The blood hasn’t even been washed off the streets of Las Vegas yet and, as expected, control activists are already calling for radical new limitations on civilian firearm ownership. Hillary Clinton has been tweeting this morning stating that America needs to “stand up” to the NRA, and countless others are following suit. While the outcry might be deafening right now, how concerned should normal, law-abiding gun owners be that their rights are about to be infringed with the enactment of knee-jerk legislation?
Federal Gun Laws
On the national level things seem to be pretty stable, even given this latest event.
The Sandy Hook shooting took place in December of 2012. It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history until that point, and in its wake we saw the biggest push for gun control since Columbine. Not only had a horrific, nationally publicized event shocked people into action, but democrats were in solid control of the federal government.
They had the political capital to spend, and an issue like gun control would have been a slam dunk for rallying their base supporters. Naturally proposals from all of the usual suspects flooded into Congress.
The piece of legislation that drew the most concern from gun owners was a proposed new assault weapons ban from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), which was introduced a mere four days after the Newtown shooting. Consistent with her earlier efforts, her bill would have banned weapons that looked scary instead of weapons that were functionally more deadly, notably banning all semi-automatic shotguns with a pistol grip but explicitly exempting those with camouflage paint jobs.
As it had before, the assault weapon ban bill failed before it even made it out of committee.
While an AWB probably never had a chance, the Toomey-Manchin universal background check bill seemed to actually have a shot at passing the Senate and moving on to the House. There was an open question as to how many Republicans might flip sides in the House to support it. Senate Democrats thought the vote would be close enough that they sent Vice President Joe Biden to chair the proceedings in case a tie-breaking vote was needed.
Yet with as much support as any federal gun control bill could be expected to have — a Democrat in the White House pushing for the bill, a Democrat majority in the House, a national tragedy still fresh in people’s minds, and Joe Biden glaring at the Senators — Toomey-Manchin failed, too.
Four years later a shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando once again seemed like the perfect opportunity to try again. Another high profile shooting that Democrats — this time targeting men in a gay nightclub — could use to push their civilian disarmament agenda.
But the political tides had changed. Republicans had gained majorities in both House and Senate, so there was virtually no way any gun control legislation would ever get to a vote in either chamber. The most significant post-Pulse legislative event was a sit-in on the House floor organized by the Democrats to protest their lack of progress on gun control proposals.
These days the pendulum has swung still farther. Republicans now control both Congress and the White House (with some high profile help from the NRA), and the Supreme Court appears more gun friendly than ever. The probability that anything even remotely infringing on Second Amendment freedoms will pass this session is remote at best.
That said, the impact after Mandalay Bay may be significant. Democrats have been painting President Trump as Emmannuel Goldstein since November, with every MSNBC segment and Huffington Post article serving Two Minutes Hate. No doubt the failure to enact new gun control measures after more than 50 people are murdered and over 500 wounded will fuel their rage even further.
In the long term this could encourage more of the Democratic base to show up for future elections, possibly resulting in the pendulum swinging back towards a more Democrat-controlled House and possibly even the Senate. Should that happen the the introduction of new gun control legislation is virtually certain.
More immediately, the only likely impact on the federal level is the dashing of any hopes of passage of the SHARE Act, which would have reduced restrictions on silencers among other beneficial changes. Remember that a hearing on the HPA was due to be held the day after the Congressional Baseball shooting in June, but was postponed as a result.
In the wake of an event like Mandalay Bay, Republicans might fear that attaching their name to silencer law reform a would be used against them in the next election. It looks like the Hearing Protection Act may be breathing its last breaths, and the hope for anything ostensibly pro-gun coming out of this Congress may have evaporated last night.
State Gun Laws
The story is very different on the state level.
Just as after Sandy Hook, states with solid Democrat majorities may feel emboldened to enact new gun restrictions on their own. Newtown provided cover for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to ram the SAFE Act through in the dead of night. Other states like Washington, Connecticut, California, and Maryland also implemented new, more restrictive gun laws — universal background checks, magazine limits, gun violence restraining orders — in recent years.
The most likely state to change their laws in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre is Nevada. While Governor Brian Sandoval is a Republican, the Nevada legislature is solidly controlled by Democrats. Gun control proposals generated in the kind of environment that will surely prevail in the coming weeks will have an increased chance of success, possibly even over a gubernatorial veto.
Expect bills for items like an assault weapon ban and a ban on firearms in hotels, especially those with casinos. The ban on firearms in hotels would seem to have the better prospects for passage, but the impact to tourism might be too much for even Democrats to stomach. Tens of millions of dollars of revenue come into the city thanks to events like the NSSF’s SHOT Show and other weapons-related trade meetings and shows. Banning firearms would almost certainly trigger those who run such events to look elsewhere.
