I have shed so many tears over mass shootings in the U.S., and have experienced so much anger and frustration, that at this point I try to distance myself from the latest tragedies. I don't want to read any more profiles of the dead, or see their smiling faces full of joy and promise now wiped from the face of the Earth forever. I don't want to endure the usual political song and dance (Democrats say we have to do something about guns. Republicans say pray for the victims and their families. And then the moment passes and it's on to the next mass shooting.)
Nothing's going to happen until American VOTERS demand that something is done, but most of the public apparently still doesn't find it that important.
Oh, the nation is momentarily horrified. Trump gives an eight-minute speech on the Florida shooting without once mentioning guns. Then it's back to business as usual.
It's a tremendous tragedy that we live in a country that values gun rights above *human* rights.
As living in europe, from our perspective, the primary option is clear. But obviously america has another history and an other way to deal with this issue of (racial) gun violence. You must find your way. Follow and/or support the young!
Expecting any change in DC right now seems does feel hopeless, especially given our feckless and craven opportunist POS POTUS. That said, since he lacks any moral courage, and if the winds change, he'll jump onto the first ship that will bring him favorable reviews, so there might be hope if politically pressure becomes insurmountable and demands something to be done.
The kids walkout today might not have an immediate impact, but those kids well be voting in a couple of years, and many of them next year. If the sentiment can be changed and enough legislators elected that want change, there's always hope. The March For Our Lives on the 24th should be interesting to see how the turnout is across the US and in DC. If millions do turn out, in time those millions are going to vote and at some point affect change.
Pic from today's student protest. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/us/photos-gun- … v=top-news
Florida has passed a law which might have a miniscule effect - "The bill, which passed this week with bipartisan support, raises the minimum age for purchasing firearms from 18 to 21 and imposes a three-day waiting period for most purchases of long guns.
The measure also allows certain trained school employees to carry concealed handguns on school campuses and creates new mental health programs for schools."
http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/377653-fl … d-shooting
I don't know why there was more outrage over Parkland than there was over Las Vegas.
It is as if murdering 58 adults in a public place is ok.
All this talk of protecting "our children in schools" is weird. Our children congregate in many other places than in schools and are totally vulnerable.
Anyway, looking forward to the next massacre.
i also believe in the rule of law. i just dont believe it is absolute. in this case it failed not once, not twice, but over 45 times (including the officers that held back in safety as these kids were slaughtered).
if you payed attention to my post i used liberal/Democrat news sources. i do not subscribe to any of those but know that many of you do since you also use them as sources. how are they nutty when i use them but bastions of truth when you use them? thats really fishy dont you think?
ive been trying to have an honest discussion with you on here and so far have been ridiculed constantly because i dont agree with you absolutely. im not representative of the right as a whole but only try to share a different perspective and have been attacked multiple times despite trying to be cordial. it is you who seems to not want to have the conversation needed.
but i have thought on the new information released since last Friday and would like an honest opinion if you decide to ban all assault rifles ( just using this as a for instance ) then who exactly are you entrusting with your safety? it has already been released by BuzzFeed, cnn, and several other liberal sources that 4 Broward county sheriff's deputies waited outside while the gunman was murdering these kids. the dept actually made 45 house calls, and the shooter himself called in to warn the police department that he was going to do this. so who exactly are you asking the people to trust?
The March For Our Lives rally set for the 24th of next month looks to be gaining steam with public figures giving large monetary donations and support to the cause. If the numbers come close to what the kids hope will attend these rallies, it will be a strong political statement. The National School Walkout on March 14th if anything will keep these kids' voices heard. I hope the kids from across the nation do walk out and can coalesce in a committed political voice.
Still, there are many who are doubling down for more guns. Yesterday on MTP I listened to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and he was calling for an end to school gun-free zones, the arming of teachers, and scoffed at suggestions that ANY type of gun restriction would lead to less murders. Massie was on fire and he stayed with his tried and true talking points. It was disheartening. Teri Carter in an op-ed in the WaPo talked about where she lives in Kentucky and that guns are sacrosanct. She points out that guns are not considered the problem, but other things from the loss of a cohesive society, lack of parental influence, or the lack of Jesus in schools are the problems. But not guns. Carter’s piece: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverythin … e-problem/ You’d think it’s an easy solution, but when someone thinks praying away the problem will work, it’s going to be difficult to make changes and a long time before anyone’s prayers are answered.
