with you on hand guns, but I think that was the 70s/80s gun bete noir. "mass shootings" these days are not hand effected by hand guns. they might be prevented by such. how would you define "military arms?" my sense is they're already banned, in most instances, but maybe there's some nuance I'm missing.
most military arms are banned—or at least heavily restricted. All the way from thermonuclear warheads down to the relatively humble select fire M4 (currently being replaced, but very similar to the semi auto AR-15s that seem to be the weapon of choice for all of these crazies.). I do believe mental health is the issue rather than a mechanical device, but there’s no denying that firearms make it easier for some crazy to achieve the goal of mass murder. To me, the most common sense Gun control measure would be to make all detachable magazines (handgun or long arm) with a capacity of over five rounds a title II weapon under the NFA. Fingerprints, all the paperwork, $200 federal tax stamp, and the lengthy waiting period associated with all NFA items. Five rounds and one in the spout would put all these weapons somewhat on par with revolvers. Would that solve the problem? No….crazy people will always find a way, so eventually we’ll have to put some real time, money and effort into mental health. But six rounds before you have to reload would really lower the killing power of these weapons relative to what the police and military would have access to. But it’s probably all moot. There’s people on one side who won’t stop until every thing that could be used to take life is banned, and there’s probably people on the other side that think we should be able to walk into an ACE hardware and buy the latest thermonuclear warhead. The extremes on both sides make most of the noise and nothing really ever changes.
Sadly, statistics is not something that works well with a ton of conservatives I met because they simply don't understand them. They understand simple math, such as total number of deaths. Reported.
I provided total gun deaths, Texas was higher than California as well, in fact, highest of all states.
The EFFECTIVE rate of fire is about 250 rounds a minute for a full auto like an M4. Yes they can shoot 700-900 per minute, but you won't be accurate at that rate. Semi-auto AR 15 you can get somewhere between 80-100 per minute and be accurate. Either way you can do a ton of damage with both especially with 30+ round magazines.
My point is even semi-autos can be fired extremely fast. So the whole "they aren't military weapons" although technically true, they fire the same exact rounds, and can be fired extremely quickly. It dispels the argument they use that AR-15s and other type of semi-auto, military style guns aren't anything compared to full auto versions. If they suck comparatively then why do they want tons of ARs to take on a "tyrannical government"? The government will have full auto weapons.
I’m shocked I tell u…absolutely shocked The gunman who killed at least eight people and wounded a half-dozen more at a Dallas-area outlet mall was a 33-year-old suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer, two senior law enforcement officials said Sunday. Allen police on Sunday identified the shooter as Mauricio Garcia. Garcia was killed Saturday by a police officer who happened to be at Allen Premium Outlets, about 25 miles north of Dallas, police said. The gunman, who lived in Dallas, was armed with an "AR-15 style assault weapon," President Joe Biden said. He was wearing a tactical vest and also had a handgun, one of the senior law enforcement officials said. More weapons and ammunition were found in his car, the source said. He was wearing a patch on his chest with a right-wing acronym at the time of the massacre. A preliminary review of what is believed to be the shooter’s social media accounts reveal hundreds of posts that include racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi material and material espousing white supremacy, two senior law enforcement officials said. The officials stressed that the investigation is ongoing. The preliminary review found that the gunman’s social media posts were not liked or shared by other users. Police and the Texas Rangers, working with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are investigating the shooting as a case of racial or ethnically motivated violent extremism, two senior law enforcement officials said. Authorities believe the shooter acted alone, one of the officials said. Investigators are interviewing his relatives and friends.
Start with banning anyone with a mental health issue from handling a gun. A friend took me to a gun range and let me fire his guns - it was the first time in my life I did it, and I have to say, it's so freaking easy. I thought an AR-15 would be hard to aim and shoot with lots of recoil. Not at all.
Agreed in theory. But how do you do that? Is it easier to control the guns or control the people? I say guns.
President Madison (who wrote the thing) issued a Letter of Marque to a ship captain to use his private ship armed with 18 cannons to seize any British vessel found in the territory of the United States. Hard to have a private ship with 18 cannons without the individual right to bear arms. Did the guy that wrote the 2nd Amendment just forget that hey, this guy isn't supposed to have those cannons if he isn't part of a well regulated Militia? Chief Justice Taney recognized it as an individual right as far back as Dred Scott v. Sandford: Did he just forget that the 2nd Amendment didn't actually give citizens the right to keep and carry arms wherever they went and that it was really referring to the National Guard? There was never a question in early America that citizens had the right to bear arms. They weren't heading across the frontier into Indian country or hunting up and down the Appalachians without weapons. The view that the people did not have the right to bear arms was a 20th century invention.
I wasn't being flip; I think this is the crux of the matter for many. I thought @Pole's response above was pretty good.
Yes, and he doesn't give a damn about mental healthcare. We are dead last in the nation in mental healthcare access. He doesn't spend money on people who need help in Texas. Our mass shootings increased 62.5% since his open carry went into effect. Do you really think Republicans will ever change? I don't. They run their politics by the hands that feed them big dollars. It's all about greed and power when the billionaires & business owners, the oil barons, the NRA, and gun manufacturers and dealers, and the mega churches fund their bloody pockets. Their policies are based on what's best for the rich white man and the what those tax free churches preach. Guns are the money that feeds them most. When you have 70% more gun shops in Texas counties than mental healthcare providers you are sending that message of we don't care. When you have preachers of tax free churches living in mansions and traveling in private jets your tax system is out of whack. When you give billion dollar tax breaks to billionaires your tax system is out of whack. Just think how much of that money could pour into education and healthcare. Republicans don't care. That's obvious people. They blame the economy on Democrats as they vote NO year after year to increasing minimum wage, and fixing the widening gap between rich and poor. They ignore all the people who can't afford prescription drugs and healthcare by focusing on LGBTQ discrimination and hate, spreading propaganda and lies, restricting voting, gerrymandering, and other BS. The average Texan will never have a cleaner environment, safer workplace and safety regulations, affordable healthcare, enough access to mental healthcare, affordable prescription drugs, a livable min.wage, better working conditions and working hours, better vacation pay, better Public schools, fear from discrimination of sexual preference, workplaces free from discrimination, gender equality, or women's choice, with Republicans making the decisions. For the love of God, do right by your fellow man and vote Democrat. That is simply the best thing for Texas, and certainly this country.
Yep. just looked it up again. This is from last year. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...mental-health-issue-cut-state-spend-rcna30557
