Leave it to Bill Maher to coin a new mental health phenomena that humorously describes the mental health dysfunction of some gun nuts: “ammosexuals.”
Leave it to Bill Maher to coin a new mental health phenomena that humorously describes the mental health dysfunction of some gun nuts: “ammosexuals.”
Tent of Abraham 
The tyrants overthrown is ONE of the reasons for the 2nd Amendment; self defense is another reason.
How many lives have been saved by firearms? Not just law enforcement officers but people like you and I have used firearms to save lives, stop rapes, assaults, robberies.
Estimates between 108,000 and 2,500,000 defensive gun uses per year; so while I have the deepest sympathy for the victims families, shouldn’t we look at lives saved also?
No body acted after Sandy Hook?
None of the proposed laws or regulations regarding ‘gun control, except for a complete registration and confiscation of firearms, could have stopped this. Sad that is the reality but it is also the truth.
California has some of the most restrictive gun control laws around.
Want to ‘do something’? Make changes in the laws regarding mental health that make it easier to involuntarily commit someone. Make it harder for those with serious mental issues to be walking the streets.
But don’t blame all gun owners for the action of one person.
Bob S.
Bob, your simplistic logic misses the point. I’m sure you genuinely believe that you and your family are safer because you own a gun. I’m equally sure that our cultural infatuation with guns and personal insecurities about navigating life without owning a lethal weapon are as much if not more responsible for all the massacres carried out by obviously sick minds. As a social worker, I’m certainly aware of and concerned about the lousy job our country is doing in addressing the needs of the mentally ill. That said, if guns weren’t so readily available, if guns weren’t so much a part of our culture, if honest law abiding citizens who own guns weren’t so petrified of life without guns let alone restrictive gun laws, violent crimes and mental health problems in this nation would less noteworthy and horrific than they are. Too many Americans still believe they live on the open frontier and rather than build strong caring communities, we buy guns and teach our kids that its every person for him/herself. Want proof? How many planes have crashed into buildings since we instituted tougher security at airports? If half the money Americans now spend on guns was earmarked for mental health programs and conflict resolution education, you and I would not be having this discussion.
Mitchell,
Bob, your simplistic logic misses the point. I’m sure you genuinely believe that you and your family are safer because you own a gun.
Belief backed up by statistics regarding police response times and studies showing those who resist crime (armed or not) are less likely to be harmed. So call it simplistic because you don’t agree with it but the information that I have supports my ‘belief’.
I’m equally sure that our cultural infatuation… are as much if not more responsible for all the massacres carried out by obviously sick minds
As a social worker you should — of all people — know that ‘culture’ isn’t a monolithic block. Are you referring to the liberal cultural typified by the UCSB shooter? The urban or drug culture responsible for so much day to day violence?
Or is this just another attack on the cultural values of those like me who value interdependence– not independence, that is just a step on the road. But before we can depend on others, we do have to be able to depend upon ourselves.
You talk about building caring communities but fail to recognize the fact that conservative values emphasize that — we take care of family, friends, neighbors. We don’t turn our money over to the government and consider ourselves charitable. We teach our kids to not ‘every person for him/herself’ but to honor and respect others. Can you say the same thing about urban cultures? How about the culture the UCSB shooter was raised in — doesn’t he typify not caring about anyone but himself?
How many planes have crashed into buildings since we instituted tougher security at airports?
How many mass murderers have background checks or other gun control laws (Brady Campaign #1 Ranked California for example ) stopped ? Virginia Tech — 1 gun a month and background checks each time. UCSB – bacground checks (3), magazine capacity limits, approved firearm roster, mental health visit by the police.
If half the money Americans now spend on guns was earmarked for mental health programs and conflict resolution education, you and I would not be having this discussion.
People choose to spend money on firearms….isn’t amazing what a free country allows. Just as if people wanted to, they could spend money on mental health programs and conflict resolution education.
It isn’t an either or. You are free to ask, beg or solicit people to support those programs. No one is stopping you. Isn’t it telling that people don’t support ‘conflict resolution education’ more — perhaps they realize it doesn’t really address the root cause of violence crime?
Bob, I’m not surprised but just the same disappointed by your references to “urban culture” that really exposes what’s behind your proverbial NRA poker face: “The urban or drug culture responsible for so much day to day violence?” “We teach our kids to not ‘every person for him/herself’ but to honor and respect others. Can you say the same thing about urban cultures?” One need not be sociologist or head shrinker to know that “urban culture” is code for “dangerous minority people who I don’t like and don’t give a damn about.”
Throw whatever stats you want into the argument about guns, gun culture, gun laws, etc. When all is said in done you are just another racist who fears “them” enough to arm yourself against an imagined enemy that personally repulses you. You may reply to this comment if you wish but now that I’ve seen your “hand,” I’m done with this exchange. Thank you for confirming what my worst impressions of “conservative values” and white gun owners.
One need not be sociologist or head shrinker to know that “urban culture” is code for “dangerous minority people who I don’t like and don’t give a damn about.”
Wrong Again Mitchell. It is a flat recognition of the fact that violence is concentrated in very small areas, mostly urban. Not racial not discriminator but statistical study.
When all is said in done you are just another racist who fears “them” enough to arm yourself against an imagined enemy that personally repulses you.
LOL. I love how tolerant people like yourself throw around such accusations. You don’t know me, you haven’t interacted with me but one previous comment and you feel you know me. HOGWASH.
Thank you for confirming what my worst impressions of “conservative values” and white gun owners.
So much for conflict resolution, eh?
Bob S.
“One need not be sociologist or head shrinker to know that “urban culture” is code for “dangerous minority people who I don’t like and don’t give a damn about.””
Saw a study the other day where they looked at voting districts trying to determine if there were common predictors of violence, crime, and homicide. The answer actually wasn’t all that surprising. The greatest predictor was districts that had these characteristics:
1. High population concentration (cities)
2. Blacks > 35% of the population.
In 2011 FBI stats for homicide where the race of the offender was known it was black over 52% of the time although blacks were less than 14% of the population at the time.
The overall homicide rate in the U.S. is 4.7 per 100,000. New Orleans has had a rate over 50 per 100,000 for a number of years. Some war zones might be safer than the Ninth Ward in New Orleans. You will similar stats in other large cities like Washington D.C., Detroit, Chicago, etc.
Beyond a doubt a large component of the violence and gun problem in the U.S. is directly centered in inner city minority neighborhoods with high youth unemployment, high illiteracy, violent street gangs, and a decades old War on Drugs. Add the dismally failing social policies of Democrats since the War on Poverty started and the literal destruction of the black family in inner cities and the cause is not hard to understand.
Not racism. Simply facts.
lwk