Horrific Newtown, CT school shooting

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

We can't prevent a psycho from doing something psychotic unfortunately. But I don't understand the need for civilians to possess semi automatic weapons.

I think it should be a lot harder for people to obtain guns. I know what the 2nd amendment says, but maybe we need to look into this more. Clearly, this monster had serious issues. His mother was a doomsday prepper so I think we can assume she was pretty nutty as well.

How was she able to obtain the kind of weapons she did, and why did she think it was a good idea to teach her clearly troubled son how to shoot?

I believe it should be a lot harder, if not impossible, for any whackjob like that nut to get any firearm. But making the whole process harder for everybody is not something that I would support.

Do you mean all semi-automatic weapons or specifically semi-automatic rifles with a high firing rate? The reason I ask is that technically every firearm made today, except for revolvers, are semi-automatic, including the majority of 9mm handguns, and any handgun that has a magazine in the handle.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by joeydb

I believe it should be a lot harder, if not impossible, for any whackjob like that nut to get any firearm. But making the whole process harder for everybody is not something that I would support.

Do you mean all semi-automatic weapons or specifically semi-automatic rifles with a high firing rate? The reason I ask is that technically every firearm made today, except for revolvers, are semi-automatic, including the majority of 9mm handguns, and any handgun that has a magazine in the handle.

You know what I am saying. With a high firing rate.

[Danzig]

i think all private sales of guns should be halted, immediately.

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i think all private sales of guns should be halted, immediately.

That would not have prevented this nut from stealing his mother's guns (after killing her with same).

If the goal is really to make laws in response to this incident, that doesn't fit.

[joeydb]

What occurred to me was that this guy probably couldn't even have bought a gun had he chosen to do so.

But, to be sure, if he had committed a felony or was registered as psychotic, the computer check would have flagged him.

We already have this kind of computer check in place (which I was in favor of). We already register the guns when bought. We ought to be tracking the crazy people as well as we do the guns.

Then all you have to do is make sure that if you're on the crazy list, you don't get on the gun owner list. Like the lists they have at the airport to make sure suspected terrorists don't get airline tickets.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by joeydb

What occurred to me was that this guy probably couldn't even have bought a gun had he chosen to do so.

But, to be sure, if he had committed a felony or was registered as psychotic, the computer check would have flagged him.

We already have this kind of computer check in place (which I was in favor of). We already register the guns when bought. We ought to be tracking the crazy people as well as we do the guns.

Then all you have to do is make sure that if you're on the crazy list, you don't get on the gun owner list. Like the lists they have at the airport to make sure suspected terrorists don't get airline tickets.

which is why i said private sales should be banned. people don't do background checks, but dealers have to in order to stay in business and keep their license.
there are guns for sale every week in the local paper. no way the sellers are doing checks. at the turkey banquet every year, we have someone there to do all the required paperwork for each gun that is bought or won. they can't take the gun home until they've been cleared; we have a licensed dealer handle it all.

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Danzig

which is why i said private sales should be banned. people don't do background checks, but dealers have to in order to stay in business and keep their license.
there are guns for sale every week in the local paper. no way the sellers are doing checks. at the turkey banquet every year, we have someone there to do all the required paperwork for each gun that is bought or won. they can't take the gun home until they've been cleared; we have a licensed dealer handle it all.

Now I see - after reading this I think your position is pretty close to where I am. I don't want a ban on sales, but like automobiles these are items that should be tracked as sales occur.

[GPK]

I don't know all the particulars about selling a gun (it's been years since I bought one), but I work at a place that sells firearms (no handguns) and I do know that there is a sh*tload of paperwork and identification that goes into selling one, along with a waiting period for State Police background check. Those that do sell the guns are trained to listen for certain phrases and words, and if they suspect something, they are given authority to refuse a gun sale.

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by GPK

I don't know all the particulars about selling a gun (it's been years since I bought one), but I work at a place that sells firearms (no handguns) and I do know that there is a sh*tload of paperwork and identification that goes into selling one, along with a waiting period for State Police background check. Those that do sell the guns are trained to listen for certain phrases and words, and if they suspect something, they are given authority to refuse a gun sale.

The big loophole that has to be closed is that no background checks are required on purchases at gun shows. I know my extreme opinion on gun availability is in the miority and I'm fine with that, but how the NRA can rationally argue that this in in anyone's best interests is beyond me. Their paranoia that there is this slippery slope from having tougher background checks and better registration standards leading to guns not being available is ridiculous.

The other factor in this tragedy concerns mental illness. Everyone feels so good about themselves for supporting breast cancer walks and wearing cancer bracelets, and obviously, these are all incredibly worthwhile charities fighting horrible diseases, but no one wants to talk about mental illness and the toll and expense it takes on this country. I've heard this guy called a nut and a whacko and while there is ZERO justification for what he did, he was ill and the lack of support from BOTH his parents is appalling. And as a society, until we learn to treat mental illness like we do cancer, this will happen again and again.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by joeydb

That would not have prevented this nut from stealing his mother's guns (after killing her with same).

If the goal is really to make laws in response to this incident, that doesn't fit.

my point is that everyone should have to go to a licensed dealer, and have everything checked out.
would it have applied in this case? maybe, maybe not. did his mother buy all her weapons from a licensed dealer, and had to perform background checks? i have no idea. but i do know that people buy and sell guns privately every day. how else would felons be in possession? and that happens, a lot.
there is far more at issue than this one mass shooting.

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Danzig

my point is that everyone should have to go to a licensed dealer, and have everything checked out.
would it have applied in this case? maybe, maybe not. did his mother buy all her weapons from a licensed dealer, and had to perform background checks? i have no idea. but i do know that people buy and sell guns privately every day. how else would felons be in possession? and that happens, a lot.
there is far more at issue than this one mass shooting.

Maybe something similar to vehicle sales would work. In other words, vehicles are sold privately every day. But the seller calls the insurance company and takes it off his policy (date and time), and tells the state that the car is no longer his. The buyer then must insure the car himself, and register it with the state under his name.

With computers this could be enforced pretty easily. You could have private sales, but the registration requirement (which already exists everywhere) is made a component of the sale in the same way as it is for cars, and modernized for enforcement and tracking.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by joeydb

Maybe something similar to vehicle sales would work. In other words, vehicles are sold privately every day. But the seller calls the insurance company and takes it off his policy (date and time), and tells the state that the car is no longer his. The buyer then must insure the car himself, and register it with the state under his name.

With computers this could be enforced pretty easily. You could have private sales, but the registration requirement (which already exists everywhere) is made a component of the sale in the same way as it is for cars, and modernized for enforcement and tracking.

here in arkansas, the state isn't necessarily informed of a car sale.
as for private sale, by the time all that is supposedly done, said loony gun buyer could have already done what he planned to do.
i'm not saying a ban on sales-but there should be an blanket ban on private sales. sellers should have to go to a registered dealer, and either sell or consign a firearm. that way, every purchase is handled the way it should be, with no buyer slipping thru the cracks.

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

You know what I am saying. With a high firing rate.

That's what I figured - just asking. Some of the reporters in coverage I have seen over the last couple of days have been generalizing to "semi-automatic" as if that always meant M-16 or AK-47.