$10 million is apparently what it costs to grease the wheels of progress in Washington. It will likely do little to detract the hard-core gun advocates but it may swing the middle to show that the administration is considering a balanced response rather than just pushing party politics. If you compare this amount to our deficit and the amount they spend on other frivolous things, it's barely a blip on the radar.
@Double_Wide No, you misunderstood the metaphor. The band-aid may not treat the underlying cause but it does stabilize the immediate situation. I wasn't thinking of it as something that 'doesnt work'. As I said before no guns = no shootings. I'm still pretty convinced. (Oh and yes, I am old enough to vote, and I'm also rich enough to give money to non-profit organizations to help promote my point of view... fear me!)
@Double_Wide @Mausolus Not ignoring it, I just think it's easier to control guns than it is to identify and deal with lunatics likely to use them. If someone had a concrete proposal to solve it the other way I'd probably go for it instead.
On a more conciliatory note, I think we ALL agree on one thing : THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH VIDEO GAMES!
@Double_Wide @Mausolus As someone that doesn't own a gun by choice, I think it's a perfectly reasonable position for me to take that as few other people as possible should own guns. It'd really suck if I got shot one day by a lunatic that stole a legally owned gun off his mother.
@dsmpunk There's a distinction between idealism and pragmatism. Idealistically I'd like to see guns only in the hands of people that are tightly vetted and pledged to use them only for 'good' (eg: police), and nobody else. Realistically though, how to get there given that there are so many guns already in circulation? I have no idea, if I had the answer I'd run for president. Making it harder to get them seems like a good first step to me.
@dsmpunk I want to help make society a place where people don't live in constant fear. I believe most people that are militant about owning guns are afraid of something, whether it's the 'feds', terrorists, criminals, whatever. That's no way to live.
@Double_Wide @dsmpunk Yeah maybe New Yorkers could have shot the planes down before they hit the towers if only that evil Mayor would have let them carry their guns. You've made a convert out of me, it all makes curious sense now.
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