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  1. Mrs D

    grapefruit / 4545 posts

    Well as I said...very simply stated - these are my personal opinions: " Its pretty clear...Keep guns in the right hands...require training....re-certification periodically...restrict certain types of guns and/or modifications to guns. "

    I guess that translates to background checks, sufficient databases, training requirements, re-certification processes, and restrictions on types of guns and gun enhancements.

    I dont disagree with many of the comments in your two posted articles.

    However, I think unfortunately we have a lot of uneducated band wagoning people in this country who need some education in order to understand guns and gun terminology before we can have a rational discussion in which we can each LISTEN to each other. If you want to be a part of the discussion you owe it to all parties to educate yourself on the topic. This seems to be something I repeatedly see people fall flat on in this country.

    For example...some people dont seem to understand what a silencer does and does not do. Some people seem to think semi auto rifle means it fires more than one bullet at a time - something I myself thought until reading more yesterday. And I think a very good majority of the non gun owning population needs some basic gun knowledge before they are going to get up on a pedestal and start screaming about the specifics of gun control.

  2. yoursilverlining

    eggplant / 11824 posts

    @Mrs D: Totally with you on the FB "prayers!!!" thing. It's so phony. Action people.

  3. Mama Bird

    pomegranate / 3127 posts

    @Mrs D: I don't know, go easy on people there... they are probably just finding it hard not to react somehow, and acknowledge this. Yes, posting about prayers on Facebook is trite, but what isn't when 59 people will never come home, and hundreds are in the hospital? There really aren't words that are good enough when even one person dies.

    Not that talking about it is enough, yes, something should be done. There are always going to be psychos, but there are so many things that could limit their ability to kill by the dozen.

  4. Mrs D

    grapefruit / 4545 posts

    @Mama Bird: I know, I get the whole "its just so overwhelming I dont know what to do" mentality...and I know some people are doing it because they need to do something and dont know what. For those - its ok. Or maybe it was ok the first 25 times we had "pray for XX" or profile update options after a tragedy...but now it just seems a bit phony.

    We're all lost in moments like this...but look for the moments in the day to do something. Make good from it. They will present. But if you are taking the approach of "I said I was praying for Vegas - I did my good deed for the day" chances are you'll miss the moment. Keep the burn to "do something" inside you alive a bit longer...beyond the quintessential facebook post...and you'll find something to do.

  5. littlebug

    honeydew / 7504 posts

    @Mrs D: I agree. I especially feel like lately, with the hurricanes and the earthquakes and the shooting and the this and the that... Every day, people are praying for something new and it feels disingenuous. I'm getting whiplash from it. Put your money where your mouth is. Put some action behind your prayers. Even if all that is is smiling at a stranger on the street, at least do something productive.

  6. Mrs D

    grapefruit / 4545 posts

    @littlebug: precisely. I'm not saying solve gun control as your "do something"...but keep your mind open to the idea of doing something tangible...trust that the people in facebook world know you're horrified...and try to make the day better for someone. In doing so there is a domino effect...

  7. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    @Mrs D: I agree with you that real, effective measures would take a lot of planning, discussion and coordination, which I don't actually have much hope for in today's political climate. It's the same reason I don't have hope for tax reform or healthcare reform.

    I would like to see several items in a gun control reform:
    1) Buy back program to allow people to safely dispose of guns they no longer want
    2) A system of licensure for gun owners. Something along the lines of how you obtain a driver's license. (age limit, pass test)
    3) Universal background check and registration, including the used/re-sale market.
    4) Limiting magazine capacity to 10 (which is just a personal arbitrary number)
    5) Regulating ammunition sales similar to pseudo-ephedrine regulations. Showing identification and a database to flag people who are buying large amounts.
    (I would support a provision that allowed for larger amounts of ammunition to be purchased at gun ranges for use on that range.)

  8. Mrs D

    grapefruit / 4545 posts

    @kiddosc: all good common sense ideas. I would add to #2 the need to re-apply/re-certify after a certain amount of years. 5 maybe?

    Buy-back is smart...could eliminate the wreckless re-sale market activity.

  9. AprilFool

    nectarine / 2591 posts

    @Mrs D: Too many prayers? Wow! What a privileged thing to say. I am sure the victims families aren't saying the same thing. Way to be an asshole

  10. Mrs. Lemon-Lime

    wonderful pea / 17279 posts

    @Mrs D: I prayed for the victims and their families. I pray every night for our leaders to make good decisions. I don't post any of that on FB. If SCOTUS takes up gerrymandering I am hopeful I will be able to Vote some foolish politicians out of office.

  11. gotkimchi

    nectarine / 2400 posts

    @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I agree about SCOTUS and I read they were receptive to it so I hope that's true

  12. lamariniere

    pineapple / 12566 posts

    My breaking point was Sandy Hook, which was nearly 5 years ago. FIVE YEARS. When nothing is done after a room full of kindergarteners is shot up, I cannot entertain empty words and inaction. I still get emotional every time I think about those babies and those families.

    I thought this was an interesting op-Ed on the “thoughts and prayers” topic. I’m not religious so I find the “thoughts and prayers” sentiments with no follow up to concrete action to be extremely hypocritical.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/10/03/why-thoughts-and-prayers-is-starting-to-sound-so-profane/

  13. 2littlepumpkins

    grapefruit / 4455 posts

    @lamariniere: I have actually been thinking a lot of SH lately bc my dd was a newborn then and is now in elementary school. Those kids seem even littler now that my baby is that age. Sort of a morbid thing to think but a couple weeks ago I was thinking if someone wanted to get to them, out on the yard anyone could, realistically. Probably also a result of my pregnancy induced anxiety but I was honestly thinking there's not much any of us can do about it as parents. I don't know the point of my comment here, just rambling.

