Gun Control Law shot down, Dems blame Republicans... What else is new?

Handguns should be legal. Fully and semi automatic guns should not. There is simply no reason to own a weapon like that.

While this is very true, if there was more gun control, the price of guns on the black market would skyrocket. Say we banned assault rifles, instead of going to buy one at the store for $900, you would probably be shelling out over 4 grand if not more to get it off the black market. As weird as it sounds, guns are easy to obtain illegally because they are easy to obtain legally.

Besides, nowhere in the Constitution does it define what kind of arms you're permitted to bear. In those days, a well regulated militia was similarly armed compared to the federal government.

Hmm, I don't see any where in the 2nd amendment where it says small arms. Why can't I own a stinger missile? I don't care if he had an actual AR-15, it was a rifle of the same design.

At the time of it's writing, citizens had the same arms as the federal government...muzzle loaded black powder rifles.

Depending on the state, you can actually own a missile launcher. I don't know about stinger specifically since the guidance technology might be controlled IP. But as far as DD (destructive device) goes, if your state allow NFA items then you can own it. Due to the fact that you have to register and pay $200 stamp for every missile or grenade, very few people actually bothered to do so legally (it's probably considerably easier to get one illegally), and they serve very little practical use.

As for intent of the 2nd amendment:

Handguns are actually responsible for vast majority of the gun homicide. It's more difficult to get a handgun than an "assault" long gun (which is no different from any other rifles) in some states.

What else is new? Republican ass holes doing republican ass hole things. They all need to go. So does the NRA

Wow, the logic and soundness of your argument convinced me. I really dig all the evidence and facts you presented in support of your point. Good show.

The gun epidemic is a joke (there is no epidemic, the average person is too easy to influence ).

What's wrong is that there are between 270 million to 310 million guns in the US (with a population of over 300 million people) and annually only around 11,000 (CDC, 2010) to 12,000 (FBI, 2011) firearm homicides (about 8000 of which are strictly gun/drug related).

Your chances of dying by a gun are a joke (my calculator doesn't even have enough zeros to give the final percentage).

I love how there attacking assault rifles even though they contributed to less than 300 deaths in 2015 (FBI). That's less deaths then death by a freaking knife....... ("buh buh the assault rifles ! they must be banned !")

Wouldn't a pistol grip make it easier to wield? I know it doesn't make it easier, but it does seem, for an weapon ignorant guy like me, like that would make it easier to both hold and fire the weapon with one hand.

So apparently democrats in the house are staging a sit in over the gun legislation. That qualifies as new in my opinion.

They had a supermajority for President Obama's first term, they had the chances to pass this but now all of a sudden they care

Pistol grip is more natural for wrist for shooting unsupported but one hand shooting decrease weapons effectiveness thus making it less "deadly" not more. But ultimately it's a personal and training preference, the design doesn't inherently make the gun more capable.

Maybe you should tell us why you are frightened by the Constitution.

The 2A is going nowhere. Neither are firearms. Get used to it.

What did the Republican party do to you? This was unconstitutional

Ignorant comment because handguns are also semi automatic and fully automatic weapons have been heavily restricted since 1934 and made even more restricted in 1986.

Hypocritical because you believe that handguns should stay legal and "assault weapons" made illegal, despite handguns being used in A LOT more crimes.

Eh, I'm surprised there is any gun control at all and people aren't getting a black leather jacket, sunglasses and a minigun in a Walmart at this point.

I mean, isn't that the wet dream of the US of NRA?

I like how red necks think we care about taking their penis substitutes away. More regulation does everyone a favor.

It's a shame they cant come together. I think even most republicans would be favorable to a bill that would prevent the mentally ill, felons, and those on terrorist watch lists from getting them. However, I think the fear is that this would be the first step in simply banning guns or in giving the government full control over who can and can not own a gun.

Funny thing about rights .... they don't need a reason.

There was one. The Dems voted against it. Cornyns bill had gun control provisions, but didn't strip away due process. In fact, it added more due process, requiring a judge to have an open hearing within three days of someone on the watch list being denied a firearm purchase.

