Gun control discussion

**cassiesmom** · 02-04-2013, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by Lady's Human

To get back on topic....

Finally a statement of fact about the issue from Vice President Biden:

"Nothing we are going to do is fundamentally going to alter or eliminate the possibility of another mass shooting or guarantee that we will bring gun deaths down," Biden said, echoing remarks President Barack Obama made in January when he said "there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely."

That being the case, let's try just for a moment enforcing the laws currently on the books, eliminating the barriers against including psychological information in NICS checks, and move on without restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Dear VP Biden: Have you paid any attention to what's happened in Chicago this week? A girl with a very promising future was killed when she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you, as the head of the task force, think that nothing you might do will help -- what does that say to America? Do your best to at least try to come up with something. Meanwhile, if you could help those charged with enforcing the current laws to do their jobs better, that would be a good start. Especially here in Chicago where the people are doing the shooting are at risk of ending up dead or imprisoned. Please listen to all the pastors and mothers and other people who are saying that something must change.

**Karen** · 02-04-2013, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by cassiesmom

Dear VP Biden: Have you paid any attention to what's happened in Chicago this week? A girl with a very promising future was killed when she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you, as the head of the task force, think that nothing you might do will help -- what does that say to America? Do your best to at least try to come up with something. Meanwhile, if you could help those charged with enforcing the current laws to do their jobs better, that would be a good start. Especially here in Chicago where the people are doing the shooting are at risk of ending up dead or imprisoned. Please listen to all the pastors and mothers and other people who are saying that something must change.

I feel sorry for the mothers and families of Chicago (and everywhere) whose lives are marred by this violence. But I doubt the guns involved were purchased legally, or the perpetrators have any fear of repercussions from using them illegally. More needs to change in the culture of these neighborhoods - wherever they are - than any law will fix, no matter how far-reaching and specific. Serious, long-term work needs to be done addressing the causes of the violence, which is more to the heart of the matter than the guns by which it gets expressed.

I do think we also need to address the mental health aspect of this, in most "school shootings" cases that make the news, there were red flags raised about the mental health of the eventual shooter, but because of patient privacy laws, nothing was done. But targeting the weapons themselves is far simpler and politically more newsworthy than addressing that difficult, complex, legally and ethically difficult issue of mental health.

**Lady's Human** · 02-04-2013, 08:53 PM

CM, if the inanimate objects were the heart of the problem, then there would be far more violent deaths in, for instance, rural areas of upstate New York than there are in Chicago, as firearms are far more prevalent in rural areas than they are in cities.

Most people have them, no one, frankly, cares. As stated earlier in the thread they are simply a part of the landscape.

It's not the firearms, it's the people. You could address the tools all day long, but unless you do something about the root cause of the violence then nothing will change.

**RICHARD** · 02-04-2013, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Lady's Human

CM, if the inanimate objects were the heart of the problem, then there would be far more violent deaths in, for instance, rural areas of upstate New York than there are in Chicago, as firearms are far more prevalent in rural areas than they are in cities.

Most people have them, no one, frankly, cares. As stated earlier in the thread they are simply a part of the landscape.

It's not the firearms, it's the people. You could address the tools all day long, but unless you do something about the root cause of the violence then nothing will change.

Assign Eric Holder to monitor the guns. They'll disappear....

**cassiesmom** · 02-04-2013, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Lady's Human

CM, if the inanimate objects were the heart of the problem, then there would be far more violent deaths in, for instance, rural areas of upstate New York than there are in Chicago, as firearms are far more prevalent in rural areas than they are in cities.

Most people have them, no one, frankly, cares. As stated earlier in the thread they are simply a part of the landscape.

It's not the firearms, it's the people. You could address the tools all day long, but unless you do something about the root cause of the violence then nothing will change.

There seems to be a lot of finger-pointing. Mayor Emanuel should do something. Or the Chicago schools should do more. Or it's up to Gov. Quinn and the legislature to make better laws. Or the police aren't doing enough. Or the problem is lack of jobs. Or the problem is drugs. Or someone needs to do something about family instability. Round and round we go. There seem to be a lot of causes but no way to hit any one of them hard enough to have a big effect on the violence.

**mon** · 02-05-2013, 02:18 AM

If we're gonna over simplify this, I must get this off my chest. My friend says, buy all the guns ya want. Make 'em all legal. Even automatic weapons. Just don't sell ammunition. Guns don't kill folks, bullets do.

**blue** · 02-05-2013, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by mon

If we're gonna over simplify this, I must get this off my chest. My friend says, buy all the guns ya want. Make 'em all legal. Even automatic weapons. Just don't sell ammunition. Guns don't kill folks, bullets do.

We can always reload our own ammo. It's easily done.

**phesina** · 02-05-2013, 04:51 AM

People say enforce the laws we already have.

Just what are some of the laws already on the books, and why aren't they being enforced?

**cassiesmom** · 02-12-2013, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by cassiesmom

A girl with a very promising future was killed when she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

There have now been two arrests in this case, which has made the national news. Two gang members were arrested. It's thought that Hadiya and the group of kids she was with were mis-identified by the shooters as members of a rival gang. The CPD Superintendent attributed the arrests to "good police work".

So, again, nothing changes. Two more young African American men will probably go to prison for a long time for this. But it's not likely to decrease the overall incidence of gun violence related to gang membership in Chicago. Could someone please do something to get the guns out of the hands of the wrong people. I know that in the past white people have looked the other way when the perps and the victims are non-white. This case is different, though. Everyone is saying something must change immediately if not sooner.

**Lady's Human** · 02-12-2013, 11:44 PM

Sadly, the political will to make significant change in the "gangsta" culture just doesn't exist.

It's not something that DC can toss together a piece of legislation, trot out to the Rose Garden for a presser and a signing ceremony, and be done.

Therefore, it isn't going to happen.