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In reply to the discussion: Like to a two-year old. "Big Dog" explains something... [View all]Smilo
(1,944 posts)33. Think Progress' The Ultimate Guide To The Gun Safety Debate is worth reading
http://thinkprogress.org/gun-debate-guide/
Some common talking points can and should be easily dismissed the idea that regulating access to guns is always unconstitutional or makes tyranny more likely, to take two examples. But not every argument against expanded gun regulation is ridiculous. There are some, based on the evidence about and history of gun use in the United States, that are worth taking more seriously. Youre likely to hear them a lot over the course of the coming debate. Heres a list of some of the more commonly made, more serious arguments against gun regulation and why they fail to effectively make the case against new laws:
Assault weapon is a meangingless term. || The last assault weapons ban failed. || Assault weapons dont kill many people. || Deaths went down after the ban expired. || How can background checks stop killings?
Are background checks unfair? || High-capacity magazines dont assist in mass killings.
People need high-capacity magazines to defend themselves. || The ban on high-capacity magazines failed.
More guns, less crime. || Why do gun-regulating cities have more crime?
The 1994 ban, according to a Department of Justice review, also appears to have caused the percentage of crimes involving assault weapons in some major US cities to drop from 72 percent to 17 percent.
While its true that the same review couldnt find support for the idea that the Assault Weapons Ban reduced crime in 2004, the authors concluded that there simply hadnt been enough time or data to come to a strong conclusion. The more recent Mexican studies may have filled this gap.
Some common talking points can and should be easily dismissed the idea that regulating access to guns is always unconstitutional or makes tyranny more likely, to take two examples. But not every argument against expanded gun regulation is ridiculous. There are some, based on the evidence about and history of gun use in the United States, that are worth taking more seriously. Youre likely to hear them a lot over the course of the coming debate. Heres a list of some of the more commonly made, more serious arguments against gun regulation and why they fail to effectively make the case against new laws:
Assault weapon is a meangingless term. || The last assault weapons ban failed. || Assault weapons dont kill many people. || Deaths went down after the ban expired. || How can background checks stop killings?
Are background checks unfair? || High-capacity magazines dont assist in mass killings.
People need high-capacity magazines to defend themselves. || The ban on high-capacity magazines failed.
More guns, less crime. || Why do gun-regulating cities have more crime?
The 1994 ban, according to a Department of Justice review, also appears to have caused the percentage of crimes involving assault weapons in some major US cities to drop from 72 percent to 17 percent.
While its true that the same review couldnt find support for the idea that the Assault Weapons Ban reduced crime in 2004, the authors concluded that there simply hadnt been enough time or data to come to a strong conclusion. The more recent Mexican studies may have filled this gap.
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Carter. The "Malaise Speech". The problems are a hell of a lot deeper than the AWB.
NYC_SKP
Feb 2013
#2
"there will be those who will know how to purchase legal weapons and turn them into assault rifles"
beevul
Feb 2013
#57
I can think of three reasons that the end of the assault weapons ban and the increase in killings
JDPriestly
Feb 2013
#48
I remember watching that speech. I knew at the time to mentally bookmark it. I actually had hope
NBachers
Feb 2013
#12
While I appreciate the sentiment... this statement fails under scrutiny. WaPo did a fact check on it
dorksied
Feb 2013
#18
He has overlooked a lot of significant mass killings, that account for a whole lot more deaths...
slackmaster
Feb 2013
#23