U.S. President's gun violence reduction proposal

[Star_]

...

Edited March 25, 2013 by Star_

[Backroads]

Eh, I'm rather neutral on it. I recall only one proposal that I saw as an outright bad idea, but much of it struck me as pointless or "why weren't we doing that earlier?"

[Star_]

Eh, I'm rather neutral on it. I recall only one proposal that I saw as an outright bad idea, but much of it struck me as pointless or "why weren't we doing that earlier?"

Which proposal did you see as an outright bad idea, etc?

[NeuroTypical]

Here's the source document for those of us who like source documents:

NOW IS THE TIME - The President’s plan to protect our children and our communities by reducing gun violence

What do I think about it? I think the House has a Repuplican majority.

[Backroads]

Which proposal did you see as an outright bad idea, etc?

Limiting the magazine capacity.

[Anddenex]

My major concern: It is coming from Obama

[Star_]

Here's the source document for those of us who like source documents:

NOW IS THE TIME - The President’s plan to protect our children and our communities by reducing gun violence

What do I think of it? I think the House has a Repuplican majority.

Isn't that another link to the same source, such as the link in the OP? Double linkage :)

Edited January 18, 2013 by Star_

[MarginOfError]

My major concern: It is coming from Obama

It's always good to see people rise above partisanship

[Star_]

I want to know if #2 applies to the military as well or if it only applies to public sales.

[Backroads]

I want to know if #2 applies to the military as well or if it only applies to public sales.

I imagine only public sales. I think the military would throw a fit otherwise.

[Anddenex]

It's always good to see people rise above partisanship

Yes, indeed, seeing I am not affiliated with any party, it is nice to rise above partisanship:D

[Star_]

I imagine only public sales. I think the military would throw a fit otherwise.

The military sure better throw a fit. I think limiting the military would be ridiculous. Other countries get their hands on whatever they can, the sky is not even the limiit. Limiting the U.S. military would be shooting the U.S. military in the foot (more like the heart).

[Anddenex]

On a more serious note President Obama said this which I agree with:

WE won't be able to stop every violent act, but if there is even one thing tha we can do to prevent any of these events, we have a deep obligation, all of us, to try.

I don't believe background checks will result in less murders by guns. The majority of killings are accomplished by handguns, if I am reading the stats correctly. Thus I don't personally believe this will prevent any of these events from occurring.

Reducing the size of a magazine may possibly limit the number of casualties, but this is speculative. I think we are grasping at straws here - if I am using the term correctly.

Number 3 & 4, are the only logical response, my person opinion, to help prevent these types of incidents to occur.

I think more government money and more debt will result from #3. The best way, my thoughts, train every teacher how to use a gun, and allow them to carry firearms.

A resource officer at one end of the building will not be able to respond in time to an incident at the other end of the building. Thus, the idea of preventing another accident is highly unlikely. If a teacher has a gun, every teacher, the teachers then first can make sure the children are safe, and they will have a better chance.

When they say 1000 new school resource officers, is this for each district? $150 Million is a lot to add to a government that is already in the hole, a big hole.

I like the idea of investing in other strategies, but what type of strategies, or will this be money just going to a lot of ideas without any practice?

I am not assuming results will happen in a few months, but results from these strategies should be employed within 2-3 years.

Mental illness is nice, but you can't help a child, youth, or adult who is in denial. The teenagers from Colorado school shooting probably would have passed any mental illness test -- openly admit haven't read much on their mental state so could be wrong.

[MarginOfError]

One of the executive orders that isn't getting much notice, and perhaps this is good, is that the CDC is being authorized to study gun violence again. Why they weren't allowed to before is beyond me. We might not have to grasp at straws if we had decent, reproducible, and peer reviewed research to help address the issue.

[Anddenex]

I, personally, think it would be great to train each teacher regarding firearms. If we trained teachers as resource officers as well, then that would add 7.2 million resource officers to our schools, verses 1000 resource officers, I am assuming per district, or per state?

I like the number 7.2 million better than 1000 :)

[Guest gopecon]

Arming willing teachers/school employees is probably the simplest, most effective way to make schools safer from mass shooting situations. 1,000 resource officers is a small start, but really states can and should be the ones to fund school employees.

I like the idea of better information sharing amongst govt agencies for the background checks. While criminals will most often find a way to get the guns they want, quick background checks have stopped (or at least slowed) the acquisition of guns hundreds of thousands of times over the years.

[NeuroTypical]

Forcing anti-gun teachers to endure firearms training is a horrible idea. Even worse would be demanding they actually carry a firearm.

