^ they aren't really clamoring to do that though. They know the stakes. They've just been playing political games about it until now. Any law that moves forward would necessarily have to add due process to the lists, it's not impossible to do so.Like when the gov gets busted with wiretapping, this would probably just create a new super-secret list, but at least the "actionable" list wouldn't be the rampant 4th amendment violations they currently are.http://www.factcheck.org/2016/06/not-just-the-no-fly-list/
6/15/2016 6:22:04 PM
Stop. They're still playing political games on both sides and in the presidential race. This is all gamesmanship and attempts at point scoring. Right now the dems have the hammer on this issue and even though they probably aren't super pumped about using these lists to deprive people of more constitutional rights (Feinstein might, she's practically in favor of having a US Stasi) they know they can trot this out with nary a whimper from the Repubs because they've had such huge boners for police state tactics in the past. Any protestation, even based on logical civil rights concerns, can be dismissed as gun worship or being an NRA mouthpiece.
6/15/2016 8:05:01 PM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/15/something-might-be-changing-after-orlando-americans-suddenly-want-to-ban-assault-weapons/
6/15/2016 9:23:52 PM
Anyone else watching the epic filibuster in the senate? I'm glad to see the senate dems finally grow some balls and (literally) stand up.
6/16/2016 12:24:22 AM
^^That's hardly a surprise. Of course there's a bump in that response after an event like this. I'm sure people were much more supportive of the TSA after the underwear bomber too.Just once I would love to hear some actual specifics. Could someone tell me what exactly you would like to change and how it would solve these issues? The last assault rifle ban was an abject failure because it focused on non-functional, cosmetic nonsense. I suspect an updated one would be very, very similar. Ban on high capacity magazines, I don't like it but fine, say we get that. It isn't going to fix anything. There are probably 30-50 million 30 round plus mags out there now, and you're trying to ban something that is a box and a spring. You can 3d print those all day long and there's no way to stop it.Background checks are already near universal. There are some person to person sales that do not require them. I suppose you could argue that needs to be changed. I suspect you'd get very little pushback on that, and also no impact on stopping what you would like to stop.I mean, honestly anything short of total confiscation is basically theater.
6/16/2016 2:51:06 AM
You seriously don't think there would be pushback against an improved/universal background check system?Manchin - Toomey basically only extended background checks to Internet and gun show sales. It still couldn't pass a single house of congress and it was debated under the cloud of a shooting where a classroom of god damned 1st graders were mowed down by a deranged teenager.Would improved background checks solve our gun problems? Unequivocally no, but if we can't even grab the low hanging fruit off the tree then there is literally no hope of there being any movement on this issue. Well, until maybe the GOP implodes, but even then it seems like a long shot.[Edited on June 16, 2016 at 7:58 AM. Reason : Or a mass shooting of billionaires, that would congress moving]
6/16/2016 7:36:22 AM
bullshit about something changing, nothing changed when children got killed at sandy hook so there damn sure isn't anything changing after a shooting at a gay club(and lol at no pushback to universal background checks)[Edited on June 16, 2016 at 8:49 AM. Reason : .]
6/16/2016 8:49:07 AM
I see to recall even after sandy hook support for an AWB didn't spike. I've seen a lot more chatter on Facebook this time around too in support of changes. I'm going to be bold and rely on my memory instead of googling and speculate that this recent poll might be a change. The difference with sandy hook is the Orlando shooter theoretically could have been found and stopped so maybe people are more receptive to a legislative solution. Vs sandy hook where the guy took his moms guns.
6/16/2016 10:13:55 AM
gun control couldn't have stopped this guy thoughthere was some support gathering around universal background checks and some mental health funding after sandy hook but that collapsed when it included an awb. what i understand now is that there is support for no-fly/no-buy (which is almost guaranteed to be struck down in the courts unless it includes major changes to no-fly list) and AWB which is a non-starter.
6/16/2016 12:38:47 PM
Have you seen the latest about he FBI being contacted by the first gun store he tried to buy at? Apparently they changed their line from, "we never received such a call" to "no comment."This looks more and more like an intelligence failure than anything else. There's just no evidence of any kind to suggest that the legislation that is likely to be proposed would do a damn thing other than make some people feel warm and fuzzy.
6/16/2016 10:51:35 PM
^ link?I wonder what information the gun store was able to give the FBI, or was it just "some sketchy guy came in trying to buy a bunch of weird stuff"?
