Congress Grapples With Next Steps on Gun Control Bills After Texas Mass Shooting

In 2019 there were two consecutive mass shootings in mosques in Christchurch New Zealand. These shootings involved a single white supremacist armed a shotgun to open doors and an AR-15 large magazine wesoon to kill Friday prayer worshipers. He was apprehended en-route to a third mosque he had targeted.

The prime minister and parliament determined that the AR-15 was the tool that enabled this solitary shooter to inflict massive casualties - and that the best solution to protect the populace was to ban AR-15 style weapons from their country, including from the 'public safety officers' [police], since there was no need for even them to carry such weapons. They bought all of the AR-15 rifles from their owners and destroyed them all.

People could still acquire weapons for self defense - just not high rate of fire semiautomic weapons with large magazines.

Some people grumbled but there were no more mass killings and the instances of gun violence dropped and continues to stay low after all of the pressures of the pandemic, supply line shortages and inflation that is causing tension everywhere in the world.

Why can't we do the same?

It certainly would not stop all gun violence but it would make it more difficult for a single shooter to take many lives in a short period of time. 

What do we need or use guns for:

1. On a ranch or farm maybe rifle to keep wild animals from livestock.

2. In a home, maybe a hand gun to protect from intruders.

3. In sport or hunting to obtain meat to supplement one groceries, again a rifle.

So, who needs SOLDIERS weapons but ACTUAL soldiers? 

So, they say they have a right given by the US Constitution to form a militia. So, what is  militia? Oxford defines below:
 
 
mi·li·tia
/məˈliSHə/
 Learn to pronounce
 
noun
a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
"creating a militia was no answer to the army's manpower problem"
a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities in opposition to a regular army.
all able-bodied civilians eligible by law for military service.

So was this 18 year old using his Soldier guns to ward off wild animals, or protect his home from intruders, or hunting for game? Or was he called upon to serve in a militia to aid the US military in an emergency? 

No, none of the above! He had NO reason to have these GUNS, NONE!

How exactly was an 18 year old allowed to buy a gun?

In an effort to not judge people we do not put certain people on a red flag list. This Waco was known by previous runnings with the law to be an individual who multiple times was caught and reported to be going around the town shooting people with a BB Gun. Though that is classified as a toy and other than shooting some persons eye out it should put a red flag up that this individual is not NORMAL and should never be sold a weapon of any kind. 
Normal kids with BB Guns shoot at targets or bottles or maybe even a bird or squirrel. Most kids that actually hit a bird an kill it stop shooting at animals and go back to targets or bottles. In science classes of the past we had to dissect a frog. That was bad enough but if your kid goes farther like Jeffery Dalmer who use to dissect cats and dogs by the hundreds maybe you should be seeing a shrink and not be sold a weapon ever.

I voted maybe because I'm not sure debating anything gets us anywhere unless there is a solution at the end - government seems really bad - especially this one - at providing solutions for anything - but excellent at BLAMING

Young men seem to have a very difficult time and reaching adulthood seems to almost be impossible- where are the men who can offer a role model - where are the fathers?  The family?  A solid foundation of morals and values?  Why are they so destructive?  Why is it that the US has so many school shootings?  There used to be a plethora of serial killers but now it's armed young men killing and not just schools- they kill each other - look at Chicago, Baltimore Cleveland on and on - look at the destructive behavior of looting, burning, complete disregard of all things - 

Look around you - and now on top of all this is inflation, a lack of baby formula, gas prices making families stuck - sounds a lot like Venezuela- 

But this Memorial weekend I fly my flag and pray to God 

Debate should lead to evidenced-based decisions but when people receive millions of dollars from donors to represent their issues then money will decide the issue - not debate or polls or even votes unless there are enough votes to get rid of the hired guns in Congress.

