They were used illegally
by El Kabong (2024-02-21 15:32:33)

In reply to: How do gangs get their guns?  posted by vermin05

Cannot Reply Return to Political

I'm fine with more responsibility for selling parties.

George Carlin always said the way to really hamper the drug trade in America wasn't to go after the dealers but rather the bankers who launder the drug money. Maybe a little hyperbolic, but I saw the wisdom of it.

The way to put a dent in the gun trade is to go after the straw buyers with zero tolerance. But that's too much of a nuance/inconvenience for prosecutors, especially where I live.

I assume you are referencing Cook County
by wpkirish  (2024-02-21 16:07:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

What are they to do about sellers in Indiana or Tennessee?

Do you support closing the gun show loophole / private sale exemption? Do you support a database of purchases where law enforcement could look for patterns that might indicate straw purchasers?


These are the type of regulations the most extreme guns rights advocates oppose.
Chekov's Guns
by ravenium  (2024-02-21 15:41:24)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

I kid, but the sheer number of guns in society basically is causing their misuse. It's inevitable. When you have access to destructive, easy tooling with low barriers to entry, it becomes a solution to your problems.

Gang violence and mass shooters are distractions (albeit deadly ones) for our real problem - the proliferation of firearms with no training or sense of responsibility. Angry? Pull out your gun. Fearful of someone bringing a gun to your movie? Bring your gun! More guns means it's more likely someone will misuse one.

Look, I own several firearms myself, having inherited some and purchased some others. I have a CCW permit (which, thanks to our generously lax interpretations of the 2nd, my state is one of the diminishingly few that actually makes you show you can handle a gun properly before carrying).

I'd give them up in a heartbeat if it'd mean fewer deaths. I don't for one second think "I need a gun when the people with guns come for me!". If it's come to that, there are many other things that have failed.

The 2nd was created for militias in defense against the state and kings - honestly I simply disagree with the courts' interpretations for the past 30 years. It's nowhere near the 1st in terms of natural rights that we imbue on humans, but damned if you'd know it from looking at the way we worship and revere it.