I again heard a figure tossed out on a news network yesterday that there exists more guns in America than people. That is a sickness that infects all geographic areas and economic classes.
When we start to review what happened in Connecticut we need to be mindful that each of us played a role in the disaster. Both Democrats and Republicans who take the NRA funds, and do the bidding of this blood-soaked lobbying organization in Congress are responsible. Each voter that accepts the malarkey from the NRA that gun control means stripping rights from hunters, and then casts a ballot based on that lie is a part of the problem. I too am responsible in that I and other Democrats do not force our candidates to take bolder gun control stands while running for election. We do not hold our elected official’s feet to the fire, and demand that they pass gun legislation with teeth while in office.
In other words we are all a part of the problem.
But as a means to taking a step forward (again) on this matter I want to address the broad themes I want to see enacted for meaningful gun control.
Limit the number of guns that can be sold in a time period, and also limit the amount of ammo that can be sold. A person can buy too many weapons, and purchase large amounts of ammunition. I also have serious problems–as many do–with being able to buy items of this type online. There also needs to be a complete closure of sales of guns at gun shows.
Lets me mindful that Colorado shooter James Holmes purchased 6,000 rounds of ammunition online, along with four guns at local stores, in the weeks leading up to the tragic event that claimed numerous lives and left dozens injured at a movie theater outside Denver. Had there been strict gun control in place those purchases would never have been allowed.
I want to see an end to the high-capacity ammunition clips that are meant solely to be used for the killing of people. My readers know, the same ones anyway, that the only reason to have 33 bullets loaded in a handgun is to kill a lot of people very quickly. As such these high-capacity clips simply should not be on the market.
Limit the types of guns that can be manufactured, and do the same with ammo. No one is talking about ending hunting, but the so-called dum-dum bullets and hollow-point bullets, and types of weapons that are designed to slaughter people are not the ones folks are taking out to the woods in Wisconsin to kill a deer, therefore drastically limit their manufacture.
I support coded ammo to track who purchased it, and also having laws on the books that would place a penalty for those who do not lock their guns up, thereby creating ‘an attractive nuisance’.
I want to see the assault weapons ban again the law of the land.
Finally I want funding to be restored, the funding that the NRA chokes off, for federal research on gun violence.
These are the themes I want to see enacted for meaningful gun control.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
This is violence control and not gun control and I can support some of these items.
The issue is still the same though: how do we identify the people who will go berserk?
And once identified, what measures can be taken to prevent access to weapons?
People who go berserk kill others. Today they choose guns. Without guns, perhaps they will choose Molotov cocktails or fires or other methods.
In response to your previous commenter, the other weapons available to most people are not nearly as deadly as guns. Within 24 hours of the Newtown, there was one in a grade school in China. That person injured at least 20 children with a knife, but at last report, all of them were alive in the hospital. Most if not all of them will survive. I can’t think of any weapon available to the average person which has the killing capacity of semi-automatic or automatic rifle.
Agreed, Alan. All would rather have their child alive and in surgery right now to replace a stab wound rather than dead.
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I use an AR for hunting. What the NRA says is true and what you have written is false. A conventional assault weapons ban, the type that’s most commonly supported, would affect hunters and sportsmen like me. That is a fact. You are misinformed and I highly advise that you do some goddamn research.
Also, a lot of what you have called for is not easily enforceable at all. That’s why it hasn’t ever made it very far in political discussion.
Kneeling at the altar of the NRA and using an AR may have to change for the sake of the nation. The facts of this post stand by themselves. There is no doubt the spin-masters of the gun lobby work over-time for their interests, but millions plan to work very hard in the weeks to comes for the children’s interests, and those of their fellow citizens.
Anyone that seriously believes the crap posted on this site that say’s
( NRA Should Have Noses Rubbed In Mess On Floor Of Newtown Elementary School ) Need to have their noses rubbed in the ashes of those murderd then sent to Hitlers ovens because their rights to carry guns and defend themselves had been outlawed and taken from them by a racist government that decided who had the right to be considerd a human being or worthy to live. Just because you don’t have the common sense or balls to defend yourself doesn’t mean I should be forced to live under a dictatorship.
I wondered how long it would take for someone to be lazy enough to use the Hitler argument and prove once again that “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches.” How about using some creativity?
I completely agree with this article and with dekerivers. It’s tiresome the way the NRA immediately goes to the extreme that guns will be outlawed. This is part of their fearmongering, and let’s be honest, that’s just not going to happen in this country. The NRA should have been the first ones sitting down with President Obama after Sandy Hook to talk about how we can prevent this from happening again, and one of the ways is for gun owners to be held more responsible for how their weapons are stored and what gets done with their weapons. So ironic that five people were shot at guns shows on “Gun Appreciate Day” on January 19th, people who are “safe and responsible” around guns. And I know a gung-ho gun owner who regularly takes her infant daughter to gun shows–God help us!
We can identify people who will go berserk, by seeing who has contact with an overselous D.A.. like the ones who sent inocent people to the living hell of death row. Or someone who was cheated out of a pension. or was disadvantaged by the recent politicks of PARTY before country.