6/16/2016 11:44:53 PM
I'm sure they have surveillance video. You would think the FBI would have at least directed it to local law enforcement or given it a cursory look. This is what they have been asking people to do, "if you see something say something." Well, he tried to purchase bulk ammo, body armor that iasn't legal for civilians to own, and was speaking Arabic to some guy on the phone. None of this is in and of itself illegal or necessarily "suspicious" but taken together it was enough to have the gun shop not want to do business with him and enough for them to want to reach out to the FBI.
6/17/2016 12:29:23 AM
That was definitely suspicious behavior but it was a matter of days between his purchase attempt and his shooting. And it's not like theres not a dozen different places for him to buy a gun within driving distance. Not to mention, as a security guard, there's possible explanations for him wanting that stuff, and with guns being a hobby, the FBI would need more than vague insinuations before sounding all the alarms. You also have to think they likely get reports all the time of random suspicious behavior. There's no way he would have been stopped without the background check/waiting period process stopping him, or if the gun store owner was able to get his name somehow.
6/17/2016 12:45:47 AM
According to all the reports I've seen it was 5-6 weeks before the shooting. Plenty of time to look into it but it seems they did not for whatever reason.I guess you could make the argument that you need to fill out a form to purchase ammo, but again, they refused to sell to him because of his suspicious behavior.
6/17/2016 1:47:52 AM
Given no name and a grainy video I think you're asking a lot of the FBI, at least as far the gun shop tip goes.
6/17/2016 1:59:03 AM
Well, since the response was no response it's pretty easy to criticize.I mean, they could have contacted the gun shop, or asked for the video if they have one. They literally did nothing. I don't know if they could have identified him or not (do they have photos of people on their various watchlists? Maybe they send a guy down from their local office to show some photos and they identify him that way), but it looks like they did nothing at all.Instead of immediately jumping to write more gun control legislation how about we look at our law enforcement agencies, how they communicate, how they share data, etc. I've been talking about this potential failure since the night this happened, it was one of the things people were very critical of the Belgians about with the airport bombing. That will be more helpful than any law banning collapsible shoulder stocks or bayonet mounts or outright denying people their constitutionally protected rights because they're on a no-fly list.
6/17/2016 2:07:07 AM
There are somewhere between 15 million and 20 million background checks run for gun buying every year (you can also loosely assume that's the number of purchases occurring in any given year). If just 2% of those are flagged for anything suspicious you are talking about 300,000 to 400,000 cases per year or like 800-1000 cases per day.Now you could probably put together a huge team of people to handle that kind of volume, but if you really want review of suspicious gun buyers I think it's plainly obvious why the system would need some kind of automation.
6/17/2016 7:09:01 AM
^^ The no-fly list is a few tens-of thousands and the larger terrorist watch list is around two million. 'Show some photos' isn't very practical.
6/17/2016 10:05:30 AM
Instead of banning any type of guns, which have maybe a 0.01% change of happening, or attempting to restrict purchases to anyone on a judgmental no-fly list, how about enacting insurance and licensure restrictions and updating background check processes?1. A gun owner must, on an annual basis, pass gun safety and marksmanship exams to renew the license to own a gun. To initially purchase a gun the safety exam must be passed along with the normal background checks. Exams would be focused on the specific type of gun desired. 2. A gun owner must obtain gun insurance (tiered insurance based on gun types owned)3. Pistols and semi-automatics require a 15 day waiting period to give enough time for a thorough background check. Australia has gun laws built around the above (albeit much more restrictive), which allows legal gun ownership while ensuring guns are not in the possession of those who cant handle them responsibly or could use them for criminal purposes.http://time.com/4172274/what-its-like-to-own-guns-in-a-country-with-strict-gun-control/Im not anti-gun (I have a shotgun and a .22 bolt-action) and I dont agree that the no-fly list is a reasonable method of preventing purchases, but certainly something has to be done to restrict at least semi-autos. [Edited on June 17, 2016 at 1:43 PM. Reason : a]
6/17/2016 1:41:32 PM
^demonizing semi-autos is kind of short sighted, considering that pump action shotguns did most of the damage at the Navy Yard and Columbine.
6/17/2016 2:28:42 PM
The Australia comparison that keeps getting brought up seems to be flawed. Australia's closest neighbor is 1,500 miles away, and their 2nd closest neighbor is over 2,000 miles away. They don't have bordering countries that could (relatively easily) bring guns in over the borders, without having to ship them over 2,000 miles of ocean.
6/17/2016 4:19:24 PM
6/17/2016 4:33:36 PM
6/17/2016 4:58:37 PM
^^^ Australia also only has a population of 23MM while being close to the size of the continental US
6/17/2016 5:03:21 PM
So people have more room to not be treaded on
6/17/2016 5:05:43 PM
Well I have a feeling if we got rid of about 92% of the US population things would be quite a bit different here. Also a lot easier to enact that type of legislation. It's just a comparison that is difficult to make given the vast differences.
