America's Gun Control

@SnowyGiveAway - Brexit is an example of the stupidity (as those of us from outside the country see it) of some political decisions supported by a majority of the voting public. In that regard it's comparable.

Why are so many posters on this thread so exceptionally hard of reading and thinking? We keep trying to explain the subtleties and difficulties, but you guys keep coming at it like battering rams.

For anyone actually interested in thinking, I'm posting this link about the NRA and the changing interpretation of the second amendment for the, sigh, third time.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/nra-guns-second-amendment-106856/

Great. So what are you and your family doing to change the situation?

The Founders most definitely did intend to create an unfettered right to firearms in the Constitution. The Federalist papers and their contemporaneous writings at the time say that in plain language.

In fact, if we kept with the true intent of the Founders, all males 18 and older would be required to own at least one firearm, keep it in good condition, and practice marksmanship on a regular basis.

Ok, so you're American resident in the UK. What have you personally done to change the situation?

That is exactly how the SCOTUS would argue, disregarding the difference between 18th century firearms and 21st century firearms.

Had a debate with someone in the office today. He is pro gun, and says it's down to culture. The Swiss are allowed to keep guns at home, for instance, and have a much lower gun death rate.

Nope, sorry, I left. I vote, that's all I do and all I can do.

I haven't read the full 19 page thread, so apologies if you've already said, but are you a gun owner? Do you value your right to bear arms? Some of my family do. It's an entirely alien belief to me and if that is your belief system I suppose we will never see eye to eye. It is very hard to support your culture, your rights, your beliefs when they are so destructive

So, much like the rest of us then.

And just to be clear I don't own a gun and don't want one. Some of my daughter in law's extended family do. We don't discuss it.

I left too. We've been resident in the UK for fifteen years.

I still vote in the US and have never voted for a candidate who did not support gun control
I would never live in a red state
I have, when back home, attended March For Our Lives marches
I donate to March For Our Lives, Gabby Giffords' anti-gun group and Moms Demand Action
My husband and I have both done pro bono legal work for anti-gun lobbying groups

Living outside the US is not an excuse to not try to be part of the change you want to see.

@Britinme apologies, I must have misread your comments as being in favour of gun ownership. I couldn't make it through such a long thread, and lost track.

Apologies, I also misread your comments as being pro gun ownership. I must have missed something in the thread

@SnowyGiveAway - no problem. I've been mainly trying to explain the practical difficulties of bringing reform about. States rights is something Brits seem to have difficulty understanding.

Definitely not! They're just aimed at people lecturing on how easy it should be to change things.

Yes state rights are problematic but reform is possible. It's clearly unacceptable that so many people and groups are opposed to reform when it's clearly the only morally acceptable choice.

@Wallaw change is hard. It should be the easy and only choice when so many children are killed year on year, but there we are

Why not? Everyone else is, so much so that there's an entire board devoted to it.

There was a female Republican politician a couple of months ago who was referring to "God-given right...". That's the sort of level of opposition to controls.

There was another one earlier this week. Or maybe it was the same one. No, I think the first one was Marjorie Taylor Green and the recent one must have been someone else, because if MTG says batshit stuff I tend not to notice any more.

I don't think it's feasible to take away the thousands of guns in people's homes.

But could the manufacturer, importation and purchase of bullets be feasible? Guns will be obsolete without them and they are one use only......

I'm probably being naive at best, but it's a train of thought.

Sorry I missed the word "restrictions" from the sale of bullets

I think that's an idea that hasn't been explored enough yet. I also think requiring insurance would be promising. Nobody wants to piss off their insurance company.

Criminals don't care about insurance. It wouldn't put them off having guns.

It would still come up against 2A. Shall not infringe.

The second amendment is constantly under review by the courts, stuff that never gets reported in the UK.

Like the feds recent decision to ban extendable stocks for pistols.

Venezuela has some of the strictest gun controls in the western world, yet has some of the highest levels of gun crime and deaths.

The USA is not even in the top ten when it comes to deaths per 100 000 people.

Why are posters not railing at Venezuela?