It doesn’t matter (for the sake of this argument). John Muhammed and Lee Malvo held the nation captive as the “DC Snipers” in 2002 which, btw was during the AWB, with one or two shots at a time. All someone would need to do is go to school yards at recess and shoot one child. The next week another. One at a time would have the same effect, the nation would be paralyzed. Evil will find a way to act itself out.
It very well matters. You and I both know the limitations had that type rifle been used at the school in Connecticut, like my question referred too. How many people would have been shot in the theater if that shooter had used a bolt action, 6 shot, rifle, where a majority of victims were adults; 12 killed, and 50 something injured?
What people are saying which you take as “government bad” is 1) that government is not the solution and 2) the nature of government is to always grow bigger and more powerful at the expense of the average citizen. No one here has suggested there are not good and valid reasons for the government and that ours is not a great nation. Many of us have served just so we can have discussions like this without worrying about someone knocking on our doors.
The comments have borderline delusional characteristics. Reality check, ‘the government is in control’, and there are checks and balances in place to prevent the gross distortions being used by some to justify their position in this debate. No one, with their puny armament, is keeping the government in check. It’s one thing to speak anonymously through an online forum, it would be quite another for one to go public with some of the things that’s been said in these discussions. I doubt some of those remarks would receive the same pats on the back support we’ve seen from other anonymous posters.
Secondly, the types of suggestions you mention have been tried. Lee Harvey Oswald could buy his rifle by mail order - the “solution” was Federal Firearms Dealers who would do background checks to make sure “dangerous people” couldn’t get guns.
The AWB limited magazine capacity~crime didn’t change. DC made people lock up their weapons~crime rose. Major cities who outlaw firearms such as NYC, Washington DC and Chicago have the highest murder rates in the country while those who implement concealed carry laws see crime drop. So, it is not that we aren’t hearing what you are saying or trying to be disrespectful, it is that those things have proved not to work.
One suggestion was for stricter registration, with documentation of transfer of ownership even in private sales. I forget, what was your position on that? That amounts to shutting down mail order rifles.
Let’s review reality a moment. What was the crime rate in Newtown, Connecticut? Over the past decade, Newtown was contender for ‘safest town in America’ title from different media agencies. I heard once it was considered the 5th safest place to live in America.
When it’s convenient, gun rights advocates speak of how strict the gun control laws were in Connecticut, and ‘they didn’t work!’ Now, let’s move to the inner cities of major metropolis’, where the population is 26 or 27 times higher than Newtown, crime rate is high. No fooling? Washington DC’s crime index is 5, out of 100, for being safest. Newtown’s crime index is, or was, 90, out of 100 for being the safest.
Now, where’s the source showing a direct correlation of gun controls contributing to greater instances of violence? What came first, the gun controls, or the violence that prompted the gun controls?
Finally we are getting to a real solution. The enemies greatest victory was when he got the Bible thrown out of schools. As a nation we have decided it is less harmful to us as a whole to have Connecticut’s and Columbines than have the students hear “Thou shalt not murder” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”. (sounds pretty harsh when put that way, doesn’t it?) Since Scripture has been removed from the public conscience all negative factors in society have risen. I would say logistically it would be MUCH easier to have every school district read a few verses of scripture each day than to expand a system to further reduce our freedoms.
Yes! Let’s tackle the largest logistical challenge, rather than inconvenience ourselves through any additional gun controls. As Christians, shouldn’t be contributing in both ways?
