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Rational gun safety talk advocated

December 18, 2012

Ami Bera

A new California congressman said Monday that he hopes last week’s school carnage in Connecticut will generate meaningful discussion about gun safety measures and “give us the courage to engage in the conversation.” (Sacramento Bee)

Democratic Rep.-elect Ami Bera told the newspaper that he believes efforts by Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein to rekindle interest in a federal assault weapon ban is a “good first step.” The physician emphasized that he also seeks improvements in mental health services to help and better identify potentially dangerous individuals.

“We have to have the courage to have the conversation,” Bera said. “It is not an infringement on someone’s rights if you ask them a few questions.”

And in Sacramento, state Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) is introducing legislation today to alter “the easy accessibility to firearm ammunition that fuels gun violence and criminal activity.”

De León was the sponsor of successful 2009 legislation requiring thumbprints and other information from gun buyers, a law eventually struck down by a Fresno Superior Court judge.


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How ironic, that 20 beautiful children will never grow up to enjoy the “freedoms” spelled out in the Constitution. Rather, they have become victims, as have too many others, of the misuse and miss-interpretation of that very document.


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“…misuse and miss-interpretation of that very document…”


Says who? You? My apologies but I reject your personal opinion on this matter because it’s untrue.


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Frankly, I could care less if you “reject” my opinion. Twenty children are DEAD and all you can do is pimp the NRA.

Your foolishness will do nothing but lead to further violence, and more massacre’s as time goes on. Pray that the next time won’t include you. or a loved one…it’s just a matter of time.


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And your cravings for gun control wouldn’t have changed a damned thing. All you are trying toi do is make yourself feel better. Deal with that reality.


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The expression is, I COULDN’T care less. The verb is in the negative.


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Ami Bera sounds like a clueless individual. Then again maybe he’s already been bought?


More than two decades of gun control have failed. Politicians who support gun control do so because they don’t know what else to do. They don’t yet realize (or they don’t want to realize) that it’s evil people and not guns that commits the killing.


Sadly as they push for gun control as the cure, they take the spotlight away from mental illness, violence in television, movies and gaming, the media’s penchant for making killers (dead or alive) famous and a whole host of other real problems.


You’re off to a bad start, Ami Bera.


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Read the article, you missed the point. He, I, and most others agree with your ‘mental illness’ and ‘bad culture’ issues. But it is the guns that kill, driven by the people. It is a two pronged situation, and emphasizing the ‘bad people’ thing seems to render the guns aspect as insignificant- that is a very wrong attitude.


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No, it’s not the guns that kill. You are flat-out wrong about that.


As long as you beat that drum, you will take the spotlight away from the real problem — mentally ill violet people.


Gun control has been proven to be ineffective. Your “two pronged attack” is based on emotion and not reason. You don’t know what else to do so you scream about banning guns. Shame on you.


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I agree with 99% of what you say, but have you ever heard of a “psy-op”?


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This is silly. If if were the guns that killed, then the guns would have to go on trial for murder!


It’s the people who kill. That’s why they go on trial!


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This guys version of courage is to ignore our Constitution and emotionally ban things that the utopians think will hurt us. This whole thing is tragic in that this is another example of ” let’s not let this crisis go to waste”. And when you say The NRA has long wielded too much power, welcome to a free society that people can join for $35.00 a year to be a member of an organization that protects a Constitutional amendment that they feel is threatened and represents their views. If you choose you could take your hard earned money and join the united utopian society or any group you choose. And you are wrong, I do imagine I am one of those parents and my heart breaks when I think of the innocent little lives lost and those courageous teachers that made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our kids. You might resent me and call me names and say that I am mean, and I can return the favor and say things about you. But we have bigger fish to fry.


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America’s love affair with guns and violence has become toxic. Problem solving is no longer done through critical thinking and mutual effort, it is occurring more and more through the pull of a trigger with tragic results. Stop the madness!


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You mention critical thinking yet you still feel that gun bans are part of the answer? Really?


There are something like 150-200M guns in the USA. They aren’t going anywhere. You do realize that, right? Your ability to think in a critical manner leads you to that reality, correct? You’re aware for instance that the Roberti-Roos act of 1989 required the registration of certain firearms here in California, yet the CA DOJ estimated that less than 15% of those requiring registration were actually registered. You knew that right.


Why not stop whining and stop focusing on the real source of these massacres — insane/violent people?


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I feel very sorry for you. Your infatuation with firearms is very disturbing. How sad that your fear of everything has no doubt led you to this point.

do you consider the massacre of these students and educators “acceptable losses” in your war to keep guns in the hands of Americans?

Wake u!. You are NO crusader, you are a coward.


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Actually it’s I that feels sorry for you.


You know not what else to do except to whine for “gun control” even thought it has been shown not to work.


You’re the problem.