Mitt Romney (UT)        $13,647,676

Richard Burr (NC)        $  6,987,380

Roy Blunt (MO)             $  4,555,722

Thom Tillis (NC)            $  4,421,333

Cory Gardner (CO)       $  3,939,199

Marco Rubio (FL)          $  3,303,355

Joni Ernst (IA)                $   3,124,773

Rob Portman (OH)        $  3,063,327

Todd C. Young (IN)        $  2,897,582

Bill Cassidy (LA)             $ 2,867,074

David Perdue (GA)        $ 2,002,462

Tom Cotton (AR)            $  1,968,714

Pat Roberts (KS)            $  1,581,153

Pat Toomey (PA)            $  1,475,448

Josh Hawley (MO)         $ 1,391,548

Marsha Blackburn (TN) $1,306,130

Ron Johnson (WI)          $ 1,269,486

Mitch McConnell (KY)   $  1,267,139

Mike Braun (IN)               $ 1,249,967

John Thune (SD)             $   638,942

Shelley Capito (WV)       $    341,738

Martha McSally (AZ)      $  303,853

Richard Shelby (AL)        $   258,514

Chuck Grassley (IA)        $   226,007

John Kennedy (LA)          $   215,788

Ted Cruz (TX)                    $  176,274

Lisa Murkowski (AK)        $ 146,262

Johnny Isakson (GA)        $ 131,571

Steve Daines (MT)             $ 123,711

Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS)   $ 109,547

Roger Wicker (MS)            $ 106,680

Rand Paul (KY)                  $ 104,456

Mike Rounds (SD)             $   95,049

John Boozman (AR)          $   82,352

John Cornyn (TX)              $   78,945

Ben Sasse (NE)                  $   68,623

Jim Inhofe (OK)                   $  66,758

Lindsey Graham (SC)        $  55,961

Mike Crapo (ID)                   $ 55,039

Jerry Moran (KS)                 $  34,718

John Barrasso (WY)           $ 26,989

Lamar Alexander (TN)       $  25,293

Mike Enzi (WY)                     $ 24,722

John Hoeven (ND)               $ 22,050

Susan Collins (ME)              $ 19,800

Deb Fischer (NE)                  $ 19,638

James Lankford (OK)          $ 18,955

Jim Risch (ID)                        $ 18,850

Tim Scott (SC)                       $ 18,513

Kevin Cramer (ND)               $ 13,255

https://elections.bradyunited.org/take-action/nra-donations-116th-congress-senators

https://www.causes.com/comments/9969

https://www.causes.com/comments/9865

https://www.causes.com/comments/9782

https://www.causes.com/comments/10128

What is there to debate?
No,  really?
It is time to shut down the propaganda
What are the takeaways from the last big go round? 

Pretty much follow the polls & the experts. Hammer out the details, pass the laws. Each state needs to get on board. 

#1 The American Public Favors Gun Control Poll results below. 

#2 Sensible Laws Follow along these lines

The 3 Gun-Control Laws That Work Best in the U.S. - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-05/the-3-gun-control-laws-that-work-best-in-the-u-s

You can blame guns, systemic racism, political parties, the NRA, or anyone you want. But as long as you continue ignoring the "root causes" of this epidemic, it will never stop. Our nation was founded on faith, and it is faith that we have abandoned.

Our country has become so immoral, corrupt, and dysfunctional, that all we are left with is evil. We used to live by a moral code. We had an understanding of right vs wrong. What is acceptable and what is not. We used to believe in the foundation of family values, justice, and love thy neighbor. We have allowed our moral compass to rust and erode. But most importantly, we have turned our backs on God. 

This is not a political issue. This is a societal issue. When you take away personal responsibility, and blame everyone else or everything else, you take away any chance of resolving the problem. This is OUR fault. Not a group or political party. This is for ALL of us to own. 

Bring back God. Bring back faith. Bring back accountability. Bring back that moral compass we have lost. Then and only then, will you see this stop.

