I’m a headin’ down to the shootin’ store and gittin’ me some them explodin’ bullits. Didn’t know they was a sellin’ them thangs!

Yup.

With the AR-15 style rifle being the weapon of choice.

This is precisely what happens when media sensationalize, rather than just report, the news.

What I said was these firearms were not designed for the hunting and personal self-defense. What they are used for or advertised to be used for is another matter. These firearms are considered assault weapons. Look up the meaning of the word assault and it might give you a different perspective.
We've seen people who have no intent of firing their firearm show up to state capitals just to intimidate law makers. Is that the way this country is supposed to work?

Martin, you keep saying this and it is absolutely false. According to the Violence Project, DOJ, FBI, and many other databases 77.2% of mass shooting are done with handguns.
Public Mass Shootings: Database Amasses Details of a Half Century of U.S. Mass Shootings with Firearms, Generating Psychosocial Histories | National Institute of Justice

It frustrates me that every time there this discussion ensues people who know nothing about firearms have plenty to say about firearms and NEVER discuss the shooter.

There are over 20,000,000 AR type rifles in the US and when 1 is used in a mass shooting the media makes a huge issue of it. If a different firearm is used they don't even mention it. Then the gun haters go bonkers on forums like this.

If your home remodel looks like crap do you blame the hammer or the person wielding the hammer?

How many schools shooting happened before 1999 (Columbine)?
1764, four Lenape Indians attacked a school and killed 10 people (9 children).
1868 Chattnooga, TN, 3 dead.
1891 Newburgh, NY several student injured by a shotgun.
1927, Bath, MI. 43 killed when the schools was blown up by dynamite (deadliest school murder in history).
1940 Pasadena, CA. 5 dead, 2 injured

All of the mass shootings to this point were done by an older adult who was either an angry employee or jilted lover. In 1966, things changed.

1966, University of Texas massacre, 16 dead, 31 injured in 96 minute rampage.
1970 Kent State University, National Guardsman killed 4 students, injure 9 students
1970 Jackson State College, Police kill 2 students, injure 12 students.
1974 Olean NY, 3 dead, 11 injured
1976 Cal State Fullerton, 7 dead, 2 injured, first school shooting with semi-auto rifle.
1979 Grover Cleveland Elementary, 2 dead, 9 injured
1985 Detroit, 6 injured
1986 Cokeville Elementary, $300 million ransom scheme went wrong when explosives were accidentally detonated. 2 dead, 78 injured.
1988 Winetka, IL, 2 dead, 6 injured
1989 Stockton, CA, Cleveland School massacre, 5 dead, 29 injured
1992 Olivehurst, CA, 4 dead, 10 injured
1997 Pearl, MS, 2 dead, 7 injured. Killer was said to be a Satan worshipper
1997 West Padukah, KY, 3 dead, 5 injured
1998 Jonesboro, AR. 5 dead, 10 inured (my hometown, coincidentally)
1998 Springfield, OR. 2 dead, 22 injured

1999 Columbine High School. 14 dead, 27 injured in a 4 hour rampage. The shooters plotted for a year with the goal of killing 500.

In my opinion the turning point is Columbine. This seems to be the starting point for copy cat killers trying to make a name for themselves. Since Columbine there has been 14 mass school shootings, up to Robb Elementary, taking 169 lives and injuring many more.

Anyone who would kill children is a deranged individual. Whether they use a semi auto handgun, explosives, or AR style rifles the end result is the same. If someone kills my child the instrument is not the problem. As I said before, if you want to stop mass shootings, don't allow men to have guns. Women aren't doing these mass shootings. Obviously, I'm basing that comment on statistics. I still don't believe that will solve the problem. Deranged people will find another way to become "famous". I believe in their mind famous and infamous is one in the same.

I also believe we should consider common sense First Amendment control. The media does not take responsibility for the way they are glorifying these killings. Stop publicizing these killings and the copy cats will stop.

The definition of a mass shooting keeps changing to suit the narrative of gun haters. If a man shoots his wife, two children and himself it is listed as a mass shooting instead of a murder suicide. Gangs drive by a rival gangs home or location and shoots 4 or more people it is listed as a mass shooting instead of gang violence. Artificially inflating the numbers does nothing to solve society's problems. The DOJ defines a mass shooting as 4 or more victims.

Exactly correct. After spending 30 years in Quality Management where our task really is problem solving there are great tools that can be used to figure out such an issue. Cause and Effect diagrams look at the elements of a process. Make no mistake, committing a crime is a process. The elements are: Manpower, Methods, Machines, Materials, and Environment. Each of these elements will have several components. We then perform a FMEA, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis which statistically identifies where to begin to put in measures of control. Keep in mind that there would also have to be a balance of Cost/Benefit analysis as well as Constitutional Rights.

We should all be concerned when Majority Rules wants to dominate Minority Rights.

I will respectfully disagree with all of the above. Since you like "extremes" I am confident that if I give you an AR and as many rounds as you can carry, and give Jerry Miculek a six shot revolver with as many rounds as he can carry, he will out shoot you by a very wide margin in 60 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzHG-ibZaKM

EDITED: I went back and checked. What I had remembered was the AR-15 was the weapon of choice for school shootings. And Hand guns for all mass shootings.

I apologize, I feel like I switched to a parallel universe. I would have sworn that I found several references and over 70% of mass shootings were semi-automatic rifles and over 70% of homicides were hand guns.

I stand corrected. Than you.