How would anyone vote to remove due process anyway? It is one of the most core concepts this entire nation is built upon. Seriously, I can think of due process, no taxation without representation, and that's all I can come up with off the top of my head. There are others that are, but not all the founding fathers agreed so they were restricted such as freedom and voting rights.

Perhaps you can better articulate why someone (on a gov't list) should lose rights when they have not been charged nor convicted of a crime. Do you even understand how that blatantly violates our Constitution?

I'm all for completely removing the 2nd Amendment from the constitution and getting rid of every gun in this country. Unfortunately the batshit crazy republicans think there should be more guns so that'll never happen. I'll settle for whatever decrease the number of guns sold. If that means banning potential terrorists, felons, and people on the no-fly list then I'll take it. It's time to stop thinking that the constitution is a be all document. It is intentionally vague and can and has been changed on many occasions.

No... I will not give up my gun! Also, you're insane if you think the removal of the 2nd Amendment will solve everything.

@Mercenary848: why do you have to come and point your finger at "rednecks"

Do you think it's only them who want to keep their guns? Seriously?

The problem with most of these bills or tightening up of current laws is that some times things are just thrown together haphazardly. I'm in agreement with tightening up background checks, however simply throwing together a statement such as, "If you are on this list you can't buy a gun." is foolish. Well how do you even get on that list, and how would someone mistakenly put on the list be able to get removed from it or know they are even on it? Its a very slippery slop. Then lets just easily forget what else was on these bills in order for these freaking things to have life. Most of the time the media does not include what was attached to said bill, normally it is quid quo pro.

What's the motivation?

And a moonbat like yourself is what would eventually get all of our rights taken away. Ask France who has a stricter gun policy than that of US how that policy worked out for them with Paris getting shot up by terrorists. While you are at it you mine as well ban alcohol as that kills more than guns do in a year. In fact last year Alcohol was the 4th leading preventable cause of death in the US, 88,000 people. I think you need you rethink what you are saying.

Gun control would never work in America. Even nations where gun control has reduced gun violence overall violence has actually increased.

In the US it wouldn't matter though as guns could easily be illegally obtained due to our weak borders.

People who use analogies like this comparing guns v alcohol/cars have less than no idea...

I don't have an idea? But the poster that I quote did? Seriously, something proven to kill almost a 100,000 people in a year is not worth having a discussion about, but a couple of 1000 people are? My point is you can sit here and make this all about the guns, but you are missing the whole point and the problem never gets solved.

This is why we need gun owners to join in on the work. Right now all you have is a bunch of hippy dippy liberals making laws about stuff they know nothing about, and some of them will eventually get passed. It's like not voting; if the guy you don't like wins, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Gun owners need to drop the NRA and form a moderate to moderate right-leaning organization so they can promote their own interests, while also being a bit more diplomatic in gun law reform and meet people halfway on establishing sensible gun laws. This isn't WarGames, the way to win is to play, not not play :P

As for the AR15, I mentioned that because I have friends that own them, and I have seen what you can do with them. A lot of guns can be modified, not every can be modified to the extent the AR 15 can. The one friend in particular owns a .50 Desert Eagle, a .45-70 Guide gun, a .50 rifle (forgot the make), a Glock 17, HK USP .45, heavily customized 1911 for matches, Remington 700 .30-06, a .357 revolver, and a heavily modified AR15. He said the AR is the one he could do the most damage with.

I do realize the weapon he used was not an AR15, but I say that because AR15 is what most people know of. Assault Rifle is assault rifle.

And he is a great example of the kind of person that should own guns; respects them, was raised around them, veteran (Army Ranger), safe, and knows all the details of them. I used to go to the range with him fairly often in high school and college, you see a lot of idiots out there and even then I wondered how they were able to get guns.

*Oh yeah he also has a Ruger .22 pistol, an SKS, and a Mini 14. Nice collection, lot of enjoyable guns to shoot.