Other states that are in danger of passing anti-gun legislation? The usual suspects: California, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. What form any new laws take remains to be seen, but I’d be surprised if those states passed up the opportunity to enact more still more gun control restrictions with such a widely publicized tragedy dominating cable news 24/7 for the next few weeks.
In short, while federal legislation as a result of the Las Vegas shooting doesn’t seem likely, it may fuel on the fire of the Democrats’ rage that could propels them to midterm victory. As always, watch this space.
Sandy Hook was never the worst mass shooting. Virginia Tech was until the Orlando Night Club Shooting. The Happyland Night Club fire remains the worst act of mass murder carried out by a single perpetrator as far as we know. I believe 89 we’re killed.
Yes
+^ Everyone needs full-auto, and the ATF&E (and all other governmental representatives) need to be legally barred from making any claim that they, or their efforts, are protecting anyone (even after-the-fact).
Although full auto SHOULD NOT be illegal. Wastes to much ammo.
We are already castrated here in Massachusetts. Friggin Maura Healey is an anti-gun Nazi. We already live under the jackboots of her reinterpretation of the old AWB. Will she now call for civilians to be disarmed? Uggghhh.
More likely semi-auto rifle ban. All I can say is PVC pipe and shovels are cheap right now.
In Congress? Not really. That also means HPA is dead though. We weren’t quick enough.
The Republicant federal legislators (in general) were the relevant foot draggers on this one. They wasted their time on big things that they couldn’t do rather than tackling the more achievable.
Those lying republicans have dragged their feet on every (broken) promise for the last 8 years
Yet another case of Republican foot dragging screwing us. I am so sick of those fools that I have stopped watching news on TV or listening to it on the radio; let’s just say, and the horse they rodeserve in on!
Yep, and we sit with tens of thousands of dollars worth of NFA items.
Waiting for SHARE to pass, never gonna happen.
Then, as I have said before…all the supressor companies need to put out an open statement that you will no longer follow unconstitutional guidelines and flood the market with tens of thousands of supressors quickly (days,not weeks…the buyers are there) and it would force legislation and reform. What are they gonna do? Chase 20-30,000 cans to every corner of the country ? Even if the inept goverment was up to the task, it would take months to years and totally invalidate that part of the NFA as they would never come close to tracking them all down. Better to fight the battle in the courtrooms now….or yoy can wait until its too late.
Ed,
You make too much sense.
I’ve been trying to tell people that only peacefully disobeying laws en masse can change a government bent on tyranny. Interesting that this sort of things happen right after Catalonia peacefully secedes from Spain. Watch the jack booted thugs, literally stomping peaceful voters in these photos.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-01/fascism-shocking-footage-spanish-police-shooting-rubber-bullets-brutally-beating-pea
Ed,
You make too much sense.
I’ve been trying to tell people that only peacefully disobeying laws en masse can change a government bent on tyranny. Interesting that this sort of things happen right after Catalonia peacefully secedes from Spain. Watch the jack booted thugs, literally stomping peaceful voters in these photos.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-01/fascism-shocking-footage-spanish-police-shooting-rubber-bullets-brutally-beating-pea
“When white people die, bad legislation follows.”
Solid article TTAG and probably the most accurate summary of what will take place despite all the misinformation on the forums.
Yeah, but here’s the thing –
“… it may fuel on the fire of the Democrats’ rage that could propels them to midterm victory.”
Here’s a news flash – The only people interested in hearing the Leftist’s feigned outrage are…
Wait for it…
Other Leftists.
Polls now show show that middle America, the people that the Left *must* have to be elected, are now numb to any shrieks from the Left. They have been screeching “The sky is falling!” for so damn long since Trump was elected, they have now mostly tuned them out.
Remember the utter shock, after about three months in office, when they polled and discovered Trump would still win the election, but with a bigger margin over Hillary?
Nothing much has changed with that mindset.
(RIP, Tom Petty. Found unconscious, in cardiac arrest. Just expired…)
Here is an idea. How about the left form their own country and I remain a citizen of the country that recognize the 2nd amendment. Win win. Half the country can look like Pyongyang and the other half can live in harmony.
Yesterday about eight thousand American citizens died of all causes. Today it may be 8,058, a .725% increase – for the one day only. Over this year, swimming pools are still going to beat mass shootings by at least 45 to 1.
We need to ban black assault style swimming pools…
We need to build a public pool on every block in Chicago, St Louis, and Baltimore.
We need to build a public pool on every block in Chicago, St Louis, and Baltimore.
Damn the not appearing and reappearing posts.
This is annoying.
You are on the right track. The age of the Nation State is coming to a close. Populations this large ad diverse are simply ungovernable with the current system. The only viable future for a peaceful democratic civilization is in smaller contituencies and confederations of communities/states.
