Dick's Sporting Goods loses firearms businesses after gun control push

And what is your solution? I missed it in your post.
Who is making the diagnosis on Pagourtzis? You? If he did, hell, lets say he did. What should have been done and when. He didn't drive a vehicle thru the school, take a baseball bat, a knife etc. He could have but what was his preferred weapon(s)? Why is that? Help me out here.

 

There is no solution to be had. Not simply no easy solutions, but no solutions whatsoever. There is simply nothing that can be done pertaining to human nature, and how some simply desire to murder others at all costs.

He also constructed improvised explosive devices himself, just as the two responsible for the Columbine incident did.

 

That all your have is vapid naysaying and denigration of the abilities of We the People is NOT my problem.

 

You do appear to have failed to grasp the concept entirely.

The database would be RESTRICTED to only those drugs that are a problem and no personal information would be stored. Furthermore it would be better if the database was the responsibility of the private sector since they have the relevant data. All that is necessary is to just have a means by which on ID is stored or not stored. If the Universal Background Check system accesses the database and gets a hit on the ID then it returns a red flag to the UBC system. Whomever requested the UBC will then be able to make a decision as to complete the sale or not based upon the knowledge that the purchaser has been red flagged. Some states might decide to "opt out" and ignore these red flags and expose their own citizens to the potential risks while others might refer the purchaser to a process whereby they can request that the red flag be justified. In those instances whomever was responsible for the ID being on the database must substantiate the flag within a set period or it will be voided automatically. For those who end up on the list without cause it will be just a minor inconvenience no different to a longer waiting period between purchases. For those where the prescribing physician feels that the red flag is fully justified they probably should not have access to firearms.

As far as the people "snapping" goes that is outside the scope of what we are discussing. How many people who have just "snapped" go through the process of purchasing a firearm? If you were a gun dealer and someone who showed the signs of having just "snapped" came raging into your shop would you sell them a firearm? So let's stick with what we can achieve to keep guns out of the hands of those who present a danger to themselves and others per what someone treating them is prescribing.Like most legislation it can always be adjusted if it becomes too onerous or if more efficacious medications are discovered that don't have these side effects in the future.

And please refrain from the emotive BS about "fragile rights". No gun owner lifted a finger when the Bush/Cheney regime stomped all over privacy and due process rights. No gun owner has bothered to object to the voting rights of minorities being infringed and no gun owner was fighting for the rights of gays to marry. There is ZERO THREAT to the 2nd Amendment so pretending that it exists is nothing more than snowflakery on the part of the NRA. The SCOTUS has a conservative majority and it is unlikely to change in that regard for the foreseeable future. The 2A is in no danger whatsoever.

 

Once again you insist upon using OUT OF DATE information that even Gallup itself has openly acknowledged does not apply to NOW!

As far as the CREDIBILITY of polls goes here is the link to 538's pollster ratings.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/pollster-ratings/

Rasmussen has a C+ rating with an "R+2.0" recorded bias from all polls.

Gallup has B- rating with an "R+0.8"recorded bias from all polls.

CNN has A- rating with an "R+0.1"recorded bias from all polls.

Ipsos has an A- rating with a "D+0.1"recorded bias from all polls.

From those statistics it is obvious which are the MOST accurate and LEAST biased.

The CNN and Ipsos polls that I am quoting are CURRENT while yours are from THREE YEARS AGO!

 

That there is a demonstration of actually believing the erroneous hype that is being presented on the part of yourself, is not the problem of myself.

 

You keep refusing to answer my question which was:

"You do remember repeatedly citing HuffPo's laughable low figure of "10% of all gun owners" don't you?"

I was quite frankly surprised to note that the NRA's approval rating, post Parkland, was as high as it was in any of the recent polls because of MSM's transparent MSM bias and the amount of MSM coverage given to vapid & hysterical children demanding the immediate evisceration of the 2nd Amendment.

The NRA is a 147 year old organization that I'll admit is currently undergoing a temporary drop in public approval but is not going anywhere especially as NRA membership & support has risen significantly(1)

In responding to your earlier posts claiming that only 10% of gun owners support the NRA, I was only undertaking to refute your claim that "We the People are fed up with the NRA" when in fact only a slim majority oppose the NRA.

As we have seen with overwhelming American approval of the Iraq War, public sentiment does not make for good policy.

I hope that in the future you will refrain from repeating HuffPo's falsehood that only 10% of gun owners approve of the NRA.





