General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Gun lovers are just going to have to give up assault rifles. [View all]sofa king
(10,857 posts)I live in Virginia. Ammunition supplies in the Commonwealth sell out every week and have since 2008. There is no permit required to purchase a firearm, no registration, no background checks for private sales, no magazine restrictions. Open carry is permitted, concealed carry permits are freely issued, and the Commonwealth law preempts any local attempts at gun control.
It's pretty much been this way in Virginia for 400 years.
Virginia does not even make the top ten list of states with the most permissive gun laws. There are reputedy functional cannons that were hidden away here in the 1860s.
I understand the wish to control and restrict the proliferation of firearms, but I also understand that such a thing is a practical impossibility which, if implemented poorly, will create millions of deeply stupid and frightened criminals, practically overnight. Worse still, the doofuses are already provided with the weapons they need to begin a civil revolt, and they're not real damned good at figuring things out for themselves.
Until someone can show me a reasonable proposal about HOW we can enact effective gun control--or even better reduce gun violence--without violating our civil rights or stoking the coals of American stupidity, I simply cannot advocate banning the millions of weapons already out there. Please offer practical proposals, because speaking over the top of these realities doesn't even begin to address the problem.
I will start with one right now: Let's provide adequate mental health resources to people who desperately need them.
Thank you for your consideration.