Amen Amen Amen.
Look at what Catalonia just did. Peaceful secession. That’s what we need here. Decentralization, not power consolidation.
I’m actually pretty libertarian, but yeah I’ll be in the region where I can carry whatever I want whenever I walk my kid to school, the common sense state.
I’ve suggested that for years. The left always scream that it would be “unfair” because they know their policies are awful.
The Progressive States of America, the Conservative States of America, and the smaller wilder Libertarian States of America, wouldn’t even have to have contiguous borders. I think only the Progressives will still want to control the others, but that should be a more manageable problem at that point since they will have have more social workers and less soldiers than the other two.
Here’s an idea. Divide America into about 50 different countries that work together. Each country can govern itself however it sees fit with a few narrowly defined exceptions in which the collective of the 50 states will work together. There would be about 17 of these exceptions. The collective of 50 countries would do these 17 things and only these 17 things. Then each country can send some representatives to coordinate how the countries can work together. But even in coordinating the efforts of the collective, the collective cannot ever do certain things. There would be a list of these certain things. The list would cover about ten things.
As a practical matter, you would still need a strong central government to force each of those states to do what they don’t want to do.
Pick any of those 17 things (what are they?), and there’s no way all 50 states would agree on how to implement each one.
And in such a system, it’s just not possible to operate if any (or many) independent states decide they won’t go along with the collective, especially if the requirement is that they send tax dollars to the collective for something that don’t want.
IOW, what we have now.
Those 17 things are listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. If the Constitution was faithfully followed, the 14A didn’t apply the Bill of Rights to the states, the Commerce Clause was limited to the founders intent of facilitating, not preventing, trade between the states, and the spend portion of the Tax and Spend Clause was limited to the things specifically mentioned in the Constitution, national issues would be pretty well limited to things that weren’t controversial. (It’s really more than 17, but that’s how many clauses there are). The military, foreign policy, and immigration would be about it for controversial things. Taxes would be controversial if people’s eyes didn’t glaze over when talking about them.
My point is that we have a really good system right now that has been broken.
Hillary Clinton has already said “imagine how much WORSE it wouldhave been if he had used a silencer!!”. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Republicans in congress have some damn spine for once and stand up to these lunatics on the left.
P.S. – Its refreshing to have a real leader in the Oval Office at times like this. I don’t agree with Trump on everything, but he is miles ahead of Obama in his responses to disasters both natural and man-made thus far.
“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Republicans in congress have some damn spine . . .”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Oh…that was a GOOD one. I’m still laughing. Thanks for the giggle on an otherwise horrific day.
We can pray for wisdom and prepare for ignorance simultaneously my friend.
In watching the video from the ground it is obvious that everyone heard the shooting and no one had any concern abut it, only wondered what the sound was. It wasn’t until people started dropping from bullet wounds that people realized they were being fired upon.
A silencer would have made zero difference.
Republican legislators are, as a group, invertebrates, who can’t stand up for anything, even that which they promised to do in order to get elected.
The Dems are strong because they will act as a group on what they feel is important (usually), while the Republicans can’t do anything because they haven’t got the spine for it.
I hope TTAG will let me post this comment since it has been making them disappear all night.
To substantially change the gun laws in Nevada would require an amendment to the Nevada State Constitution, which states:
“Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes.” Nevada State Constitution, Article 1, Section 11
It’s not even and amendment to the state constitution, it’s in Article 1 Section 11.
They could, of course, add casinos and such as prohibited places, except for the validity of the arguments Nick made above, but what would be the point? It’s already illegal to take 10 rifles up to your hotel room, shoot out the windows, and kill 58 people partying across the road.
“Will gun laws change?”
Is ice cold?
Don’t celebrate yet.
And freezing point of water depends on pressure.
http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/supercritical_water.html
The commie kalifornia infection WILL spread to Navada, I have no doubt.
Nevada could enact additional restrictions on carry in casinos, except for the points Nick made above, what what would be the point? It is already illegal to take 10 rifles up to your hotel room, shoot out the windows and then massacre 500 people partying across the road.
Here in MA, there’s a bill to ban all magazines over 10 rounds; even those grandfathered in by our AWB. Just flat out ban everything, full stop. Cuz, you know, can’t fire lots of rounds if you can’t buy the magazines legally, right?
Beyond that, I dont see much happening. We see this ‘inaction’ time and time again because plain and simply, people don’t care. It doesnt affect them. There are millions of people across the country who did not get shot last night, so they’ll ‘Pray for Las Vegas’, and thats about it. This kind of crime just isnt as prevalent in our society as it would need to be for gun control advocates to get their way.
