POLL: Which Gun Control Measures Do You Support?

[Gimmered]

Universal background check and private sales are the same thing. One covers the other. If someone is adjudicated mentally unstable, sure. A medical professional should be required to report their concerns, but a Judge makes the call. Assault weapons bans are a joke, as they just change how a gun looks, not how it operates, see Buffalo. Heller already addressed gun storage.

 

[SSG T]

Because their are plenty of rifles and pistols that can also lay down a lot of rounds that aren’t all sporty looking. There are also plenty of magazine fed shotguns.

This is why I'd ban high capacity magazines and tax ALL semi auto center fire rifles. There are semi autos that have wood stock and normal profile that don't "look" scary. They can do as much damage as quickly as an AR, FN/FAL, etc. A friend of mine bought an SKS that had a glitch, it would fire on auto despite not having an auto sear/trigger group.

 

[Gimmered]

I'm curious why more people aren't voting for the database option. I mean it's still pretty popular, but not at the level of background checks or even the mental health option.

If you are one who rejected the database option, would you also reject state-level data bases? I mean is it that you reject the database part or is it that you reject the federal part?

What are we trying to prevent? Mass shootings or Straw purchases? We know who the mass shooters are and where the got their guns.

 

[alaskanseminole]

I voted for:

• Require background checks on all gun sales.
• Prevent gun sales to people reported as dangerous by a mental health provider.
• Subject private and gun show sales to background checks.
• Require safe gun storage.

I love the idea of safe gun storage. If a person gains access to a weapon that was carelessly left out, then the owner has some level of responsibility. Now, if someone goes to great lengths to gain access to a secured weapon and is successful, I wouldn't hold the owner liable.

Furthermore, I'd raise the age limit to 21 for ALL gun sales. In fact, here are my thoughts:

• 21 - Voting
• 21 - Alcohol
• 21 - Marijuana
• 21 - Gun Purchase
• 18 - Military Service (and honorable service allows early access to all of the above.)
  

 

[seam]

Ted Cruz says far more children would die if assault rifles are banned. Can one assume then that Cruz will invite all attendees at any of his rallies/appearances, to be allowed to carry assault rifles, or any other gun into the venue? I think it would be great if all the GOP politicians, as well as the NRA, allow every attendee to carry guns into the venue! Think how safe everyone would feel! It seems unconscionable that the NRA bans guns at their speaking auditoriums. Think how safe Donald would feel if everyone was packing heat! I wonder what kind of gun Donald packs?

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

I'll vote for all those items if we also ban transgenders.

 

[seam]

I'll vote for all those items if we also ban transgenders.

I can totally see where you are going with this! I was just looking at some data that highlighted all of the homicides transgender people commit. It is really frightening!

 

[Huey Grey]

Go after gun manufacturers like we did with cigarettes.

 

[alaskanseminole]

This is why I'd ban high capacity magazines and tax ALL semi auto center fire rifles. There are semi autos that have wood stock and normal profile that don't "look" scary. They can do as much damage as quickly as an AR, FN/FAL, etc. A friend of mine bought an SKS that had a glitch, it would fire on auto despite not having an auto sear/trigger group.

I agree, @SSG T . My dad, you know the unstable bipolar one, told me last night we don't need magazines higher than 9 rounds. If you can't hit your target by then, you probably shouldn't own a gun.

 

[dandh]

I agree, @SSG T . My dad, you know the unstable bipolar one, told me last night we don't need magazines higher than 9 rounds. If you can't hit your target by then, you probably shouldn't own a gun.

You can use the same argument to make a limit to single shot guns. I don't know what the magic number is, but any limit is pretty arbitrary. Plus, if you are using clips or magazines, the limit doesn't mean as much as with a tube fed gun or a revolver.

 

[alaskanseminole]

I voted for:

• Require background checks on all gun sales.
• Prevent gun sales to people reported as dangerous by a mental health provider.
• Subject private and gun show sales to background checks.
• Require safe gun storage.

I love the idea of safe gun storage. If a person gains access to a weapon that was carelessly left out, then the owner has some level of responsibility. Now, if someone goes to great lengths to gain access to a secured weapon and is successful, I wouldn't hold the owner liable.

