lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

The value of these things are directly related to the extent by which folks follow them, and that's assuming the laws, etc., aren't stupid to begin with. As an example, murder is against the law, yet they happen on a regular basis. This causes, in turn, whole reams of additional laws related to penalties for committing murder to be written. Lawyers and police work tirelessly to find and apprehend violators, other lawyers work tirelessly to get violators freed, while judges work tirelessly to ensure that the laws/procedures related to search and seizure, interrogation, investigative procedures, and sentencing are followed. Appeals courts work tirelessly reexamining the work of lower courts, while State Supreme courts work tirelessly reexamining everybody else's work and sometimes the US Supreme Court is asked to reexamine all the above. Seems more than a little complicated, yes? Why then, do we limit our discussions on ways to end gun violence in such a simplistic manner?

It has been estimated that there are 300 million firearms in the US, and that number is probably way too low, so why would anyone think that limiting gun sales is the answer to anything? There are already enough firearms to facilitate mass murder, so common sense suggests that limiting gun sales is a useless gesture. It is already illegal for criminals to purchase firearms, so they buy from illegal sources or steal them. Trying to reduce the number of firearms available is a ridiculous proposition, as even law abiding citizens would resist such efforts. Australia used a "buy back" system to reduce the number of firearms in their country, but that, again, relied on folks actually coming forward with their weapons - something the criminal sort won't do - leaving criminals and police the only entities with weapons. Mandatory relinquishment of firearms would require the cooperation of citizens, something not at all likely to happen. Confiscation would be a recipe for open warfare between citizens and government forces. The British tried that approach with Americans two centuries ago, and we all know how THAT turned out.

The point is, why would pro gun activists insist that gun control efforts are a way to disarm the citizenry, and why would gun owners buy that premise............knowing that all the above is true? By the same token, why would anti gun activists insist that more laws would solve the gun violence problem, knowing that for that to work............folks would have to voluntarily obey? None of that makes any sense. We're trying to simplify an enormously complex problem, and as long as do that, we'll lose. The issue isn't GUN violence, the issue is gun VIOLENCE, which can be listed along with knife violence, vehicular violence, baseball bat violence and so on and so on. That being said, the premise that more armed persons is an answer to the violence is just as ridiculous as all the other proposals. One does NOT combat violence.....................with more violence.

Why do people go ape s**t in the first place? What can be done to identify people with mental issues and help them, BEFORE they go ape s**t and k**l everybody? How can we foster a less violent society? The issue is as complex as human beings are, meaning, the answer must be as complex as well...............but that would require careful, emotionless, thought, study and experimentation. Why do humans murder other humans? Focusing on the TOOLS by which murderers ply their trade, rather than on the reasons they pick one up in the first place, is sure to guarantee that murder and mayhem continue.

SGM B Loc: TEXAS but live in Alabama now

Major, you make some very good points. My belief is that as long as l*****t citizens and politicians, after every one of these tragedies, start with the nonsensical rant of we must ban all "assault weapons" when they actually have no clue what a real assault weapon is, we can't have, as you say (and I agree with) "emotionless, thought, study and experimentation". As long as politicians like Maxine Waters runs around with her hair on fire screeching "impeash fota fi, impeash fota fi" it's all but impossible to have serious dialogue. Entirely too many folks in this country actually believe an "assault weapon" will fire a thousand rounds with one squeeze of the trigger thereby requiring magazine capacity to not exceed 7 rounds. I dont know, maybe they want us gun owners to only have single shot weapons that have to be reloaded after each shot. I think the problem with most "gun control" advocates ideas is that those ideas only work for law abiding citizens. They always seem to conviently forget that criminals dont obey laws, if they did they wouldn't be criminals - funny how that works.
Have a great Thursday, 70 degrees, headed for a high of 80 here in central Alabama.
SGM B out.

Radiance3

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These are very complex problems that evolve in the complexities of various human behavior. No laws could completely solve the problems now pervasively hurting our generation. Addition of more laws will not solve all of these problems.

The pervasive and rapid intensities of peoples' behavior are the main causes of this crisis. Freedom has been abused by so many kinds of inhabitants that make up our country today. No laws seem to prevent them by doing these atrocities. Why?

