11-10-2017, 01:55 PM
(11-10-2017, 01:38 PM)PhilHos Wrote: First question: CAN something be done? We already have quite a few laws and regulations and procedures on the books to try to curb illegal gun use. The Texas shooting was perpetrated because someone didn't follow these laws/proecdures.
Maybe the issue is that some people don't believe things can be done and those that do aren't proposing feasible solutions.
Ahh, a cogent point! I was beginning to forget what those looked like. Here's the truth of the matter, gun violence is only solvable at the root level; i.e. poverty, lack of opportunity, illegal drug use, mental illness, etc.
Banning a certain type of gun, bullet, or magazine will do absolutely nothing to curb gun violence of prevent mass shooting. After Vegas politicians shit their pants over bump fire stocks. Bump fire stocks suck and no serious shooter would use one. They exist for two reasons, to allow the handicapped to shoot a fire arm easier and as a stupid range toy. The Vegas shooter could have done a lot more damage if he actually took a few seconds to aim for every shot. The ultimate point is that the law won't prevent a determined murderer, just like it didn't in France during the Bataclan shootings. If you have time, money and intelligence, or honestly just two of those three, you can perpetrate a mass shooting in any country on Earth.
Here's the bottom line, the time in which we could have put the brakes on private firearm ownership is long in the past. Laws banning certain firearms gives the illusion of doing something when it fact it doesn't prevent anything as criminals will not follow the law banning the fire arm. Let us not forget that the country to our south is awash in guns and drugs, both of which make it over our border in the thousands every day. Laws only affect the law abiding and sometimes not even then. Vermont had minimal compliance with its "assault weapon" registry to the point that the laws authors admitted it was a failed law as no one followed it. Law enforcement has far better things to do than spend time chasing down otherwise lawful gun owners.
If people are serious about stopping gun related crime then do the following three things; 1. Lock up people who use a gun in the commission of a crime for a long time, especially repeat offenders. Do not let them plead down. 2. Start actually funding mental health and allow people to be committed and held on an involuntary basis (this one is ripe for abuse so care must be used). 3. Start youth intervention programs in high risk areas and so so around 6-8 years old. Waiting until children are teenagers for this type of intervention is far too late. These programs already exist, they are just often times poorly run or conceived. Get input from police, sheriffs, probation and parents about what works with the youth population and target those areas. Lastly, no plan will save anyone so don't close a program because it only prevented 40% of the youth it served from turning to illegal activity.
Not a single one of these suggestion infringes on the rights of law abiding citizens and all three of them would have a discernible effect on gun related crime.
