ARs can be modified... Long barrels, bump stocks, extended magazines along with attachments such as acogs, peq-15s etc.
So the helicopter was some sort of defense and not an attacker, the attacker was just a dude with a knife hopping out of his car and stabbing a random cop in front of the gates? I haven't followed this story much at all I originally thought the helicopter was a private one, that would have been way wilder.
I don't know about Trump but google "ACLU" and "firearms" and "mental illness" and see what you come up with
IMO, would have highly likely prevented the attack on the capital, which may have been a catalyst for it now becoming a trendy place for greater extremist activity.
Okay. I usually go along with the ACLU, but in this case, I'm in favor of making it harder on mentally ill to purchase firearms. I thought you were too based on your previous post, but now it seems like you are disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing. So those in favor of more services and access to help for mental health - Democrats vote yes and propose legislation for such. Republicans and Trump are against it. Making it harder for mentally ill to buy and own firearms - Democrats favor making it harder. Trump, Republicans, and ACLU are against making it harder. Your initial response was about the need for doing more to help mental health situations. Democrats support that and Republicans are against it (except verbally and then only when there is a shooting). The fact that the ACLU is on the same side as Trump and Republicans on part of the issue doesn't change anything.
the mental illness issue is REALLY difficult. The focus needs to be on mental illness itself, independent of the gun issue. I think the ACLU has gone down the wrong road on a lot of issues in the past twenty years, but on this one I think they're on pretty firm ground.
https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/loss-uscp-colleague-officer-william-f-evans “It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of Officer William 'Billy' Evans this afternoon from injuries he sustained following an attack at the North Barricade by a lone assailant. Officer Evans had been a member of the United States Capitol Police for 18 years. He began his USCP service on March 7, 2003, and was a member of the Capitol Division’s First Responder’s Unit. Please keep Officer Evans and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”
So again though, Democrats have proposed and advocate for more health care for mental illness and access to help for mental issues. Republicans have moved to block such measures, and Trump decreased budget for those issues. But Republicans speak about doing more, but oppose it in action time and time again. That is aside from the gun control issue.
I'm around gun enthusiasts quite often. Anyone familiar with gun people knows how you can do all kinds of modifications (trigger being the most notable) to make a basic AR into a lethal killing machine if it wasn't already that. If this guy would have been in Florida, he could of just made a quick stop on his way to the capital, and loaded up with an arsenal. If he was a gun nut he could have already had 5 modified AR's in the bed of his truck just in case of the zombie apocalypse or whatever, and snapped. What would the outcome be if that gun nut with an AR had rammed into that police barricade vs. a guy who only had a knife? Cases like today actually make the best case for gun reform in my opinion. 2 People tragically lost their lives, but one can imagine how many lives were saved because he didn't stop by his local walmart on the way to the Capital to quickly snag up a small arsenal in the heat of the moment.