Democrat Officials do not wait to find out all of the facts about the shooter or the motives behind a mass shooting. Neither do some Republicans these days...there must be an election coming up. Instead of blaming the evil intentions of the shooter and things like CRT that indoctrinate some school students to believe that they are 'victims' and must hold their 'oppressors' accountable for their situation in life, the Dems jump at the opportunity to blame everyone and anyone else for the situation where schools are easy targets for lunatics that escape detection and go undetected 'under the radar' of social media and law enforcement. There was a Justice Department program in effect at the Uvalde School District which used Artificial Intelligence to detect culprits such as the Uvalde shooter. However that AI program failed magnificently to detect him. What is needed is strict security programs which lock down school buildings when students are inside, with armed security guards and single point of entry & exit as a gaunlet which criminals with a gun must get past in order to perpetrate such heinous crimes as what happened at Uvalde Elementry School last week. Law abiding citizens who legally own guns and have 'citizen sanity' maust not be blamed for mass shootings carried out by homocidal maniacs. Guns do not shoot people, criminal nut jobs will do that with or without guns. School security is the partial answer, in addition to monitoring criminal behavior online and in the community to screen out those potential criminal shooters who may go undetected without the required scrutiny. Either stop the homocidal maniacs with proper scrutiny before they act, or stop them at the single point of entry to the school buildings with effective security. Homeland security must partner with the Departments of Education to execute proper security such as we have at the entrances to Court Houses around the Country. That which protects Judges in their Courtrooms effectively must be effectively used to protect our school children from those who would act to harm them in any way. Mental health screenings of potential threats in any community must be combined with effective enforcement of security at school entrances. Uff dah!

Allow the schools to utilize unspent millions in COVID-19 funds already appropriated to be used in protection of school students. It may just be less costly than building a new school building each time. 

Any regulation is infringement. 

We have so few actual rights, we must fight like hell to keep the ones we have.

Because I am saying this, I'm sure I will be called uncaring, unempathetic, etc., etc.

I care a lot. I am shook and disheartened by the acts of evil people utilizing the tools we (law abiding citizens) have at our disposal. I am beyond upset at the pathetic reaction of the people that are supposed to protect us, many of whom should be criminally prosecuted for, in essence, accomplices to murder. Not doing their jobs cost kids their lives.

But lets put the blame where it belongs. The person who actually committed this horrific act. And lets look at potential solutions that everyone "gun nuts" and others will both agree on.

First of all, I personally do not have a perfect solution. But I recogize that I am not an expert in dealing with active shooters and protection of hostages/victims. So get EXPERTS to help figure out fixes that may not be perfect, but would greatly enhance the defense of unarmed people. Answers that don't have anything to do with guns and gun rights. Thing like flash-bang grenades to disable the shooter...and yes, some students, but will give the authorities...those with a spine, a chance to apprehend or kill this person.

Let's not utilize a knee-jerk reaction to something truly horrific to remove one of the few rights we are afforded by our constitution. The Bill of Rights wasn't put in place to protect the popular idea...the popular ideas don't need protection.

That said, there is a cost for freedom. Lives. We have literally fought wars to defend our rights as American citizens. Hundreds of thousands of lives. If we wanted to accept being like another country, like the U.K. or Canada, we certainly could. No guns. No free speech. No liberty. When did America become synonymous with "bad". We became our own country to be different than the others. And yet, from guns to healthcare to redistribution of wealth we point to other countries and say, "hey, look how great they are...lets copy them!" This is ignorant, uninformed, political propaganda to change our country from the country with some actual freedoms that we have, to a socialist nation like the rest of the "free" world.

Debating gun laws at a federal level is not where it belongs and isn't likely to actually improve the situation. To our government: get help from experts and make all our lives betters. Leave our rights alone.

No private individual has a practical need for an assault rifle. There is no call for them for the purpose of national defense. The harm that they do in our society far outweighs any rationale the gun lobby has for them. Follow the lead of Canada and most of the European nations and take reasonable concrete steps to regulate gun ownership and ban weapons of war from our streets forever!

There is never a debate, there is always restrictions on rights of the law abiding. If there was a true guns problem in this country, you would know about it. You are more likely to die by medical malpractice than firearms, yet surgery is still legal. The issue isn't the tool, it is the people that weild it. Until that is at the root of the conversation, there can be no reasonable debate. 

You guys better not cave!!!  

