I don't remember when Bernie became the darling of the NRA.

I must have missed the memo.

They backed down when I showed 'em what the NRA actually fucking sounds like

And I'm a Bernie Supporter.

Why does everything Clinton say have to have some "hidden meaning" or negative rationale. She came out against guns yesterday, why does that have to be questioned?

including the six-shooters.

think like Hillary on gun issues, and gun control legislation would have already been passed.

I agree with Bernie on this issue.

Guns are not just used to kill people. They are also used for sport, and those of us who live in cities don't want guns in our neighborhoods, but my family members who live in rural areas downright need guns.

It's difficult to figure out the right policy on guns.

and I understand the hunting mania in his state. It's not going to wash with all the violence, misery, death and chaos 300,000,000 guns on the streets and in the homes of america is causing. He's going to have to make a decision, soon. Even in his state there are murders, robberies and suicides by GUN.

Are you saying Bernie should adopt that decision? Is that Hillary's position?

the strongest possible background check, psychological and otherwise is what should be sought after and when found implemented. We will not get guns off the streets EVER. But we must try to find away to keep them out of the hands of criminals like the two in that CNN reporter story and dylaan roofs of this nation. Politically, racially it involves all social groups and is not as simple as "good guy gun, good, bad guy gun, bad" lines, yet one party is always going to kiss the NRA's ass, big time and that holds up the whole process of trying to find sane gun control measures. Don't care which candidate tries, just as long as it is tried after our eventual nominee gets into office. There is no way to confiscate 300,000,000 millions personal weapons. Get real.

But anti-gun nuts are irrational to throw Sanders under the bus on this issue.

This becomes an emotional issue where emotions triumph over logic and are exploited through the science of public relations.

Suing gun manufacturers because their products work as intended is pretty extreme, and could have far-reaching legal implications in other industries. You need to think this one through.

There is only one kind of nut in the melange and it is the NRA gun nuts.

Indeed, a classic NRA talking point easily debunked....a baseball bat is not manufactured to be a weapon.

I can barely believe Sanders said this, the logical disconnect is troubling:


“If somebody has a gun and somebody steals that gun and shoots somebody, do you really think it makes sense to blame the manufacturer of that weapon?” Sanders said. “If somebody assaults you with a baseball bat, you hit somebody over the head, you’re not going to sue the baseball bat manufacturer.”

If Sanders moves Clinton to the left on some issues, all good, but Sanders is not to the left of Clinton on all things.

Using that to justify his stance on gun control is so lame, almost as stupid as "guns don't kill people, people kill people".

And here we go with this argument again....Baseball bats are not designed and manufactured to kill, gun are designed and manufactured to kill. I have yet to see a baseball bat with a sight on it.

As for guns in Chicago being different from guns in Vermont? That is equally illogical.

Chicago is a major city, true, but it's an urban "oasis" in the middle of a rural area. One can drive 20 miles west of Chicago and be in farm country and areas where people hunt. Same thing with Hartford CT, Boston MA, Atlanta GA, except the drive is probably shorter.

What's to keep "legal" guns from 5-20 miles from a major city from finding their way into the city?

In Vermont and other rural states, it's mainly hunters who have guns and who use them responsibly, for hunting animals, not people. Illinois has lots of rural areas, but then there is Chicago with how many millions of people? I.e, what is the ratio of urban population to rural population? And you can say the same with LA or NYC. These large urban areas often have different uses for guns other than hunting.

....should we have different laws for different states?

By the way, did you see my post pointing out that the violent crime rate in Burlington and the entire state of Vermont are both higher than the national average? Seems we might need more gun control there, too.

By the way, Newtown Connecticut is a rural town of less than 2,000 people that is about 70 miles from New York City and 20 miles from Bridgeport, the nearest city.

and do harm people with guns, not just for hunting or shooting clays. And I guess it's conceivable that an urban gun owner from a low income, high crime area could turn to squirrel hunting in the suburbs, or rural residents could (and do) form larger groups with weapons and violence in mind. What would I know anyway. I did see this whole exchange live last night though.

on guns.

Without simply hating each other.

Wonderful thing, discussion.

....all of Vermont vs. the United States?

http://www.clrsearch.com/Burlington-Demographics/VT/Crime-Rate

These are 2012 numbers but most likely haven't changed dramatically since then.

Risk of all crime, murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, and auto theft are each higher in Burlington VT than the national average, and all of those crimes except robbery, larceny, or auto theft are higher in VT than the national average.

Maybe he's right, guns are different in his state than other parts of the country.

. . . where most families, including my own, had one or more hunters, and who has lived in NYC for virtually the entirety of his adult, post-college life, I am intimately acquainted with the cultural divide of which Sanders speaks. I think Bernie's approach makes a lot of sense.

exchange live last night.

That's a really overhyped headline. I didn't see a "clash". I saw a woman ask a question and was allowed to contextualize her question and stance, and I saw Bernie answer her questions, even though the answer might not have been what she was looking for.

It would be nice to hear some legislative specifics of what Sanders gun policy would be in the White House.

Nothing to really see here though.

Look, I'm a gun control advocate.

I could live in a world without guns and be very happy.

But if THAT'S the issue that costs him the primary, we have no chance.

First of all, let's lift everyone's boat economically. 15 dollar minimum wage, free tuition at public universities, investment in infrastructure. Medicare for all. Let's do that first. Just pulling people out of poverty will reduce crime.

If he is burned at the stake because he doesn't click every box exactly right, than there can't be any pulling together to take this country back from the wealthy interests that pull the puppets in congress strings. Let's get one thing right. A big one.

I promise you, Hillary isn't taking anyone's guns either. But if the campaign becomes about social issues this country is doomed.

There will NEVER be agreement on those things. Never.

But the single most important thing right now, in my opinion is taking back the country from the 1 percenters

Bernie is the best candidate to do that.

He has still got to define himself, and hone his message, in some other areas, one of them being gun control. His position on gun control isn't bad - it just needs to be broadcasted and put out there more. Another big area in which Bernie has yet to adequately define himself and his message is that of foreign affairs. I hope and trust that he will do as good of a job there as he has done on the core bread and butter issues - it's the economy, stupid!

The gun control issue is a losing issue for Democrats in rural America.

I know this because I live in rural America. Many voters in rural America agree with the Democratic Party on most issues but they are forced into the Republican Party on the gun issue alone.

Bernie makes common sense observations and is attacked for it.

What Bernie said was exactly what I would expect from a man of integrity as opposed to someone pandering.

Yay, Bernie!

He's either playing politics, or making a stand he believes in.
Or, I guess he could be making "common sense" decisions, taking
a measured (dare I say "moderate&quot stance or even....compromising!
Oh my!