Is there common ground on gun control?

I think the problem is that we're trying to lump all gun related violence in to one big category. Some gun laws might prevent a certain type of criminal from getting a gun, while it might not do anything to keep other types of criminals from getting guns.

Banning sub machine guns isn't going to stop people from using sub machine guns. What happens when a psychopath uses two .45's with 10 clips each (all legal) and fires 200 rounds in a shopping mall before being taken down?

I don't have the answer, but the feeling I'm getting is that we're doing all this just to help us sleep better at night. But in the end, tighter gun laws aren't going to stop Timothy McVeighs from blowing up federal buildings, or Beltway Snipers from picking off a dozen people over a 6 week period from 500 yards away.

Sure there's common ground. The problem is that the ground is constantly shifting like sand during an earthquake. The ground is solid one second, and then you're up to you waist! Agree to background checks, then someone wants to add interviews with you employer, your entire family and allow the police to arrive unannounced to check you out periodically. Logic, why would you be against these since you agreed that background checks are a good idea. Then there is mental health. Since you agree that mentally ill people shouldn't have firearms, then can we include the guy who's depressed from just losing his job or a family member just died. How about the person who has chronic pain and takes pain killers or is there any real difference between the guy who takes tranquilizers for stress and the one who has to take ant-psychotic drugs to keep from going off? You did agree we shouldn't allow mentally ill people to have guns! You see the problem. Once someone agrees to something with common sense, common sense goes out the window!

Yes. There are many approaches we should look into and enact. This is a complex situation and requires complex solutions. If we combine many prongs, like better mental health care, smaller magazine size, closing the gun show loophole, etc., we can make a positive difference and decrease the number of deaths, but there is no way to be 100% safe.

Cities with strict gun laws have high gun violence because people make money buying the guns in areas with lax gun laws and transporting them to those cities. Surely you know this, and it's one of the things we need to close down. It's called "the secondary market."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/08/opinion/shutting...

Sure. The overwhelming majority of Americans, representing both sides of the debate, favor an assault weapons ban, limiting clip size, universal background checks, an end to the gun show exception, and more spending on mental health.

Here is what I will agree to.

Universal background checks? Not only yes, but hell yes.

Requiring reports of severe mental illness and threats of violence? Absolutely.

Restrictions of any kind on magazines or firearms? I will fight it tooth and nail.

Keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill is something I can easily agree with. Disarming everyone in a feeble effort to do so is not only unforgivable, but ineffective.

How many gun shows have you bought weapons at ? Every gun I've bought at a show was treated just like a retail , storefront purchase.

My suggestion is that the names and addresses of criminals be posted in the paper , with google maps so people know to keep an eye on and report them .

Those on parole , probation , with priors and any known associates should all be published .

Maybe even offer a Ralph's or KFC gift card for ratting out illegal behavior . If it saves just one child , it's worth it .

Nothing the president proposed yesterday threatens anyone's rights. The only people who think it does have a bizarre interpretation of the second amendment that is not based on reality and is inconsistent with several Supreme Court rulings on the subject.

I have a great idea. If you like guns, buy a gun. If you don't like guns, don't buy any.

That some smug, holier-than-thou hypocrite who happens to hold the highest office in the land can

use the deaths of them precious children up there in Connecticut to try and get his Saul Alinsky-lovin' Marxist agenda through, is disgusting.

The common ground is the goal of curbing or stopping gun violence. The bifurcation is how best to achieve the goal.

Almost everything the president proposed is considered favorable by NRA members, despite the hysterical NRA reaction.