According to NSSF AR15-style rifles are NOT “assault weapons”. An assault weapon is FULLY automatic, a machine gun. AR15-style rifle is NO different than deer rifles in operation except for the capacity of their magazine & it LOOKS military.

What would you say if the animal had used a knife? Guns don't kill without a human: acquiring the gun, buying ammo, loading the ammo, picking a target, pointing at the target & pulling the trigger. It is the HUMAN, NOT the "gun".

In the 1960's it was not uncommon to see students bringing rifles to school as a lot of high schools had gun clubs & competition shooting on campus, even in New York, what changed? NOT the guns cause I still have mine. It is todays society. https://nypost.com/2018/03/31/when-toting-guns-in-high-school-was-cool/

Because our political system is founded on debate first, vote second, we must begin with debate. The discussions among our Congressional delegates should be in the open and reported by media. Our Representatives and Senators must vote according to their district voters desires.  Not lobbyists who represent "special interests" of corporations/associations. 

I'm 1776 percent sure I will be giving up nothing. 

"Gun Control is an evil, Communist, Authoritian concept. It must not be allowed (in any form) in a Free Society. Our Exceptional Nation must reject any form of thed enslaving concept of "gun control". The latest tradegy was a direct result of well intended, but. niave, stupid cfongressional laws. signed by equally stupid Presidents. We must not seal Juvinial records must not be sealed when the Offender turns 18. We musdt have a parole timer period prior qwny sealing of Juvinal records, so evil Kids like the Uvalde gunchild can not legally buy a firearm. We deny Adult Felons this right for proper reason. Possesing firearms, and voting must not be allowed for offenders. They proved themselves themselves untrustworthy. Deniing Free Citizens their rights is not acceptawble. Punish the Offenderrs, not. the4 inocent. 

It is way past time to institute common sense gun control laws. I am a responsible gun owner and I would be fine with jumping through hoops to purchase a gun it it would help keep guns out of the hand of people that should not have them. Laws requiring safe storage might also help. 

Another issue for Congress to revisit is immunity that Congress has allowed gun companies shielding them from litigation when their products are used to commit crimes like the Uvalde shooting where the rifle was manyfactured by Daniel Defense based in GA with a 2nd facility in SC.

Gun manufactures like Daniel's Defense donate to Republican candidates and committees at the federal and state level.

Danuel Defense has donated $70,000 to Federal GOP this election cycle, according to the Federal Election Commission, and last year donated $100,000 to the following candidates:

1) Herschel Walker, former football star running for the US Senate in Georgia with former president Donald Trump’s endorsement. 
2) Sen Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
3) Tim Scott (R-SC) 
4) Sen John Neely Kennedy (R-La.)
5) State Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Republican candidate for the US Senate
5) $100K in super PAC that backed the Republican incumbents in last year’s Georgia runoff elections
6) $ 20,000 into the National Shooting Sports Foundation PAC, whose largest beneficiaries are #1 & #2 House Republicans 

---Rep Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

----Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA)

7) $2,400 to Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), the Trump-backed challenger to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. 

The DDM4 V7 used in the shooting costs $2k. Sample Promotional material: 

1. rifle leaning against a refrigerator and the caption

“Let’s normalize kitchen Daniels. What Daniel do you use to protect your family and home?” 

“perfect do all rifle.”

2. child handling a rifle with the caption, 

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

3. A minute-long spot it submitted to Fox for the Super Bowl in 2014 was rejected because of the NFL’s rules against advertisements for, “firearms, ammunition or other weapons.” 

“the best Super Bowl ad that never was.”

4. campaign poster for Rep. Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA) who has received donations, includes Clyde’s name, the office he’s seeking and a silhouette of the rifle. In north Georgia, the semiautomatic rifle has replaced the flag as the congressional candidate’s political alignment.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/27/texas-shooting-gun-manufacturer-donations/

https://www.causes.com/comments/10842

https://www.causes.com/comments/10758

https://www.causes.com/comments/10634

https://www.causes.com/comments/10396

https://www.causes.com/comments/10154

https://www.causes.com/comments/10128

https://www.causes.com/comments/996

https://www.causes.com/comments/9865

https://www.causes.com/comments/9782

Gun control is a waste of time if your not outright banning all firearm production and sale this is gonna do nothing. Chicago is your proof. Fix society  most of these kids prob could have been reached had someone taking the time to speak to them or treated them with kindness. kids are fragile minded, bullying that may seem like nothing to us might be torment for the child parents have to do a better job knowing what's going on with there children. I don't blame guns I blame the parenting and we in society breed these shooting that's a fact. 

