Knee-jerk Reactions

People have wondered why we say wait to talk about gun control @Bill_Coley

Here is a reason why,

I don't believe in knee-jerk reactions. I don't believe in making policy based on emotion. I believe in making policy based on facts.

Here are the facts:

Many mass shootings happen where gun control laws that are proposed would not have stopped the event.

Many mass shootings involve mental illness. (There is something that can be tackled without infringing upon Constitutional Rights)

Many mass shootings have warning signs if people would speak up.

Those are the facts.

Let's look at Florida. There were MANY warning signs about Mr. Cruz. If people had spoken up, if attention had been given, we would not be burying 17 people this week. He posted things about school shootings on social media. He regularly hurt animals for fun. Yet, nobody did anything.

The problem is our culture, not guns. The problem is not the NRA or the 2nd Amendment which, YES, was to give Americans weapons of war, not just a hunting rifle.

The reason that nothing ever changes @Bill_Coley @C_M_ is because after the emotion leaves and things come into focus, cooler more logical heads prevail.

Comments

  • Bill_Coley
    Bill_Coley Posts: 2,675
    edited February 2018

    @davidtaylorjr said:
    People have wondered why we say wait to talk about gun control @Bill_Coley

    Here is a reason why,

    I don't believe in knee-jerk reactions. I don't believe in making policy based on emotion. I believe in making policy based on facts.

    In my view, reactions to the 500th occurrence of an event (500 is a number I made up for effect; actual number is MUCH higher) can't be "knee jerk." To the first or second or fifth occurrence? Perhaps. But when such shootings happen again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again....... they no longer surprise, and our reactions to them are no longer "knee jerk."

    Many mass shootings happen where gun control laws that are proposed would not have stopped the event.

    So in your view, the best course of action is for governments not to try to craft laws that WOULD stop those events?

    Many mass shootings involve mental illness. (There is something that can be tackled without infringing upon Constitutional Rights)

    One of the first laws Trump signed after his inauguration rescinded an Obama administration order that would have made it harder for people with histories of mental health issues to get guns. I don't remember your ever posting objections to the law Trump signed. Did you?

    Many mass shootings have warning signs if people would speak up.

    Friends, family, co-workers, et al need to respond better to warning signs, no doubt. But let's be clear: Warning signs + a gun are more dangerous than warning signs without a gun.

    The reason that nothing ever changes @Bill_Coley @C_M_ is because after the emotion leaves and things come into focus, cooler more logical heads prevail.

    I encourage you to review your statement here, David, a statement which seems to suggest that you believe the current reality - a proliferation of guns and regularly occurring mass shooting events - is the product of "cooler, more logical heads." You seem to say that things don't change because, upon cooler head reflection, people realize things don't need to change. Do you really mean that? Are 18 school shootings in eight weeks REALLY the best you think we can do and all our that governments need to produce?

  • dct112685
    dct112685 Posts: 1,114

    @Bill_Coley said:

    @davidtaylorjr said:
    People have wondered why we say wait to talk about gun control @Bill_Coley

    Here is a reason why,

    I don't believe in knee-jerk reactions. I don't believe in making policy based on emotion. I believe in making policy based on facts.

    In my view, reactions to the 500th occurrence of an event (500 is a number I made up for effect; actual number is MUCH higher) can't be "knee jerk." To the first or second or fifth occurrence? Perhaps. But when such shootings happen again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again....... they no longer surprise, and our reactions to them are no longer "knee jerk."

    No I'm talking about immediately screaming for gun control being the knee-jerk reaction. You people don't want to deal with real problems.

    Many mass shootings happen where gun control laws that are proposed would not have stopped the event.

    So in your view, the best course of action is for governments not to try to craft laws that WOULD stop those events?

    It depends.

    Many mass shootings involve mental illness. (There is something that can be tackled without infringing upon Constitutional Rights)

    One of the first laws Trump signed after his inauguration rescinded an Obama administration order that would have made it harder for people with histories of mental health issues to get guns. I don't remember your ever posting objections to the law Trump signed. Did you?

    Nope because I don't object to it. It was appropriate for him to rescind the rule. Do you even know what the rule would have done? It singled out people who received disability social security and have the inability to manage those payments due to mental impairments. That could be something as small as someone not being able to handle the money (because it is complicated) and having a fiduciary do it for them. It was a stupid rule and a masking for "helping" after Sandy Hook. Of course, this regulation wouldn't have stopped that mass shooting either. Go figure.

    Many mass shootings have warning signs if people would speak up.

    Friends, family, co-workers, et al need to respond better to warning signs, no doubt. But let's be clear: Warning signs + a gun are more dangerous than warning signs without a gun.

    Irrelevant and you pushed away the actual issue. People should speak up if something suspicious is going on.

    The reason that nothing ever changes @Bill_Coley @C_M_ is because after the emotion leaves and things come into focus, cooler more logical heads prevail.

    I encourage you to review your statement here, David, a statement which seems to suggest that you believe the current reality - a proliferation of guns and regularly occurring mass shooting events - is the product of "cooler, more logical heads." You seem to say that things don't change because, upon cooler head reflection, people realize things don't need to change. Do you really mean that? Are 18 school shootings in eight weeks REALLY the best you think we can do and all our that governments need to produce?

    I was talking about Gun Control and the reason it does not change Bill. I never said no change need to be made, in fact, I said just the opposite.

Sign In or Register to comment.

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Who's Online 0