Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/12/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Absolutely agree with you Mark but I'll see you and raise you your responsible, sensible legislation by adding that this country needs to get away from the industry of criminal justice and address the social issues that drive violent crime. We need to actually facilitate true rehabilitation of criminals but before that we should invest in education and provide people with things they need to get ahead in life and grab their piece of the American dream. This is a utopian or even socialist thought but we can certainly make strides towards becoming among the top five in the world in education instead of closer to twentieth where we've been for years. Aside from the outliers such as the mass shootings we occasionally see, firearm violence is violence of greed, necessity and recidivism. We can put band aids on the cuts all we want to stop the bleeding but if we don't stop cutting ourselves, the problem isn't going to end. Very well put, Mark. Phil Forrest On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:43:32 -0800 Mark Kronquist <mak at teleport.com> wrote: > Gun violence. Time for some sensible legislation > > Many of you know my day job, some don't. I am "in the industry" as a > Vice President for the largest manufacturer of firearms in the > region. Our products are far more tightly controlled and not likely > to be involved in one of these incidents. > > First, my heart goes out to the victims of these senseless tragedies. > > I realize that the AR-15 platform used in Oregon was stolen and the > Bushmaster used in CT was illegal in CT. Not sure about CT handgun > laws and whether the Glock and Sig P226 were CT legal or not. Nor do > I know if the weapons were stolen, purchased legally before the 1994 > ban or whatnot. These are minor issues. Criminals will break the law. > > We cannot be Pollyanna's and magically make guns or the Second > Amendment disappear. Face it guns are a part of our society...like it > or not. Will these few ideas end gun crime? No. If a criminal or an > mentally ill person is going to use a gun to commit a crime, they > will find a gun...just maybe these ideas will make it a bit harder > and discourage the opportunist. > > 1. What we can do is get rid of the crazy patchwork of gun laws that > ban a gun in one county or city or state or the purchase of that > gun...for example, the Gifford's shooter in Arizona could not have > legally purchased the gun used int he killings in say, a far left, > liberal state called oh...Idaho...or at least three dozen other > states. Why can a mentally ill (sorry to offend those who don't like > labels but call it otheradvantaged, challenged or whatever the > shooter was not of right mind) purchase a hand gun in Arizona and not > in Idaho? Why not have ONE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR RIFLES? HANDGUNS? > CONCEALED CARRY? States rights folks will be up in arms but, I think > the 2nd Amendment makes this a Federal issue, not a state one...we > did it at the FEDERAL LEVEL with the 1934 act banning machine guns > and the 1968 act banning Saturday Night Specials. > > 2. I just got home from a long day and opened a beer. We pay a social > welfare tax on beer. We pay a social welfare tax on cigarettes. We > pay a social welfare tax on lottery tickets. On chewing tobacco on > candy in some places. Right now any 18 year old can walk into any > BiMart, Fred Meyer, K-Mart, WalMart or wherever and lay down 15-16 > bucks for 500 rounds of .22 ammo. Yes I know that .22 is not often > used in mass murders and that there is a 15% excise tax on new ammo > but this tax goes to the general fund, not to offsetting the toll > caused by gun violence in our society. So I grant those arguments and > ask is a penny or a nickel a round for rifle ammo going to hurt > hunters that badly? Heck double it and put the other half to hunting > habitat restoration through Rocky Mountain Elk or Ducks Unlimited. > > 3. Scary guns and pretty guns are just as deadly in the wrong hands. > My French 49-56 MAS Battle Rifle holds only 10 rounds per clip and > has a beautiful, wood stock and lacks a pistol grip, muzzle > compensator or other cosmetics that were banned in the US from > 1994-2004. Yet in the wrong hands it is far more deadly than > a .223/5.56 (the most common M-16 AR-15 platform round)...and the MAS > makes it easy as easy to change a magazine in about 2 > seconds...unclip, drop, clip, rerack shoot. Capacity limits are > do-good fiction. 10 rounds (the 1994-2004 maximum) are just as deadly > as 30 and changing any mag takes just a second or two...in a mall or > school filled with innocents it's not going to matter. > > 4. Driver's license. Motorcycle License. Food Server's Food Handling > Permit, Alcohol Server's License. On and on and on. Gun. Walk in to a > gun shop slap down ten bucks for a basic background check and we give > you the keys to an Indy Car...Yes a Libertarians' nightmare. Why not > REQUIRE a national standard handgun safety class to buy a handgun > (pass the class once, you receive a license as counterfeit proof as > currency (will a criminal copy it? Sure. Will a 15 year old gang > banger (again sorry to offend) No.) Why not a hunting safety class > for a rifle purchase and a national class and standard for concealed > carry as well...and, yes, please NRA, you guys are great at gun > safety, please teach and profit from the classes. > > My 2 cents. > > I am sure many disagree. Disagree with dignity and finesse. We all > have opinions...please share yours. > > Thank you > > Mark > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -- http://philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com/ http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/philforrest