Somebody stated in a previous post earlier today that Republicans and Democrats are just slightly different sides of the same coin. How true. It is my expectation that some, if not many “Republicans” will lick their thumbs, hold them up, and see which way the wind is blowing and try to legislate accordingly. When the full details of this shooters particulars become available (equipment, political affiliation, etc,etc) you are gonna see politicians, talking heads, activists, and the rest taking to the internet and airways and unleashing a torrent. Not gonna be pretty.
Just like after Sandy Hook. /sarc
I am waiting for the police to say what weapon was used. If it was a post ban full auto weapon there is little legislation could do since it was already an illegal weapon purchased on the black market. An illegally modified AR would be bad news because it would provide additional justification for enacting more controls on certain semiautomatic rifles.
I’m waiting on the same thing.
Unless I’m mistaken, this would be on the second time a registered MG was used in a crime and the first time it was used in a mass murder, if it were legal?
Third time used in a homicide, actually, if were legally-acquired.
First-ever use in a mass murder.
You are assuming he didn’t legally purchase it. I’m also curios if it was belt fed or if it had a drum magazine. I don’t think he used 30 rounders.
If he legally purchased automatic weapons we will gind out soon since ATF will have the paperwork.
Belt fed. He didn’tdo the shooting.
They better hurry…I suspect when the facts finally do come out, they aren’t going the cut the way the Democrats hoped they would.
I’m sure they’ll attempt to make obtaining full auto firearms more illegal than they already are and spend millions of taxpayer dollars to do it.
Then they will turn around and sell firearms to whoever gives them money or political leverage.
Aka business as usual. Never let “gun violence” go to waste when you can profit on it.
It’s sad news, but I can’t say I’m surprised. When I’d go to an outdoor concert in Miami I couldn’t help but look around and think the uneasy thought “damn… if someone on one of those balconies really wanted to, they could easily rain down hell on hundreds of us”.
Why the !@#$ is it not standard security protocol to have a police sniper’s nest active?? How else are you supposed to ensure the safety of the majority of 20k+ people all in one space?! Shooting took 10-15 minutes, people on the ground knew the shots came from the hotel. This did not have to happen. Hopefully people realize that tragedies like this are not totally preventable in our modern age, but with proper forethought, training and equipment, we can react quicker and more effectively when it does occur.
And no Hillary, silencers have nothing to do with this. He converted semi-auto rifles to full auto. He would easily be able to fab up a cylinder with baffles in it. Wont look pretty, but it’ll work (if it was relevant that is, but he didn’t bother and that means something).
Control is the illusion people should wise up to. Our security is security theater that can be overcome with basic social engineering or ingenuity.
Best practice is to train, be aware, and to have a plan / be prepared for when domestic terrorism strikes next.
It’s sad when the first reaction of people is to record with their cellphones rather than being an active first responder. I like Israel’s mandatory military service policy for all citizens. Maybe there should be mandatory first responder training for all adults in the US.
In the time it takes for Americans to watch an episode of reality TV they could learn how to save a life (which could very well be their own or a loved ones).
Some first aid should be part of any K-12 education. Probably more useful to most people than most of the stuff taught in high school. It’s not like we don’t have enough time to teach it. I would have done fine in college on an eighth grade education. Math would have been tough, and that’s about it.
Can understand your concern. But silencers suppressers or baffles had nothing to do with this shooting.
Will this tragedy result in gun bans at the federal level? No, period.
Might it derail taking suppressors out of the NFA? Maybe.
Might it derail national reciprocity? Less likely.
At the state level, we in Illinois will have our hands full fighting off anti-gun legislation. I expect plenty of other states will face the same issues, as quite frankly, Democrats continue to alienate themselves from just about everyone except big urban centers and nearby suburbs.
John
“Might it derail taking suppressors out of the NFA? Maybe.
Might it derail national reciprocity? Less likely.”
At the risk of Dan Z. laughing maniacally at me (more than he already does), only if the House Dems LET THEM.
Get Steve Scalise, recently nearly assassinated, up there explaining *why* suppressors are important to have on all guns for who wants them.
SHOW A SPINE, REPUBLICANS…
you’re an idiot
Looks as if you spoke to soon, John:
Gun silencer (SHARE) tabled, because the “armor piercing” ammo law changes and the silencer decrregulation would have made this massacre so much worse, doncha know.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/02/congress-gun-silencer-bill-las-vegas-243366?lo=ap_b1
Passed on my powers of pessimism alone in the face of what is hopefully a better informed opinion I’m going to disagree and hope you get to say “I told you so.” Specifically, this part:
“Might it derail taking suppressors out of the NFA? Maybe.
Might it derail national reciprocity? Less likely.”
Hey John.
We could use more like you in AZ. What you don’t understand you could be taught. But you seem to have a level head. Get out of chitcago.
I think this is going to be a bad one.
