Gun Control -- As usual discussed only after a massacre.

As usual, gun control gets a lot of attention after a mass shooting. In the end, nothing changes and we forget about the topic until the next massacre. While it is on the front burner, what are your thoughts?

I voted for the middle ground.

Toward that goal, I ask why anyone needs to own an AK47.

All the gun dealers in the country just felt
the breeze of brisk sales coming, so they're
going to have a great Xmas. Nothing like
a mass shooting to send people into action
arming themselves. Happens every time.
Colt and S&W probably just added another
shift in their factories.

Quote: Wizard

While it is on the front burner, what are your thoughts?

There are technological solutions to many things. You use a fingerprint scan to get in a phone, so why not a gun? Should police have the power to turn off a car's engine so there are no car chases.

Can automatic rifles be equipped with cellular transmitters and GPS devices. At least the police would know if someone brings 23 weapons into a hotel room.

Quote: Pacomartin

You use a fingerprint scan to get in a phone, so why not a gun?

Awful idea. A gun needs to work 100% of the time and work fast. You might or might not have time to scan your finger. I don't want to have to worry about such a thing working.

My thoughts on gun control remain the same. We have enough gun laws as it is. No gun ever killed a person, people kill people. Part of society thinks we will fix the problem if we just pass more gun laws.

Consider this. We cannot keep meth and heroin out of prisons. Why think a gun law is going to make a difference?

To begin with, gun stores should undergo a rigorous certification process, including marksmanship, assembly and disassembly, safety, etc. Next any person looking to buy a gun ought to 1) face a mandatory 48 hour waiting period, 2) watch video of gun homicides, mass shootings, and closeups of gunshot wounds, 3) require a note from a judge.

No big impediments, right?

For what it's worth, if we could snap our fingers and make every privately owned gun disappear, I'd favor it.

But we can't. There are millions of guns already in circulation. As the bumper sticker says, "If we outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns." I am fine with some reasonable limits on firepower. For example, nobody needs a machine gun for hunting or home defense. Unfortunately, as we learned yesterday, a semi-automatic can be converted to automatic.

Quote: Pacomartin

There are technological solutions to many things. You use a fingerprint scan to get in a phone, so why not a gun?

1) In cases of legitimate defense, this may slow down the process fatally.

2) Any security features can be bypassed.

3) Guns by design produce shock, which tends to be detrimental to electronics.

Quote:

Can automatic rifles be equipped with cellular transmitters and GPS devices. At least the police would know if someone brings 23 weapons into a hotel room.

Not a bad idea, but see point 2 above.

Does Nevada law allow MGM to bar guests from bringing in guns?

Quote: Wizard

For what it's worth, if we could snap our fingers and make every privately owned gun disappear, I'd favor it.

But we can't. There are millions of guns already in circulation. As the bumper sticker says, "If we outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns."

You kind of contradict yourself there.

The vast amount of existing guns makes the problem difficult, but not impossible to solve. Not by a finger snap, but with buy back programs and, in some cases, outright confiscation.

But at the very least, remove the prohibition for the CDC to research the effect of guns as regards accidents, injuries and deaths.

Quote: Nareed

You kind of contradict yourself there.

The vast amount of existing guns makes the problem difficult, but not impossible to solve. Not by a finger snap, but with buy back programs and, in some cases, outright confiscation.

But at the very least, remove the prohibition for the CDC to research the effect of guns as regards accidents, injuries and deaths.

You can also look for articles like these

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-u-s-gun-deaths-compare-to-other-countries/

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/upshot/compare-these-gun-death-rates-the-us-is-in-a-different-world.html