6/17/2016 5:25:27 PM
You're really overstating the point about population density. Most of Australia is totally unpopulated and some 80-90% of the population lives in urban areas.
6/17/2016 8:02:17 PM
Agreed. But again, how many tips do you think they get from gun stores vs. the standard issue nosy neighbor? Think maybe one ought to get a little bit more attention and be handled more seriously?Granted, I don't know what details the gun store gave them or how everything was handled, but from the outside it certainly looks like they fucked up by not looking into this when they were alerted about someone potentially dangerous several weeks before this happened.
6/17/2016 8:20:44 PM
6/17/2016 8:24:05 PM
6/17/2016 8:26:35 PM
6/17/2016 8:34:20 PM
6/17/2016 8:49:22 PM
6/17/2016 11:03:54 PM
6/17/2016 11:32:34 PM
^^^ I don't know if population density would make "it" easier or harder to implement. I was just pointing out that differences in population density between the US and Australia aren't as vast as you imply.
6/18/2016 12:38:13 AM
6/18/2016 2:34:21 PM
6/18/2016 3:18:13 PM
6/18/2016 5:14:07 PM
do you at least understand that yes there is pushback to universal background checks?
6/18/2016 8:51:21 PM
Yeah that's pretty basic.And I get why the last AWB was dumb and any future iterations of it based on the historical markers would also be dumb, but that doesn't mean I think I should be able to go into a store and buy an AR-15.But really anyone complaining that the last AWB was ineffective doesn't give a shit the effectiveness. In fact they probably disagree with any gun control, including any current provisions, and "effectiveness" is their red herring.]
6/19/2016 1:30:26 AM
How in the hell can effectiveness be a red herring? Laws should be based on whether they will be effective, if their consequences will drive the desired outcome. These are the basic factors you have to weigh against things like compromising liberties in exchange for safety. If there is no actual increase in safety then what was the point of compromising your liberty? Look at me over here, pretending to care about whether or not a law actually works when in reality I'm just a slobbering nut who wants anarchy and heavily armed toddlers!If you aren't focused on effectiveness what are you focused on? Creating show laws? Things like the security theater of the TSA are wasteful, ineffective, and a major infringement on our liberties, and all to what end?I mean for fucks sake you guys are still talking about a gun that wasn't even used in this last shooting like it was. Fine, ban the AR-15. All you will have done is create a massive black market which will inevitably be controlled by horrible, violent gangs and organized crime groups.So again, what exactly is it you would like to see changed and what do you hope to accomplish by doing so?[Edited on June 19, 2016 at 2:12 AM. Reason : sfsdf]
6/19/2016 2:05:14 AM
^quit trying to use facts and logic on the proggies hah, thats not how their brains workwhen somethin bad happens the govt is supposed to "do something!", if makes the problem worse then that will be their justification to do more. [Edited on June 19, 2016 at 9:28 AM. Reason : g ]
6/19/2016 9:15:21 AM
6/19/2016 1:22:14 PM
6/19/2016 9:35:39 PM
It would still help to properly fund the ATF so they can prosecute people breaking current gun laws
6/19/2016 9:41:14 PM
There is an option that isn't unconstitutionally. As background checks are already usually required, apparently except for terrorists working as security guards that is, the background check could include information about whether the person is on the various watch lists. This, of course, would merely be informational. No penalties for selling to someone on the watch list. Of course, it bears saying, unless they personally knew the individual, or at least they were white, I doubt most gun stores would be willing to sell to anyone that came back as on a list. But, as this is not a ban, it is not a violation of anyone's rights. Just as the no-fly-list is not a violation of anyone's rights: it is a voluntary check and refusal by the airlines, there are no penalties if the airline ignores the list.
6/19/2016 10:04:20 PM
6/19/2016 11:17:22 PM
The Dickey Amendment needs to go away.
6/19/2016 11:47:41 PM
http://nypost.com/2016/06/19/nra-says-trumps-orlando-comments-defy-common-sense/NRA turns on Trump... despite the fact the NRA has made similar statements in the past.Kind of interesting.Or Trump is so nutty, he's pushing the NRA back towards the center?[Edited on June 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM. Reason : ]
6/19/2016 11:52:33 PM
Maybe he's just throwing it in the face of the NRA to show them how ridiculous they've sounded over the years.
6/20/2016 8:50:14 AM