Closing Thought–28Feb19
For the first time in decades the US will enact a gun law……the NRA will call it gun control…..but in reality it is a commonsense approach to the problem of guns that are running rampant in the US……
The Democratic-controlled House on Wednesday approved a measure requiring federal background checks for all firearms sales and transfers, the first major gun control legislation considered by Congress in nearly 25 years. Democrats called the 240-190 vote a major step to end the gun lobby’s grip on Washington and begin to address an epidemic of gun violence that kills thousands of Americans every year, the AP reports. The bill is the first of two the House is voting on this week as Democrats move to tighten gun laws following eight years of Republican control. The other bill would extend the review period for background checks from three to 10 days.
Both bills face dim prospects in the GOP-controlled Senate and veto threats from President Trump, who said they would impose unreasonable requirements on gun owners. The White House said in a veto message that the background-checks bill could block someone from borrowing a firearm for self-defense or allowing a neighbor to take care of a gun while traveling. Democrats called those arguments misleading and said gun owners have a responsibility to ensure firearms are properly handled. The bill includes exceptions allowing temporary transfers to prevent imminent harm or for use at a target range. The long-delayed bill would merely close loopholes to ensure that background checks are extended to private and online sales that often go undetected, Democrats said.
This will be a fart in a hurricane…….it go NO further than the Senate……the NRA has a lock on the Senate and will use their muscle to keep this from becoming law…..
I have no problem with these checks and neither should any American….keep guns out of the hands of the mental cases or as best we can.
Personally I would go with an assault weapon ban for they serve NO purpose……if a person feels the need to handle and shoot these weapons then the military is always looking for a few good people and they will allow you all the “playtime” with an assault weapon that anyone would want.
My day has come to an end…..I need to take a shower after the scummy stuff in the news….see you guys tomorrow.
I have no problem there.
Me either…but we will see how it plays with the Senate….chuq
Sad to say that’s a pretty lame gun law, by any standards, outside the US.. But not in the least unexpected. We just have to wait until the next mass shooting, to hear some more chest-beating.
Best wishes, Pete.
It is silly that this one part has taken 25 years to be made into a bill…..it is damn pathetic….chuq
Instead of using the term “assault weapon” I suggest the term”semi-automatic”. Sport rifles or other rifles that function the same as assault rifles should be included in the ban. As should semi-automatic and guns with large magazines.
The right. . . shall not be infringed.
That is pretty clear language. A strict reading would not allow any restriction or requirements at all. We are handicapped by that language in attempts to put controls on guns.
I do not believe that we are reading the amendment in the spirit it was made…..commonsense should be the rule and not some interpretation by some with an agenda….chuq
Respectfully, that assumes that the “other side” is not equally agenda-laden. The writings and sources of the Founders [aside from the 2A itself] is pretty clear.
I agree that the “other side” is agenda laden…..that is the nature of this system….games instead of substance….chuq
The Background Check bill should die an early death….for one simple reason [aside from the fact that it wouldn’t have stopped any of the recent mass shootings]: what is the enforcement mechanism? How will the State know if I sell a firearm to my friend or neighbor…..or when? What possible use is a law that cannot be enforced?
The gun control camp knows full well that UBC is absurdly unenforceable, but they want it passed, so that the next obvious step can be pursued – registration.
If the gun control camp could ever acknowledge that “assault weapons” are’t the “machine guns” they intentionally conflate them to be….they would realize that they’re no different than the vast majority of firearms that aren’t as scary looking.
Assault weapons to me are anything that can hold more than a dozen rounds….and people need to stop pretending that the weapons are for defense……for if they are that bad of a shot then a shot gun would be a better choice.
Not to worry the death of the bill is just a Senate vote away. chuq
That’s a huge part of the problem- “assault weapons” is a political label, it has no definition. But tell your definition to to someone who has been the victim of a home invasion by multiple intruders.
That is why I use a shotgun and a pistol…I have no problem with them as “home defense”…..most people do not have the composure to use anything else without hurt people around them. chuq
A fairly blatant accusation- the AR platform is adjustable, ergonomic and has low recoil. In other words, easy to control.