Furthermore, I'd raise the age limit to 21 for ALL gun sales. In fact, here are my thoughts:

• 21 - Voting
• 21 - Alcohol
• 21 - Marijuana
• 21 - Gun Purchase
• 18 - Military Service (and honorable service allows early access to all of the above.)

Apparently more than two-thirds [mass shootings] were committed by shooters under the age of 18. The analysis found that the median age for school shooters was 16.

Fact-check: Are most mass shooters ages 18,19?

Murphy is accurate in the context of school shootings alone, according to a Washington Post database of school shootings since 1999.

www.statesman.com

 

[dandh]

Apparently more than two-thirds [mass shootings] were committed by shooters under the age of 18. The analysis found that the median age for school shooters was 16.

Fact-check: Are most mass shooters ages 18,19?

Murphy is accurate in the context of school shootings alone, according to a Washington Post database of school shootings since 1999.

www.statesman.com

That is the reason I support a higher age limit. Some younger guys just aren't mature enough to own guns.

 

[alaskanseminole]

You can use the same argument to make a limit to single shot guns. I don't know what the magic number is, but any limit is pretty arbitrary. Plus, if you are using clips or magazines, the limit doesn't mean as much as with a tube fed gun or a revolver.

Huh?

 

[alaskanseminole]

Go after gun manufacturers like we did with cigarettes.

Existence of guns isn't the underlying issue; however, until we can get to the real issue, we must take action to limit access.

 

[SalAunese]

Age 21 to purchase AR/AK style weapons if you have not gotten a permit to acquire through your county sheriff and completed a firearms safety class.

All handgun purchases must be accompanied by a corresponding firearms safety/responsibility class.

Continue with NICS database

 

[Jan Itor]

I voted for 4 of the 6. How many did you vote for?

5 of 6

 

[Urohawk]

I support a couple of those, depending on how they would be implemented, but the one you did not mention that I think would be most effective is to raise the age for legal purchase to 25.

Average age of mass shooter is 33. You're too colored right now by Uvalde. You forget all the disgruntled workers that go to work and shoot the place up. I think we should only let women buy guns.

Mass Shooting Factsheet | Rockefeller Institute of Government

rockinst.org

 

[dandh]

Average age of mass shooter is 33. You're too colored right now by Uvalde. You forget all the disgruntled workers that go to work and shoot the place up. I think we should only let women buy guns.

Mass Shooting Factsheet | Rockefeller Institute of Government

rockinst.org

Average is meaningless. What is the median? "Mass shootings" is also pretty meaningless, per the description in your article: A mass shooting is an incident of targeted violence carried out by one or more shooters at one or more public or populated locations. Multiple victims (both injuries and fatalities) are associated with the attack,

So if there are no fatalities, but two wounded, it's a mass shooting. That's a Friday night in Chicago.

 

[Urohawk]

Not only that, but this seems intrusive to me. Especially for those who have no children in their homes.

Stops thefts. 380K guns are stolen every year.

https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/32630640/5385318.pdf?sequence=1

 

[SalAunese]

Average age of mass shooter is 33. You're too colored right now by Uvalde. You forget all the disgruntled workers that go to work and shoot the place up. I think we should only let women buy guns.

Mass Shooting Factsheet | Rockefeller Institute of Government

rockinst.org

He was referring to school shooters.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

I don’t think the problem is guns. I think it is the damage done on the brains of citizens by our consumer system and people lost along the way.




Maybe? Kind of sounds like a gateway drug argument in a way. I think by the time you get to the would be mass murderer level the damage was going to be done anyway.

I wonder what makes mass murder the new go to over the murder/suicide or just suicide route. I wonder if there is any connection between being a perpetual war nation and our mass murders domestically.

The US has plenty of firearm suicides as well, #2 rate in the world.

 

[dandh]

Huh?

What part do you not understand?

 

[dandh]

The US has plenty of firearm suicides as well, #2 rate in the world.

Yes, far more suicides than homicides. Over 70% of all gun deaths are suicides, iirc.