Allowing interested teachers to get a permit and carry a firearm is an absolutely wonderful idea. And it can be done without cost to the govt - just let teachers go get themselves certified and bring their own guns.

Honestly, eliminating gun-free-zones on govt property like schools would go far to eliminate large body count mass-shootings on those properties.

[mirkwood]

None of these proposals would have stopped the shooting in Conneticut.

"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles." —LT COL Jeff Cooper USMC, The Art of the Rifle

[talisyn]

These aren't executive orders, so they aren't law. Just good talking points. And the part about studying video game and movie violence has a whole lot of people talking lol. I hope that one happens, it'll be nice to have a scientific study instead of a lot of knee-jerk reactions on both sides.

I see this as the president saying 'this is my take, what is yours?' to Congress. Let's hope actual work happens. And I think that more help for the mentally ill could have prevented a lot of mass school/theater/wherever shootings. Including Sandy Hook. Doing nothing at all just means we're offering up our children to be the next victims.

[Tough Grits]

What do you think about Obama's proposal to reduce gun violence released on January 16th?

Main points:

1. Closing background check loopholes

2. Banning military style assault weapons and high capacity magazines

3. Making schools safer

4. Increasing access to mental health services

You can read the full proposal here:

Obama on curbing gun violence: 'Now is the time'

3. Making schools safer

HOW? I work in a school system. If somebody wants to get in, they will get in.

Unless we start having fenced-in schools with armed guards at the gated entrance, how do we prevent the people who already have guns and/or who already have a propensity for violence and/or mental illness from harming children and school staff?

As a certified teacher, I am in favor of fencing with armed gate-guards.

I don't want a gun on my hip (my hips already have enough weight!).

[talisyn]

3. Making schools safer

HOW? I work in a school system. If somebody wants to get in, they will get in.

Unless we start having fenced-in schools with armed guards at the gated entrance, how do we prevent the people who already have guns and/or who already have a propensity for violence and/or mental illness from harming children and school staff?

As a certified teacher, I am in favor of fencing with armed gate-guards.

I don't want a gun on my hip (my hips already have enough weight!).

I'm ok with gates and armed guards. I think the potential for a gun accident would be much lower with people who literally have a job that requires guns. And schools really need more security. Case in point, when my husband moved out here a few years ago he went to my daughter's school to get her out of class for a dr. appt. The school let her go, with this person who was a total stranger to them and not on my list, with no question. Scary lol.

[Vort]

Sometimes I'm just so darn glad we homeschool. Actually, that's pretty much all the time.

[RipplecutBuddha]

What do you think about Obama's proposal to reduce gun violence released on January 16th?

Main points:

1. Closing background check loopholes

2. Banning military style assault weapons and high capacity magazines

3. Making schools safer

4. Increasing access to mental health services

1. I agree completely.

2. I disagree completely.

3. "safer" needs to be defined more clearly before I answer this one.

4. a good idea, and likely needed, though I don't know how effective it would be against gun violence.

1. This is a situation where I see the NRA is spot on. We need to be more thorough in enforcing the gun laws we have on the books now before we can see clearly what other laws may need to be added.

2. This was done in Clinton's administration, and they concluded there was no measurable effect on reducing gun violence. As such, it is merely an infringement upon law-abiding citizens, who are really the only people who will pay attention to it in the first place. The existing assault rifles and large magazines are still out there. Banning them, or making them illegal won't make them disappear. They'll just move through untraceable private sales and the black market.

3. This is really what the entire debate is about. What one person defines as 'safe' or 'safer' is seen by another as exactly the opposite; especially in this debate. For the record, if we abandon the 'gun free zone' I feel everywhere will be much safer, as potential mass murderers will not have easy targets to select from when plotting their homicidal ideas.

4. Mental health in general is important, and helping those who need these services should have access to it. However, I'm unsure how effective this would be when looking at the Sandy Hook case. After all, he had been recieving just such mental care, and it didn't stop a thing.

[Star_]

3. Making schools safer

HOW? I work in a school system.

You can read the proposals for how under #3 making schools safer at

Obama on curbing gun violence: 'Now is the time'

[Guest DeborahC]

Sometimes I'm just so darn glad we homeschool. Actually, that's pretty much all the time.

I homeschooled as a single parent also and am happy with the results.

One of my sons is a surgical nurse.

One is manager of a print shop.

One is making 80K a year doing computer nerd stuff I don't understand.

None went to public high school

All got a GED then attended college

It worked great for us.