I know I used the original in Vietnam…it was a piece crap and the AK was a far better weapon….you are talking about the weapon and I am talking about the person and temperament…..it is the idiot behind the gun…..most do not have the training to use properly…..or the mental clarity to use properly. I am talking about the people I know….I would not trust a one of them…..chuq
Sure, I know people who shouldn’t own a firearm……just as I know people who shouldn’t get behind the wheel. The Armalite and Colts of yesteryear were indeed subpar……but the offerings these days by high end companies, are instruments of beauty, quality and precision. Highly customizable for body size, experience and intended use.
I am aware of their adaptability…..still does not give me confidence that they should be available to everyone. chuq
You could make that case for any firearm whatsoever, Constitutional right aside.
We can keep sniping at each other…so I will say my opinion has remained the same and I am sure yours has also…chuq
I don’t consider this sniping, though the pun is noted! I appreciate civil discourse. It’s a rare commodity on the internet these days.
As do I and I thank you for your visits…..most of my time is spent on foreign policy and domestic issues fall thru the cracks sometimes….chuq
I do thank you for blogging about this issue, it’s been buried under political theater this week. I’m curious as to your opinion on how UBCs could be enforced, and what effect you believe the law would have.
I have not thought about it to tell the truth for this will not make it past the Senate…..my opinion would be a waste….sorry chuq
By the way, it appears your opposition is to the magazine rather than the firearm.
Ar-15 et al…..are weapons of war not home defense…and yes the magazine is an issue as well as the fact that some can be modified with a paper clip and play-doh…..(used as an example only)……chuq
Every single class of firearms have been designed for or used by militaries – including your shotgun and revolver. I’m not sure what you mean be modifying a magazine with a paper clip.
It was a joke about the ease…sorry I was wrong for doing so chuq
Additionally, AR platforms are used frequently for both home defense and hunting, despite the claims of the gun control camp.
What do you hunt with an AR?
Dependent on the caliber, anything. AR style rifles come in everything from .223 to .50.
What do you hunt with a .50 cal? Besides human targets at about a mile. chuq
Larger game of course. Pick an animal.
I have seen what a 50 does to a body….not anything that would make the carcass usable….I have a single shot .223 and is perfect for hunting for if I need more than one shot I should have stayed home. chuq
Hunters would disagree.
Then they can have their 50 for whatever animal needs a 50….chuq
I see the age-old arguments here. They need not be. As long as we are a Constitutional Republic and still have the bill of rights, the country will have to fall before the so-called gun safety nazis get their way. That being said coach your desire for a no gun country however you want. Just know that it will never happen.
Gun safety is not the same as gun control…so that is a tired argument…..thanx for stopping by….chuq
Yes, it is. Just a new name to distract the ignorant. Nice try though. Your welcome.
Nothing new about the BS spread as gun control….chuq
When I see so-called safety groups working with the biggest and best safety group there is, the NRA, then perhaps your arguments will hold water.
When the NRA starts acting like the organization it use to be and not the front man for the gun making industry…that is when. chuq
LOL
Exactly!
LOL
I have a problem with the dems not wanting illegals, who try to buy guns, having their names reported to I.C.E.. Don’t expect me to support any gun legislation if illegals are going to be exempt.
With regard to an assault weapons ban, I would support a ban on “fully automatic” weapons and a law making it illegal to modify your own weapon to become fully automatic. Assault weapons by themselves are not terrible and do not need to be banned but should not be “fully automatic.”
I have not heard the Dem thingy…sounds like something NRA would use to demonize people trying to get reasonable reform…..if a collector then sure but assault weapons have no place in society…they are not needed for home defense…a shotgun works much better…better coverage…..thanx for the visit and comment….chuq
They are needed for defense from the government and not bad for home defense either.
After all we have been through in recent years, anyone who trusts our government to do the right thing for the people is foolhardy. The government is much more respectful of a well armed citizenry.
Anybody that thinks the government is bad and untrustworthy must have voted for Trump or is smoking hash….chuq
Hmm, so in your mind the founding fathers, who made a provision for the right to bear arms, were smoking hash? Really?
That is how LIES get stared…..comment when brain is not cocked chuq
I dont mind some hash