 

[Urohawk]

This statement of the mental health restriction is better than what was being talked about a couple of years back - when someone who merely asked his GP about depression or anxiety could be denied his 2A rights - but it's still problematic. There's no adjudication process. What counts as dangerous? What are the qualifications for knowing when someone is dangerous?

So I'll give you a real world example. Guy in my office seeing me for a medical issue. During questioning he becomes tearful and crying. He has a history of depression and is on medication. Sees a therapist. I ask him if he thinks about suicide. He says several times a week but he doesn't want to take action and isn't planning to do anything. I ask if he has a gun in his home (BTW, many states have attempted to make this illegal but haven't been successful: Thanks cons. So helpful, especially when I see you talking oh so much about mental health right now).

He says he owns a gun and likes to go shooting. He has starting picking up the hobby with his father. I excuse myself from the room. I have to make several calls: 1. Our psych consult team for advice. 2. Our hospital attorney. 3. His therapist. The therapist is aware and they've been talking about it. All say there is no legal or ethical obligation for me to do anything. Even more important is I CAN'T do anything despite the fact this man is most likely to die by his own gun.

I plead with the guy to give his gun to his dad since he doesn't go shooting alone. They only do it together. I ask if I can call his dad which he says no. Thanks, HIPAA. So I let the guy go and hope for the best.

What do you think the news would say about his psychiatrist and me if he shoots up a school? I'm sure we would be vilified. Now how important is this man's 2nd amendment rights?

 

[dandh]

He was referring to school shooters.

Actually, I was referring to major horrible incidents like school shootings, the Vegas shooting, etc. Groups have done studies of "mass shootings" with definitions that conflate truly horrible incidents with gang battles. That is not helpful, imo.

 

[Urohawk]

Average is meaningless. What is the median? "Mass shootings" is also pretty meaningless, per the description in your article: A mass shooting is an incident of targeted violence carried out by one or more shooters at one or more public or populated locations. Multiple victims (both injuries and fatalities) are associated with the attack,

So if there are no fatalities, but two wounded, it's a mass shooting. That's a Friday night in Chicago.

I obviously don't have the data for the paper I quoted since I didn't read it. A quick review looks like school shooters are much younger and around 18.

I have trouble banning an 18 year old from owning a gun if they can serve in the army.

 

[Urohawk]

I'll admit, I added one to the list I've posted here many times.

Full, 100% background check on all sales (require every jurisdiction in the country to accurately maintain their entries)

Require gun handling, firing, safety and storage training, to include all forms of pistols, rifles and shotguns.

Require licensing, want a gun, get a license prior to buying (along with the training).

Register every firearm and accessory. You can do it at the time of the background check.

<added>
Ban high capacity magazines. Outside of combat, no one needs more than 7-8 rounds for a pistol, 10 for a rifle. If you can't kill what you're firing at in that amount of rounds, you shouldn't be carrying a firearm.

As for assault weapons, put an additional tax on any semi-automatic, center fire rifle similar to the tax on full autos. But don't ban them.

I do have some other thoughts, but this list would suffice for now. And no, I wouldn't target mass shootings, just keeping fire arms out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them.

I can get behind all of these and I own four guns.

 

[Jan Itor]

I'll admit, I added one to the list I've posted here many times.

Full, 100% background check on all sales (require every jurisdiction in the country to accurately maintain their entries)

Require gun handling, firing, safety and storage training, to include all forms of pistols, rifles and shotguns.

Require licensing, want a gun, get a license prior to buying (along with the training).

Register every firearm and accessory. You can do it at the time of the background check.

<added>
Ban high capacity magazines. Outside of combat, no one needs more than 7-8 rounds for a pistol, 10 for a rifle. If you can't kill what you're firing at in that amount of rounds, you shouldn't be carrying a firearm.

As for assault weapons, put an additional tax on any semi-automatic, center fire rifle similar to the tax on full autos. But don't ban them.

I do have some other thoughts, but this list would suffice for now. And no, I wouldn't target mass shootings, just keeping fire arms out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them.

mandatory waiting period on purchase of all guns.

 

[Urohawk]

mandatory waiting period on purchase of all guns.

