Here's a start -- closing the loophole at the "Gun-A-Palooza Gun Show" at the local mart (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_show_loophole). Outlaw person-to-person private gun sales where background checks aren't required.

I realize I'm opening a can of worms, but I think it's time to realize the 2nd amendment was written when a gun fired one round a minute and was inaccurate over 50 yards. Times have changed a bit, and people are murdering children. Maybe we should revisit that whole concept.

I'm fine with that. Overall, I think that it is an overblown issue, so go ahead with it.

Now tell me, how many of the firearms used in mass murders were acquired that way? How many deaths will your solution prevent?

While your solution sounds nice, and would be very symbolic, I don't think that it will solve the issue like mass confiscation would.

Can anyone answer why there has been an increase in mass shooting over the last 20 years? Perhaps we should start there, then figure out a solution because guns are a constant variable in the equation. There is something else going on that we need to zero in on.

They have access to guns and are mentally effed up.

Yet, this level of attacks did not take place.

The mental effed up part is the path that I would like to explore. Are things different now versus 20 - 40 years ago? If so, what changed?

I've hypothesized that those likely to pull off this kind of violence were institutionalized back then because there may have been a stigma on having a crazy kid. Now the stigma is on those who would send their kids away.

Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

Citizens is that both gun control and mental illness should be addressed. The politicized answer is that one of those will advocated over the other.

I'm just up for trying anything at this point.

I think ammo tracking would be helpful. It would've flagged the Vegas shooter for building an absurd stockpile of ammo. Same for high capacity magazines and bump stocks.

I'd also like to hear the justification for why anyone needs a semi automatic weapon. Like actually NEEDS it.

I own two semi-automatic weapons. One's a Remington 11-87 semi-automatic shotgun. I use it to shoot skeet, trap and sporting clays. I also use it occasionally to go dove hunting. The weapon is also suitable for other forms of bird hunting. It has a maximum load capacity of 5 shells, including one in the chamber. I also own a M1911A1 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol that was my father's that he used in competitions when he was on the Army pistol team in the 1950s. I typically use that semi-automatic pistol with my son for target shooting about once a year.

Do I NEED my semi-automatic shotgun? Absolutely. I'm not fast enough with a pump shotgun to do well in any of the shooting activities where I use my shotgun.


Do I NEED my semi-automatic pistol? Yes, if I want to participate in a rapid-fire pistol competition. More imporantly, my .45 semi-automatic pistol is a very tangible connection between my father, me and my son, who will eventually get the pistol. I need that ongoing connection with my father, who is now deceased.

Some of them semi automatics. I like them. They’re fun to shoot. I was at one time a competitive target shooter who won international competitions.

But you don’t need to shoot clay pigeons. You don’t need to do that specific type of target shooting. You like to. It’s fun for you. But you just want to do it. The connection to your father, and I truly mean no disrespect, is a bit more complicated but you don’t really need the gun for that either. It’s just a physical thing that reminds you of him. A picture would do that too.

People need to live. Some people need to hunt for food, and a bolt action does just fine for that.

Where are you going with your argument? You make a skeptical challenge about a semi-automatic weapon and whether anyone "Like actually NEEDS it." You then say that a bolt-action rifle is sufficient for hunting, even if you need to hunt for food to live. Are you trying in a subtle way to indicate that you are in favor of banning private ownership of all semi-automatic weapons, regardless of the type of weapon or whether its normally accepted intended purpose is lawful because no private citizen really NEEDS it?


Rather than me trying unsuccessfully to guess, please help me out and tell me what is the endgame, if any, for the argument you are putting forth.

A semi-auto pistol is about the most effective self defense tool out there, especially for women.

A far lesser chance of a jam or other mechanical failure. Maybe for the pull, but modern revolvers have fairly light triggers.

I agree that we have crossed a line (not your words) and that something needs to change. I just don't know what we can do that isn't symbolic and will actually help to prevent mass shooting from happening.

At some point, attacking soft targets full of unarmed civilians became a way for disturbed people to live on in infamy, and the idea has clearly gained traction. I'm not sure how we reverse this trend.

I don't know how that gets accomplished, but it needs to be beaten into these peoples' heads that a mass shootings is the weakest, most cowardly, chickenshit ways of going out. America used to have a common set of values that made this self-evident, but that is no longer the case. I actually think that is one of the roots of this problem.

Discussing. Columbine was 21 years ago. Sandy Hook was 5+ years ago, and today we have Parkland.

Doing something just to do something isn’t something that I am interested in. I want viable solutions to reduce these events.

I already offered up the extremist position of confiscation and mass surveillance. If this is the path that you want to take, then we need to discuss how to implement it legally.

If you have a different solution, I’m all ears.

1. Ban assault rifles
2. Create a special department within Homeland Security or the FBI, charged to monitor and act on citizens who pose a potential risk.
3. At a national level, have mental health professionals lay out effective steps to provide care to those in need. Staff and fund state and local governments to carry this out.
4. Expand background checks on people buying guns
5. Metal detectors for high schools, much more highly restricted access to schools
6. A coordinated state, local and federal campaign to increase awareness of what leads to these situations. Something along the lines of "if you see (or know) something, say something"

Even if every single of of these are enacted, there's no 100% sure way to ever prevent a mass school shooting again. However, I believe incidences can be greatly reduced.