We need sanctuary cities protecting gun owners from BATF.
The Las Vegas victims were “live free or die” flag-and-country-loving Americans. They are perfectly happy to have died as long as the second amendment isn’t revoked. They understood that freedom isn’t free, that one of its costs is that you cannot have freedom while also guaranteeing absolute safety. They chose freedom over the safety of totalitarianism, and they would be rolling in their graves to find out that their deaths are being exploited to end the second amendment. They declared that their guns would be taken from their cold dead hands, and it was honored as their final wish.
Your post is either pure sarcasm or pure stupidity.
Speaking of and for yourself, again.
I might also add its easy to speak from an Ivory Tower through rose colored glasses but if had been your kid that got his head blown off by a maniac you would be singing another tune. No sane person could argue that point.
I might also add that it’s actually you and your ilk — and no one else — on the far-left speaking from that very ivory tower and looking down on your moral, ethical, and intellectual betters through rose-colored glasses, and blindly assuming things about people that you don’t know and don’t want to get to know about how they’d react if the shoe was on the other foot. No sane person could argue as you do.
“Why the !@#$ is it not standard security protocol to have a police sniper’s nest active”
Don’t hyperventilate, it makes you sound like a democrat. It’s not the government’s job to babysit every single target rich environment.
Then what’s the point of having a government? Oh that’s right, traffic tickets.
No federal changes, states however smell blood in the water and can’t wait to tap dance in it till they get their way. So sad that 50~ people lost their lives and frankly pissed off that the HPA is now dead for all intents and purposes. Just wish we could pass that bill already instead of shelving it because some nutbag detonated and started shooting random people from a hotel room. Why can’t they just OD on coke while violating a hooker with a whiskey bottle like they used to do when Bill Clinton was their hero?
The police are now saying that the shooter had multiple automatics both AK and AR.
If they are unmodified then they are black market weapons.
See the end of the linked article.
https://hotair.com/archives/2017/10/02/hillary-imagine-vegas-shooter-silencer/
Now is not the time to concede defeat. Tomorrow after we have mourned the dead, we need to get on the phone with congressmen and demand that the Share Act is passed. TTAG needs to lead this fight!
If you want the Hearing Protection Act to pass, then write your Senators and Congressman and tell them you support it. The gun-controllers aren’t going to back down. They are never going to not take advantage of a situation like this to push their agenda. They’ve probably got their minions writing their legislators right now to support some useless gun control bill. If they’re not going to back down, why should we gun owners.
Keeping suppressors on the NFA list isn’t going to stop the next mass murderer, nor is it going to mitigate the casualties they will inflict. No gun control law will. If they can’t get a gun, they will make a bomb or use a truck.
Congressional contact tool from the American Suppressor Association:
https://americansuppressorassociation.com/hearing-protection-act/
HRC jumped the gun, so to speak. Her premature statement may actually poison the well against the Dems/Grabbers. We’ll see.
I simply don’t care about further gun restrictions. I refuse to bow to political slugs from either party. I choose to die free and fighting rather than on my knees and complaining. The day of reckoning for this nation is fast approaching. Choices will have to be made. I’ve made mine. Liberty and Freedom…Many have given all for that Right. I may be one but I have a son and he deserves to live in a nation without Tyranny and Political Enslavement.
The saddest part about a day like today is that people like Hillary and Pelosi hope and pray for days like today. Sadistic prissy bitches just to name two who couldn’t care less about people’s lives . They only care about their agenda.
Only democrats pray for killers to be successful and their bodycounts to be appalling.
Price of ammos going to go up. Wasn’t Hiloraly just ranting about BP firearms a couple days before this?
The NRA needs to get out in front of this one, particularly that full-autos are already effectively illegal.(*) It’s time to go on offense — the D’s permanent talking point is getting people killed.
“This permanent political agenda of Kabuki “gun control” is stopping us from doing things that will actually help, and getting people killed. People will keep getting killed who don’t have to, until we get serious about dealing the violence, and violent people, who kill them. It’s time to stop the side issues and focus on what might help — stopping bad people intent on doing bad things. Guns aren’t the cause, even less are peaceful, responsible people who have never harmed anyone. How about we drop both distractions and focus on what might help.
“The Las Vegas shooting demonstrate, sadly, the limits of what gun laws can do. We at the NRA are all for keeping guns out of the hands of whack-jobs like the LV shooter. Laws don’t do that, while in fact keeping guns out of the hands of people who have done nothing wrong. LV-guy got the arms he used despite the laws, just like the people who shot up Denver last year. (2 years ago ? — ed.)
