Andy1

I haven’t seen any stats on this but the mass killings we see in the news usually seem to describe the killer as legally buying the gun used in the crime. These people are not career criminals. They seem to be “seemingly normal” people who are experiencing emotional distress or depression and want a gun as the final solution. They don’t have connections with the criminal world to buy illegal guns so they just go to the local gun shop. I don’t think that “criminals will just get a gun someplace else” applies to these people. Shortly after buying the gun, they go on their killing spree. The vast majority of gun owners are responsible and their guns are not used in crime. To stop the killings described above, we need to build time delay and social interactions with people into the process of purchasing the assault weapon. Time delays will allow people’s emotions to calm and give them a chance to seek help. Social interactions with others allow more people to know who is buying the gun and perhaps see the warning signs before the killing happens. I don’t think the solution is banning assault weapons but in making it a much slower more deliberate purchase process. Yes this will be a PITA for good responsible people but that may be the price to pay to acquire them in the future. OK, flame away at me. I’ve got my body armor on. What are your ideas?

Here is the position statement from the International Association of Chiefs of Police: Criminal Use of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons First passed in 1994, the assault weapons ban required domestic gun manufacturers to stop production of semi-automatic assault weapons and ammunition magazines holding more than ten rounds except for military or police use. While the ban was in place, it was remarkably effective in reducing the number of crimes involving assault weapons. In the period of the ban, (1994-2004) the proportion of assault weapons traced to crimes fell by a dramatic 66 percent. Semi-Automatic assault weapons are routinely the weapons of choice for gang members and drug dealers. They are regularly encountered in drug busts and are all too often used against police officers. The IACP has been a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban since 1992, and our membership has approved several reauthorizations of support in the years since. The membership took this action because we, as law enforcement executives, understand that the criminal use of semiautomatic assault weapons pose a grave risk to our officers and the communities they are sworn to protect.

So why are short barrel shotguns (without ATF permit) and automatic firearms illegal?

Obviously the AR is not current military issue but my point remains. It was designed for military use. Gun people always retort that crazies will find another weapon to kill with. Maybe true but baseball bats, pistols or bolt action rifles are not as efficient at killing so many so fast.

Then why doesn’t the military equip soldiers with two Desert Eagles instead of their standard assault rifles?

Pistols are used in far more murders each year than assault weapons. The difference is if you are shot by an assault weapon you are much more likely to die due to wound severity. It’s not great being shot by either one, but there is a reason why so many killers are spending the big bucks on assault weapons. It’s because they are damn effective at killing.

There is already a shortage of doctors in America. Looks like the problem will be getting worse in Idaho.

Every kid knows the banned books are the “best books”. Personally, I think parenting has a much greater influence on kids than teachers or books. Sooner or later, kids are going to be exposed to inappropriate stuff. It’s the role of parents to guide them through life. To most average people, I think it all seems a bit hypocritical to be talking about protecting kids from books but not taking substantial actions to protect them from gun violence. Esp when guns are the number one cause of children and teen mortality in America.

These anti trans laws are all about keeping the religious right and conservatives in general motivated and focused on a cause as a voting block. Gay marriage is settled (a loss for them), Roe has been overturned. Next on the list is the rights of trans people and a nation-wide abortion ban.

These republicans boycotting Budweiser is such a losing position. I’m pretty sure Budweiser has done their market research to know the demographics of Gen Z that they want to appeal to. The boycott will please 30% of America but won’t grow your following. And there are fewer of those 30% every year.

Republicans are complaining about this all the time. Do you all think the Democratic Party have secret operatives in all the schools and colleges radicalizing the youth of America? Isn’t it more likely that the people who choose teaching as a career (they aren’t doing it for the money) are of the caring, nurturing personality type who care about issues such as the environment, equality, health, science, etc. People who think this way are probably more likely to be dems just as Wall Street bankers and oil drillers are probably more likely to be republican. It’s just the way the world works. Teachers are just one influence in the lives of youth. There is also parents, community, culture, etc. Young people want to grow up in a world that reflects their values so they march and protest for change. That’s not radical. That’s American. Also, each generation has experienced more freedom and greater quality of life than those before, but Gen Z may be realizing that that may not be true for them.

