CNN town hall

all guns were purchased legally at some point somewhere.  The Short Hills carjacker may have possessed his gun illegally, but someone who bought it legally some place either sold it or gave it away illegally, or had it stolen.  Guns don't enter the black market direct from the manufacturer or direct from a legitimate retailer.

The "illegal guns" canard is a distraction from the real issue.  If there were less legal gun transactions, ultimately there would be fewer legally owned guns, and fewer of them would find their way illegally into the hands of potential criminals.  

Unless of course people think that gun manufacturing companies will themselves supply a thriving underground black market for firearms.  But absent that, any laws that limit the number of legally owned weapons will also limit illegally owned weapons down the line.

ml1 said:

all guns were purchased legally at some point somewhere.  The Short Hills carjacker may have possessed his gun illegally, but someone who bought it legally some place either sold it or gave it away illegally, or had it stolen.  Guns don't enter the black market direct from the manufacturer or direct from a legitimate retailer.

The "illegal guns" canard is a distraction from the real issue.  If there were less legal gun transactions, ultimately there would be fewer legally owned guns, and fewer of them would find their way illegally into the hands of potential criminals.  

Unless of course people think that gun manufacturing companies will themselves supply a thriving underground black market for firearms.  But absent that, any laws that limit the number of legally owned weapons will also limit illegally owned weapons down the line.

And how's that illegal opioid epidemic working out in NJ. What was the statistics in NJ for 2015? Somewhere in the range of 1500, and heroin around 900 deaths. The U.S. could ban every gun and confiscate them all but they're going to come across the borders. Can't remember who previously made an idiotic comment about we passed liquor prohibition laws why not gun. Did it really stop the liquor? Only to the average person that abided by the law. Not the politician or the affluent with $. So in essence the drug dealer making big$ will always have access which there will always be a black market or anyone to get there hands on them. I don't agree with a lot of what the NRA states and there has to be more stringent checks in the other states including mental checks but that will not happen because a lawyer or the aclu will say that's profiling a disability that someone has. Anyway we'll just see how it plays out in the end. Have a good night.

Any history of violence should be a disqualifier. This would likely result in more females than males being eligible for gun ownership. Which seems like a statistically prudent direction.

people can grow or manufacture drugs themselves.  they can make alcohol.  Manufacture precision items like firearms?  Not so much.

European nations have largely outlawed guns, and they are not awash in weapons coming over their borders.  

Your premise is faulty.  

That said, I do recognize that people have 2nd Amendment rights.  We aren't going to outlaw guns.  But we certainly can make them harder to get.  

TJ said:


And how's that illegal opioid epidemic working out in NJ. What was the statistics in NJ for 2015? Somewhere in the range of 1500, and heroin around 900 deaths. The U.S. could ban every gun and confiscate them all but they're going to come across the borders. Can't remember who previously made an idiotic comment about we passed liquor prohibition laws why not gun. Did it really stop the liquor? Only to the average person that abided by the law. Not the politician or the affluent with $. So in essence the drug dealer making big$ will always have access which there will always be a black market or anyone to get there hands on them. I don't agree with a lot of what the NRA states and there has to be more stringent checks in the other states including mental checks but that will not happen because a lawyer or the aclu will say that's profiling a disability that someone has. Anyway we'll just see how it plays out in the end. Have a good night.

   

unfortunately, this will soon be possible as 3-D printers get more and more sophisticated

ml1 said:

people can grow or manufacture drugs themselves.  they can make alcohol.  Manufacture precision items like firearms?  Not so much.

European nations have largely outlawed guns, and they are not awash in weapons coming over their borders.  

Your premise is faulty.  

That said, I do recognize that people have 2nd Amendment rights.  We aren't going to outlaw guns.  But we certainly can make them harder to get.  

TJ said:


And how's that illegal opioid epidemic working out in NJ. What was the statistics in NJ for 2015? Somewhere in the range of 1500, and heroin around 900 deaths. The U.S. could ban every gun and confiscate them all but they're going to come across the borders. Can't remember who previously made an idiotic comment about we passed liquor prohibition laws why not gun. Did it really stop the liquor? Only to the average person that abided by the law. Not the politician or the affluent with $. So in essence the drug dealer making big$ will always have access which there will always be a black market or anyone to get there hands on them. I don't agree with a lot of what the NRA states and there has to be more stringent checks in the other states including mental checks but that will not happen because a lawyer or the aclu will say that's profiling a disability that someone has. Anyway we'll just see how it plays out in the end. Have a good night.

   

will they be able to 3D print gunpowder?

drummerboy said:

unfortunately, this will soon be possible as 3-D printers get more and more sophisticated

The assault weapons ban in 1994 led to a significant drop in mass shootings. People forget that we had such a thing, though it lasted only 10 years.

drummerboy said:

unfortunately, this will soon be possible as 3-D printers get more and more sophisticated

I don't think the plastics used in 3D printers, easy to shape and mold, even if they harden, can stand up to the explosive force of high speed bullets.

The thing is to focus on getting rid AR-15 type semi-auto's as they did in Australia. Worry about the other stuff when and if it becomes an issue.

Unfortunately, you are incorrect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberator_(gun)

BG9 said:

drummerboy said:

unfortunately, this will soon be possible as 3-D printers get more and more sophisticated

I don't think the plastics used in 3D printers, easy to shape and mold, even if they harden, can stand up to the explosive force of high speed bullets.

The thing is to focus on getting rid AR-15 type semi-auto's as they did in Australia. Worry about the other stuff when and if it becomes an issue.

We could extend the "x is illegal but y still happens so what's the use of regulating z" to all sorts of things. Stupid things.

Just plug in your favorite unrelated nouns and verbs.

"Murder," "killings" and "selling cigarettes to children." For example.