Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinSE
Another reasonable post, this is getting to be a habit with you.
I guess I have been "out of touch" (personally inflicted) for a while and I just learned tonight that the Administration is going to make another attempt at banning "assault weapons". Obviously in response to the emergent situation. I am a liberal and I am TOTALLY against that. I am about as anti-gun as a person can be, and I am totally against that. Why, you ask?
Because it is typical liberal/DEM grand standing and it is stupid. It is grandstanding because it is stupid and they know it and they will try anyway. It is stupid because it probably wont pass - so they burn political capital to achieve nothing. It is stupid because even if they get it passed, it will be cut down by the SCOTIS. It is stupid because even if they get it passed, and the SCOTUS does not knock it down, it wont work, because there is no way to collect all the AR15s from people that don't want to give them up. The main thing the law will accomplish is there will be a sudden rash of "stolen gun" reports, and a bunch of AR15's will suddenly mysteriously disappear. Yeah right...
Sigh.
It can't work. It is obvious to the most casual observer. For reasons often expressed here - frequently wrongly (bats anyone), but at the heart is the simple argument that even if somehow the government sends out millions of agents to forcibly collect the guns (a REALLY bad idea) the guns will magically disappear. But, even if the agents find them and one day there are NO AR15's around - okay, so what? There are plenty of alternatives. As many have said hand guns are also semi automatic, hand guns are smaller, lighter, easier to hide, and a 9mm, I believe, can hold 17 rounds. So, a more powerful close in gun that can kill 17 instead of 19 children. And I am SURE you can come up with even better alternatives. So, all the law will actually do at BEST is change the gun of preference for DEMS to hate on.
I really wish the administration would consider passing legislation to close loop hopes in existing laws, pass a universal back ground check and pass a domestic violence bill.
Domestic violence correlates to mass shootings - not saying causation, but there is a strong correlation. And hand guns are the most frequent gun of choice in mass shootings - not AR15's. So they would be addressing two issues - domestic violence and hand guns used in mass shootings, that could probably get passes, it doesn't require the banning of any guns, and it might have an impact - small but measurable impact on mass shootings.
For the schools the ONLY thing I see for now is hardening. No guns carried by teachers - bad idea. No patrolling guard and guard towers. No rate fencing around the school.
But, hardening that is already being used in many schools. Things like locked doors at class rooms. ID verification at a single entry point, maybe with an armed guard - sort of a TSA at airports approach. Surveillance cameras inside and out.
And, here is a tech idea - automatic gun shot detection and location determination in and around schools, that automatically notifies a trained experienced team of responders - sort of a swat team that specializes in mass shooting and school shootings - nothing else. Every city/town would have two teams one primary and one backup. (hopefully we will not get to having two mass shootings per day even in a big city - but maybe)
It is even possible using some of the new AI technologies to identify what type of round/gun was fired (or a good guess) and how many guns are active.
I HATE any of those ideas being put in around elementary schools. I think it is normalizing horror to children. But, for gods sake it has been over 20 years and we have made NO progress. Lots of stupid stuff, but nothing that stopped the recent shooters and constant growth in mass and school shootings.
So, let us do something that can help. Maybe not perfect but better than banning a gun that another gun can be substituted in hours with another model. All politics and no cattle - to paraphrase a Texas saying.
|
I agree. We shall see whether they successfully ban AR's. It is a fools errand given how many are in circulation. You are also correct in that there are many replacements if someone is determined to mass carnage. I find it hard to believe our Legislators are that naive. To turn an old phrase, "You can eat an elephant one bite at a time". That is the approach to defeating the 2nd Amendment, and their agenda, in my opinion. If they did succeed in another ban I'm not convinced the SCOTUS would hear such a case.
I would like to see a Congressional Investigation to seriously study all mass shootings with an extra emphasis on school shootings. It would need to be an in depth analysis.
In the meantime, interim solutions should be put in place for all schools to prevent entry of a shooter. We have single point entries to get on airplanes with scanning machines. If all doors to enter a building are locked but a controlled entrance you can stop the easy access. I don't know how long such an attack actually lasts but I have to believe the response needs to be within minutes. The principal could have a gun safe and there could be volunteer staff who are professional trained to respond to a shooter before the Police arrive. They could wear a certain color vest so not to be confused with the active shooter.
In 2018, I lived about 2 miles from the Borderline Bar & Grill when Ian David Long killed 12 people and injured 16. He had a .45 cal. Glock handgun and 7 high capacity magazines. No AR.
I used to go to the Borderline years ago to dance. In 2018 it was a popular hangout for college kids. Long was raised without a father figure and was a trouble maker in school, sometime threatening teachers, etc. After high school he went into the Marine Corp and received excellent training. The turning point for him was breaking up with his girlfriend, which pushed him over the edge. He went to a bar where he was known and killed people.
The first person he killed was the unarmed security guard. Then he entered the door and shot the young woman who collects the cover charge in the face. As dancers panicked with no where to run he opened fire. Some broke windows to get out, some tried to hide. There were 3 off duty cops there that night enjoying the music. But, according to CA law/regulation they are not allowed to be armed when they are in a bar. Even though they were unarmed, they shielded young people with their bodies.
Now I will tell you some things you won't find in news articles. The first to respond were two CHP officers, one a woman. They arrived and could hear the shooting inside the bar but the cowards wouldn't go inside. A few minutes later Sheriff Deputy Ron Helus arrived. He tried to organize the three of them to engage. As they went in the female officer who was terrified accidentally shot Ron in the back. He was months from retirement.
Ventura County is not far from Las Vegas and it has a great Country station and Country fans. At least 800 people from Ventura attended the Route 91 concert in Las Vegas for that massacre. Some died. The Borderline was a meeting place for Route 91 survivors. For some of the people at the Borderline that night it was the second time they had been the victim of a mass shooting event. One or two of the young people who survived Las Vegas died at the Borderline.
The following spring I had four students who were there that night who took several lessons with me. They don't ever want to feel that helpless again.
What I know is that these events go down quickly and the Police will be along to clean up the mess. The First Defender is us, the only ones at the scene when it begins. When I've been asked why I train as much as I do my answer is simply this. Statistically, it is not likely that I will ever face an armed assailant. But, the chances are not zero.