Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?
 

At least the comments are pretty damn good at the bottom of the page in the link....


http://www.dailygazette.com/news/200...19/419_prints/

Editorial: Had enough with guns yet?
Sunday, April 19, 2009

Are we there yet? Are we at least getting close to a consensus in this country that, when it comes to easy access to guns, enough may finally be enough?

The recent rash of shootings, murder-suicides and other incidents involving guns � locally as well as nationally � ought to give pause to even the most ardent gun-rights advocates.

These shootings have gone well beyond those in inner-city drug turf wars, where the victims are as likely to be criminals as the shooters. Rather, they�ve been incidents involving lots of innocent bystanders � like the one in Binghamton April 3, in which 13 were mowed down by a distaught Vietnamese immigrant; or the one in Pittsburgh a day later, in which three police officers were ambushed by a gunman in a bulletproof vest; or the one in Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, in which a hospital worker shot two colleagues before killing himself.

Closer to home were the Thruway chase/suicide Wednesday morning and the Schenectady murder-suicide Thursday night. All took place outside typical inner-city �war zones,� and should be of concern to the general populace.

It�s no secret that the troubled times have motivated a lot of these incidents. People distraught over lost jobs, houses, even families are acting out, which is hardly surprising. What has elevated the stakes more than in the past is the ease with which guns can be obtained by these people. Heck, virtually anyone in the country who wants a gun can get one. (Why else are so many guns sold in this country being smuggled into Mexico, for use by their drug lords there and sometimes back in U.S. border cities?)

While New York may have tougher laws for handguns than most states � requiring registration, permit and state police background checks � it�s still far too easy to pick up a long gun (rifle or shotgun) here. The buyer must attest to being of sound mind (not adjudicated as �mentally defective�) but lying is easy, and even if the dealers have suspicions about someone�s mental state (as they reportedly did with the Binghamton shooter), they�re in business to sell guns and make money.

But even if New York could do something to close this loophole, it wouldn�t be able to control guns sold elsewhere from coming into this state and being used to commit crimes. Tougher guns laws are needed not just in New York, but all across the land. There are already so many in circulation that it will take years to have any impact, but that�s hardly a reason not to get started.

Re: Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?
 

Have we had enough liberal gun grabbers yet?
Are you getting tired of media tyrants trimming away your freedoms, bit by bit?
Turn OFF the TeeVee. Burn the newspaper.
THINK FOR YOURSELF.

Re: Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?
 

Is the writer such a fool that he thinks the illegal gun owners will come rushing to turn them in?? Smoking kills hundreds of thousands a year, but the government gets their 30 pieces of silver for allowing the tobacco lobbies to sell them, let's outlaw tobacco. Cars, knives, kill many more, where do we stop?

Re: Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?
 

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Re: Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?
 

NY already has stricter handgun laws than even California. It is illegal to POSSESS a handgun in NYS without a permit. A permit is required to even handle one in a gun store.

I love the area I grew up in (Upstate), but NYS politics are seriously screwed up. Over the past year they have been increasing taxes and levying fees on everything possible.

Side Note: To express the New York view on property rights. You are required to where a helmet while riding an ATV (bike, 4 wheeler, snowmobile, etc) even while on your own property. I know someone who was ticketed for this very offense.

Rant Ended...

Re: Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?
 

Interesting that they chose to publish this editorial anonymously.

Re: Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?
 

Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges." ............"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."

Cornelius Tacitus (55-117 A.D.)



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Re: Editorial: Had Enough With Guns Yet?