@bmanva: I agree it is not perfect, and my main qualm with what's going on right now is that it is a kneejerk reaction (as is most gun control) to a tragedy, not a logical response to a problem.

As for the watchlist, maybe a solution would be to have two conclusions:

1. You deserved to be on the watchlist, but we can't find anything on the person but we know for a fact they have ties but technical limitations forbid us from taking action. Waitlist 5 years.

2. We made a mistake, you called Afghanistan because you have an Uncle there who is just a farmer, not a fundamentalist like we thought. No waitlist for you.

Just throwing it out there. There are better people than I that can make these laws.

*shrugs* **** it though, let's just do nothing, we are all screwed any way.

As has already been mentioned, you have a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than being in a mass shooting, in fact it's higher than being murdered by any means, guns or not.

You have an ~1 in 12,000 chance of being struck by lightning, and an ~1 in 19,000 chance of being murdered.

Maybe all these people worried about guns should be more concerned with the dangers of going outside.

No, your "solution" still infringe on individuals civil rights because it assigns guilt without due process. If you really want a list then it should be framed around our legal system, not bypass it. Take the sex offender list as an example, there's a proper trial where the accused can hear the case against him/her and the prosecution has to prove to the judge or the jury beyond a shadow of doubt of guilt of the accused. Then after said and done, if found guilty the person is put on the list. Exact same need to happen before ANY American citizen is put on any list, anything less is unconstitutional and ripe for abuse.

Let's say this absolute blatant violation of American civil liberties is passed into law and Trump is president, you just opened up the possibility of an executive order to the DHS to put all Muslims (or really ANYONE opposing emperor Trump) on the no fly-no buy list.

Isn't this urge to do something, anything in an attempt to "fix" the situation the exact kneejerk reaction you had issue with? Americans are literally dying by the hundreds everyday from many other causes but this, THIS is the quintessential question of our generation we need to have an answer for. Thomas Sowell once wrote "(liberals) want to think in terms of problems and solutions. In reality there no perfect solutions, only compromises."

I don't own a gun, in my culture we don't believe in guns, where my family is from, nobody owns guns for fun, anyone owning a gun just seems dangerous, but personally I think guns don't kill people, people kill people. We keep seeing mass shootings because people aren't receiving the proper care for their mental illness.

**** the constitution, man. Come on. It's a 250 year old document that was meant to be amended. And guess what? We're going to see a huge gun reform amendment in the very near future, mark my words.

Also, what has the republican party done to me? Nothing. What have they done to the USA? I DONT KNOW HOW ABOUT:

-GETTING IN THE WAY OF SOCIAL CHANGE

-TREAT WOMEN LIKE SHIT

-TREAT POOR PEOPLE LIKE SHIT

-TREAT GAY PEOPLE LIKE SHIT

-TREAT MINORITIES LIKE SHIT

-REFUSE TO VOTE FOR A SUPREME COURT JUDGE

-REFUSE TO WORK WITH OUR PRESIDENT

-CAUSED THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WHICH LED TO:

--PUSHING THE USA INTO CREDIT DEFAULT BY REFUSING TO PASS THE BUDGET

SHOULD I KEEP GOING OR IS THIS ENOUGH

The constitution was created in the 18th century. It was meant to be amended. I am NOT a constitutionalist AT ALL. We change as a country as the world advances, not stay the same. Amendment 2 should go. Not changing my view. Forget it.

the dems are actually the ones in the pocket of the firearms manufacturers.

whenever they need a bump in sales they secretly funnel cash to democrat election campaigns to get them to ratchet up the talk about control measures

boom! numbers met, shareholders appeased for a few more quarters....

Sounds like you got issues if that's all you think everyone in the Right think when the Left are becoming regressive.

Not to mention, most handguns are semi-automatic. And to drive thegerg's point even further home, the number of gun related homicides by *all* long rifles (AR-15's inclusive) is something like ~3% of all homicides in this country.

Not to mention Miniguns, They have a Zero percent statistic of killing people in the US.

No reason for them to be outlawed when they haven't harmed anyone.