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workinclasszero

(28,270 posts) Sat Dec 5, 2015, 01:15 PM Dec 2015

End the Gun Epidemic in America

End the Gun Epidemic in America
It is a moral outrage and national disgrace that civilians can legally purchase weapons designed to kill people with brutal speed and efficiency.
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD DEC. 4, 2015

All decent people feel sorrow and righteous fury about the latest slaughter of innocents, in California. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are searching for motivations, including the vital question of how the murderers might have been connected to international terrorism. That is right and proper.

But motives do not matter to the dead in California, nor did they in Colorado, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut and far too many other places. The attention and anger of Americans should also be directed at the elected leaders whose job is to keep us safe but who place a higher premium on the money and political power of an industry dedicated to profiting from the unfettered spread of ever more powerful firearms.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/05/opinion/end-the-gun-epidemic-in-america.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-top-region®ion=opinion-c-col-top-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-top-region

10 replies

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End the Gun Epidemic in America (Original Post) workinclasszero Dec 2015 OP

I wouldn't know where to begin to do that. The 2nd Amendment has been so corrupted by the courts BlueCaliDem Dec 2015 #1

If an epidemic ever comes... TipTok Dec 2015 #2

Lots of war weapons in Switzerland and no mass shootings Yorktown Dec 2015 #3

I think its clear maindawg Dec 2015 #4

They account EdwardBernays Dec 2015 #6

Perfect. Lizzie Poppet Dec 2015 #9

It's a symptom EdwardBernays Dec 2015 #10

As always EdwardBernays Dec 2015 #5

And I give a shit what the NYT editorial staff has to say because.................................? GGJohn Dec 2015 #7

The Brady Campaign A-rated state of CA declared those weapons were not "Assault Weapons" aikoaiko Dec 2015 #8

BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)

1. I wouldn't know where to begin to do that. The 2nd Amendment has been so corrupted by the courts

Reply to workinclasszero (Original post)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 01:49 PM

Dec 2015

that it's made it unbelievably easy to buy as many guns and assault riftles you can afford with as many rounds of ammo you like without any background checks. Even the stricter gun laws have "loopholes" that make it even easier for murderers to get a "legit" gun for a couple of hundred dollars and "modify" it for high-capacity rounds.

It's all but impossible to end the bloody gun epidemic in the United States unless we repeal the 2nd Amendment, and I don't see that ever happening.

TipTok

(2,474 posts)

2. If an epidemic ever comes...

Reply to workinclasszero (Original post)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 01:56 PM

Dec 2015

I'll get right on that...

Yorktown

(2,884 posts)

3. Lots of war weapons in Switzerland and no mass shootings

Reply to workinclasszero (Original post)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 01:59 PM

Dec 2015

The problem seems to be more the vetting process than weapons.

And maybe not even that because the vetting process in Switzerland is rather broad.

maindawg

(1,151 posts)

4. I think its clear

Reply to workinclasszero (Original post)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:00 PM

Dec 2015

That the military style assault weapons incite very angry people to attack innocent groups of people. I don't believe we will ever ban them , but we can ban the sale of them again. We have to.

EdwardBernays

(3,343 posts)

6. They account

Reply to maindawg (Reply #4)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:01 PM

Dec 2015

For the tiniest percentage of gun violence.

It's like banning ferraris to cut down on road fatalities.

Lizzie Poppet

(10,164 posts)

9. Perfect.

Reply to EdwardBernays (Reply #6)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:33 PM

Dec 2015

I've been carping about the almost exclusive focus on mass killings at the expense of much of any talk at all about the vastly more numerous "ordinary" killings for a while now. It's bizarre...at best.

EdwardBernays

(3,343 posts)

10. It's a symptom

Reply to Lizzie Poppet (Reply #9)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:48 PM

Dec 2015

Of the beliefs of pretty much everyone that thousands of dead Americans a year is just the price of doing business.

Sure even on DU people behave like delusional gun nuts. It's part of American culture.

So if you can pretend the goal is to, what was it that Obama said, "potentially have a chance of reducing" mass shootings then we can also keep pretending that thousands of dead kids a year is a-ok.

EdwardBernays

(3,343 posts)

5. As always

Reply to workinclasszero (Original post)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:00 PM

Dec 2015

The media says blame the leaders instead of asking for anyone anywhere to accept personal responsibility.

The leaders are shooting people. The NRA isn't shooting anyone. Gun manufacturing lobbiests aren't either.

Gun owners are shooting people.

The gun violence epidemic would be over tomorrow if gun owners gave up their guns. Or if gun owners demanded much stricter gun control.

Neither will happen.

Blaming politicians is like the media blaming Trump for his popularity instead of the millions of Trump supporters.

GGJohn

(9,951 posts)

7. And I give a shit what the NYT editorial staff has to say because.................................?

Reply to workinclasszero (Original post)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:20 PM

Dec 2015

aikoaiko

(34,170 posts)

8. The Brady Campaign A-rated state of CA declared those weapons were not "Assault Weapons"

Reply to workinclasszero (Original post)

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:26 PM

Dec 2015

When the anti-gun vanguard state declares them fine for civilians to own, you know the NYT is full of pooh.

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