more shootings in the states

[Gravekeeper]

Like I said before, its not the right to bare arms so much as the access to said arms by the mentally ill. Being Canadian, I'm pro-gun control all around. But that's Canada where we have a functional social safety net.

America needs a functional social safety net that's integrated into any new or existing gun control legislation. Otherwise there's still going to be too many cracks in the system that allow this to keep happening.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Really? The "criminals don't follow the law anyway" argument?

Most of the more recent major shooting sprees weren't done by criminals with illegally obtained weapons. They were done by "law abiding citizens" who had obtained all the guns and ammo legally. In fact, the Aurora shooting was done with three of the most common and popular guns available on the market.

Mr. Holmes purchased all of his weapons legally, law enforcement officials said. In the four months before the shootings, he also bought 3,000 rounds of handgun ammunition, 3,000 rounds for a semiautomatic rifle and 350 shells for a 12-guage shotgun, all over the Internet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/us...enal.html?_r=0

Maybe stopping or making it harder for "law abiding citizens" (which these people are prior to the mass shooting spree) isn't such a bad thing after all, huh? Or, at the very least, have much more heavy restrictions and recording of ammunition so that while people can have their guns, they can't load up and store on hand enough ammo to supply a freaking squad.

Ammo nor guns should be able to be sold over the Internet. Just no.

[Andara Bledin]

Or, at the very least, have much more heavy restrictions and recording of ammunition so that while people can have their guns, they can't load up and store on hand enough ammo to supply a freaking squad.

Ammo nor guns should be able to be sold over the Internet. Just no.

Ok. How much ammo should a person be allowed to buy at a single time? Would that be for just them, or would there be a limit for each firearm-legal person in their party? And how is anyone supposed to be able to determine if the ammunition is used?

There's absolutely no way that I can fathom that this could be enacted without having to spy on every person whose ever bought ammo to ensure they use it all and don't save any.

And that's before you even get into the ones who make their own.

^-.-^

[crashhelmet]

We need to adopt Chris Rock's vews on Bullet Control (YouTube) Language NSFW

[Greenday]

Ok. How much ammo should a person be allowed to buy at a single time? Would that be for just them, or would there be a limit for each firearm-legal person in their party?

This is an interesting question for those who believe we should limit ammo. How much would be okay to buy? A couple mags to defend yourself? Hell, you can go to the shooting range just to have some fun and waste a lot of ammo. What about people who shoot for sport? They must practice a lot and will require a fair amount of ammo.

[crashhelmet]

Gun ranges can sell ammo for specific use there. however. you'd then get into supply and demand issues there. Instead of $20 for 100 9mm FMJ rounds, it would be $50.

For home protection, do you need more than 1 full clip per handgun?

Sadly, the NRA and the rest of the gun lobbyists would even consider this.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

If anything, to be honest, if they just made selling guns and ammo over the Internet illegal it would be an amazing first step. There is no way for those websites to know if they're sending stuff to Joe-I-Like-Venison-So-I-Hunt or to Mentally-Unstable-Sam.

[Nekojin]

The biggest problem with the "make bullets cost too much" (and, respectively, the "how much ammo do you really need for home defense" - which, if you think about it, depends on how many intruders you have) is that if buying bullets costs too much, people will just "roll their own." It's trivially easy to cast new bullets if you've got the casings and a source of lead. One of my Las Vegas friends (who was a cheapskate) made reloads using fishing weights.

[Zod]

You do realize that guns aren't actually the major problem, anyone else remember reading about the 20 kids STABBED TO DEATH IN SCHOOL in China that happened earlier last week?

Nope : don't remember that at all.

Link?

I did hear about 22 children in a Chinese school being hurt by a knifeman last week, but since nobody died in that attack, and most of them didn't even have to go to hospital, you must be talking about some other attack.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2...ck-school.html

[Nyoibo]

Guns may only make up 10-15%to of mass killings, but a mass killing is considered 4 or more killings in a 24 hour period, now let's look at the average number of people killed in a mass shooting and how long it takes.

[BlaqueKatt]

Guns may only make up 10-15%to of mass killings, but a mass killing is considered 4 or more killings in a 24 hour period, now let's look at the average number of people killed in a mass shooting and how long it takes.

the map I posted gives that information-average fatalities of the ones listed is around 6, highest is 22(injured is higher).

[Duelist925]

I think limiting amunition itself is a silly move--as Andara and some others pointed out, its hard to track that kind of thing to know who'se "Stockpiling" without some damn in depth spying.

Id prefer to see a limit of clip sizes. If anyone can give me a legit reason as to why a hunter, or a sports shooter, needs more than an 8 round clip (or thereabouts, give or take a couple), I'd like to know.

And Id love a national licensing system based on both knowledge and practical exams...I really want to make sure that people buying guns know which end gets pointed at what they want to put holes in, and know some basic safety and storage info.


I rather like the licensing ideas Jester mentioned in the other thread. Different levels or types depending on need. All around license, collectors license, hobbyist license, hunters licence, etc.

[Gravekeeper]

Can we at least all agree that the NRA is a bunch of delusional idiots living in a fantasy world? -.-

[insertNameHere]

Can we at least all agree that the NRA is a bunch of delusional idiots living in a fantasy world? -.-

The same can be said about the other side as well.

[Andara Bledin]

The NRA does what they do mostly so that when they compromise, it's closer to what they actually wanted. It doesn't make them sound any less insane, however, nor does it make their supporters (who honestly believe the party line) any more reasonable.

The problem with the licensing issue is that gun ownership is a Constitutional right. No other item has that same protection, so comparisons aren't nearly as equal as it seems like they should be. Also, as a Constitutional right, it makes it exceedingly difficult to impose restrictions that won't cost taxpayers millions of dollars to defend and that will end up stricken anyway.

Making poorly-researched and poorly-written laws because "something must be done" is not good policy. It doesn't work for people trying to restrict video games (another Constitutional issue) and it's not likely to work much more than it already has against gun use.

In other news, per capita gun ownership is actually at an all-time low since recording began in the '60s. As is violent crime (including gun violence), from a peak in the mid-70's. So, as mentioned here and elsewhere, it's not the events that are increasing, it's our increased awareness of them creating the illusion that they happen more often.

Also, an interesting note: The states with the most (not necessarily highest) educated populations are also those with the lowest levels of violent crime. And those with the highest rates of illiteracy are most violent. So it seems to me that, working on getting more people educated might be a more useful tool in reducing violent crime.

^-.-^