Gun control

[George]

I remember being scared during tornado and fire drills. Can you imagine what we are putting our kids through?
They're trying to design schools to be safer against active shooters...

I have two kids in school. Yes, I can imagine it. And I'm sure we all can, not just parents.

Two quick anecdotes about how the times, they are a changin'...

1. I was in the high school where my kids will most likely go to watch my daughter's band concert last year. Boy, the beginning elementary school band sounds rough, let me tell you. HONK! squeak! Wheeze!

Anyway, before the show, I went to the mens room, which was surprisingly large to me, but I've been out of high school a long time. There must have been a dozen urinals and half as many stalls. While washing my hands at the long row of sinks near the door, I looked up and noticed a deadbolt lock on the inside of the door. I thought that was strange. Surely boys messing around will come in there and lock the door just to be jerks to their friends. I could imagine the between-class rush being times of constant door pounding while some kids inside kept their buddies locked out, just because that's how guys are, right?

Then I saw the sign near the door that had all the different codes on it for announcements over the intercom - Lockdown means this, Lockout means that, and something else or maybe one of those meant stay where you are, lock the door, turn out lights, and stay quiet.

2. Last week I saw that Bernie Sanders was having a rally at 6:00 PM on Monday (yesterday) in the large park where such things happen near the capitol building in Denver. I work a couple blocks away and mentioned to my wife on Friday night that I might stop by on my way to the commuter train. I'm not a Sanders supporter specifically, but I'll vote for anyone who gets the nomination in the hopes of booting Trump out. Anyway, I thought it might be neat to see and hear him as part of our democratic process and maybe to tell my grandkids about someday like Abe Simpson might do. My wife said she might even bring the kids downtown and we could all see him together.

Well, then the weekend came and went and I forgot all about it. When I got home last night, my wife said she had forgotten about the Sanders rally and I admitted I had also. Carefully making sure no kids were within earshot, I told her that I had been thinking a day or two before that a Sanders rally might not be the safest place to be, given current events. She agreed and said she had decided not to go to some kind of Arabic food tasting in a park somewhere recently out of similar concerns.

We aren't wackos who won't go outside. Far from it. But, these things do make me think sometimes - do I want to go join that big crowd, or not?

[Crazed_Insanity]

We aren't wackos who won't go outside. Far from it. But, these things do make me think sometimes - do I want to go join that big crowd, or not?

To that, I can only offer you that William Wallace quote. To paraphrase... every one of us will die eventually anyways... don't allow fear to prevent you from living your life to the full!

Of course I do agree it's probably wise to not take kids to political rallies nowadays.

[21Kid]

Saw this on Facebook... Relevant to what I just posted.
Screenshot_20190912-114926_Facebook.jpg

[George]

Kids get it.

I think the current situation might be a little similar to the duck-and-cover drills of the Cold War...only more likely and closer to home.

(Irreverently off topic, while reading the text and seeing the person's picture more in my peripheral vision than looking directly at it, I realized I was thinking that was a picture Michael Jackson)

[Dicknose]

Spent the night at a mates place, he has 9+11 year olds. I dont think they have ever seen a gun drawn. They have seen cops who are wearing a gun. But probably not seen anyone else with one.
These kids wouldnt even know what "active shooter" means.
They do have close friends who father goes pig hunting, so he would definitely have rifles, I presume at home, but I also presume locked up.

[Crazed_Insanity]

The latest church shooting in Texas... I think it’s now confirmed that the shooter was an addict and mentally unstable.

Considering our inability to control gun ownership and have proper care for the mentally impaired, that was probably the best outcome?

Crazy person neutralized within 6 seconds. Guess he picked the wrong church to mess with.

It is such a crazy sad time that people now have to carry both bible and gun to church though...

With every shooting, we really need to re-examine our gun and healthcare laws rather than just thoughts, prayers and shooting them back. Surely this isn’t sustainable.

[FaultyMario]

Mexico sues gun firms in U.S., seeks estimated $10 bln damages

The lawsuit alleges that units of Smith & Wesson; Barrett Firearms; Colt's Manufacturing Company; Glock Inc; Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc and others knew their business practices generated illegal arms trafficking in Mexico, the document said.

[dodint]

[JoshInKC]

Well, that'll never work but I wish them the best of luck.

[FaultyMario]

Well, that'll never work but I wish them the best of luck.

The suit claims that distribution channels are aware of retailers being providers to unlawful export schemes, so much so, that some products are being modified to make them more appealing to certain overseas buyers.

This is an obvious political ploy, but, the legal team spent a good number of months preparing and reportedly worked with antigun activists to force manufacturers into negotiations.

Bonnie Klapper, a former federal prosecutor and expert on drug enforcement and legislation, said Mexico will have a tough time getting around the 2005 federal legislation shielding gun companies.

“Will the lawsuit succeed? It’s a brilliant idea. If nothing else, it will shine a light on how dirty this industry is and how messed up and ineffective U.S. policy is,” she said. “We treat Mexico like a dumping ground for our guns and then condemn Mexico for the drug-related gun violence that spreads into the U.S.”