Not to understand resistance to gun control

[Maggiethecat]

I understand that it serves those with financial interests but cannot understand why Joe Bloggs wouldn't want restrictions on eligibility to carry guns. It's not as if guns are being banned and their freedom is being taken away, it's that there should be reasonable checks carried out.

Are Americans not exhausted by the mass shootings and wonder why this is the only country in the world with such a dismal record?

6 of the 9 were appointed by Republican presidents. In the past, though, this would have been less significant, as SC decisions were less ideologically driven. So longer-serving Republican-appointees, like Roberts and (before he retired) Kennedy, would quite often side with the more liberal justices.

The problem now is that the recent appointees - Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Coney Barrett are screaming right-wing loons very ideogically-driven. The whole reason they were nominated was to implement a hard core conservative agenda. It is frightening, given that it is happening alongside Congress becoming borderline non-functional.

Correction - the 90s assault weapon ban was not enacted in response to Columbine. I miss remembered the mass shootings of the 90s.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow I agree with everything you are saying about the Supreme Court. But in terms of passing federal legislation banning assault weapons, shouldn't we at least try? The assault weapons ban in the 90s saved lives. Shouldn't we campaign to bring it back? I just can't imagine continuing to live in this counrty and not trying to reduce the chance of innocent people being slaughtered in public places and schools.

Those most in favour of gun control in the US have armed security protecting them.

@Valeriekat - makes you wonder what people like @Cartoonmom and @MissLucyEyelesbarrow are banging on about considering that someone's covering their backs?! 🤔

I think it's counter-productive, because it feeds the NRA narrative that the federal government is coming for everyone's guns. It was different in the 90s, when there was far more overlap between the political parties, and when the GOP as a whole wasn't wedded to using gun laws as a wedge issue.

Look at what happened after Sandy Hook - the NRA just upped the hysteria, and we now have a large chunk of the population who seriously believe that the solution to school shootings is to arm elementary school teachers, FFS.

I say this with a lot of regret, but I think we (I'm not American, but have spent a lot of time in the US) need to give up on the hope of action by the federal government for the foreseeable future, and focus instead on action at state level. If change comes, it will be incremental, as we have seen with the death penalty.

Yes I highly agree, as I have been saying. I was responding more to people saying “just get rid of guns”.

If we do anything, it will need to be like the machine gun restrictions started in the 80s, where we just stop making certain firearms or ammunition. Personally I’d like to start with high capacity magazines and go from there.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow good point, thanks. There is definitely room for improvement in my state on gun control laws.

Abortion is legal in every state in the US.

“
43 states restrict abortion at a certain point in pregnancy in some way, either defined in terms of weeks post-fertilization or weeks from the patient's last menstrual period.
All of those states include exceptions for threats to the life of the pregnant person and most have exceptions for their physical or general health. Four have exceptions for fatal fetal abnormalities, and both Arkansas and Utah include exceptions for rape and incest.

www.businessinsider.com/latest-point-in-pregnancy-you-can-get-abortion-in-50-states-2019-5?amp

It’s a holiday weekend here. There is no one with any power in DC this weekend to see a protest, so not much point. They are at their beach houses and in their gated communities.

This is about money and they are all in on it.
70,000 people died in the US in 2020 of drug overdose. Many from legal drugs made in the USA. Same as the guns. You think losing a child would make them do something? I don’t believe that. Pfizer paid a massive fine over opiate deaths. They made it all back with covid vaccine money.

The idea that it’s Republican citizens vs Democrat citizen is a nice distraction from the greed and corruption of our sitting politicians. Congress and the White House are filled with people that have been in power for decades. Most are very wealthy now, though they didn’t start out that way. They have no real explanation of where they get their money. They don’t get paid enough to justify it.

I am tired of the demonization of law abiding citizens. The politicians are the problem, not the individuals.

@Wallaw- yes, the more I'm researching how I can help my state, the more rage and fear I'm feeling about the Court's upcoming decision Bruen. I want to help and fight, but it all seems so pointless. I honestly feel like the only thing left to do is move to another country.

@Wallaw

Pfizer Settlement from 2009. I think they had another major one later, also. I could have used J&J as an example though, too.
www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/merck-gsk-pfizer-j-j-among-top-10-u-s-pharma-settlements-all-time.

You listed media figures. That’s a common tactic to try and distract from placing any responsibility on the people in office who make the laws.

I’m talking about actual politicians, with power, from both major parties who have and still do hold office. They have a great deal of power; they choose not to use it to solve these problems. Look up who was in office and Congress when the semi-automatic weapon ban expired.

Until the finger pointing stops and the parties decide they want to work together to curb this horrific violence with some practical gun laws, this will continue.

Do you know you can make an appointment to meet with your Rep and your Senator? I’ve never done it but maybe we should.

More recently, J&J in the news:

www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082901958/opioid-settlement-johnson-26-billion

@WibblyWobblyJane, I did not know that. I just assumed email was the best way to contact them. My 3 (all democrats) seem like decent people, but I feel like if they can't get the otherside to come to the table then maybe they shouldn't seek reelection.

Yes, we absolutely have in-person access to them in their DC office or in your state at their local office whenever they are there. If in DC their staff can help schedule tours for you also.

www.house.gov/visitors

I entered my zip to get to my Rep’s website and see a link to schedule a meeting and also on to request tours and tickets.

Apologies if people later in the thread have replied to this (I haven't RTFT) but I saw someone on twitter making the argument about knives here and the person replying showed them the data that knife homicides were far higher per capita in the US than in the UK so that argument doesn't hold any water. Knife crime gets highlighted here because there usually isn't anything 'worse' i.e. mass shootings.

@Wallaw

Chuck Schumer obtained a Harvard law degree then began his career in politics. He has been in DC since 1981, first as a Congressman then as a Senator. Prior to that he was a state rep.

I am from another state so I never heard much about him until then end of the Harry Reid era.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Schumer

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn

I am not surprised that there is more knife violence in the US. There are just so many problems and the violence is a symptom.

The unchecked availability of firearms is terrifying. It needs to change. But the with the children raised in chaos, untreated mental health issues, rampant drug and alcohol abuse, the solutions required go well beyond controlling firearms.

@Wallaw - my 2 senators are Coons and Carper (Delaware). I agree the other side is out of control. It's difficult for my senators, because by being friendly and open to compromise with Republicans they do get Delaware friendly legislation in return. But at some point, IMO, you just have to draw a line in the sand. I actually had to deregister from Coon's email list because he kept writing to us about the importance of bipartisanship and holding hands with Republicans during the Senate prayer breakfast. He said if started to believe Republicans were evil he wouldn't be able to get up and go to work. So I feel for them. But for me were are past the point of holding hands in prayer now. I want action.

@WibblyWobblyJane - thanks for the link. I'm not far from DC so visiting in person is doable for me.

I used to think simplistically that they should just ban firearms but now I’m not so sure. The country is so flooded with guns now it’s probably too late for that and the only viable strategy is minimisation and learning to live with the homicide. A 10 year ban on ammunition sales could maybe make a difference, but that’s a bit like the war on drugs with lots of unintended consequences.

We used to host American students from a religious college and I was always astonished by 1) the strong so called religious thread im them eg have to say Grace...lots of talk of God... etc....

2. amdamance that guns were totally necessary to their lives!

I don't like guns and think the situation in America is ridiculous.

But..

After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France I remember an American commenting on the news that it wouldn't have happened in the US, either because guns would act as a deterrent or someone in those offices would have been armed and could have defended themselves / shot the attacker before they caused too much carnage.

I'm not saying I agree but it did kind of open my eyes to the other side of the argument.