Biden, Assault Rifle Ban

That is good news, Nanna8.

nanna8

Before we brought in tougher gun laws ( as a result of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre) a lot said that the criminals wouldn’t hand their weapons in and we would still have mass shootings. They were wrong. We still have the occasional shooting but usually, as they expected, criminal against criminal. Our police are armed but it is very carefully controlled and there is always a massive investigation ant time one of them actually has to use a gun.

That's good to hear nanna8; a real life experience is really valuable. I hope the US is taking the results of the Australian change in gun laws into account.

Before we brought in tougher gun laws ( as a result of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre) a lot said that the criminals wouldn’t hand their weapons in and we would still have mass shootings. They were wrong. We still have the occasional shooting but usually, as they expected, criminal against criminal. Our police are armed but it is very carefully controlled and there is always a massive investigation ant time one of them actually has to use a gun.

Plain to see in Putin's Russia it's the establishment that's the enemy.

Jeez! - that Christmas card is beyond anything. No wonder Biden is struggling to get any gun control through.

And yes effalump, the majority should be denied the freedom to "bear arms" (what an expression - like something out of the middle ages!) as they have absolutely no need of them - except to protect themselves from other protesting their right to do just that.

I suppose we’ll be having this discussion all over again in a few months time when the next school shooting happens.
Nothing will ever change in America because the gun lobby is too powerful.

What about policewomen, Caleo, any thoughts on them?

Caleo

Should cops have guns? If so should policemen have to be au fait with human rights and the ethics of policing? How might a police force be a servant of the public, as opposed to serving the establishment?

That depends if you see criminals or the establishment as the enemy.

I vote for the establishment, probably a better bet than chaos and criminals

Gundy

RE the gun lobby, recent school shootings, assault weapons issues…

I believe the only other thing to wake up Washington is if people turn out in massive, and I mean MASSIVE protests.

The country is already simmering. It may only be a matter of time.

I agree with you.
Since you are in the US you know best in any case.

Should cops have guns? If so should policemen have to be au fait with human rights and the ethics of policing? How might a police force be a servant of the public, as opposed to serving the establishment?

StoneofDestiny

Having spent time in the Bible Belt of the USA, there is an obsession with guns and churches! Reading their signs in shops/billboards it seems they confuse the Bible with the US Constitution. Pretty unbelievable the interchange between them when they talk about guns (and a few other things). Scary.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition...

Having spent time in the Bible Belt of the USA, there is an obsession with guns and churches! Reading their signs in shops/billboards it seems they confuse the Bible with the US Constitution. Pretty unbelievable the interchange between them when they talk about guns (and a few other things). Scary.

MaizieD

effalump

I suppose out of a population of over 300 million there is a tiny percentage who are, tragically, victims of an even smaller percentage of people with major mental health problems who obviously never get the real help they need. Should the majority be denied the freedom to bear arms to protect themselves because of those that, even if guns were banned, would still manage to get hold of some? Surely, rather than employ 87,000 IRS people with guns. Bearing in mind that most people with guns probably only every fire them on a firing range in their entire life.

Should the majority be denied the freedom to bear arms to protect themselves

What are they protecting themselves from, effalump? It isn't from being shot, is it? Because if it is those protective guns aren't doing a very good job, are they?

The 'freedom to bear arms', as explained by another poster earlier, was about arming a volunteer militia as the newly independent US didn't have a standing army. The idea was to be able to shoot invading enemies, not classes of schoolchildren.

When I answered yes, it was in answer to the same question MaizieD quotes from effalump's post, not to eff's complete posting! In other words yes to banning guns.

effalump

I suppose out of a population of over 300 million there is a tiny percentage who are, tragically, victims of an even smaller percentage of people with major mental health problems who obviously never get the real help they need. Should the majority be denied the freedom to bear arms to protect themselves because of those that, even if guns were banned, would still manage to get hold of some? Surely, rather than employ 87,000 IRS people with guns. Bearing in mind that most people with guns probably only every fire them on a firing range in their entire life.

Should the majority be denied the freedom to bear arms to protect themselves

What are they protecting themselves from, effalump? It isn't from being shot, is it? Because if it is those protective guns aren't doing a very good job, are they?