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“love affair” with guns?


Are you from another planet? I thought Americans had a love affair with LIBERTY!


“Stop the madness”? Who are you trying to kid? Obviously the NWO wants to disarm us because we will be much easier to intimidate, much more dependent on government for our “protection,” etc.


This is nothing more than a step towards a POLICE STATE. How would you like to live in one?


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America does not have a “love affair” with guns. They have a love affair with LIBERTY.


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Hey how about this, we have a “discussion” about the parents raising these jackals? How about a discussion about the anti-depression pill addicts lurking on our streets? How about a “discussion” about parents who think mummy in the work place so they can buy more Chinese made crap is more important than raising your kids. The Second Amendment is clear, and a pack of left wing miscreants won’t change it, EVER. Got it?


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Wrong. All our rights come with responsibilities, even the right to free speech. You make some good points but they cloud the larger issue. If you ever happen to watch or read national news you might have noticed that many big players in all this are ‘putting everything on the table’ in approaching this issue.


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“mean attitudes” hotdog? Because I (and my family) do not agree with most of your conclusions, you have called us all; ” dupes, NRA freaks ,single purpose, selfish and dangerous, caused the murder of countless people, cavalcade of whining, childish excuses and ridiculous evasions”, and I guess, in your view, my family and I are not included in “those with a brain that still functions”.


I am a parent, and my heart breaks for them. I just don’t believe further gun control is the answer.


I am just throwing this out for thought only, but how many killers have come from broken homes? Outlaw divorce? Guns are an easy target, and I do understand why.


However, I very much appreciate your comment on mental health. I have close experience with a family member with mental issues, and I know too well the pitfalls there. There is a balance that this country is going to have to wrestle with. It was the courts who changed the programs, and partly for some good reasons. It was too easy to commit, and family members were committing people to get control of their money. But, I feel, the baby was thrown out with the bath water. Now, getting treatment for someone is tricky, and most times requires law enforcement actions. It is a very tough situation. But, if name calling, hotdog, is how you are going to begin the discussion, I fear there will be no discussion. To be frank, I am not even sure why I am bothering to write this.


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Just watch what the NRA does in the near future over this issue. And if you had heard the idiotic and childish rantings on the air you could not hold the feelings you are beating me with. It is obvious that guns+people with bad intent= trouble. It is just my thought that we will not deal with the latter, so we must deal with the former. Of course the obvious and usual third option is to do nothing and continue the carnage.

Many very prominent politicians on the right and left who have perfect NRA ratings are now saying we must control the most dangerous guns. These are hunters and allies (former) of the NRA. I suppose you know more than they do.


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The NRA actually comports itself with honor and class in times like this. It does not act like a Dianne Feinstein, trying to use the raw emotion of such a tragic event to move her agenda forward.


Gun control doesn’t work. We have been trying since 1989 here in CA to make things safer through gun control. It’s been a complete flop.


Stop fooling around by blaming guns. Focus attention on those pulling the trigger.


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Just what is Feinstein’s agenda?


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National gun control. She was on all the Sunday morning talk show immediately following the massacre. What a political scumbag.


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Some crusader, you opt for nothing…


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Why do you lie?


America needs to take a hard look at the mentally ill in our country and how we deal with them.


We need to look at gun violence depicted in movies, television and gaming.


etc., etc. You can read my comments on the other gun thread.


But please don’t lie and say that I opt for nothing.


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Mentally ill? have you ever heard of MK-Ultra? Get what, it never went away. If the shooters are “mentally ill,” it’s because their handlers from the government (CIA?) made them that way. This is not a secret! Google it!


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Actually, please don’t look at the data… but the key to solving these issues is not what you think.


In Colorado, conceal and carry is the law, the whackjob there who murdered theater goers to a Batman movie chose the one location within 20 minutes that posted a sign forbidding ccw holders from bringing in their guns into the theater.


The bad guys always look for soft targets.


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So why don’t the daily deaths from smoking finally start the talks to ban it and stop the government subsidies of tobacco?


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Or abortion?


On that horrific day when 26 people were killed in Newtown, CT, over 3,000 babies were also killed righ here in the USA.


3,000…


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No, not babies, Babies are recently born human life forms. But I agree that is a bad situation. As Clinton wisely said, “I believe abortion should be legal and rare”.


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Life begins at conception you evil and misguided individual.


3,000…


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reread Genesis, life is BREATH., take your first breath you are human, if you are an undifferentciated cell mass you are at the mercy of your mother , not the republican party.


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My regrets but I reject your personal interpretation of Sacred Scripture.


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your repetitive lame ass replies in this thread have zero substance, you know that right? using abortion as a prop for second amendment rights LOL


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Please compose yourself. You may lack the depth to engage in debate but that’s not true of all of us. Frustration with your own limits is no reason to become rude.


