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What Common-Sense Gun Control Looks Like
Townhall.com ^ | October 9, 2015 | Erick Erickson

Posted on 10/09/2015 7:30:04 AM PDT by Kaslin

What Common-Sense Gun Control Looks Like

Last Thursday, as Americans were still coming to grips with the tragic rampage in Oregon, President Obama addressed the American people. An hour before the president spoke, news outlets were confirming that the shooter in Oregon had targeted his victims based on their religion.

Multiple eyewitnesses and relatives of the victims all said the shooter asked the victims to state their religion. Those who said "Christian" were shot in the head. Others were shot in the legs or other parts of their body. The president -- in 1,299 words -- never once discussed religious tolerance or even condemned the shooting. It is worth noting, at a minimum, that had the shooter or victims been Muslim, the president would have talked about religious tolerance.

Saying "this is something we should politicize," the president proceeded to call for more gun laws, though he could not name any that would have prevented the shooting. Instead, he cited "friends of ours, allies of ours -- Great Britain, Australia, countries like ours."

But what do those countries' gun laws look like? The president and the left wing media horde of editorialists and activists citing Great Britain and Australia give us our hint -- gun confiscation. Both countries have very tight bans on guns and have confiscated their citizens' guns. Australia raised a tax and used that money to buy back guns in Australia. Several studies suggest that the Australian gun laws did reduce gun related suicides, but only weakly at best improved the homicide rate.

In citing other countries, the president and the left also fail to reflect on our constitution. We do have a Second Amendment, which the Supreme Court has ruled gives an individual the right to keep and bear arms. A political army that demands unfettered access to abortions because the Supreme Court says they are legal has no qualms about ignoring the court when the army disagrees.

Concurrent to these -- thus far -- subtle calls for gun confiscation are calls for new laws. The left is pushing for a renewed assault weapons ban, which is more accurately called a "spooky weapons" ban; the ban just targeted guns that looked spooky. The original ban did nothing to stop the rampage in Columbine, Colorado. In fact, the guns restricted under the ban were not used in Columbine.

In the latest rampage, the assault weapons ban would also have been no good. Next, the left pivoted to background checks. Between the novel and creative talking points peddled by the left these days, the idea is that it is easier to buy a gun than to adopt a dog or even buy beer. The people peddling these talking points have clearly never tried to buy a gun. Additionally, some of the guns used in Oregon were purchased legally in a state with restrictive gun control laws, and background checks were performed.

Last month in Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe raced to televisions everywhere to demand background checks for guns after a deranged gunman killed a reporter and her cameraman live on television. The gunman had purchased his gun legally and had a background check at the time of purchase.

In the United States, there is roughly one gun per person. The American cities with the worst gun violence, Washington and Chicago, also happen to have some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, in contrast to Kennesaw, Georgia, which requires every homeowner in the city to own a gun. According to the website neighborhoodscout.com, Kennesaw sees 1.31 violent crimes per 1,000 people annually. Chicago sees nine and Washington sees 13.

The truth is that the United States and its attitude toward gun culture are unique. Instead of mimicking Australia and Great Britain with their gun confiscation programs, our leaders should think differently. The best gun control in this country is an armed, honest citizenry who can shoot straight. Instead of gun free zones, we should allow law abiding, concealed carry permit holders to go where they wish with their guns.

Luckily for gun owners, the more Democrats agitate for restrictive gun laws, the worse the Democrats do in polling. Beta male gun control policies may be winners on editorial pages, but are losers in our national electoral system


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: banglist; barack0bama; guncontrol; harpermercer; massshooting; persecution; roanoke; roseburg; umpqua
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1 posted on 10/09/2015 7:30:04 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

I suspect that is why we are not seeing all the Media stories claiming polling data to back up Clinton, Obama and the rest of the Leftist clown posse on Guns. The American people do not buy the nonsense that they need to give up their guns in the name of “safety”.


2 posted on 10/09/2015 7:33:07 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Giving more money to DC to fix the Debt is like giving free drugs to addicts think it will cure them)
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To: MNJohnnie

You hit the nail square on the head


3 posted on 10/09/2015 7:35:53 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin
Donald Trump:

“I am a Life Member of the NRA and am proud of their service in protecting our right to keep and bear arms. The NRA’s efforts to stop dangerous, gun-banning legislation and regulation is invaluable. The media focus on those efforts overshadows the great work the NRA does on behalf of safety and conservation.

I have a permit to carry and, living in New York, I know firsthand the challenges law-abiding citizens have in exercising their Second Amendment rights. My most trusted sources are my sons, Don, Jr. and Eric. They are fantastic sportsmen and are deeply involved in hunting, competitive shooting, and habitat conservation.”

4 posted on 10/09/2015 7:35:57 AM PDT by TexasCajun (#BlackViolenceMatters)
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To: Kaslin

Here is something that can be done and right now: I understand there are thousands of felons who failed gun background checks in that they did not list being felons. I believe very few if any were rounded up. So, just go out and prosecute them for the false statements and as repeat felons, put them away for a long time.