‘The problem is leaving known risks to run amok. We have seen this in Sandy Hook, in Pulse Nightclub, in Denver, in DC. We see this in the weekly drip without end of innocent people killed in Chicago, Baltimore, and DC (again) — killed by people already prohibited from having guns. If that weren’t enough, our friends in Europe, Asia, and Australia demonstrate that restrictive gun laws don’t stop whack-jobs, or cartel thugs for whom a bit of the old Ultra-Violence is just a cost of doing business. Every gun used to shoot up Paris, Belgium, etc. was already illegal. (Not to mention bombs in Boston, London, Spain, and more. Bombs are illegal. Doesn’t stop malicious individuals from setting them off.)
“The Sandy Hook shooter was known to be troubled. The Pulse Nightclub shooter was a(nother) “Known Wolf.” The parade of shooters in our cities have criminal histories, gang affiliations, and even multiple prior gun crimes. None of these people can legally have a gun, already. Yet those restrictions don’t stop them from finding a way to do the harm they want to do. (None of the guns used by Las Vegas Whack-Job were legal for citizens, either(**) — the details are technical, but not having “a folding thing that goes up” or similar.)
“We in the NRA are appalled to see the tools we use peacefully turned to evil by evil people … just as appalled as Mercedes must bee to see their trucks turned into human-reapers, or Boeing to see their planes turned into flying firebombs.
“There’s been more than enough redirection of tragedies into useless posturing. The US assault weapons ban did literally nothing to reduce “gun crime” or “gun deaths” — made up categories but we’ll go with them for now. Increasing citizen gun ownership in the US over the last 2 decades corresponds to a steady *decrease* in gun deaths and even mass shootings.
It isn’t the guns. Let’s find the courage to look at what will actually help, and do that. The deranged person who shot Gabby Giffords (and killed several others outright), was recognized as a danger to himself and others long before he ambushed the object his obsession. Why wasn’t he stopped before it happened? The guns used in Sandy Hook harmed no-one until that whack-job picked them up.
“The NRA’s gun safety education and marksmanship programs work toward our goal that no-one be *accidentally* hurt with a gun. No amount of training or practice by peaceful, responsible people will help with people who *intentionally* use guns to do harm. Except, of course, training helps peaceful, responsible people stop killings in progress, which happens 14(***) times a day in the US.
“Armed, responsible citizens are doing our part. We could use some help from the people who know the “known wolves” to stop this kind of thing before it gets to us.
“Maybe, at last, after this one, we can have that conversation. We’re the NRA, and we’d like you help with the actual problem.
(*) Speculated. Not entirely clear yet.
(**) True if he used modern full-autos. Adjust as needed.
(***) Get the real number from CDC or FBI statistics.
Bravo.
Fortunately the California Legislature cannot introduce any new bills until December. Perhaps some of this will have blown over by then. As it is, it has been illegal to purchase or sell any automatic firearms in this state since 1/1/2000. And it is illegal to possess any silencer or component parts. They’ve banned sales of new AR/AK firearms unless equipped with a fixed magazine or are “featureless.” Magazines greater than ten rounds cannot be bought or sold, and any 10+ mags legally owned (by being possessed prior to 1/1/2000) have also been outlawed (although a lawsuit is pending and a temporary restraining order has issued preventing the State from enforcing the law at the current time). All firearms transactions must be processed by an FFL. And last but not least, a bill was passed that will eventually require the retroactive “registration of ALL firearms owned in the state, even if purchased prior to the DROS registration law. [Technically, the state does not call it “registration,” only a “dealer record of sale,” but it is still a computerized and searchable database.] No new models of pistols have been available for sale since May, 2013, ever since Kamala Harris improperly certified that microstamping technology complying with the 2007 statute existed and was generally available (it isn’t, but that didn’t stop her).
Unless they decide to ban all semiauto firearms (a bill doing just that was proposed last session but did not progress), there isn’t a whole lot more they can do to us. I am sure they would love to ban all guns, but McDonald v. City of Chicago pretty much keeps them from doing so, which is why they’ve gone for the incremental approach described above.
Both California U.S. senators are rabid gun banners, so there is no hope there. The representatives are a mixed bag, but there is a very strong anti-gun tilt, even from the Southern California Republican representatives. The rural representatives are pretty solid, but a distinct minority.
“Will Gun Laws Change Following the Mandalay Bay Shooting?”
Not if the Republicans want even the SLIGHTEST chance of keeping the White House, House and Senate.
Sorry but the Republicans attempt to take away the peoples health care will result in sweeping losses in the coming elections because the people now realize how insidious and how dangerous the Republicans are to the health care of themselves and their families. They had their chance to improve health care by working to improve Obama care and cure its flaws and they blew it.
Right. Wait until you see your next Obamacare premium. Better yet, wait until you get Berniecare and then whine about your lack of care. It’s clowns like you who that cost the restof us a fortune.