Gen Z is the most diverse generation this nation has seen. Corporations know this and are messaging to appeal to them. Republican Party is a big turnoff for most of them and the party isn’t doing anything to appeal to them. You all can say it’s indoctrination or whatever but unless the R party changes, it will die.

Will be interesting to see the reaction from Tennessee. I think it will be motivating for independents and Gen Z next election.

The whole point of listing the rate per 100,000 people is to compare apples to apples with respect to population. Of course a city with 5 million people will have a higher absolute number than a rural county of 50,000 people, but that doesn’t mean it is more likely to occur there, just that more people live there. Rep vs Dem would be interesting to see.

In recent years, rural counties' proportional gun homicide rates outnumbered those of urban counties Top 20 U.S. counties or county equivalents with the highest gun homicide rate, 2016–2020 Table showing 20 counties with the highest gun homicide rates from 2016 to 2020, with rural counties appearing more frequently in the list. Table with 2 columns and 20 rows. Currently displaying rows 1 to 20. Age-adjusted rate per 100,000 Phillips County, Arkansas 55.45 Lowndes County, Alabama48.36 City of St. Louis, Missouri45.36 Macon County, Alabama44.34 City of Petersburg, Virginia42.45 Leflore County, Mississippi38.61 City of Baltimore, Maryland38.56 Dallas County, Alabama37.25 Dillon County, South Carolina 35.57 Washington County, Mississippi 34.19 Jefferson County, Arkansas34.08 Orleans Parish, Louisiana32.83 Holmes County, Mississippi32.31 Hinds County, Mississippi 31.68 Adams County, Mississippi28.26 Mississippi County, Arkansas27.80 Sunflower County, Mississippi 27.61 Coahoma County, Mississippi 27.19 Vance County, North Carolina 25.85 City of Danville, Virginia25.75 Media attention on large cities misrepresents the reality of gun violence in the United States Despite negative media attention, many large cities are proportionately safer from gun violence than their rural counterparts: Chicago is within Cook County, which ranks 79th for firearm homicide rates. Philadelphia County ranks 38th for firearm homicide rates. The five counties that encompass New York City rank between 360th and 521st for firearm homicide rates: New York County (Manhattan) ranks 521st. Kings County (Brooklyn) ranks 404th. Bronx County (Bronx) ranks 360th. Richmond County (Staten Island) ranks 488th. Queens County (Queens) ranks 502nd. Los Angeles County ranks 316th for firearm homicide rates.

Strange, none of my republican friends have ever called me a commie. I only get that here on PPP. Do you call everyone you meet whom you disagree with politically a commie? Sounds like you need to relax a bit BB.

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/gun-violence-in-rural-america/

Those Republican laws (platform?) are a loser. Independents think they are crazy. Gen Z is rising and will vote in force against them. Wisconsin is the latest state to flip. After they lose enough, maybe the party will change.

So is government subsidizing industry is a communist tenet?

Anyone know size wise how he compares to Milano?

Yea Trumps best friends are Putin, rocket man and the Saudi crown prince. But dems are commies? No logic there. Total projection but they probably don’t understand that either. In my experience, people who scream about communism have no clue what real communism is. They should speak to someone from a communist country to learn something. Everyone I have spoken to laughs at the comparison. Stupid American….

You can add Republicans banning travel to other states for women’s health care. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/31/idaho-abortion-travel-ban-women-girls-social-trust

I would call that a budget agenda rather than an official party platform. Platforms are usually big wordy documents describing a longer term vision for the future. When they release their budget we will see what their priorities are. Hopefully the House and the Pres can reach compromise without crashing the economy.