Let us see. The liberal and political ideologies of people encourage some people to act the way that empowers their narratives. Most of the victims are those whose minds were nurtured to seeking fame, via violence, vengeance, drugs, and associations with similar kinds. Family upbringings and lack of parental guidance adds to this behavior.

Thus it emboldens them to committing such atrocious acts. Results, the rapid decay of peoples morals have gone to extremes. What guide them is liberalism, and to self-aggrandizement of their behavior.

During the early 50's and 60's, our generation did not have so much problems like we have now. Families have close nets among them. Children were nurtured by the parents, love for others, and the love for God. That was the major focus of long time ago. Despite of all world wars that impacted our nation, we were able to bring back the strength, unity, and prosperity of our nation. The answer for that is obvious. There was God that guided most of our families during those times.

As our country grew from different cultures, the propensities of its self-centeredness also grow. Thus changing the atmosphere of who we are today.

Atrocious attacks on Christianity, have now gone so pervasive in public schools, colleges and universities, or public squares. Kids and young men and women are brain washed by teachers and professors that God is not real. That what is real is their own. Developing self-esteem and projecting to the world their own values as human being. By self-esteem, they accumulated p***e, narcissistic behavior that focus to being self-centered. That they are better than the other. That any time their egos are hurt, they seek vengeance, and that's how they k**l others.

The rampant drugs available that poison our kids and adult, destroys their normal behavior as their brains deteriorate taking the substance. One ways of seeking comforts for their egos. Then they are hooked by the addictive substance that makes them violent and social problems for life. These are the major problems we have today.

pafret Loc: Northeast

Perhaps we are deluding ourselves with the assumption that every mass k*****g necessarily has an insane perpetrator. The most recent seems an obvious argument in favor; The Mandalay Bay mass k*****g is obfuscated by police concealment of any hard facts about the shooter or shooters. The Texas Tower Sniper had sanity problems and had sought help. He was found to have a Brain Tumor. The moslem Military Doctor, who attacked and k**led his fellow soldiers was an ideologue as was McVeigh et. al. Again, both of these had been on the FBI radar for their activities but were not intercepted or prevented from acting.

The current era 1990 through present, has seen the increasing incidents of mass murder. The ubiquitous villain, the AR-15 has been around and readily available since 1964. In years prior to 1990, most mass k*****gs of American citizens were perpetrated by the police and the military as in Waco, Ruby Ridge, Kent State and recently the assassination of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum. Why now is the massive push to eliminate such weapons being orchestrated? The underlying philosophy, of course, is that it is not just "such weapons" which are to be eliminated but all weapons and our right to have them.

To paraphrase your question, Why do "certain" people go ape s**t?. There are many gun owners and it is only a tiny fraction who engage in such behavior and appear to have mental issues. The ideologues are of equal or greater number. The real question is why our police agencies are able to identify, locate and apprehend the actors within minutes as in the case of the New York City sidewalk bombings and 9/11 but are unable to identify the threat and prevent the atrocity? It appears obvious that they are lying and knew in advance that these people were about to commit these crimes.

We can agonize about our society and its degeneration, single out "assault" rifles, blame comic books, Ipod War Games, and lack of interpersonal contact brought about by texting and social media but none of this alters the fact that invariably these perpetrators had already distinguished themselves enough to make authorities aware of their existence and potential threat. Divert some of the assets being used to spy on your mother's phone calls, to her sister, to following these potential murderers.

What we really have is a sick police state, being manipulated to bring about a change in our system of government, to suit the inside controllers. In the words of Churchill and Rahm’s Rule: ‘Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste’. We have mass murders because someone wants mass murders. The means are of no consequence; if the society is so debased that mass murder is everyones pass-time, many other far more effective means than guns are available. The Murray building wasn't bought down with bullets. The targets make this whole scenario stink to the heavens.

We are a child centric society. Virtually any bill of goods can be sold to us if it is "good for children". Any form of taxation will fly if only the politicians say the moneys derived will go to education. The lotteries were sold as being needed to fund education yet my property taxes have not diminished, they increase each and every year. Banning guns will be good for the children, they will once again be safe when none of us can defend themselves. Time for the Sarin Gas artists and the Botulism Toxins in our water supply, to fuel the next repeal of our freedoms.

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