Obami’s aim, pun, right now is to shift focus from his failed foreign policy onto this fake issue: guns. That is the whole nutshell.


5 posted on 10/09/2015 7:36:30 AM PDT by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
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To: Kaslin

6 posted on 10/09/2015 7:37:26 AM PDT by KeyLargo
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To: Kaslin

The only common sense gun law is nationwide open carry for all who can legally own a gun.

Anything else just says, “only criminals will be armed”.


7 posted on 10/09/2015 7:37:57 AM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: Kaslin

What people like Mr. Erikson will not address is that the US demographics are unique and the primary source of violent crime.
Eliminate black and hispanic criminals and their crimes, and the crime statistics of the US look more like one of the more peaceful, pre-Hijrah European nations.


8 posted on 10/09/2015 7:39:00 AM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
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To: Kaslin

The problem with “common sense” gun control laws is that the people who advocate them have no common sense.


9 posted on 10/09/2015 7:39:24 AM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Progressives spent that time trying to destroy it.)
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To: Kaslin

I am not interested in debating the pros and cons of “sensible gun control” with the left and this government. The FOUNDING document on which this country (and government, BTW) is base gives me unfettered natural right, government-affirmed, to arm myself.

There is no point of discussion about this. No rhyme, reason, stipulations, cajoling, abridgement or impediment. Try and take them if you must. Just be wary of the consequences when you start down that road.


10 posted on 10/09/2015 7:39:46 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: KeyLargo

Odd to see Biden without his hands all over the little girl...


11 posted on 10/09/2015 7:42:59 AM PDT by null and void (Reality 1, Liberal Academics 0)
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To: Kaslin

How come we are constantly regaled and harassed about enacting “common sense” gun laws, when our immigration law are the farthest thing from common sense there could be. And our gender-neutral school bathroom laws are so far from common sense.

And is it about common sense that liberals are supposed to have, anyway?


12 posted on 10/09/2015 7:47:21 AM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (This space for rent.)
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To: Kaslin

When a liberal says “commonsense,” fight it with everything you have. It’s code for oppression.


13 posted on 10/09/2015 7:50:53 AM PDT by Lee'sGhost ("Just look at the flowers, Lizzie. Just look at the flowers.")
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To: Mouton

“We have this irony. The Obama administration, which is asking for more in the way of gun regulations — in terms of increased background checks for private sales and at gun shows — is actually prosecuting less of the gun laws already on the books,” said Robert Cottrol, a gun control historian at George Washington University. “For a lot of people, there’s more ideological cache harassing Bubba at the gun show than getting a handle on gun crime.”

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/23/despite-rhetoric-gun-prosecutions-plummet-under-ob/?page=all


14 posted on 10/09/2015 7:52:35 AM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: Kaslin

Erickson is right about one thing, Kennesaw, Georgia, has reasonable gun control law. That needs to become federal law.

Next, we need reasonable media control laws. We need background checks for anyone who is paid to publish or read news reports in any media, press, radio, TV, or internet.


15 posted on 10/09/2015 8:27:48 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: Kaslin

There are ways to control gun violence. A mandatory death penalty or lifetime sentence with limited appeal for the use of a gun in a crime would go a long way to deter gun crime. Ending the idiocy of gun free zones would also help stop free shooting sprees.
Arming “protectors” such as teachers, guards, managers or others overseeing children will send a message.
If we are serious about stopping mass shootings we can take simple, effective steps to do so.
Clearly progressives have a vested interest in perpetuating mass shootings to further their gun confiscation agenda. They are not interested in protection. They want control, and not of the criminal class but of the average citizen who will oppose their tyrannical policies.


16 posted on 10/09/2015 8:28:15 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: Kaslin
You'd think they would have learned their lesson decades ago after these became box office hits.




17 posted on 10/09/2015 9:02:13 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Cincinnatus.45-70
We need background checks for anyone who is paid to publish or read news reports in any media, press, radio, TV, or internet.

They should have to post a whole slough of things for the public to see; much like a broadcaster's license. The public should be able to go online and see all their political affiliations, donations, and party affiliation based on voting record.

18 posted on 10/09/2015 9:06:34 AM PDT by Turbo Pig (...to close with and destroy the enemy...)
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To: MNJohnnie

Democrats want gun legislation?

Fine.

Pass a Bill outlawing ‘gun free’ zones.

Every school should require teachers and administrators to be trained in the use of handguns.

Stop ‘Gun Free Zones’ from becoming killing fields...


19 posted on 10/09/2015 9:09:40 AM PDT by GOPJ (Democrats want gun legislation? Fine. Pass a Bill outlawing 'gun free' zones.)
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To: GOPJ
Pass a Bill outlawing ‘gun free’ zones. Every school should require teachers and administrators to be trained in the use of handguns.

Stop ‘Gun Free Zones’ from becoming killing fields...

Now that is what sensible Gun Control would look like

20 posted on 10/09/2015 9:13:27 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Giving more money to DC to fix the Debt is like giving free drugs to addicts think it will cure them)
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