I am so impressed with these kids' actions! I heard one say this morning that if this election they can't get people in that will finally get some gun control passed, they will run themselves when they can. I think a whole generation is coming of age that will change the government in a positive way. I'm hopeful.

I'm very sorry, Ingeorgia, but I just can't agree with your explanation of lambs to the slaughter. No one has said take away all guns. These smart, motivated kids are not pawns but are thinking, acting intelligent citizens. Do you write them off just because they are young?

These articulate kids are our future and their activism will get the rest of us moving to drain the swamp in DC and get rid of the right-wing scourge on our nation starting at the very top.

I posted this on the other thread but I think it's reasonable here too because Chicago is being brought up again:

I don't think the Chicago gun laws example is comparable. City/state gun laws are only as powerful as their neighboring states, and Illinois is right next to Indiana. Indiana has some of the weakest gun control laws. 60% of the confiscated guns in Chicago come from surrounding states and the rest come from other Illinois counties.

It's significantly easier to smuggle guns across state lines than it is to smuggle weapons across our country borders.

Chicago used to have tougher gun laws but now they have been peeled back under pressure. Several other cities have stricter ones now and decreasing homicide rates.

Here's an interesting article about it: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-gun-control-chicago-dahleen-glanton-20171003-story,amp.html

Thanks for sharing those facts. Facts are so useful!

Ingeorgia, do you know any young people? Did you even listen to what they have to say? do you have an AR 15 for protection? (Even my police officer relatives think that is a absurd notion.)

the only person who has mentioned taking away anyone's guns has been the current president who said that guns should be taken and due process happen later. (Of course he said that before the hurried up meeting with the NRA.)

I am very proud of all the marchers and impressed with how well spoken and bright the speakers are.

ingeorgia and those who "liked"--I strongly disagree.

These kids are absolutely NOT being used as pawns, and they would be insulted to be called such. Their energy and outrage comes from their experience, an experience no one should ever have!!! A pawn is a playing piece moved around by others. They are self-motivated because adults have NOT protected them and they were forced to endure a horrific experience because of that. Our political leaders in the pocket of the NRA have allowed this to happen. We must vote them OUT!!!

Russia and the NRA are running the US! I don't like it.

You are letting irrational thoughts and fear and propaganda cloud your judgement. No one is threatening to take away your hunting rifles or your handguns. Stricter background checks won't prevent law-abiding and sane people from owning a gun. Honest people will still be able to protect themselves--it's part of our Second Amendment rights. But how does the ability to own a bump-stock enhanced assault rifle that can fire hundreds of rounds infringe upon your Second Amendment rights?

I posted “I can not for the life of me understand why anyone needs a bump stock!” on a local forum and I got lambasted!....so won’t go there again. I strongly believe in the 2nd Amendment and our right to own guns for hunting and protection, but we do need stronger background checks...there are a lot of deranged people out there.

The so-called "right to bear arms" is a tired red herring. What we have doesn't work.

What's more important, the safety of the population by a reduced risk of gun violence or "the right to bear arms"? If you read the Preamble to the Constitution, the excessive number of guns in America violates the basic stated goals of establishing Justice, insuring domestic tranquility, and promoting general welfare.

Amendments are amendments and can be changed. The Preamble stands as is.

Russia and the NRA are running the US! I don't like it.

Talk about deranged! OMG

I hope it's not as bad as angela says but she has a good point that's hard to disagree with.

It might sound trite, but it has come to the point that the people who 'represent' us need to be notified that they have been given 'notice' about the situation. I send emails on a regular basis to my senators, pro and con about what they say and do.

If all the folks on GardenWeb got into the habit of doing that, then those folks in Washington, D.C. just might get the message that they just be out of a job when the time comes for re-election.

If you are not registered to vote, do it now. Get you neighbors to register and then, when the time comes, vote.

Start sending emails. Get the word out.

Russia's interference in our elections is a threat to our democracy. Additionally, earlier this year the FBI opened an investigation into the NRA for illegally funneling money to trump from a Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin. I'd love to see the NRA found guilty of money laundering for the Russians!

Where ARE the candidates who will stand up against the gun sellers lobby? Have you seen anyone offering to run on a *meaningful* gun control platform? (I don't mean ridiculous and impossibly expensive ideas like 'mental health screening' or 'background checks'. I don't mean token stuff like eliminating bump stock conversions.)

Where ARE the members of the NRA, that *tool* of the gun profiteers, who will quit it in disgust?

Sorry but I am soon to be a senior and I support the 2nd amendment. My son insisted I get a concealed carry. I admit I enjoyed spending time with him as he taught me gun safety and how to shoot. I obtained my concealed carry but never thought I would need it. I work in a high crime area. One day I decided to carry my gun in the car. Intuition I guess. After a long shift I was driving home and at a stop light (with nowhere else to go unless I decided to crash an oncoming car) I was confronted by an irate man who came out of his car and tried to smash my driver side car window. I took my gun out of the console and the irate man seeing this decided to stop trying to smash my window and do me harm. He took off like a bat out of Hades and I lived to tell the tale. I wish all people were peaceful but that is not the case. I have no doubt that my lawful carrying a gun in my car saved me from harm or even death that day.

Blue, I'm glad you are safe. Is your gun a 'bump-stock enhanced assault rifle that can fire hundreds of rounds per minute(?),' or something else?

I'm also a senior. Getting ready to take some advanced firearms training. DS is very supportive and is giving me coupons. LOL

Follow the money !! These marches and protest are NOT grass roots. Start with George Soros organisations. They are paid for. Also, agree with Blue on blue. 20 years ago we owned a small chain of liquor stores, my husband was robbed and beaten by 2 thugs, After a call to police, Ga state patrol chased the thugs on I75 in S. Ga for miles until the thugs crashed their car. They got out and began shooting. Both were killed. We have permits to carry. Any business dealing in cash needs protection.

