Romney Falsely Claims Colorado Gunman Obtained Weapons Illegally

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

The support is there among a majority of Americans. They want reasonable regulations on gun purchases. They want a terrorist like Holmes to set off alerts to the FBI because they know such tragedies are preventable. All of that in spite of the rhetoric from the gun lobby who uses scare tactics (the gubmint gonna take away mah guns) to wedge the issue.

What type of alerts would be necessary? We've already determined his purchases were not all that unusual. I think the oddest purchase was probably the body armor.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

What type of alerts would be necessary?

A white male legally purchasing a gun and ammo of course.

[SMOKE 1,426]

The support is there among a majority of Americans. They want reasonable regulations on gun purchases. They want a terrorist like Holmes to set off alerts to the FBI because they know such tragedies are preventable. All of that in spite of the rhetoric from the gun lobby who uses scare tactics (the gubmint gonna take away mah guns) to wedge the issue.

thats an easy fix...well kinda. if people are willing to give up their privacy for public safety. apparently you have to have been found 'mentally ill' by the court to be denied during a backround check. holmes was under psychiatric care.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/us/colorado-suspect-was-getting-psychiatric-care.html?_r=2&hp&tw_p=twt

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Could we get a ban on Free speech, right to assemble and vote while we are at it. ?/ If the majority of the people want it, then we need to change the Constitution. Have an amendment. That is what amendmants are for.

See what I mean, rocks? Dozens of families' lives are forever changed because a terrorist was able to purchase 6,000 rounds of ammo without sending any type of alert to the FBI and Run-off-mouth-Hershey boy sticks to the gun lobby rhetoric like a tool.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

What type of alerts would be necessary? We've already determined his purchases were not all that unusual. I think the oddest purchase was probably the body armor.

Why not let the law enforcement agencies intelligence help forge regulations that would help them keep tabs on whatever purchases they look for? The FBI has profiles and they know what kind of behavior to be watching. They just need to be allowed access to certain purchasing behavior.

Edited July 28, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

See what I mean, rocks? Dozens of families' lives are forever changed because a terrorist was able to purchase 6,000 rounds of ammo without sending any type of alert to the FBI and Run-off-mouth-Hershey boy sticks to the gun lobby rhetoric like a tool.

He was no terrorist, he sounds like he was mentally unstable. The real question perhaps is does the US need a better system to tie the mental health system to the ATF.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Why not let the law enforcement agencies intelligence help forge regulations that would help them keep tabs on whatever purchases they look for? The FBI has profiles and they know what kind of behavior to be watching. They just need to be allowed access to certain purchasing behavior.

The FBI has pretty much said it doesn't have the resources / hardware to watch purchases so closely.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

He was no terrorist, he sounds like he was mentally unstable. The real question perhaps is does the US need a better system to tie the mental health system to the ATF.

Does being mentally unstable disqualify someone from doing acts of terror? He is by definition a terrorist. He planned and plotted his carnage and chose his targets randomly. Remember the freeway shooter? He too was a terrorist. These are clearly acts of terror - the methods, planning, and execution have commonality - to inflict violence on the greatest number of people they can. Timothy McVeigh - terrorist. The Unabomber - terrorist. Lets not diminish the horror of the act.

Edited July 28, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[rocks 494]

See what I mean, rocks? Dozens of families' lives are forever changed because a terrorist was able to purchase 6,000 rounds of ammo without sending any type of alert to the FBI and Run-off-mouth-Hershey boy sticks to the gun lobby rhetoric like a tool.

I see it. Meanwhile he doesn't think anyone is sweeping it under the carpet. Way to trivialize something really serious. "It doesn't affect me so I don't care". Thankfully they are only a majority on Visa Journey and not real life.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The FBI has pretty much said it doesn't have the resources / hardware to watch purchases so closely.

Yeah, well that's because a certain group of political ideologues want to cripple the Federal Gov't's effectiveness by gutting agencies like the FBI. They've done the same thing with the ATF.

GOP Cuts Budget with an Axe Instead of a Scalpel

[House Budget Committee chairman Paul] Ryan's proposed cut of $44 billion applied across the board to all programs in the one-eighth of the budget subject to cuts would result in reducing FBI spending by almost $750 million, leaving it with less than $3.2 billion for operations for the remainder of the year — about 19 percent less than operated on for the first half of the year."

http://www.thefiscal...calpel.aspx?p=1

Edited July 28, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Does being mentally unstable disqualify someone from doing acts of terror? He is by definition a terrorist. He planned and plotted his carnage and chose his targets randomly. Remember the freeway shooter? He too was a terrorist. These are clearly acts of terror - the methods, planning, and execution have commonality - to inflict violence on the greatest number of people they can. Timothy McVeigh - terrorist. The Unabomber - terrorist. Lets not diminish the horror of the act.

He seemed to act without purpose, sorry I think its a bit silly to call every criminal act terrorism.

[rocks 494]

He was no terrorist, he sounds like he was mentally unstable. The real question perhaps is does the US need a better system to tie the mental health system to the ATF.

Mental health is severely neglected, but how do you change that? You can't evaluate everyone's mental health routinely. It would be far easier to monitor, and perhaps restrict, the amount of ammo and weapons sold to a person within a certain time frame.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Yeah, well that's because a certain group of political ideologues want to cripple the Federal Gov't's effectiveness by gutting agencies like the FBI. They've done the same thing with the ATF.

http://www.thefiscal...calpel.aspx?p=1

...but there budget has not been cut yet right?

Mental health is severely neglected, but how do you change that? You can't evaluate everyone's mental health routinely. It would be far easier to monitor, and perhaps restrict, the amount of ammo and weapons sold to a person within a certain time frame.

Okay, but he bought everything over a few months. Would you say at best it would delay the attack by a month or two? (and apparently the FBI can't afford to monitor them)

Edited July 28, 2012 by Sousuke

[rocks 494]

Okay, but he bought everything over a few months. Would you say at best it would delay the attack by a month or two?

The time frame would have to be longer than a month or two. Who needs to buy four weapons in 6 months? No one. One weapon is perfectly ample for you to defend yourself. Who really needs 6000 rounds of ammo? If someone wants to shoot that many off at a shooting range then there should be some way to confirm this. If I have to show an ID to vote, this shouldn't be a big deal either.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

The time frame would have to be longer than a month or two. Who needs to buy four weapons in 6 months? No one. One weapon is perfectly ample for you to defend yourself. Who really needs 6000 rounds of ammo? If someone wants to shoot that many off at a shooting range then there should be some way to confirm this. If I have to show an ID to vote, this shouldn't be a big deal either.

Not the whole "need" argument again..........