Sorry, but the DemoKKKrats’ already taking away people’s health care via the UNaffordable Care Act is what’s actually resulted, in part at least, to their sweeping losses in the last and in the coming elections, because what people actually now realize is how insidious and how dangerous the DemoKKkrats are to anything, everything, and everyone everywhere at all times and in all cases. There was no “improving” on the massive failure that was, in fact, destined to be OvomitCare no matter how much anyone tried.
I highly doubt National reciprocity will ever pass, just as I doubt that suppressors will ever be removed as a NFA item.
..and it could be that some new gun control legislation is going to move forward now. The people in Congress could care less.
I think another AWB or similar is coming.
In NJ, the minute the “Corzine clone”, Murphy wins expect to see a AWB, magazine size limits under the present 15 rounds, More restrictions on pistol purchase permits, a end to mail order ammo buys and some stupid limit on rounds purchased at one time. I hate to say it but that will only be the beginning unless the Federal Court system steps in.
“The piece of legislation that drew the most concern from gun owners was a proposed new assault weapons ban from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), which was introduced a mere four days after the Newtown shooting.”
Because she had it ready to go and was just waiting hopefully for a new bloody t-shirt to serve it on.
Only democrats wish and hope for successful mass murderers.
A ban on firearms in hotels will be a windfall for auto burglars and the hardened criminals they sell their ill-gotten gains to.
I honestly don’t think gun laws will change much after this. The arguments are still the same on both sides. However, I can see hotels banning firearms on their properties and putting in metal detectors to prevent rifles from being carried into rooms and from being used in a manner such as this. My conceal carry license is valid in Vegas and I carry when I visit Vegas, including in the casinos as it is legal. Hopefully the hotels I frequent won’t install metal detectors.
COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS THAT COULD HELP PREVENT MASS SHOOTINGS.
The insane blood and carnage on mass shootings must be brought under control and failure to adopt any new laws only guarantees the mass murder will go on and on.
Here are some Common sense gun laws that would help prevent mass shootings. Most have been adopted by civilized Industrial Countries many decades ago and they have for the most part worked a majority of the time. Although there is no panacea for foreign government sponsored terrorism.
1. Mandatory Psychological testing of all gun purchasers. Issue of a gun owners permit to buy.
2. Mandatory vetting of all gun purchases even between individuals and transfers only through licensed dealers.
3. Mandatory use of safes for secure storage of firearms which would prevent not only thefts but child accidental shootings.
4. Mandatory security alarm systems
5. Severe restrictions on magazine capacity for assault rifles.. These weapons are far more deadly than pistols and their extreme deadly long range make it mandatory that high capacity magazines should be outlawed all together. The recent mass murder by a man on the 34th floor has shown the extreme deadliness of the rifle as compared to the pistol.
The U.S. is no longer a Colonial Country of only 3 million people but one of over 300 million people and the old outdated idea that the Second Amendment was written for unrestricted use of firearms shows how outdated our Constitutional System often is by making it almost impossible to adopt laws that are in dire need of 21st Century America. It has been shown that over population not only creates more mentally ill people but it increases all out of proportion to the actual numerical increase in numbers of people. In other words a 50 per cent increase in population does not increase the mentally ill by 50 per cent but often at a far higher percentage rate. Studies done as long as 5 decades ago proved this point.
Failure to provide affordable mental health care has also increased mass murder in the U.S. as well. The U.S. has spent and continues to spend over 53 per cent of its tax revenue on senseless wars of rape, pillage and conquest to enhance the wealth of the filthy rich rather than spend the tax dollars on social programs that provide free education, health care and prescription drug coverage. The U.S. has become less and less a desirable place to live in the current 21st Century Industrialized World as compared to much more Socially Advanced Industrialized Nations. It is not surprising to note that Immigrants and Refugees often prefer other countries to immigrate to instead of the U.S. that in past years was quite the opposite. Even foreign people have now come to view the U.S. as a lawless, and Cruel Capilalvanian country. When even some poor African Countries have lower infant mortality rates than the U.S. does it is a wake up call to anyone contemplating coming here to work or live and to the Americans that must go trying to survive in a country that seems to be coming apart at the seems.
I think too the new insane proposal of cancelling the old severe vetting of silencer purchases is now dead on arrival as it certainly should be. Even with the loud noise of the current mass killing it took awhile before people realized they were hearing gun shots and if the nut case had had a silencer it would have taken them even longer and the direction of the gun fire would have been more difficult to detect by the police as well. As one can see taking off severe vetting of silencers is so insane it defies all common sense.
No. End of discussion
“The U.S. has spent and continues to spend over 53 per cent of its tax revenue on senseless wars of rape, pillage and conquest to enhance the wealth of the filthy rich rather than spend the tax dollars on social programs that provide free education, health care and prescription drug coverage. ”
If you did your own thinking you may just realize how idiotic your comments are.
https://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/US_fed_spending_pie_chart
This BS again? More laws to regulate the law breakers. Let’s make murder illegal…ler, that sure must help!
“COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS THAT COULD HELP PREVENT MASS SHOOTINGS.”
Oh, for bogs’ sake. “Common Sense” includes effective. Could you propose stuff that actually helps?
Worse, “Everybody’s doing it.” is a poor argument, worse still when they have mass shootings too.
Worse yet, starting with the words “common sense” doesn’t make it so — that’s propaganda, and people recognize it.
So, make your argument, including “Compared to what?”, “At what cost?”, and “What are the hard (measured – ed) facts?”
Somehow, I think more psyche evaluations, permits, registrations, inspections, neglections, detections and selections is just about burdening a bunch of people you already don’t like. I’ll believe this is about saving lives when you propose exactly the same list for swimming pools, kitchen knives and drain cleaner among other things.
Until you get serious,, I will blame you (and your ilk) for everyone killed who might not have been, if you (and your ilk) could be trusted with the tools that would knock this down a little.
If you’re frustrated about not being able to get anything done, look in the mirror.
ROFLMFAO. That there was a very stuuuuuupid comment
Several of the Band Members who were armed said that their guns were totally useless against the long range Assault Rifles the mad man was using with high capacity magazines. The Band Members said after facing the reality of a mass killings that they were no longer against new gun laws that would help cut down or prevent such insanity. Lets face cold hard facts. Australia had a mass killing and said, enough was enough and after their new laws were passed mass killings suddenly ceased to exist. That’s historical fact that the far right wing nuts cannot dispute. When we listen to the far right saying we have to live with such insanity we know we are dealing with nut cases as crazy as the man who did the killings on Sunday.
Citation on the band members.
Feel free to move to Australia.
Are you really so naive that you believe in magical powers if laws?
Several of the Band members who had guns said their guns were useless against a mad man with long range assault rifles with high capacity magazines. They are now no longer against new gun control measures.
Before the next concert they should buy a few anti-sniper rifles. Which would still be useless if they didn’t know how to use them.
Wayne LA Pierre got egg on his face. No the good guys with guns did not stop a bad guy with a high powered assault rifle with many high capacity magazines. The Band verified their guns were useless.
Caption: Hey it happens!!!!!
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/wayne-lapierre-chief-executive-officer-of-the-national-rifle-speaks-picture-id469180948?s=612×612
Wayne LaPierre might have an egg on his face. Pistol is not very useful against rifle! Next you will tell us water is wet.
You on the other hand must have s..t in your skull. Assault rifles are NOT high powered by definition.
Let me get this straight.
White man kills a bunch of people.
Congress passes gun control laws in response.
Black men go to prison for violating these laws even though they did not hurt (much less kill) anyone.
Is that how it goes?
Historically, yes. Yes, it is.
Gun control laws specifically targeting brown people date back to 1600s colonial Virginia and the French colony of Louisiana. To wit:
http://www.constitution.org/cmt/cramer/racist_roots.htm
https://www.firearmsandliberty.com/cramer.haynes.html
Clayton E. Cramer, Master of Arts in History from Sonoma State University, whose works informed the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in United States v. Emerson, 46 F.Supp.2d 598 (N.D.Tex. 1999) and District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), as well as McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 (2010).
http://www.davekopel.org/2A/Mags/dark-secret-of-jim-crow.html
David Kopel, Bachelor of Arts in History from Brown University, won the National Geographic Society Prize for best History thesis with a biography of Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. He graduated magna com laude from the University of Michigan Law School. He was also a contributing editor of the Michigan Law Review.
An update. Yiou might even want to dedicate an entire post to this.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2017/10/02/country-guitarist-changes-mind-gun-control-after-las-vegas-shooting/TwFoswuE4vLL5rV65xl6YJ/story.html?s_campaign=bostonglobe%3Asocialflow%3Afacebook
Caleb Keeter is a complete dumbass.
What other amendments should we compromise?
How about the 4th? After all, if the police had greater power to conduct searches and seizures, without needing probable cause, they can catch criminals more easily.
Or maybe the 5th? That beyond a reasonable doubt standard makes it easier for criminals to get away with their crimes. I am sure that it would be much harder for criminals to get away with their crimes if they had no privilege against self-incrimination.
Or what about the 14th? Maybe we should selectively restrict the liberties of certain parts of the population that are more crime-prone than the rest of the population. I am sure there is some conspicuous trait law enforcement can use as a proxy for propensity for crime. Maybe it even rhymes with wack.
The thing is, a state that can ignore the 2nd would have little to no reservation about ignoring the 4th, 5th, or 14th.
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