The 'freedom to bear arms', as explained by another poster earlier, was about arming a volunteer militia as the newly independent US didn't have a standing army. The idea was to be able to shoot invading enemies, not classes of schoolchildren.

Bearing in mind that most people with guns probably only every fire them on a firing range in their entire life.

Probably with handguns not with rifles, if you have a rifle you are going hunting, for small vermin an assault rifle is the weapon of choice and they are pretty crazy

Apparently the NRA got very upset with a group of Emergency Room doctors who talked about stricter gun laws. I’m afraid I don’t have a link.

RE the gun lobby, recent school shootings, assault weapons issues…

I believe the only other thing to wake up Washington is if people turn out in massive, and I mean MASSIVE protests.

The country is already simmering. It may only be a matter of time.

effalump

I suppose out of a population of over 300 million there is a tiny percentage who are, tragically, victims of an even smaller percentage of people with major mental health problems who obviously never get the real help they need. Should the majority be denied the freedom to bear arms to protect themselves because of those that, even if guns were banned, would still manage to get hold of some? Surely, rather than employ 87,000 IRS people with guns. Bearing in mind that most people with guns probably only every fire them on a firing range in their entire life.

One word answer effalump: yes.

I suppose out of a population of over 300 million there is a tiny percentage who are, tragically, victims of an even smaller percentage of people with major mental health problems who obviously never get the real help they need. Should the majority be denied the freedom to bear arms to protect themselves because of those that, even if guns were banned, would still manage to get hold of some? Surely, rather than employ 87,000 IRS people with guns. Bearing in mind that most people with guns probably only every fire them on a firing range in their entire life.

Powerful and wealthy lobby groups can manipulate vast numbers of people into set ways of thinking. We should take care that does not happen in the UK anymore than it does already. Better education is the answer in part.

*Caleo I was just thinking that myself this morning What with their obsession with guns, and their ridiculous attack on any Social Media that isn't run by Americans. They seem to be isolating them selves and going backwards in their civil rights.

I am heartsick at the state of my/our divided country because of guns, abortion, immigration, taxation, white supremacy , fascism and Trump issues. I hope I can finish out my days w/o the US falling into an open civil war. (Although the on-going civil war in the media is as bad.)

There are more guns, legal and illegal, owned and on the streets than the entire population of the US. Statistically every baby owns a gun. GrannyGravy13 you are correct - the gun lobby here is far too powerful to overcome. The GOP (Republicans) REFUSE to say anything in fear of being primaried and replaced, so those individuals have placed gun ownership (and lack of safer laws) over the safety of children. It’s sheer insanity!

No one will speak up and nothing will change until some unspeakable tragedy hits these politicians personally. That’s how I feel. But even then, they might back down in deference to greed and need to stay in power. I find most politicians the heighth of hypocrisy. Biden has strong anti-gun support in Congress but not enough to overturn laws. Perhaps the 2024 elections will yield even more Democrats to help in the fight.

Are we paranoid? Political climate can do that to some. You never know when you kiss your children, husband/wife goodbye in the morning if you’ll ever see them again. You can’t take anything for granted anymore.

Luckily, I am surrounded by rational thinkers (family, friends, former coworkers, neighbors) who are not likely to fall into a cult.

This is the longest response I’ve ever posted here and I apologize for my rant. May everyone everywhere stay safe… wishing you CLEAR SKIES AND WIDE EYES as we all confront these issues globally.
‼️ VOTE ‼️
USA Gundy

My grandchildren are at elementary school in the US, the same age as the children who were gunned down in Nashville. My heart goes out to their families.
I do not understand the mentality of a nation that puts the right to bear arms above the lives of their children. Banning assault rifles would be a start, more stringent checks on who can own a gun would help and perhaps a campaign to shame gun ownership might make people have a different perspective on carrying a weapon.

some Americans, many do want tighter restrictions and bans on certain types of gun or all of them

The right to bear arms goes back to a time when there was no standing army in the US, and the firearms were (I believe) muzzle loading one-shot guns, not anything like what is available today.
If every type of gun were banned and only the type of gun that was what was available when the constitution was drawn up was allowed, there would be no more mass shootings etc.
Just my opinion.
I don't understand the mentality of anyone who wants to own any type of gun (unless it is for a legitimate reasons eg vermin control, etc).