When we mature,culturally, to a point that we can treat gun violence as a public health problem, we can start to solve the problem.
So long as gun violence is a thing that happens to others, it will remain at the most intractable intersection of law enforcement and constitutional privilege.
Eight people were killed in Chicago over Mother’s Day weekend. Another 43 people in the city were injured in gun violence.
The City of Chicago is the “kill zone”, no doubt remains in my mind.
Well thank goodness nobody’s Second Amendment rights were encroached. Except, yknow, the dead.
Damn. I just watched some random talk show on Friday and it had the founder of Army of Moms–I believe the group was called this (Maybe @chgoliz might know who they are?). Anyway, it sounded like these women were making a dent in the violence by conducting their own Guardian Angels/Neighborhood Watch.
Nice try libruhl troll… If it was a public health problem wouldn’t the Center for Disease Control or NIH be studying it?
(post withdrawn by author, will be automatically deleted in 24 hours unless flagged)
All perpetrators used guns, maybe guns are the problem.
I’m also not amused by your blatant racism…
They started in Englewood, which is arguably the single most dangerous neighborhood in the city (along with West Englewood). They do not get the credit or the coverage they deserve, but honestly, there are MANY neighborhood watch groups all over the city like that: they’re not white, nor are their neighborhoods, so they’re not in the media much.
He’s a one trick pony… Well, he might have had one post that wasn’t blatantly racist (he will likely delete the post in this thread sometime in the near future – his other trick).
I just looked up the show and it was The Meredith Vieira Show. She gave her/the organization a $10,000 check. I think it was a Mother’s Day show. This woman is the ultimate Mom! 
Interestingly, my girl and I were discussing how to curb gun violence while not violating the 2nd Amendment, at least until SCOTUS reinterprets it. Using a Chris Rock idea, I was wondering how come the government doesn’t tax guns and/or ammo such that there’d be a financial disincentive to shooting people. Currently, you can purchase 1000 rounds of 9mm for about $220. That comes out to about $4 per bullet. However, if each bullet cost $600, fewer people would be far less willing to shoot someone. If you paid $6000 for 1000 bullets, you’d be very careful with how you used your bullets.
One major problem with this approach would be preventing foreign manufactured bullets from entering the country.
Sadly, I fear that first you would have to get the .gov to want it to stop…
I think The Supremes would interpret that as “infringing the right to bear arms.”
I just peeked at it’s posting history… the 2 posts that it hasn’t deleted are pretty damn blatant as well and just as one note as that one was. Shall we start a pool for how long till it gets eaten?
I think there’s a strong chance that most of the firearms used in those shootings were illegally procured. There’s a point where a gun transitions from legal owner to illegal owner. I would like to figure out how to target that transition point, and make the legal owner who furnishes a firearm used in a crime criminally liable.
I would like to understand what we can do to make the people pulling the trigger less violent. A lifetime of experience leads up to that moment. Couldn’t we find a way to alter the course of those lives?
I am pretty sure that people involved in drugs and gangs do not spend their free time at the range, shooting hundreds of practice rounds. And it is likely that those same people would not acquire their guns and ammo through conventional means, so they might not end up paying your tax.
If the source article is to be believed, most of the perpetrators and victims had gang ties and previous convictions. Other victims were not the intended target of gang violence, but members of their household were. It sounds to me like we have a gang problem. I would very much like to hear of a solution that would disarm gang members and criminals, or even better, remove their desire and willingness to commit violent crimes. It is unfair to those people in violence ridden communities who want to raise their families in peace, that a relatively small percentage of the residents are responsible for almost all of the violence.
I disagree with your conclusion that increasing the tax on guns and ammo wouldn’t deter senseless shootings. There’s only a limited way one can acquire guns and ammo illegally. If the means of acquiring weapons were stopped, or drastically reduced, and by drastically, I mean by 80%, the street value for illegally acquired guns and ammo would correspondingly increase. Do not think that just because something is acquired illegally that he basic principles of supply and demand don’t apply.
Although they may not pay a tax, the effect of the tax along with adequate prevention of illegal arms imported into the U.S., will create a financial disincentive to shoot guns randomly. If the street value for 1000 rounds of 9mm bullets cost $2000, there would be a precipitous drop in the use of firearms. Again, don’t think gang members are not paying for their weapons and ammo. Right now, they’re getting it at wholesale prices.
@MB, I disagree with your conclusion that increasing the tax on guns and
ammo wouldn’t deter senseless shootings. There’s only a limited way one
can acquire guns and ammo illegally. If the means of acquiring weapons
were stopped, or drastically reduced, and by drastically, I mean by 80%,
the street value for illegally acquired guns and ammo would correspondingly
increase. Do not think that just because something is acquired illegally
that he basic principles of supply and demand don’t apply.
Although they may not pay a tax, the effect of the tax along with adequate
prevention of illegal arms imported into the U.S., will create a financial
disincentive to shoot guns randomly. If the street value for 1000 rounds
of 9mm bullets cost $2000, there would be a precipitous drop in the use of
firearms. Again, don’t think gang members are not paying for their weapons
and ammo. Right now, they’re getting it at wholesale prices.
