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talkpoliticsA gunman opened fire at a gay bar in Orlando, Florida late last night. As of writing this, there are reports of 50 dead so far with many more injured. The shooter has been identified as Omar Mateen, and reports as of right now suggest he may have been on some FBI terror watchlists and may have declared an allegiance or sympathies to ISIS, which would make this the most deadly terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11.
Consider this a consolidated open thread.
Consider this a consolidated open thread.
(no subject)
Date: 14/6/16 06:01 (UTC)One part of that multi-step solution is acknowledging that the whole debate about gun control is focusing on the wrong aspect of the issue. If you ban people from carrying guns by law, law-abiding citizens will not be carrying guns. And criminals would keep being armed in a gun-less environment. Which gives them a huge advantage. Unless you want to put armed guards at every corner and every bar, then you've got a problem. Not to mention that a shooter can always surprise the guards and aim at them first, and after they're out, the shooter can then go on his rampage unimpeded.
The focus should be on controlling who gets guns, how, and why, and knowing who has them. But of course the gun-producing, gun-selling lobby is so powerful, it's not going to let that happen without a huge fight. Perhaps even literally.
If the gun possessors are tightly conrolled
Date: 14/6/16 07:13 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 14/6/16 07:46 (UTC)If the law addresses the current realities in an adequate way, if it reflects people's preferences, and if it's properly enforced, this should work relatively well. Of course there'll always be glitches - the question is how prevalent they would be.
It's evident that the current state of the gun control laws in that country, and/or the way they're being enforced, does not adequately address the current realities. If it was a proper law, we wouldn't be having this debate right now.
Freedom is a nice concept. Abstract, but nice indeed. And the balance between safety and freedom is one of the most difficult things to achieve in an open society - especially when there are such big interests invested on both sides of the debate (the gun industry is making huge profits and would stop at nothing to keep it that way). Nobody wants the US to become an autocracy - certainly not the majority of people who want fewer gun-shots around. But that doesn't mean the current situation is anywhere near being satisfactory on that front.
(no subject)
Date: 14/6/16 13:26 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 14/6/16 13:33 (UTC)RE: If the gun possessors are tightly conrolled
Date: 14/6/16 10:36 (UTC)