mclumber1

Yeah. The drug war has been disastrous for all the countries involved. Crime is fueled by the war both here in the United States and in Latin America. Latin America wasn't nearly this violent prior to the war on drugs (and of course, the US getting involved in toppling governments there). As far as where the guns come from, I can't find it right now, but I swear that I read that most, or at least a majority of guns that are used by the cartels and gangs of Latin America are from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Most of Latin America (Western countries, AFAIK) have harsh drug laws, have rampant gang activity, and definitely have impoverished areas, have gun violence exceeding that of America. And they all have very strict gun control.

I think we are going to have disagreements on this issue. And that's fine, I would hope. We're civil about it. Now that most conservative trolls have been banned or left the boards, SOMEONE needs to give a little resistance to the circlejerk that can develop from time to time.

Never.

I know! I think I mentioned that earlier in this thread. 95% of all gun violence can be attributed to societal issues we have: the war on drugs, gang activity, poverty, and education. When some guy gets shot on the streets of Baltimore, it's like due to one of the issues I noted above, and appropriate social policies can be taken to reduce them.

skill said: If we're saying that even people who can't manage their expenses are mentally ill, what does that say about someone who murders scores of people?

There is a HUUUUUGE disconnect in this thread when it comes to mental illness. On one hand, there are people ITT who are arguing that people who can't manage their money are mentally ill and should have their civil rights revoked. On the other hand, the same people are arguing that a person who murders a dozen people is mentally stable.

I know I am no psychologist, but I just can't wrap my head around how someone can justify in their own head, without being mentally ill, that they need to kill scores of people. Whether that is methodically over a period of years, or in a near instant with a gun, or can of gasoline and a match, it just perplexes me how people can just wave off any hint of mental instability. "Yeah the Navy Yard shooter murdered 12 people with a shotgun, but he's totes mentally stable".

I would say that the gang banger who just did a drive by against a rival gang is not mentally ill. However, a person who goes into a place of worship, sits with the congregation for an hour, and then proceeds to murder 12 of them is absolutely mentally ill. I don't see why saying most serial killers, mass murderers, and mass shooters, are mentally ill is such a bad thing to say.

When trump said bigger in terms of trade with Mexico, he actually meant t to say "biggern't". Sort of a double negative, you see.

Yeah, this is exactly why you'll see the furtherance of the super pro-gun counter culture. The gun industry thanks you.

Its super easy, because you have a number of current Democratic lawmakers, past lawmakers, and pundits arguing to do exactly that. Every time there is a mass shooting you have the likes of Rolling Stone and The Young Turks saying it's time to get rid of the Second Amendment. You have Giffords arguing that something needs to be done (in relation to the Jacksonville shooting) - even though the types of gun control that most liberals would consider could legislation, failed to stop this chucklefuck from killing people.

Gun owners feel like they are being attacked. They feel they are being attacked and their civil right is being threatened. So gun owners push back by buying as many AR-15s and glocks as they can before the government does something more drastic. I myself built an AR-15 earlier this year. Partly because it was fun, and partly because I fear that the state (Oregon) or the federal government will restrict the ability to buy or build them in the near future. Many people called Obama the best gun salesman that ever existed, because there was a fear he would, along with Congress, restrict the Second Amendment. Remove the fear that the government is going to go after the guns of the law abiding, and you largely remove the current culture of gun hoarding. This doesn't solve the 8000-10,000 gun homicides we have every year, that will require different solutions. I'm all for universal background checks, if done properly. I think many pro-gun people are on board with that. The biggest factors for our current gun violence problem are: the war on drugs, gangs, poverty, and education. As a (small L) libertarian, I'm more than willing to support liberal solutions to those issues, but I'm not willing to erode the Second Amendment.

Opinion: I believe that the 94 AWB cranked up the gun culture to 11. While before the legislation was passed, there might be *some* die hard gun people, the AWB bred a whole new generation of gun proponents. By vilifying gun culture and passing stricter gun control laws that are easily circumvented, you create a counter-culture around them. The harder you push, the more resistance you'll encounter.

I'm glad the term CHUD is catching on.

The rest of the civilized world? Most of Europe and Canada allows pistol ownership, albeit with tighter licensing standards than most US states. I would be surprised if Katz would have been denied a pistol license (or the country's equivalent) in Canada or France.

Well you don't need to be an asshole about Americans being assholes.

This guy was a resident of Maryland from what I understand. If that is the case, for one to legally buy or own a pistol, you have to undergo a background check and complete a gun safety course. Upon successful completion of the bgc and safety course, the state may then issue a handgun qualification license, which will then allow you to buy, transfer, or possess a pistol. I'm pretty sure you have to pass another background check at the time of purchase as well, even with the handgun license. It's not known if he also had a concealed weapons permit (or the Maryland equivalent), and as far as I can tell, Florida would not honor Maryland's permit anyways. Maryland also has a registry for all handguns in the state. There is also universal background checks on all private party sales. So I'm not sure what gun control law would have actually prevented this guy from doing what he did.

Also, I'm pretty sure the staffer who had to help Trump use the phone is going to get fired.

Sure, I understand they are not the same conditions. But both are involuntary confinement/servitude with a heavy dose of abuse.

The President didn't like the name NAFTA, so it's being renamed. Also Trump is really bad using the phone on TV. lmao

Most everyone gave McCain a pass for his racist comments towards his captors. Why wouldn't you? We wouldn't malign a former slave for calling their white master a "cracker", would we?

I really appreciate the President's twitter thread on the Jacksonville shooting. Although some of you may not agree with his politics, he truly showed a lot of heart and courage in the series of tweets regarding the dead and the survivors of the horrific event.

It's crazy how we don't provide security at important events and areas. I sat on a few juries 2 years ago, and the court room was equipped with a metal detector, but no officer was manning it. So everyone was able to freely walk into the court room while court was in session. The only thing guaranteeing that the building remained gun free was a placard on the front doors.