"In God We Trust"....but, in reality, "In GUNS We Trust". Right?!!! The facts of this Reality are too evident. Repeal the 2nd Amendment . We're not a safer nation, are we? But look to other nations who are'nt fetishized with guns. They are safer!

That we don't have better gun control laws after so many mass shootings over the last 5 years is amazing! Republicans want to stop abortions to "save a life," but will not pass any gun control legislation! New Zealand only needed one mass shooting before they banned the weapons like the AK15 or AK47 and increased all gun control purchases. Right now, the Republicans will not vote for any gun control, and that's because the NRA gives thousands to Republicans running for office on the State and federal levels! We can no longer wait for gun control laws and banning of assault weapons! The Filibuster must be removed! Citizens United must be removed as both violate the Constitution! States have passed voting laws that hamper the voting process violating at lease 3 Amendments of the Constitution. Every elected official is to REPRESENT THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED THEM INTO OFFICE, NOT THEIR PARTY!!! The majority ofAmerican people WANT gun control, so why aren't our elected Representatives and Senators passing gun control? 

Every "PRO LIFE"  supporter  must then apart of of gun control as that is about SAVING LIVES!!!!!

SOMETHING has to be done!  I am not naive enough to think that any gun law or mental health law will fix the issue.  We are humans and the problem will exist as long as guns are out there.

BUT, I do think that doing NOTHING is NOT the answer.  Just think if some of the smaller bills had gone thru after Columbine (or Sandy Hook... or just insert another shooting place).  We would be just a little safer today... 20 years later.  Yes, criminals are going to get guns.  I get that, but if we can draw a line in the sand and BEGIN to keep SOME guns out of the hands of people we KNOW should not have guns (or are not equipt mentally) to have a firearm, lets start there. 

From various polls of the U.S. population, most seem to be in favor of stricter background checks, longer waiting periods, closing loopholes between private and public sales.  So, lets start there.  NONE of these ideas is taking away a gun from a RESPONSIBLE gun owner!  

I would add that we increase law enforcement funding for the states that have Red Flag Laws (my state of Indiana is one of those).  Incresase funds so that those existing laws can be enforced.  And, while we are at that, let's make it worthwhile for lawers and the judicial system to submit and to enforce a Red Flag  law.  Recently in Indiana, a lawer didn't press the issue because it was too hard to get the judge to submit the request so he didn't pursue it.  What happened?  You guessed it, the person used the gun to kill someone.  That was preventable.  So let's help those in the know to enforce the laws that are there.

And, when DEBATING... LISTEN to the OTHER SIDE!  UNDERSTAND the PERSONAL AND COMMON SENSE of the debate... NOT THE LOBBYIST points.  

DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION!

There is no indication from the facts we know thus far that any of the proposed federal gun legislation would have had any impact on incidents like this. As horribly sad as it is and how much we instinctively want to "do something" we have to make sure we are doing things that would result in positive change. The proposals thus far have been to close 'loopholes' that were not used and restrict types of guns going forward based on cosmetic features. Neither of these would have stopped this most recent tragedy and would not stop any going forward

Republicans are clear about their intentions. They won't change their implacable opposition to Democratic legislation. Opposition is the only policy they have. I sincerely believe they're going to mount another insurrection to install a Right Wing Strongman on the model of Orban. So, legislative bipartisanship isn't an option.  Democrats should be alert to this threat and concentrate on electing enough Democrats to have a majority in both houses. 

This is beyond ridiculous.  We need common sense laws and we need them now! We need to enact the ban on automatic weapons again.