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Agreeing with Trump!!

(19 Posts)
Deedaa Fri 17-Jun-16 16:08:21

SIL shared a pro gun control post on Facebook.He was berated by one of his relatives who accused him of being a Socialist (shock, horror!) and told him to come back to America and free himself from the constraints of the UK!!!

thatbags Fri 17-Jun-16 07:57:28

There is an argument that abolishing that second amendment about the right to carry arms in the US wouldn't make a real difference anyway because there are more guns in private hands in the US than there are people. Crazy world.

The article I got the initial info from mentions at least one restriction on guns available to buy: it's no. longer possible to buy a machine gun. The writer suggests that assault rifles should be added to the list of not allowed.

My personal view is that the gun culture of the US can and will only be changed piecemeal over a very long time. The machine gun ban is a start. Removing assault rifles would be another step. There simply is no easy solution to such a complex problem.

Badenkate Fri 17-Jun-16 07:52:11

Sorry WilmasKnickersfit I wasn't ignoring you! It was on Channel 4 news, actually. A report by Krishnan G-M (I have no idea how to spell his name blush).

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 16-Jun-16 22:56:47

Actually, it doesn't matter. The media is full of examples of reporters over the last few days going into gun shops and buying guns, including the gun the Orlando killer used. Thank you for pointing this out to me.

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 16-Jun-16 22:39:20

Badenkate what was the name of the programme please? I can't tell what programme it would have been on.

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 16-Jun-16 22:30:58

Badenkate I stand corrected then and will watch that programme. I understood there was a delay until a permit was approved.

Badenkate Thu 16-Jun-16 22:19:04

Last night Channel 4 managed to buy a gun exactly like the one that was used and walk out of the shop with it WilmaKnickersfit

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 16-Jun-16 22:10:14

If you ban people on the watch list from buying a gun, surely that will devalue the intelligence gathered about those people?

Wouldn't buying a gun through legal channels raise flags about those on the watch list, enabling resources to be more accurately focussed?

I thought I read the Orlando killer was not a radicalised Islamist, in fact not a particularly devout Muslim.

And BTW, you can't walk into a shop, buy a gun and walk out with it. Not even in the US.

I'm not a supporter of gun ownership in any way shape or form, but I think it's important to realise the US does have some gun control legislation.

Tresco Thu 16-Jun-16 19:10:35

There is an interesting analysis of the Orlando gunman here:
usuncut.com/politics/powerful-explanation-orlando-shooting/

Stansgran Thu 16-Jun-16 11:23:47

Yes but to walk into a shop and buy an assault rifle! On a terrorist watch list. Under the counter or a stolen one I could understand. But then I've just driven past Dunblane.

vampirequeen Thu 16-Jun-16 11:22:14

Maybe the Senate and Congress could control the laws but he will incite sections of the population to horrendous acts. There are groups who will attack Muslims and other minorities and they in turn will have groups who will retaliate.

rosesarered Thu 16-Jun-16 11:21:07

I agree sunseeker the President can't do exactly as he likes.

obieone Thu 16-Jun-16 10:53:59

I suppose it is about innocent until being proved guilty?

Also if a terrorist wanted guns, he is going to get them somehow?

sunseeker Thu 16-Jun-16 10:17:16

An American friend tells me that IF he becomes President almost all of his more extreme views will be tempered by Congress and the Senate. Even if there is a majority of Republicans most would not vote for many of his policies. I claim no knowledge of American politics just repeating what she told me when I expressed concern that he might be elected.

rosesarered Thu 16-Jun-16 09:09:02

Even a broken clock is right twice a day, of course.Trump is no fool ( he wouldn't be where he was otherwise) but he does come out with some humdingers, so surprising to find him saying normal things.grin

whitewave Thu 16-Jun-16 08:41:40

You must not however forget that even someone like Hitler sounded "normal" at times.

What you must always remember and understand the underlying ideology ( although I doubt he has one ) and agenda.

rosesarered Thu 16-Jun-16 08:26:52

They seem to be sensible things ( he is saying) for a change, things that any normal person would say in fact.

thatbags Thu 16-Jun-16 08:26:50

Please put aside your usual detestation of the person and look at the actual words that he said and their meaning.

thatbags Thu 16-Jun-16 08:23:50

I never thought I'd agree with something Donald Trump said. OMG! and other horrified ejaculations shock

He's quoted by Justin Webb of the BBC Radio 4 Today programme as saying: "Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism. I don't want congrats, I want toughness and vigilance. We must be smart!"

Right. Score out the Appreciate the congrats bit. It's only relevant to his usual narcissism. But, bearing in mind Orlando and all those other recent examples of terrorism committed by radical Islamists (yes, I know other people have been mass killers too but I'm talking about events perpetrated by people who claim to engage in terrorism in support of radical Islamic ideology; not all of these have happened in America under American gun laws), what he says next does not appear to me to be extreme in any way. Against radical terrorism of whatever flavour I agree with him that we do need toughness, vigilance and smartness. Given the Orlando killer's previous checkings by the FBI, it does seem that we were not (are not) vigilant enough or smart enough.

Webb also says that yesterday Trump said that he 'might like to ban people on the terrorist watchlist from getting guns'. That part is quoted from the article written by Webb in today's Times Opinion section so I don't have Trump's exact words. But what is unreasonable about wanting to ban people on terrorist watchlists from getting guns? Apparently Republicans rejected this proposal last time it was suggested. I don't know who suggested it; it may have been a Democrat.

Webb's next sentence after telling us about the above suggestion is "So much for the pivot to normal". What?! What's abnormal about that suggestion? What's weird or wacky about it?

Am I missing something? It's a given that Trump is a scary presidential candidate. It's a given that most of what he says is an embarrassment to reasonable human beings. It doesn't follow from that that everything he says is mad or bad or wrong-headed. What do other people think about the two things above that Trump is reported to have said?