It was three years ago today that Adam Lanza, a mentally disturbed 20-year-old man, stole guns from his mother's house and went to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT where he shot and killed 20 innocent little children and 6 adults.
Sadly there have been numerous other mass shootings since then across the country, several involving schools. The question that is front and center on the news, particularly on this anniversary date, is, what can we do to stop this from ever happening again?
The most common answer, in fact the ONLY answer I've yet heard, is to pass some sort of firearms legislation. Specifically, the prohibition of the manufacture/importation of new assault-style rifles and high capacity magazines.
Suppose for a moment such a law could be passed and signed into law. I hope I'm wrong, but I honestly don't think it would stop many/any new mass shootings. Why? Just as in Adam Lanza's case, existing assault-style guns could still be stolen. (We would never know for sure how many people were NOT killed thanks to such a law....you can't prove a negative.)
But if I'm right, what then? After the next mass shooting, and the next, and the next, what would be the next logical thing we could try to put a stop to the madness? So far, some sort of "gun control" is the only idea I've heard put forward. Is there anything else?
If anyone has any other thoughts/suggestions, I'd like to hear them. (No, there is no way the government is going to go door-to-door and confiscate everyone's guns. The resistance would be extreme and likely violent.) Any ideas? Please be as specific as you can.
S
NOTE: Interesting fact I just heard on da news (not researched for accuracy): 26% of all guns purchased in the US every year are by the military, and 38% are purchased by federal/state/local law enforcement. Together, government purchases from one source or another account for 64% of all sales.
Just last week the Supreme Court declined an appeal of Chicago suburb Highland Park’s assault-weapons ban, which prohibits residents from buying, selling, or owning some types of semiautomatic firearms. The law will stand. Now there's a start that our lame Congress will ignore.
ReplyDeleteIf there's no alternative to regulating guns and banning assault weapons, I say we do so. It's better than doing nothing. And a ban on assault weapons was passed by Congress after James Brady was shot and mass killings went down significantly.
ReplyDeleteBut Steve, that's my point...it seems to me that to hold out for this congress to approve a prohibition on assault guns is the same as doing nothing. Congress is bought and paid for, we both know that. I'm looking for OTHER ideas that might yield positive results and still get by congress and their puppet masters.
DeleteWhat gun nuts always fail to realize is that no one needs an AR-15 unless they're in the military or SWAT and then as you indicated the government provides it for you. Saying you need an assault rifle to hunt is like saying you need dynamite to fish. And honestly if you want to defend your home a shotgun is a much better weapon because they're easy to use and you don't have to be accurate, which is good for the weekend warrior set.
ReplyDeleteOff subject, but how is closet of brightly colored t shirts doing? I have about worn mine out in four years and am buying a few more. Noting says " got life by the tail " like sandals, cargo shorts and a nice color of tee shirt. I have been told that several times now.
ReplyDeleteYou and I share the same fashion designer. ;) I'm in need of another mass purchase of LL Bean's t-shirts. Mine are looking a bit ragged, too. When you get our age, with our life "experience", and are still kicking and going, yeah, we DO have life by the tail.
DeleteOK, waiting for Congress to do something along the lines of gun control is the same as doing nothing (because they are bought by the NRA).
ReplyDeleteOK, waiting for Congress to do something along the lines of mental health care is the same as doing nothing (because they are bought by rich people who don't want to pay the taxes for that).
So you need to change Congress. In order to be able to change Congress so that we can get the politicians elected who will work for the people instead of the special interests that bought them, we need campaign finance reform.
1. Campaign finance reform
2. ?
Amen Sister Betina! Campaign finance reform, term limits, some REAL ethics standards, complete transparency....lots of things we could do!
ReplyDeleteExcept that to get any of those reforms passed, it would need to get a YES vote from the very people it would affect. They are NOT going to vote to pull the rug out from under themselves. That's the dilemma.
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