-automatic to full automatic capability. There were "gun control laws" in place to deter what the shooter did, but
he broke the laws.
4. He committed mass murder.
What gun control laws do you think a mass murderer would feel constrained to obey?
Regarding some of your other statements and "statistics,"
1. Where did you get your figure of "407 people have had their lives ended as a result of gun violence this year alone?" I wonder if it includes Justifiable Homicides and the shooting of criminals by police officers.
More to the point, it is much too low, since it does not appear to include the 527 homicides in Chicago alone this year. That's Chicago, where handguns are pretty much totally outlawed by Chicago law. That demonstrates the ineffectiveness of such laws.
2. The purchase and possession of firearms is one of the most heavily regulated activities of our citizens, with federal, state, and local laws in force. Where do you get the idea "nothing been done to address this issue?"
3. And, of course, you surely know that all businesses that sell firearms are required to have potential firearms purchasers fill out a federal questionnaire and be subject to a National Criminal Background Check prior to the sale of a firearm.
And, purchase and possession of certain firearms, such as fully automatic firearms, are severely restricted. You make a much overblown statement when you speak of "unfettered access to any kind of firearm." That is nonsense.
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Things to consider:
1. The Second Amendment prohibits gun confiscation. Recent Supreme Court decisions have re-affirmed that the amendment guarantees the right of individual citizens to "keep and bear arms."
2. It is estimated that there are over 300 Million guns in the United States. Any attempt to outlaw or seize all guns would result in millions of them being tucked away and exchanged on the black market.
3. Experts who are concerned about defense against assassins and mass murders agree that there can never be an absolute defense against occurrences like Las Vegas in a free society.
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So I ask you again. What would
you suggest?
Carl in Tampa
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