I'm also a senior. I have A-10 coverage 24/7.

It's so frustrating to me that people think that we're calling for all guns to be taken away. That's not the case. I think responsible gun owners should be able to have guns. I also believe that it should not be possible for anyone to walk into a store and walk out with an assault rifle.

I think it should be much more difficult to obtain guns. Responsible people will be able to have their guns, and teenagers won't be able to just buy a gun capable of killing dozens in a few seconds. Can bad people still get guns? Sure. But WHY do we make it so damn easy?!

There is a lot of room for improvements without impeding on anyone's constitutional rights. There's nothing in the constitution that guarantees that guns should be cheap and easily available.

You're buying into the RW propaganda. Couldn't be further from the truth.

Another thing that some of you might want to consider - determine which businesses are selling guns that feature magazines that can carry more than 9 bullets. Once you know which businesses are offering those items for sale, let them know your thoughts on their business practices. I have written to one local source and related how I never again will spend money in their store as long as they continue to offer to sell large-magazine weapons. That bothers me, as they have good stuff in their store that I have been buying for a long time. Sadly, I will not go there as long as they sell those kinds of weapons.

Handguns? OK! Rifles? OK! But not those weapons that can do so much damage in such a short span of time.

http://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2

Switzerland doesn't have the psychopaths we do. Why do we have so many psychopaths now? In the 60's and 70's and probably much later, public High Schools had Gun Clubs as an after school activity. And more lenient gun laws than today. And no school shootings.

Switzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here's why it doesn't have mass shootings

My DH has guns for hunting and a small hand gun that he has a concealed carry permit. He is a responsible gun owner.

I do NOT like guns, but support his right to have these.

These kids are our future. My grandkids and my kids will vote. As will we to make the needed changes.

Let sociopaths take guns from the ones that actually care about "laws" the ones that don't will have a field day because they don't care! Look at what it is doing in Australia you can't protect yourself you can't even have pepper spray and victims are losing court cases for use of excessive force if they actually manage to stop their attackers!!

This is not Hot Topics - thank goodness. I think we are all allowed an opinion without being piled on. Close by where I live people are robbed at gas stations, out mowing their lawns, etc. The police aren't going to make it to protect you in so many situations. Like it or not, guns are necessary.

Eric, I live in Australia and you are so full of it you squeak.

Yes, do look at Australia, where gun crime and shootings are incredibly rare and our schools have never had to deal with the incidents guns have facilitated in the US.

We can protect ourselves fine with what we’re allowed to use. And we can use force, just not _excessive_ force - if you have a legal gun (eg a farmer) you can’t shoot a burglar who has a pocketknife but you can hit him with a crowbar for instance. Very few (tbh I can’t think of any) victims are convicted of excessive force- there have been a few well publicised (and well publicised because of their rarity) cases where the offender ended up dead, so it had to be proven in court that the killing was justified. Courts generally find that it is, and that the homeowner didn’t intend to kill.

On the whole I’m glad to live in a place where it’s safe to walk down the street, even at night, where I don’t have to worry that my child may not come home from school, and where I can answer my door whenever I like.

If guns are ever outlawed you can be certain a huge black market will be thriving. Then the guns won't be registered and there won't be any gun controls.

Guns will never be outlawed in the US. Period. That kind of thinking only comes from those who hold a suspicious view of government. Those people even buy guns to protect them FROM government. That's irrational thinking.

mayflowers - I would appreciate it if you don't put words in my mouth, or make your negative assumptions about what I believe. This is not Hot Topics.

Eric joined to resurrect an old thread. Enough said.

Many innocent lives have been lost because of an irrational fear that if you give an inch on safe gun laws, the government will take a mile and come for your guns. This is why we do nothing. It's irrational when people buy guns and more guns to protect themselves from government. Try protecting yourself with a gun from a government intent on taking your guns.

Have you ever watched the NRA ads featuring Dana Loesch? It's pure irrational fear-mongering. The NRA has identified their enemies and they are liberals, journalists, public school teachers, and Hollywood. Oh, and Obama, of course. This ad is delivering a very dangerous and frightening message:

Dana Loesch NRA Ad

The fear that guns will ever be outlawed is an extremist view, as is the belief that we will ever outlaw guns.

Mayflowers -We are all adults here and we know what we believe, to make an assumption we are ill-informed is just that, an assumption. We don't need to be "schooled" and don't need to fight day and night over it.

Katrina_ellen, this is a discussion. If you're not interested in what others think of the topic, don't post.

Furthermore, since you are not even addressing any of the points I've made which are about the topic and instead choose to focus on me personally, you should just ignore my posts.

Mayflowers - I don't want this to turn into another Hot Topics with topics that generally people have strong opinions on. Don't you get enough of that on Hot Topics? I feel no need to address any of your "points" - just not interested. Indeed I will ignore your posts but please don't turn this peaceful place into a place of constant fighting.

Oh, I see. You're biased against me because I've occasionally posted in Hot Topics. Well, I remember you posting there too and taking over a few threads with your Bible quotes. I am not the one here who decided to focus on the poster instead of the topic. If you had nothing to say about my "points", there was no reason to post.

People have strong opinions about guns. Every thread after every mass shooting attracts those with strong opinions. Most of the time it is handled peacefully, considering the topic is a very emotional one.

This is what I am talking about, it never ends, and the accusations never do either.

In other related news, I read that several of the Parkland students will be spending their summer on a bus tour to every Florida county and several states to talk about guns and to rally our young voters to register and vote this fall. They give me hope for the future.