Politics Gunman opens fire at White House Correspondents Dinner (6 Viewers)

[Phatguysrule]

Everybody is. It’s the only way to solve this problem right? More guns is the answer….. I thought we all agreed on this.

Literally nobody in this forum has taken that stance in at least the last several years I've been paying attention to this debate.

The position has been that we have so many restrictions already that increasing restrictions on law abiding citizens now results in further and further diminishing returns. To the point that more restrictions on law abiding citizens as a political position has become counterproductive.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Any educated person with common sense knows this is the ONLY way to fix this. More guns is the answer.

Let me know when you want to engage in honest dialogue and I'd be happy to discuss your concerns.

 

[CORipCity]

Imagine if there were other countries on planet earth with policies that could demonstrate what works and doesn’t work vis a vis gun violence (or anything else).

Guess we’ll never know!

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[PCmor7]

Literally nobody in this forum has taken that stance in at least the last several years I've been paying attention to this debate.

The position has been that we have so many restrictions already that increasing restrictions on law abiding citizens now results in further and further diminishing returns. To the point that more restrictions on law abiding citizens as a political position has become counterproductive.

I think he's being facetious.

 

[THE HCP]

Let me know when you want to engage in honest dialogue and I'd be happy to discuss your concerns.

There is no such thing as honest dialogue about guns. Not even dialogue at all to be honest. I’ll say one last time, I’ve seen people killed in front of me by the hand of guns and there is nothing more to talk about. There is no place for them in society, flat out.

 

[Phatguysrule]

There is no such thing as honest dialogue about guns. Not even dialogue at all to be honest. I’ll say one last time, I’ve seen people killed in front of me by the hand of guns and there is nothing more to talk about. There is no place for them in society, flat out.

I understand you're emotional about this topic. I don't fault you for that.

We should not make public policy based on emotion, IMO.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I think he's being facetious.

Looked like an invite to discussion. I'm always interested in these kinds of debates regarding emotional positions any time somebody wants to go there.

As soon as it became clear he didn't actually want a discussion I stated my position and dropped it.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Imagine if there were other countries on planet earth with policies that could demonstrate what works and doesn’t work vis a vis gun violence (or anything else).

Guess we’ll never know!

This is true. There are countries who enacted more strict gun control.

About about the same time the assault weapons ban in the United States expired due to being hugely unpopular and generally ineffective.

Both the UK and Australia enacted sweeping gun control.

While Australia showed about the same drop in violent crime and murder rates the following 30 years as the United States (a time when the United States was expanding access to guns, and after ending the assault weapons ban), The UK showed virtually no reduction in violent crime or murder rates.

So gun restrictions don't actually appear to make much of a reliable difference when compared to the same areas before restrictions.

Rather, the much greater impact on violent crime and murder rates tends to be access to education and health care. Countries who have a better Ginny coefficient tend to have lower violent crime and murder rates.

And making those changes are far less expensive (while being far more effective at reducing violent crime and murder rates), both in dollars, and in political capital, than any further gun restrictions.

The reductions in violent crime and murder rates after the increased spending for COVID have been far greater than anything any gun control has ever shown.

The attacks on Trump are simply a result of his divisive actions and rhetoric.

Hell, guns are virtually illegal in Japan and one of their most popular former Prime Ministers was assassinated with homemade gun.

You're simply not going to meaningfully impact attacks on political figures or emotional targets by increasing restrictions on law abiding citizens. That has never worked.