200 Mass shootings in 127 Days

[Jazman]

To jump on what SZDFan and Ernie have said - I think of isolation, and the fracturing of relationships is at work here, perhaps, as ken noted, exacerbated by an inability for some to cope with the proliferation of unhelpful information sources. And then if a destabilized person has easy access to a firearm...

Yet if we look 50 or 100 or 150 years ago, there was a proliferation of unhelpful information sources and plenty of access to firearms, including by unstable people. So those aren’t really contributing factors at all.

Umm... easy access had a whole different meaning even 50yrs ago, compared to now... We're talking about the now. 100-150 yrs ago the weapon to mow down multiple people in a matter of seconds didn't exist... besides other factors. I don't you can compare the now to that long ago. Not an argument that's going to convince me. sorry.

[temporal1]

To jump on what SZDFan and Ernie have said - I think of isolation, and the fracturing of relationships is at work here, perhaps, as ken noted, exacerbated by an inability for some to cope with the proliferation of unhelpful information sources. And then if a destabilized person has easy access to a firearm...

Yet if we look 50 or 100 or 150 years ago, there was a proliferation of unhelpful information sources and plenty of access to firearms, including by unstable people. So those aren’t really contributing factors at all.

There’s a bit of irony in that this forum just experimented with isolating members, temporarily fracturing the community, with some pretty happy about it. (??) Or, no?

[Josh]

Umm... easy access had a whole different meaning even 50yrs ago, compared to now... We're talking about the now. 100-150 yrs ago the weapon to mow down multiple people in a matter of seconds didn't exist... besides other factors. I don't you can compare the now to that long ago. Not an argument that's going to convince me. sorry.

100 years ago, anyone could buy a Thompson machine gun at a hardware store.

Newspapers 100 or 150 years ago were chock full of opinions, violent rhetoric, and blatant misinformation too.

[Szdfan]

During the 1920s and 30s, gang violence brought on by Prohibition became so widespread that Congress passed the first gun control law in 1934 -- the National Firearms Act. The law is still effective in limiting the sale of machine guns.

[Soloist]

I can agree that 99% of civilians don’t need machine guns.

Me on the other hand, how else can I ever hit I deer if I go hunting?

[Szdfan]

I can agree that 99% of civilians don’t need machine guns.

Me on the other hand, how else can I ever hit I deer if I go hunting?

You can still buy one, but it will be older and rare and cost tens of thousands of dollars.

[Soloist]

I can agree that 99% of civilians don’t need machine guns.

Me on the other hand, how else can I ever hit I deer if I go hunting?

You can still buy one, but it will be older and rare and cost tens of thousands of dollars.

And unless I’m mistaken, you need a permit.

[Josh]

I can agree that 99% of civilians don’t need machine guns.

Me on the other hand, how else can I ever hit I deer if I go hunting?

You can still buy one, but it will be older and rare and cost tens of thousands of dollars.

And unless I’m mistaken, you need a permit.

After you’ve spent $30,000 for a used M-16 or $9,000 on a MAC-10 that barely works, you’ll need to send $200 to the BATFE, go to your local county sheriff to get a letter of good character (or hire a lawyer to set up a special trust to own the firearm), and then wait 6-12 months for the BATFE to send your $200 tax stamp back. Then you go to an FFL and pick up the weapon. You’ll have to be careful you don’t let anyone else move it without you present or both of you can be guilty of a felony.

But you still won’t be hunting with it, at least in my state, since you aren’t allowed to hunt with fully automatic gunfire, let alone carting around more than 3 or 10 rounds.

You probably won’t be using it for self defence either - there is exactly one case of a someone using a machinegun for self defence (other than a government employee authorised to do so). It was a rather wild story of a military industrial manufacturer employee who had design prototypes in his truck and ended up chased by someone wild with road rage and he had no other weapons; eventually the angry person ran him off the road and pinned him down.

[Jazman]

During the 1920s and 30s, gang violence brought on by Prohibition became so widespread that Congress passed the first gun control law in 1934 -- the National Firearms Act. The law is still effective in limiting the sale of machine guns.

I take both your points... (Ok, a weapon that could mow down people did exist...) but really, 1920's/1930's anyone could get one? At any hardware store? I may have oversold my case a bit, but this looks like the same over-selling a case... That's a far-fetched claim imo. I suspect there were a lot fewer Thompson machine guns back then than AR-15's now... In my county alone, there would be multiple stores I could go and get an AR-15 or other semi-automatic rifle (and probably bring it home today) but back in my grandpa's day, here? Multiple general / hardware stores/ etc selling Thompson machine guns? I very much doubt it.

The concerned middle in this discussion (and nationally) main point stands: Numerous factors are playing a role. One of them is Too-Easy access. And that point vs some historical point is moot. We care about the Now.

[temporal1]

2018: Mark Robinson spells it out in 3 minutes:

“I Am the Majority” / Mark Robinson

ABC11 / 2018 / North Carolina man's speech at city council meeting about gun rights goes viral / 3.38min


This is the OP video, slightly shorter in length. (It’s been difficult to find.)