Las Vegas attacks

[soleiltropiques]

OP note: I just wanted to make a post about this because it's so horrible and yet, will things *ever* change?

The article is behind the cut in case it might be triggering.

Comments

[amw]

It's not just Republicans at fault. Plenty of Democrats are also too spineless to push real gun control laws. Occasionally someone pipes up and says there should be stricter background checks or extended magazines should be banned, but these are half-hearted measures at best.

Imo America needs a major gun buy-back/amnesty like Australia had after their last mass shooting back in the 90s. We should be seeing photos of millions of firearms being destroyed. Any remaining firearms should be registered like cars. Hell, there should be a license program with at least as much mandatory training as a drivers' license. Owning an undocumented firearm should be a felony. It's ridiculous that a bag of weed will land Americans in jail but they can carry murder weapons around like they're fashion accessories.

Of course, even in a fantasy world that any of these laws could be passed, the gun lobby would file legal challenges. Then the ultra-conservative Supreme Court would likely uphold the precedent of declaring pretty much any restriction of access to guns unconstitutional. Checks and balances, fuck yeah.

[lovedforaday]

It's beyond Dems and Republicans, it's the pro-gun constituents whose one main issue is preserving ~gun rights~. these people vote in every single election possible.

[soleiltropiques]

Interesting. I didn't know that there were also Dems who were anti gun control. Ugh.

It's incredible to me that there are still people who don't believe better gun control would help, but I see what you're (both) saying (I know I couldn't believe that guy Alex Jones interviewed by Piers Morgan a few years ago).

[betray802]

Alex Jones is already saying it's a false flag engineered by the far left/Antifa/the deep state. Fundie televangelist Pat Robertson said God allowed it because of the NFL protests.

[soleiltropiques]

Yikes. What a nutjob. Wanna bet he's a white supremacist, too?

[betray802]

He very much is.

[soleiltropiques]

I'm not surprised.

[boobookittifukk]

I still can't believe that this is a debate. You'd think after all those kids were murdered at Sandy Hook that even the hardcore pro-gun people would agree that yeah, universal background checks, cooling off periods and a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons was necessary. Because there is no legitimate reason for owning a military grade weapon other than trying to show off how big your dick is.

Here in Australia, all it took was for 35 people to be murdered at a tourist spot by one crazy guy for people to call for the ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, as well as stricter restrictions around the owning of a gun. I don't understand the need for someone to own a gun, even for self defence. Like that ex-pro gun musician said post the Las Vegas tragedy, he knew people who had guns and licenses to carry concealed firearms, and they were useless in stopping this tragedy. So what's the point?

[soleiltropiques]

Yeah the lack of proper gun control makes no sense to me either.

I guess there may be a need for a gun if someone lives in certain rural areas: an example is somewhere like Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut (=northern Canada). They have a problem with polar bears coming into town (=they seem to be attracted by garbage disposal). (Although I'll grant you that guns aren't any kind of long-term solution here either since this isn't exactly the bears's fault...(1))

In anything except these types of cases I can't see a need for gun either, though.

1. Nunavut's polar bear problem growing in Hudson Bay communities. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/problem-polar-bears-hudson-bay-nunavut-1.3522375

[boobookittifukk]

Oh we still made allowances for farmers in rural areas who need guns for killing foxes, etc who attack their livestock. That was one of the fears brought up originally when the gun laws was originally debated, but allowances were made for that so those who legitimately needed guns could still get them.