(1) "NRA MEMBERSHIPS SURGE AFTER GUN PROTESTS"
Interest jumps 4,900 percent since Florida high-school attack
http://www.wnd.com/2018/03/nra-memberships-surge-after-gun-protests/
EXCERPT "Something peculiar is happening in the wake of the anti-gun rhetoric coming from mainstream media and protesters demanding more gun control: Interest in the National Rifle Association and its memberships is soaring through the roof.
One of the most outspoken student survivors and anti-gun activists is David Hogg. Some casual gun-rights supporters said attacks by Hogg and the media inspired them to sign up for the NRA."CONTINUED

 

Amend the constitution!!! Simple solution. Find a nice Hitler to take over the government, and he will be a king because we cannot do anything about it. A totalitarian government, yup, that will fix things good. Good answer. Oh, and while you are at it, And if we REALLY wanted to save lives, out lawing abortion would be a good start. And lets save lives by telling you what you can eat and not eat and ban access to all sugars. Too many people die early because of McDonalds type food, Pizza, white rice etc are consumed over a lifetime. Lets end cigarette smoking, drugs, alcohol, they kill to..

The cause of the problem is right before your eyes. What happen around the 1990s into 2000 that was not there before? Several things have changed. We had guns when I was a kid, 30-30 with a clip fed semi automatic, OWNED ONE at 14 YEARS OF AGE. There were no school shootings, and quite frankly, it never crossed my mind to shoot anyone either. What has caused mentally ill or just plain weirdows to shoot up the school. We COULD have, but we didn't. There are about 5 things that changed that has brought this on. Can you guess 3 of them without any help?

 

I understand the concept you have proposed but feel that because you have apparently had little experience in the practical field of psychiatric medicine you do not see how unworkable & burdensome your Byzantine concept is & how vulnerable to abuse it would be to hackers, bureaucrats & Dr.s hostile to the 2A.
I hate to be a naysayer to a concept to which you have given so much thought but as I stated earlier, tens of millions of Americans are taking some form of psychotropic medication without incident. Some take them for a temporary period, some are prescribed them but don't take them but the vast majority seem to take them without incident.

Of course we don't know how many tragedies have been averted because patients have trusted the Dr - Patient confidentiality that makes treatment more efficacious. With the knowledge that part of their medical records would be entered into a national database, the very people who need help would be deterred from seeking it & very likely be the ones who become violent.
Briefly put, I feel that we should be taking measures to encourage people to seek mental health treatment rather than penalizing them for doing so.

I too don't want firearms in the hands of those who would harm themselves & others but feel that what you have proposed does nothing to address the millions of firearms that are already in circulation and may even have the reverse effect of dissuading those who need treatment the most from seeking it.

Re:

Apparently, you haven't heard the multiple calls to repeal the 2nd Amendment from Justice Stevens & the widespread support of his sentiments throughout MSM(1), (2), (3) or noted the multiple gun bans in 7 States.
Yes, the 2nd Amendment has never been in greater danger than it is today.



(1) Repeal the Second Amendment. It's the only way towards real change
https://www.usatoday.com/.../repealing-second-amendment.../463644002/
‎
(2) Repeal the Second Amendment — it's not a crazy idea | Miami Herald
www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article207762909.html

(3) One in five Americans wants the Second Amendment to be repealed ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../one-in-five-americans-want-the-second-amendment-to-be-repealed-national-survey-finds/

 

Ironic coming from someone who ardently believes the NRA's nefarious drivel.

 

Still citing WeirdNutjobsDoolally as your source for promoting the NRA's self serving disinformation about their bogus membership numbers that they are are too scared to reveal?

Why don't you read the ACTUAL huffpo article itself instead of just misquoting it?

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/en...dont-join-the-nra_us_5ad8a110e4b03c426dabf372

So Huffpo is citing data from Pew, Gallup, General Social Survey and YouGov. Let's see how 538 rates them.

Gallup has B- rating with an "R+0.8"recorded bias from all polls.

Pew has B+ rating with an "D+0.6"recorded bias from all polls.

YouGov has an B rating with a "D+1.6"recorded bias from all polls.

The FACT that the NRA only has an ALLEGED 5 million members and does NOT represent the other estimated 68 to 76 million is IRREFUTABLE DATA. When you DO THE MATH that 5 million figure is LESS THAN 10% of all gun owners.

The rest of the article EXPLAINS WHY that other 90% do NOT want the NRA representing them.

49% don't see any personal benefit from joining the NRA.

25% disagree with the NRA's political beliefs.

22% state outright that the NRA does NOT represent people like themselves.

Some of the comments from that 90% of gun owners are very illuminating.

 

In which case as someone with experience in this area what are YOUR recommendations to keep guns OUT OF THE HANDS of the mentally unbalanced?

