Florida School Shooting

[Mountain Man]

And England, and Germany, and Norway. Mass killings can take place anywhere in the world and the criminals will use any means they can. Not just guns.

The Boston Marathon terrorists caused tremendous destruction without firing a single shot.

[Adrift]

Or an even shorter drive within the city to buy one illegally.

I'm good with levels of difficulty. If in the immediate future of a total gun ban it means that people will have to turn to the black market to get guns...well...it takes work, lots of money, and dealing with shady people. For some people the risk won't be worth the reward, and if it means one school shooter will give up on his dream of mass murdering children because of the hassle, then I'm all for it. In the long term I think that it won't even be an issue.

[seer]

I think it will.

How has that worked with illegal drugs?

[Cow Poke]

I'm good with levels of difficulty. If in the immediate future of a total gun ban it means that people will have to turn to the black market to get guns...well...it takes work, lots of money, and dealing with shady people. For some people the risk won't be worth the reward, and if it means one school shooter will give up on his dream of mass murdering children because of the hassle, then I'm all for it. In the long term I think that it won't even be an issue.

OK, but these people who don't have the moral compass to keep them from mass killings -- they have no problem whatsoever "dealing with shady people". It's their world.

[Adrift]

How has that worked with illegal drugs?

Probably better than it would have if we had decided as a nation to shrug our shoulders and do nothing. Or are you for the legalization of crack, heroin, meth and the like?

[Mountain Man]

I'm good with levels of difficulty. If in the immediate future of a total gun ban it means that people will have to turn to the black market to get guns...well...it takes work, lots of money, and dealing with shady people. For some people the risk won't be worth the reward, and if it means one school shooter will give up on his dream of mass murdering children because of the hassle, then I'm all for it. In the long term I think that it won't even be an issue.

People already use the black market to purchase guns illegally.

[Mountain Man]

How has that worked with illegal drugs?

It has worked so well that lawmakers are seriously considering legalizing some drugs to ease the burden on the legal system.

[Adrift]

OK, but these people who don't have the moral compass to keep them from mass killings -- they have no problem whatsoever "dealing with shady people". It's their world.

I don't think that's true. Most of the mass shooters weren't gangbangers or hoodrats. I've been in really shady situations to buy drugs as a dumb teen...it's not easy...you have to have connections, it's not cheap, and it's scary. That's just to buy weed, or LSD, can't imagine buying a gun.

[Adrift]

People already use the black market to purchase guns illegally.

Sure, but as someone up thread pointed out, most homicides are committed with legally bought firearms.

[Roy]

It's worth noting that some of the deadliest cities in America are the ones with the strictest gun laws.

Yeah, I know. That's brought up every time this debate resurfaces. I don't find that very impressive though, since all it takes is a short drive out of the city in order to buy a gun legally.

Also the causation may be backwards - they aren't dangerous because they have gun laws, they have gun laws because they're dangerous.

[Adrift]

It has worked so well that lawmakers are seriously considering legalizing some drugs to ease the burden on the legal system.

I'm curious, are you for the legalization of heroin, crack, meth, PCP, and the like?

[seer]

Probably better than it would have if we had decided as a nation to shrug our shoulders and do nothing. Or are you for the legalization of crack, heroin, meth and the like?

Adrift, there is something else happening here - firearms were much easier to get when I was younger, yet we did not see this kind of mass shooting - so what is the real problem? And shouldn't we be addressing that?

[Sparko]

In the short term maybe, but long term, I don't think so. But I suppose we'll see.



I'd rather face some other generally less lethal method than a gun, personally. Other nation's law abiding citizens seem to do fine without guns, so I don't buy the argument that the sky will fall if we make them illegal in the US.



I think it will.

so why don't they just stop making bullets? quickest way to make a gun useless.

[Cow Poke]

I don't think that's true. Most of the mass shooters weren't gangbangers or hoodrats.

Nobody said any such thing.

I've been in really shady situations to buy drugs as a dumb teen...it's not easy...you have to have connections, it's not cheap, and it's scary. That's just to buy weed, or LSD, can't imagine buying a gun.

This is a whole different time, Adrift. How many of these shooters have done their research on the internet? You didn't have that.

[Mountain Man]

so why don't they just stop making bullets? quickest way to make a gun useless.

It has been discussed, but most people realize that it's an attempt at a backdoor abolition of the 2nd Amendment.