Regarding the latest mass murder in a gun free zone by a crazy person who was not deterred (shockingly) by the slew of laws he broke.
The top line: 300+ million guns in this country.
No way on God’s green earth the government will be able to pry those out of the hands of the people without a massive civil war. The question is whether we are going to enact new restrictions on the law-abiding, which will not affect the criminal element. The alternative is to increase freedom, including national reciprocity for concealed-carry: a legal gun in one state is legal in all states.
The only element that would have altered the situation in Roseburg—if the defenders had loaded weapons present. There is a credible story that an armed Air Force Vet in the vicinity was prevented from drawing his weapon by college staff. Likewise in Newtown, Columbine, the Colorado theater shooting, etc. etc. etc. All of these shootings might be prevented or curtailed if defenders had guns.
There is a great deal of data to back the 2nd Amendment crowd. For the anti-gun crowd, ideological preconceptions supersede real world problems and solutions. For almost 20 years I have read voraciously about this issue, and the alleged statistics of the gun-ban crowd are pseudo-intellectual, unscientific, mendacious.
Let’s harken back to the 1999 shooting by an anti-Semite in Los Angeles. He knew enough to find Jews at the Jewish Community Center. He had surveilled several Jewish organizations in the area, and had the presence of mind to choose (he later told police) the one that had signs banning guns and a reputation for being anti-gun. Seventy rounds fired. One dead, five injured.
Same story when two brothers robbed a Hazelwood Steak and Shake for drug money several years ago. They chose that establishment over the other restaurant across the street specifically because of the sign on the door, ensuring there would be no defense.
Automatic weapons have been totally banned for decades, and yet criminals have such weapons. Background checks are conducted for nearly 100% of legal transfers. Criminals ignore the law, thus gun registration will not affect them.
Gun laws will work when criminals obey gun laws, in other words: never.
In an average year, the number of murders by hammer is double the number committed with all rifles (not just scary black “assault weapons” with evil pistol grips and holo sights) but all rifles.
The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) unit was established by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Law) of 1993 and launched by the FBI in 1998. Every year some people are turned down for purchase of a gun because they lied on ATF Form 4473. These cases are almost never prosecuted, even though lying on the form is a felony. Laws are passed limiting the freedom and liberty our Constitution guarantees, but when criminals break the law, the government does not enforce.
Gun control is the first step towards totalitarianism, and registration is the first step towards gun control. Pop quiz: what country passed the world’s first national gun control in the twentieth century? The Weimar Republic. Hitler, the socialist vegetarian, made enforcement against Jews comprehensive. Control, confiscate, ghettos then camps.
Not in my country. Not while I live.