Only one of those links actually works and it was nothing but an opinion piece without any significance. Furthermore it pointed out that repealing the 2nd Amendment is impossible so it effectively supported my own argument that the 2A is under no threat whatsoever.

Let's just CLARIFY the DISTINCTION between a "gun ban" and the 2nd Amendment.

You are effectively banned from owning any FULLY AUTOMATIC firearms already and that is NOT a violation of the 2nd Amendment. That is a REGULATION that falls WITHIN the constraints of the term "well regulated".

Banning AR-15's because a bump stock converts them from semi to full automatic makes a great deal sense given how they have been used in mass murders. No one needs an AR-15 when there are plenty of good hunting rifles available.

So banning certain types of firearms is NOT a threat to the 2nd Amendment. Instead it is a sane and reasonable response to the ABUSE of the right to bear arms. Our right to own a gun is NOT impacted because a certain kind of gun can be easily converted to what is effectively a fully automatic military equivalent firearm.

Sanity needs to prevail and it will prevail as soon as the NRA loses it's "death grip" on Congress.

 

Re:

I assume you mean violent psychotics who are a danger to themselves & others rather than harmless eccentrics or the chronically depressed.
There is nothing that either of us could propose to keep the hundreds of millions of existing firearms already in circulation out of the hands of violent psychotics. However, as far as barring sales of new firearms to violent psychotics, Virginia uses NICS which, if upgraded & used nationwide is one of the existing systems that would prohibit violent psychotics from buying new firearms(1).

The ultimate decision of whether to sell a firearm to an individual is up to the FFL holder. I have had an FFL (now expired) & know 2 independent FFL holders & was closely accessed when I bought a firearm in March. In the current political climate, FFL holders & firearm retailers DO NOT want the possible liability & negative publicity of aiding & abetting carnage.

It is a sad reality that a determined killer (i.e. violent psychotic) can effectively kill large numbers of people with a simple Molotov Cocktail,
Can you imagine the carnage that ersatz Napalm via a Molotov Cocktail would inflict in a crowded classroom?

Re:

Then killers who chose firearms for mass shootings will simply resort to AK-47s & large capacity pistols or, more recently, shotguns & revolvers.
Those who want to ban AR-15s select them BECAUSE they will fail to reduce our overall homicide rate(2) so that they can continue to ban other classes of firearms which IS a threat to 2A.

The AR-15 & its variants come in countless hunting calibers, sizes & can be accessorized, cleaned & repaired more easily than most other semi-auto rifles. They are therefore very popular among competitive shooters in the US Shooting Team as well as regular American target shooters.
I feel that reducing our overall homicide rate is more egalitarian than attempting to address the spectacular mass shootings of largely white, middle class MSM darlings who are funded & scripted by the same old adult Gun Ban lobbies that have worked to eviscerate 2A for decades.

We are having this refreshingly civil discussion not because Americans have access to a wide variety of firearms because Americans have had access to lethal "military style" firearms for generations.
The problem is that something in the psychologic makeup of this recent generation has made them more murderous than previous generations.
As this most recent shooting has proven, no amount of gun control is going to deter today's young killers whose own wants, needs & demands for immediate gratification supersede the rights of others to live.
Is it violent video games, bullying on today's prolific social media, hunger for attention, I don't know but if I thought additional gun control would save lives, I would support it.
Until we can determine & address what is compelling these young killers I feel that in addition to increased security, only enhanced mental health availability designed to detect & treat troubled individuals in and out of the schools is where we should devote our time and money.

Historically, attempts to ban inanimate objects has failed to alter or even worsened human behavior as we have seen with the "War of Drugs" & Prohibition. I don't see how a "War on Guns" would be any more productive.

Thanks



(1) National Instant Criminal Background Check System
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Instant_Criminal_Background_Check_System
EXCERPT "Authorized local, state, tribal, and federal agencies can update NICS Index data via the NCIC front end, or by electronic batch files. In addition, the NICS Section receives calls, often in emergency situations, from mental health care providers, police departments, and family members requesting placement of individuals into the NICS Index."CONTINUED



(2) "According To The FBI, Knives Kill Far More People Than Rifles In America – It’s Not Even Close"
http://dailycaller.com/2018/02/19/knives-gun-control-fbi-statistics/
EXCERPT "However, recent statistics from 2016 show that knives actually kill nearly five times as many people as rifles that year. According to the FBI, 1,604 people were killed by “knives and cutting instruments” and 374 were killed by “rifles” in 2016."CONTINUED

 

I've stated several times that I, too disagree with and am sometimes embarrassed some of the NRA's positions and statements made by NRA officials.