  14. Mrs. Lemon-Lime

    wonderful pea / 17279 posts

    @lamariniere: unfortunately, SH’s murderer had diagnosed mental disorders and people could explain away that “random” act.

    The more I think about these mass shootings there is nothing random about them from the shooters’ perspective. They come up with a plan and carry out their destruction. They are just like the armed robbers, gang members, domestic violence perpetrators, bombers, serial killers and everyone else that specifically targets a person.

  15. Adira

    wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

    @lamariniere: Sandy Hook was my breaking point too. I still can't think about it without crying. Every tragedy that follows, I know we won't do anything. If we didn't change anything to try to protect our children, why would we do anything to try to protect adults?

    @Mrs D: @littlebug: It feels kind of judgmental to assume that people posting their thoughts on Facebook aren't ALSO doing something. How do you know they aren't also donating or calling their representatives or giving blood? I also think it would be pretty chilling if something as horrible as Las Vegas happened and no one mentioned it on social media, like it didn't even happen.

  16. littlebug

    honeydew / 7504 posts

    @Adira: Point taken. I guess to me it just feels like, I'm sure many of those people are, like @Mrs. Lemon-Lime:, saying prayers for various things on other nights/days but they don't post about them. It just feels...I don't know. It feels off to me. And maybe it's because, like I said, it's been such a saturation of it lately, and it seems like a lot of people (on my friends list, anyway) ONLY post those "thoughts and prayers" posts, but then it's radio silence every other day. So maybe that's where I feel like it's disingenuous. But I get your point.

  17. Adira

    wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

    @littlebug: Yeah, I definitely get where you are coming from. The past couple months have been rough with Harvey, Irma, Maria, and now Las Vegas. It's just one thing after another after another. It's hard not to get burnt out by it all.

  18. Mrs D

    grapefruit / 4545 posts

    @AprilFool: Did I say "too many prayers somewhere" I cant seem to find it? I believe what I said was I dont believe those people are actually doing anything...i.e. praying. If they are great. I think prayer is a wonderful thing to do in times like these - its easy, its free, it can take no time...all around great choice that EVERYONE could do...I am just saying I think some people have taken to saying "prayers for so and so" without actually praying or doing anything else...to let themselves off the hook and present some sort of FB persona.

    But way to mis-read what I said and call a stranger on the internet an asshole. Here's to making to world a better place...

  19. Mrs D

    grapefruit / 4545 posts

    @Adira: I see your point and I also see how @littlebug: responded and I guess I feel somewhat similar. I am certainly not suggesting anyone not comment on it...I just hope they are doing more than just commenting. And maybe it is the volume of prayer worthy events lately making me jaded.

    And I suppose the "prayers for vegas" comments might remind others that prayer is an option.

    I just get the vibe - at least from what I see in my own social media feed/network that its a persona...I hope I am wrong of course...

  20. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    The fact that nothing has been done after SH just really, really depresses me. I agree that I choke up just thinking about those kids. Defenseless. Innocent. Full of life. Bright futures waiting for them. They weren't even somewhere they chose to be for fun. They were all where they were supposed to be. A safe place to have fun and learn. I'm so sorry now that I'm rambling too. It just breaks my heart I don't have a ton of free time, I have been emailing representatives but I don't have as much time to call. I have to think that no one thinks that what happened with SH or any of these massacre is okay; but if everyone agrees that it's not okay; then why is nothing being done? How are people so selfish and blinded by their own agendas to ingore human lives?!

    Sigh, rant over.

  21. ShootingStar

    coconut / 8472 posts

    I'm not religious and seeing waves of Facebook "thoughts and prayers" posts just leaves me disgusted.

  22. josina

    pomegranate / 3973 posts

  23. mrskansas

    nectarine / 2813 posts

    @josina: Unless he was planning on purchasing firearms in Chicago, I don't think it makes a difference.

    This whole situation just doesn't make any sense and I don't think they will ever figure out the "why" behind the attack.

  24. Adira

    wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

    @mrskansas: I personally don't really care WHY he did it. The fact that he was so easily able to do it is the thing I want addressed NOW. Let's make it harder for people to do things like this, regardless of their motivations.

  25. mrskansas

    nectarine / 2813 posts

    @Adira: I don't care about the "why" either. The only reason I said what I did was because there are so many news articles out there speculating about the reasons behind it, like the one above.

  26. Adira

    wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

    @mrskansas: Ahh, yes, it seems like everywhere I look, it's more speculation on why he might've done what he did. Agreed!

  27. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    @mrskansas: @Adira: I think people focus on the why because they don't want to admit that there are super evil people out there who do this sort of thing of their own free will. They want to say he's mentally ill, or that he's associated with a terrorist group because it makes them feel more secure that these kind of people could be picked out of the group and stopped if only the right kind of screening existed. Rather than what may be the scary truth that this was a completely unremarkable man with no nefarious ties or mental health issues, no red flags (besides the fact he hoarded dozens of guns...) prior to the attack.

  28. TemperanceBrennan

    pear / 1998 posts

    https://callyourrep.co/
    I challenge every single person on this thread to call your representatives. You have spent time on Hellobee, which means you have time to call. This is a real, tangible thing you can do to begin to change things.
    Don't make excuses. This is important.

  29. mrskansas

    nectarine / 2813 posts

  30. Adira

    wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

    @TemperanceBrennan: It's especially important for those of us represented by the GOP.

    My reps have all put out statements about this disgust at the inaction by Congress to pass common-sense gun control legislation and I've reached out to them to ensure they will continue the fight. But my reps are Democrats, so they were already on the side of more gun control.

  31. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @Adira: Same here. Maybe we should be calling reps from other places!

    Quick facts displayed from nystatesenate website-

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