@Barney— listening to Wayne LaPierre at CPAC this last week was like listening to a scratchy cassette from 1980. He pulled out all the tired tropes, “socialism”, “elites”, “loss of freedom”, etc., and rather than a formidable speech, it was sad as bundling all the NRA scare tactics he was unable to make a coherent speech. He reminds me of the office boss that still does not get what’s wrong with grabbing his secretary’s ass. LaPierre seems to be so lost in a social movement arising around him that he’s taking those last gasps before the end. When that end will be is a hard call. But, there are billions of dollars on the line and LaPierre and all the snollygosters that profit from these murders and mayhem are not going to go down without guns a blazin’! (sorry! ;)) They’re not alone as benthosian ordure and nappied adults, who rise to the surface and crawl out from under bridges, will always be around to cheer them on no matter the tragedy. That’s tragic in itself.
I like the kids. Bobby Kennedy said in South Africa in response to apartheid, “And therefore they [young people] call upon common qualities of conscience and indignation, a shared determination to wipe away the unnecessary sufferings of our fellow human beings at home and around the world.” Appropriate words for today. The kids are all right.
Here's a pretty good read on CNN about why the gun debate may be different this time.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/25/opinions/nra-parkl … index.html
actually from the mindset of a conservative libertarion media outlets do the most damage to the Democrat/liberal agenda.
for instance CNN states that we should have good common sense gun laws everytime there is a mass shooting. but then in the same segment basically say that all guns Should be banned. conservatives already dont trust them due to their slanted bias towards the left so they read a lot into it. another problem is that we already have a lot of good common sense gunlaws on the books that are not being followed.
the issue has always been a bi partisan issue but they seem to constantly push the only one way will fix this kind of mentality. case in point that idiotic town hall cnn hosted.
However, I think the NRA and the GOP (including President Trump just on Friday) have been fairly successful in leading their followers to believe that all Democrats "just want to take your guns."
That is a blatant falsehood, of course, but if you say it loud enough and long enough ....
A litttle levity on a very serious subject. Fuck the N.R.A.. How did they become so powerful?
what do you think about certifying some teachers to carry? really would like to see a lot better security in our schools personally. recently seen adds running on Facebook for slips that go under the door and lock it preventing them from being opened from the outside. this would be something that can be done overnight to add security and its realistic and simple
When you are at an age when you are able to tie your shoelaces, then you should be given an AR-15.
This is the only way to prevent people shooting other people.
Fuck background checks, Fuck mental illness. They are unconstitutional.
some people agree with what he was doing others dont but his protest wouldn't have existed at all without guns and that would be a scary state to see our government's power unchecked.
i like your idea though
Do, I'd give you a number of things I'd do. Some small, some big. Here's a few I can think of:
1. Ban gun purchases by people on the terrorism no-fly list.
2. Improve reporting of people who are barred from buying guns (ex-cons, felons, domestic violence abusers, mentally ill, etc.) to actually prevent them from buying them.
3. No one under 21 can legally purchase or own a gun (excepting hunting rifles).
4. Re-instate the assault weapons ban.
5. Allow a database of gun purchases.
With as many guns as we have in this country, nothing is going to make an immediate impact. But over time, gun control measures can work. It's been proven time and again in other countries.
This boy had 10 AR15 type weapons. Many if not most of which were purchased legally. If a teenager who can't even buy a beer can load up on semi-automatic weapons, something is *seriously* screwed up in this country.
in Australia they illegalized gun ownership and did a buy back only about a third of those were turned over to the government the rest are still in the hands of its citizens. so the "lame" argument you give isnt just lame but also completely unrealistic in the real world in which we live, so i ask again what would you propose we do? this time let me clarify what would you propose that is actually possible.
to point to the mental health issue. My stance was mental health did not kill 17 people but
a gun did. If guns are not available for public consumption regardless of ones mental state the problem ceases to exist.
we have laws in place to stop this from happening and yet it happened, because of the failings of the government both local and federal. many in the Republican party is all for any realistic solution to the problem. that is why they say lets get all the facts and see what happened....... determine the problem THEN fix it. there are several perspectives here and multiple types of solutions to consider. just because one side does not prescribe to the others method of solution doesn't mean that either side doesnt care