Can you think of another pro 2nd Amendment organization to support while 2A is under attack?

"GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_Owners_of_America
"The only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington."
EXCERPT "The GOA has often been in opposition to the NRA in its endorsements and ratings of politicians and candidates. For instance, the GOA was outspoken in its opposition to John McCain's 2008 presidential bid, describing his gun-rights voting record as "abysmal, wretched, and pathetic"[4] and giving him an F- grade on Second Amendment issues since 2004, while the NRA (through its PAC, the NRA-PVF) gave him a C+.[5] The GOA took issue with the NRA over the 2007 NICS Improvement Act."CONTUNUED


OR

Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership
jpfo.org/‎
"America's Most Aggressive Defender of Firearms Ownership."

 

Such as what, precisely? Demonstrate what is considered to be so-called "nefarious drivel" on the part of yourself.

 

The FACTS don't support your allegations.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/251884/murder-offenders-in-the-us-by-age/

Neither does the allegation about video games given that they are far more common in Japan than here in the USA.

That age allegation falls apart when you look at the ages of mass murders and consider that the Vegas killer was 65!

https://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/16/...hootings-in-u-s-history-fast-facts/index.html

What is indisputable is that ALL of these mass killers were/are mentally deranged.

Another thing that is indisputable is that there is no serious attempt in this nation to deal with our population who have mental issues ranging from the mild to the raging psychotics.

Perhaps you are right that keeping guns out of their hands is not going to prevent them from committing mass murder by some other means.

But doing NOTHING is not an option IMO.

How about this option? We place a tax on the sales of everything that is used to commit mass murder including vehicles, knives, etc, etc and use that money to fund mental health initiatives?

 

The ACLU has DEFENDED the 2nd Amendment in the past and will do so again in the future when there is a LEGITIMATE issue with people being denied access to firearms.

 

Absolutely!

 

Is all that crapola from the Huffing Paint Post?

 

The easiest way to accomplish what you want is to repeal HIPPA medical privacy regulations. This way other people you don't know can examine your medical records and determine your fitness to own a gun. Are you in favor of that?

It's been 96 days since the Parkland shooting. 96 (days) X 11 (teens dying per day texting while driving) = 1056. It is a massively huge cost. That doesn't seem to bother you. Are you in favor of making a law restricting cell phones from anyone under 21?

 

Whataboutism rant duly noted and ignored as off topic.

 

Sorry, the ACLU is a tepid defender of 2A at best & furthermore interprets 2A to be a "collective" right rather than an individual right.

Regardless of what you claim, the 2nd Amendment has never before been under such visceral attack from so many ill informed extremists.

Second Amendment | American Civil Liberties Union
https://www.aclu.org/other/second-amendment
EXCERPT "ACLU Position. Given the reference to "a well regulated Militia" and "the security of a free State," the ACLU has long taken the position that the Second Amendment protects a collective right rather than an individual right."CONTINUED

 

Because you can't or won't answer the question.

 

Your attempts to derail the thread are duly noted and ignored.

 

Your graph (of 2016) just confirmed that the majority of killers are Millennials (ages 22-37). That the Vegas killer was 65 is the exception, not the rule.

Additionally, you failed to note that Japan's suicide rate far exceeds that of the US so it simply reinforces the theory that excessive exposure to violent video games IS a factor in violent behavior. Please note that I said "reinforces" the theory, not "confirms" the theory.
It may be a coincidence but it seems like school shootings began with the advent of violent video games.
I can't help but think that "virtual" killing desensitizes obsessive players to real life killing.

Re:

That is an issue that I have repeatedly raised & proposed as how to address the issue of today's school shootings.

The "something" on which we should be focusing is detecting & treating young killers BEFORE they kill. Another thing that more advanced countries have that America does not have is a far more extensive health / mental health system. The 2 (health & mental health) are not separate, mutually exclusive fields as many physical maladies trigger aberrant & sometimes violent behavior.

We seem to agree that doing nothing is unacceptable & deterring killers is well worth investing significant resources.
I think that an immediate & hopefully temporary solution is substantially enhanced security in the schools with training in adolescent psychology for Resource Officers.
At the same time, schools should have at least 1, full time, trained adolescent psychologist per 100 students who routinely meets with teachers to detect & treat troubled students & deal with their parents.

I feel that taxing "...everything that is used to commit mass murder..." is too vague & would include gasoline that would adversely affect the poor.
I would far prefer to see the US disengage from its distant, fatally flawed Mid East Wars & use those funds for more expansive health / mental health treatment at home.