Comments On: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control by Dominic Holden http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/14/white-house-says-today-is-not-the-day-o-debate-gun-control Comments On: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control by Dominic Holden en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Sat, 18 May 2013 20:00:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
Someone otta whoop your ass fnarf for being a moron. I will volunteer for that job any day.
Posted by Clay hall]]> Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:30:00 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
Neglectful parents who (to their benefit) didn't learn how to model constructive and pro-social behavior for their children are a dangerous, growing phenomenon in our society.

Who's regulating/monitoring parenting skills? Because we become parents doesn't give us a "free ticket" from having mental health and interpersonal communication issues which need attention.

Metaphoric to a person who seeks to acquire a gun - a parent who is not "qualified" (has no "background check" or monitoring done for parenting/communication skills) is potentially very dangerous. Further, parents "wrap their hands around" a child, guide/"aim" their direction, and, ultimately, pull the trigger.

What we really need to give our attention to is not the gun, but who's behind the trigger?

Posted by friendlyneighborhood]]> Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:27:41 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> http://campaigns.dailykos.com/p/dia/acti…
Posted by Bob in Guanajuato]]> Sat, 15 Dec 2012 09:29:19 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.

Some history dude said that a while ago, but I'm not so good with book learnin'... maybe Professor Obama can tell us who said it.
Posted by robotslave]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:20:29 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by TreGibbs]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:32:03 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by Knat]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:05:06 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
If that were possible, there would be no need for debate. The answer would be obvious.
Posted by Knat]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:02:10 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> use the coverage they nominally have. I find it reassuring that in states like Washington, it's almost impossible to commit a potentially dangerous mentally ill person to a psychiatric facility against his or her will. I find it reassuring that James Eagan Holmes, who was being treated for schizophrenia, wasn't in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System's (NICS) database. I find it reassuring that some states -- I'm lookin' at you, Wyoming -- don't report any felons or mentally ill people to the NICS. You have to admire a country that places the right of a mentally ill person to keep and bear arms above the right of the average Joe or Jill not to be whacked by a mentally ill person who keeps and bears arms. Hey, it's right there in the Second Amendment:

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people, including the potentially dangerous mentally ill and emotionally deranged, to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Posted by PCM]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:24:24 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by Lissa]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:13:36 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
And the goddamn people? They won't do shit unless the work is limited to reposting image macros and commenting on blogs.
Posted by King Rat]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:05:39 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-…

Vice President Biden:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact-vp

Senate Majority Leader Reid:
http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/index…

Speaker Boehner:
http://www.speaker.gov/Contact/

Senate Minority Leader McConnell:
http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/i…

House Minority Leader Pelosi:
AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov

..and of course, your local Senator and Congressperson.

http://www.demandaplan.org
Posted by matt]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:03:42 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> 1. Encourage non-crazy people to join the NRA. Get enough reasonable gun owners involved to encourage them to push for reasonable gun legislation while still protecting our rights to own shit we want to. (Note: This isn't original to me. I can't remember who I'm stealing it from, though.)
2. State-by-state gun registration. You'll never get a national database, any more than we can get one for driver licenses and car registrations. At least, not yet. But you can work on it on the state level. Many if not most blue states have it already, along with instant background checks and mandated gun safety courses.
3. MORE gun safety courses. More representation of SANE and SAFE gun handling. Easy to do on a grassroots level.
4. More legislation restricting gun ownership by those with DUI, DWI, and public intoxication records - oh, and while we're at it, some actual penalties for said DUIs. Save a lot more lives than just with gun violence.
5. Work with groups like the White Ribbon Campaign that are encouraging young men in high schools and colleges to stand up against violence, particularly directed against women and children.

And finally, work with sane gun advocacy groups - or create our own - that aren't interested in the bullshit rhetoric spewed by either the NRA or people like you. Will it be easy? Nope. Is there a chance to make a difference? You bet. Separate machismo from gun ownership and you can make a difference. We've brought down rape and assault rates. We've brought down gun violence - not that you seem to give a shit, because every life lost is another victory for you to chalk up in the righteousness column.

We can do more. The GOP/NRA hardliner is a dying breed, and they know it. The best thing we can do is set a better example for the people around us, and be prepared for the next tragedy. We can teach our children how to be safe around guns, cars, sex, drugs, alcohol, and all the other things that can kill you. We can teach them to have the respect for one another that all these shooters lack.

But if you want to throw fuel on the fire, be my guest. Kneejerk paternalism doesn't help anyone, not you and not the victims of gun violence. All it does is remind gun owners that your side can't be expected to hold a reasonable discussion and work towards reasonable goals any more than you can trust a pro-lifer.
Posted by NateMan]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:58:37 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by JaxBriggs]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:55:34 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
The problem with Democrats is that they are also scared of the Republican base.
Posted by bleedingheartlibertarian]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:47:14 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by Cascadian Bacon]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:40:24 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
You're not even helping yourself with this stuff.
Posted by Matt from Denver]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:38:57 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> "Not that you give a shit, because you're working yourself right up to a full-on hate boner now that has nothing to do with tragedy or compassion or pity or sympathy, and everything to do with your blind certainty."

Grief porn.
I'm a Good Person because this horrible event horrifies me.
And I must perform in public so that all may know that I am a Good Person.
And that anyone who disagrees with me is a Bad Person.

As always, the problem is that the discussion of rational, possible legislative changes gets overwhelmed by the public displays of grief porn.
Posted by fairly.unbalanced]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:38:22 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by tkc]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:38:10 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
Because there is no such thing.

A bill that "shooting innocent children is to be discouraged" would fail in today's Congress, and tomorrow's.
Posted by Fnarf]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:38:06 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by Will in Seattle]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:31:27 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
Yes, there will be more shootings. It doesn't take a prognosticator of great skill to tell that; there will always be more death. I'm interested in limiting those numbers. Are you? Because it sure doesn't seem like it.
Posted by NateMan]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:30:43 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Posted by Fnarf]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:27:50 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
You know what's going to happen? More school shootings. More mall shootings. They're coming. I can feel them in the air.

But hey, go ahead and have your little chat if it makes you feel better. Me? NOTHING MAKES ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOUR GUNS. Only worse. Each time a little worse.
Posted by Fnarf]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:26:12 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]> Fnarf, there was a time in the past when you could order a fully automatic Tommy gun by mail order.
There was a time in the past when there were no background checks for gun purchases.
Progress happens but it is slow at times and needs to be focused on specific issues.
Posted by fairly.unbalanced]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:24:41 -0800 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: White House Says "Today Is Not The Day" to Debate Gun Control]]>
But you are right in one thing; it's not going to change. And you're a good example of why it won't. Because we have no fucking reason in the world to listen to you. Your rage, while perhaps justified, is also completely and utterly useless. Go have your aneurysm quietly somewhere else, and maybe the adults left behind can actually accomplish something.
Posted by NateMan]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:23:59 -0800 The Stranger