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That’s an ad hominem attack and the Moderator needs to remove your comment from this forum.


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zygotes are not babies , Choice is law, a woman wants to end HER pregnancy ? nobodys business . very weak sauce cross warrior.


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Life begins at conception. :)


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The very foundation of our society: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are CREATED equal…”


If we are CREATED equal, that means that we all share exactly the same set of rights from the moment of creation. That includes due process under the law, yet an abortion is an execution without due process of the law. The mother become judge, jury, and executioner.


I completely agree that it is a woman’s body and they have the right to chose. They have a right to chose whether or not to have sex the same as any male has that same choice. They have a choice to use birth control the same as any male has a choice to use a condom. Their right to chose stops when there is a 3rd creation involved.


NOBODY has the right to be judge, jury, and executioner. NOBODY.


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and that is why it is the custom to draw your first breath and begin your life it is not yours until she gives it up. tough beans. eh.


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Why do you continue to struggle against the truth?


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Fat chance. As evidenced by the frenetic whining of the NRA freaks calling in to the Congalton show since last Friday denying their dangerous weapons have any culpability in the nightmare of our angry and dangerous country they will fight tooth and nail against any reasonable solution. Despite the facts of the situation the NRA (and local members) is once again clouding the issue, spreading its lies and energizing its members to fight any reforms.

The NRA has long wielded way too much power, it is a single purpose, selfish and dangerous organization. Because of it’s historical lobbying and bullying of elected officials it has caused the murder of countless people, many of them little kids.

The NRA and its dupes will say it is the crazies, not the guns, that kill. Bull, it is often a combination but even supposedly level headed folks with a very clear and defined objective do as well. The easy availability of ultra dangerous weapons makes for more mayhem than we would have otherwise.

And consider this: our level of support for those with troubled youth has steadily declined over the decades. In our present climate of tight money and mean attitudes that situation will only get worse. So if we will not address our mental illness issues then we must address the other culprit in these ghastly murders-the guns.

Listen up folks, you have heard and will hear a cavalcade of whining, childish excuses and ridiculous evasions in response to more responsible gun control. I hope those with a brain that still functions speak up for sanity. Imagine you were a parent of one of the children murdered.


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Mental Health is the key and your post is a great example of untreated mental health conditions.


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How unkind of you. How do you know I have not received treatment?

Perhaps you would enjoy one of my favorite quotes. Maybe it will sing to the neanderthals in our midst, like Bobby-o.

“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”

Anonymous bumper sticker


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Wow, you call people freaks and dupes and they are unkind. Your quote is truly perfect for what is happening right now. Like this new congressman and the others who are taking advantage of this tragedy, the truth is the last thing they are interested in.


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I think they are just reacting to important current events, just what they are supposed to do. Do you think anyone would have head a thing about gun control last Thursday? Even after so many tragedies, even after a US Congressperson was shot and many others killed in Az, we did nothing. We always do nothing. Bit of hand wringing, bit of “I’m real sorry” and then we do nothing. Always nothing.

And now the big bad boys with big guns (and probably small weenies) want us to do nothing, yet again.

Perhaps instead of whining about my seemingly harsh words the readers could get off the couch and propose a meaningful solution to this endless slaughter of innocents. I have yet to hear one single intelligent idea that could reduce the killings other than making dangerous weapons harder to get hold of by our youth, mentally ill or other unstable persons.


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Stop lying.


Gun control does not work. That has been proven.


It’s time to focus on the real culprit — mental illness.


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Not lying here. Show me the proof of your conjecture. And then show me the slightest evidence the public will ever support a greater degree of mental health support, with its huge attendant costs and low performance.


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Are you actually being serious?


You’re suggesting that we not look at the root of this problem because it costs too much?


That instead we should ban guns? Shame on you.


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On another post I did propose and idea that I know would be effective. Congress needs to give a $2500.00 tax credit and in some cases provide grants to purchase gun safes. And to follow up, increase the penalties for people whose guns are used in the commission of a crime. The little cowards mother should have had those weapons secured from the mentally ill son that she was losing control over. I am sure that this sick young man would have found another way to hurt people if he had no access to guns. He needed more aggressive treatment for his illness and his mother had an obligation to seek more effective treatment. I see mental illness every day and perhaps more funding could provide solutions. We cannot ban everything that people abuse and mis-use. I have children and we have enjoyed the shooting sports for many years. Even as adults they do not have free access to my weapons. The facts are that gun control does not work.


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Stop demonizing the NRA.


You have no idea what to do so you attack guns. Stop being ignorant and realize that it’s evil people that kill and not guns.


Until people like you do, the focus will be kept off mental illness where it belongs.


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The NRA should be disbanded and its leaders put in chains for murder.


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Now you are just being silly. Are you simply seeking attention?


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