I now a bit about guns, having qualified as Expert in Marine bootcamp, having competed after I got out for a while, and hunting most of my life.

I apologize for that mix up, I don't know why I confused those numbers.

It seems there is an equally misunderstanding our our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The Declaration outlines the principles our Constitution was written to. All 27 grievances listed in the Declaration are covered within the Articles of the Constitution. Our government DOES not "grant" our rights. Our Bill of Rights delineates unalienable rights. These are natural rights that all living beings are born with by nature. Our government is tasked with protecting the Bill of Rights and doesn't do a very good job of that. Please understand what "shall not infringe" means.

The powers given to our federal government are outlined in the Constitution. That document sets the limitation of federal government. All other powers are reserved to the States and the People, respectively.

For all who are interested. I am in the process of creating a Constitution club in The Villages. I believe we absolutely have gotten away from our Freedom documents as it is not studied in schools, as it once was. Civics understand is abysmal in our citizenry.

Yes, the definition does keep changing. And yes, I hate guns. I think the biggest mistake in our countries history was the 2nd amendment. But, I am also realistic and know that the horses have left the barn, we are not going to collect and do away with guns. So, I prefer to try for gun regulations that can help - like universal background checks.

I personally don't think much of the argument that we have a right to protect ourselves from the government. Bullocks. That is a relatively new interpretation of the 2nd and was created to rile up the base.

The Bill or Rights is a part of the constitution, and the Declaration of Independence has no legal weight, which is what I said.

You can believe in a "natural" source of rights if you want. I don't care, but the nature has nothing to do with government. Pushing for that leads to theocracy and theocracy never ends well.

Our Founding Fathers stated otherwise. They discussed it at length in their debates, writings and letters between each other. Madison and Jefferson wrote over 1,200 letters to each other discussing Rights, our governments, etc. I have them all.

We need to have a very fundamental understanding of individual rights, state rights, and federal powers. That is seriously lacking today.

Being a former Marine I have to say I'm surprised you hate guns. Let's go to the range sometime and see if I can change that perspective.

First, I apologize because I don't know how to do a multi quote in this forum.

The Bill of Rights is a stand alone document, a separate addition to the Constitution. Three of our Framers refused to sign the Constitution that they helped to write because Rights were not written into it. There was a reason for that which was many of our Framers didn't want to write them directly into the Constitution as it might be construed that those listed were the only rights we have as citizens. The compromise was to write another document. 17 Amendments were proposed to the House of Representatives which were sent to the Senate. The Senate rewrote them and reduced the number to 12 and sent them to the State Legislatures. As we know, 10 were approved by the States and adopted as our Bill of Rights. In 1976, one of the remaining two was approved which allowed Congress to give itself a raise.

People also misunderstand the numbering. The rights were not created in order of importance. The First Amendment as we know it was originally #3 and #4:

#3: Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, nor shall the rights of conscience be infringed.

#4: The freedom of speech, and of the press, and the right of the people peaceably to assemble and consult for their common good, and to apply to the government for redress of grievances, shall not be infringed.

What we now know as the Second Amendment was originally #5.

#5: A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, shall be compelled to render military service in person.

Our Federal Courts absolutely look at intent in our laws and they consider the Declaration of Independence to understand that original intent. With that said, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, where as the Declaration is not law. It does help establish intent, however.

Excellent video. Training counts.

It is a pointless argument in any case. A Jerry Miculek with a revolver is obviously going to outshoot some deranged kid with an AR-15. But if you want to do maximum damage a shotgun is by far the best weapon. A 12-gauge shotgun with a magazine extension can hold up to eight shells. An average 3" round can hold 11 single-0 pellets. 8 X 11 means that you can throw 88 30-caliber balls of lead or copper downrange in probably 4 seconds or less.

Trouble is, a 12-gauge shotgun doesn't LOOK anywhere near as intimidating as an AR-15.

Well, I suppose it could become that, if media decides to sensationalize 12-gauge shotguns the way they have AR-15s.

You mentioned an 18 year old should not own an AR-15… but we can ask them to fight for our country for our freedoms. Most people believe AR stands for automatic rifle or assault rifle, it does not. I can take a 10/22 rifle (22lr) buy a AR type stock and make that 22lr look like an AR but it is still a 22 that shoots the same as the original 10/22. So banning the AR-15 is not a solution. I do agree that large capacity magazines are not necessary, if you need 30 rounds of ammo to hit a target give it up, or better yet, practice with either three 10 round magazines or six 5 round magazines to learn how to safely handle that firearm.
I read a lot of good idea’s here and imo we need to focus on how we raise our children to respect life from the beginning. We need to be aware of the signs when our young are showing signs of anti social behavior, should I say it, by invading their social habits. Train teachers, doctors, police, etc.. in signs of abuse that can change a child into one that seeks revenge on society and not be afraid to let authorities know so that help can be given immediately.
Background checks, cool off periods, reasonable magazine restrictions and maybe mental evaluations are the answers, banning guns are not.
I enjoy bullseye, long range, and various target sports. I’m also a firm believer in my right to carry and protect my family.

Vermont doesn't issue gun permits to it's residents. It's their constitutional right to carry. I preferred concealed carry as opposed to open carry. The bad guy doesn't know if you are armed or not.
When I hunted Vermont, I open carried a pistol. I remember stopping at a gas station, and on the other side of the pump was a car with New Jersey tags. The woman passenger, upon seeing me, proclaimed to her (I assume) husband "Oh God, he's got a gun"! I thought it was hilarious.......