That's a good one as well. This is where our politicans are screwing us. Most in this thread seem pretty centrist on most of these. Hell, you and I are agreeing.

 

[dandh]

I obviously don't have the data for the paper I quoted since I didn't read it. A quick review looks like school shooters are much younger and around 18.

I have trouble banning an 18 year old from owning a gun if they can serve in the army.

I don't find that a convincing argument. There are lots of things that 18 year olds can't legally do, like drinking and smoking or being a cop. Military service is voluntary, and when the draft was in place it was for 19 year olds. We know that maturity doesn't fully kick in until around age 26. I think it's reasonable to limit gun ownership until you've been out of high school a few years.

 

[dandh]

I was talking about the other two minutes and fifty seconds it takes girls to wash their hair.

If they have shampoo in their hair and their eyes shut and you can't find something else to do to keep yourself upright, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Stops thefts. 380K guns are stolen every year.

https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/32630640/5385318.pdf?sequence=1

Wait. I thought that was what the gun was for.

 

[dandh]

Then why are we being held hostage by 10 Senators who have an R by their name, who don’t have the guts to vote for change.

The other 90 senators should be able to pass anything they want, even over the president's veto.

 

[Pinehawk]

I obviously don't have the data for the paper I quoted since I didn't read it. A quick review looks like school shooters are much younger and around 18.

I have trouble banning an 18 year old from owning a gun if they can serve in the army.

An 18 year old can safely own a gun in the military because they receive extensive training and are subject to intense supervision.

That certainly does not translate to all 18 year olds having that same responsibility and maturity. As we continue to clearly see.

 

[HawkNester]

The other 90 senators should be able to pass anything they want, even over the president's veto.

Tell that to the 50 Cons who won’t do a single thing. I’m seeing plenty of thoughts and prayers though.

 

[dandh]

Tell that to the 50 Cons who won’t do a single thing. I’m seeing plenty of thoughts and prayers though.

What happened to the 10 who were holding everything up?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The other 90 senators should be able to pass anything they want, even over the president's veto.

Should . . . but that seems rather disingenuous. Do you honestly think those who block even the mildest remedies are doing so because they think that's what's best for America?

I'm not sure where "what's best for America" ranks on their priority list - assuming it's even on it - but the plain evidence suggests that it doesn't rank ahead of the wishes of their donors, their own personal comfort and ambition, or following orders from their party.

Nor am I suggesting that it's only the Rs who are this venal and corrupt. Manchin, anyone? And he's not alone.

I don't know how we fix this, but I am sure we need to stop making excuses for - and voting for - these disappointing reps.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

What happened to the 10 who were holding everything up?

The hope would be that fewer than 40 of them are beyond hope.

But that's been wishful thinking on so many things for so long it's hard to imagine anything else.

 

[HawkNester]

What happened to the 10 who were holding everything up?

Should . . . but that seems rather disingenuous. Do you honestly think those who block even the mildest remedies are doing so because they think that's what's best for America?

I'm not sure where "what's best for America" ranks on their priority list - assuming it's even on it - but the plain evidence suggests that it doesn't rank ahead of the wishes of their donors, their own personal comfort and ambition, or following orders from their party.

Nor am I suggesting that it's only the Rs who are this venal and corrupt. Manchin, anyone? And he's not alone.

I don't know how we fix this, but I am sure we need to stop making excuses for - and voting for - these disappointing reps.

He‘s trying to play dumb. He knows what I’m saying.

 

[dandh]

The hope would be that fewer than 40 of them are beyond hope.

But that's been wishful thinking on so many things for so long it's hard to imagine anything else.

There are more than a few Dem senators who are beyond hope, too. I think one of the biggest problems we have is that those who used to reach across the aisle have been ostracized by the radical wings of both parties. There is no central core left. One can posture about which side is to blame, but until both reduce the more radical forces we will never accomplish a lot that is meaningful.

With gun laws, I do think it best to take one small bite at a time. That's why I favor age limits, as that is something we might be able to reach a consensus about. Unfortunately, there are those who prefer to play politics with the issue and will not allow a more moderate path to be taken. The election is in November, and they sense an advantage.