But if we can't buy unregulated guns, how will we keep our illegal MJ farms safe?

Oh. Wait.

Typical symbolic bullshit from a fake-o "progressive" professional bullshitter. For starters, hardly any of these mass shootings have involved "assault weapons," which are no different than other rifles except for their cosmetics. A city ban on guns in public places? Yeah, like that's going to stop an armed shooter.

As for the "gun show loophole," there's something to be said for blanket background checks no matter what. But it turns out that the vast majority of weapons used in mass shootings were purchased legally from regulated dealers. A few were straw purchases from legal dealers and then illegally transferred. How will closing the "gun show loophole" really change that?

There are some steps to take -- putting mental health histories into the background check database, something the civil libertarians have refused. Limits on the size of ammo magazines make sense. So does registration of guns, although that would be a big fight, and I notice not even McGinn proposed it.

But when you have stupid fucks like McGinn making stupid statements and putting forth stupid proposals, how can anyone expect that the majority of gun owners will do anything other than roll their eyes and mutter, "goddamned idiot."

Jesus H. Christ, when we any "progressive" ever decide that (s)he actually wants to do something that matters instead of engaging in the standard grandstanding? Is there any end to the "progressive" addiction to the appearance of giving a shit?

p.s.: Nothing beats yanking the chain in an election year, proposing stuff he knows can't pass. You know, like that crusade against Backpages that amounted to nothing? Is there any limit to that corrupt asshole's "progressive" cynicism? Could his respect for the intelligence of his constituents possibly be any lower?

Good for you, Mayor McGinn!

I appreciate these statements, for whatever they're worth.

So is McGinn willing to take the guns away from his armed police bodyguards?

One term mayor.

@5, his statement linking the shootings to our state legislature is worth a lot to anyone whose most prominent opponent for reelection happens to be a leader in the state legislature.

Is there an Ambulance McGinn won't chase?

Does anyone really need a que from him to be disgusted by this slaughter?

Guesss he can't pass up the chance to be santimonious and get some free and easy publicity.

Is there an Ambulance McGinn won't chase?

Can he not let one tragedy pass without exploiting it as a gimmick for free publicity?

My favorite part:

Seattle mayor Mike McGinn called the shootings in Newtown "a tragedy beyond words"

... before proceeding to jabber his fucking head off about it so he could get on the evening news, the cynical piece of shit.

@8: Ah, now I see Ed Murray's remarks on gun control and mental health services.

Good for him. That sounds like just the sort of progressive pressure that could lead to positive change.

But letting a John T. Williams wander the streets of downtown for a whole year as his mental state (as recorded on video) clearly deteriorated week by week is fine with McGinn.

Cafe Racer.

I forget what McGinn did after after that to fix things.

I may have missed his efforts.

McGinnites do correct me here.

I am not saying there are any easy answers. There aren't.
But, having been through a senseless slaugher, McGinn didn't think it was a priority to take up the whole gun thing. ( Although even Nickels did)

Funny how quiet he gets when problems pop up in his own backyard.

I don't remember McGinn saying much in the aftermath of Cafe Racer, true, but, then again, I may have missed it. But in any case, there's little a local municipality can do in terms of gun control, as you can just buy the gun outside of city boundaries. I would think that gun control laws would only work on a state or, even better, federal level.

He's right about what he said, though, and I'm glad he said it, even if he is running for reelection in deep-blue Seattle.

McGinn didn't say anything then because the slimebag wasn't facing an election.

As of August, 2011, 168 Pakistani children had been killed by drone strikes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew…

The homicide rate in the United States is roughly 40 people per day. Similarly, an average of about 40 Iraqi civilians have been by the United States military since United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_t…
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

If we want to reduce gun violence, let's start with that which is committed as a matter of policy instead of trying to disarm everyone except the police in an effort to keep weapons out of the hands of madmen. Call it terrorism, war, or targeted killings: It can be stopped with the stroke of a pen.

Gee, #17, you'll use any excuse to push an unrelated "progressive" cause, won't you?

@10 is on the money. I'm all for closing the gun-show loophole, but McGinn needs to STFU right now. What a tin-eared imbecile.

So, you'll hope to grass roots legislate more laws with no means of enforcement with out even enforcing the ones already in existence. You will allow only the military and police to be armed(worked in 1936). You will continue to allow 16yr olds to be licenced to kill and drive while texting. You will continue to re-introduce repeat drunk drivers to practice their skills till they get it right. You will continue to drive in the left lane when the law is clearly posted. You will continue to speed. You will continue to not pay insurance and claim B.S. injuries. You will continue to drive while licence is suspended. You will continue to pay incredible amounts of money to keep convicted felons in a greater, warmer, well nourished state of being than the victims of their crimes,expecting others to pay for it. But the worst thing is- that "you" think that "you" believe that "you" have the right to make my decisions for me or anyone for that matter. I am a tax paying, bill paying, don't go on strike -job having,former soldier,safety professional, who is responsible for the well- being of my family,friends and neighbors. It is not the guns, ammo, lifestyle, video games or any other excuse that you feel or think, or want to know(media) that killed those beautiful people.
It was a person who made series of choices. Stop blaming the inanimate object.
A rifle is only an "assault" rifle if used to assault.

So, you'll hope to grass roots legislate more laws with no means of enforcement with out even enforcing the ones already in existence. You will allow only the military and police to be armed(worked in 1936). You will continue to allow 16yr olds to be licenced to kill and drive while texting. You will continue to re-introduce repeat drunk drivers to practice their skills till they get it right. You will continue to drive in the left lane when the law is clearly posted. You will continue to speed. You will continue to not pay insurance and claim B.S. injuries. You will continue to drive while licence is suspended. You will continue to pay incredible amounts of money to keep convicted felons in a greater, warmer, well nourished state of being than the victims of their crimes,expecting others to pay for it. But the worst thing is- that "you" think that "you" believe that "you" have the right to make my decisions for me or anyone for that matter. I am a tax paying, bill paying, don't go on strike -job having,former soldier,safety professional, who is responsible for the well- being of my family,friends and neighbors. It is not the guns, ammo, lifestyle, video games or any other excuse that you feel or think, or want to know(media) that killed those beautiful people.
It was a person who made series of choices. Stop blaming the inanimate object.
A rifle is only an "assault" rifle if used to assault.

A Mayor can not pass legislation alluded to in the headline.
Well, OK, a municipality can pass legislation, but on the other side of the street defining the city limits, what they wasted time passing legislation to prevent will happen legally.

Grandstanding or not, the conversation ought to be ongoing.

Mental health is hard to keep funded absent tragedies to show that it has value.

Enforcing weapons laws are also a bit beyond the scope of a Mayor (vs. a District Attorney).

IF people were tried along with whomever stole their weapon used in a violent crime, there would be a schload more gun safes and trigger locks in use.

Annual safety and proficiency exams for carry permit holders?

There are a few things a city can do for itself. Then again, there is that portion of the Constitution that has "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" in it....

cut and paste some Thomas Jefferson in here.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Is it prime time for a revolution, I think not. What do you think?

Homeschool your kids (they do better in life).And take a look who closed the asylums - Nazi Style - before you even think of voting for certain persons,okay?