If your child can't purchase his own gun due to a criminal record, it's a pretty good indication he shouldn't have one. While I own several hunting firearms myself, I support gun control and common sense. This isn't hard to figure out, people.

They should make knowingly giving a gun to a person that should not have one a felony. If you cannot be responsible enough to make sure that the gun transfers into safe hands, you should lose your right to say you are a legal gun owner.

congratulations! that has been a crime for a long time. you got your wish and now this tragedy has been prevented.

Anonymous no-questions-asked personal transfer of a gun is still legal in my state....

not if the recipient is a criminal, as this guy was.

Without gun registration it is pretty hard to prove. I know lots of people who have given guns to felons and then claimed it was stolen to cover themselves.

It's not a felony.

straw purchase?

did he legally own the gun? was it legal for his father to give him a gun as a present? Considering his record, could he have purchased the gun himself? He didn't have any felony charges.

I was speaking about the father's decision to give his son a gun as a gift, not some larger gun control conversation which I don't think can be all that productive right now.

On the contrary, now is the time when gun control conversations are the most productive, because people who want stricter gun control are as engaged as the single-issue-voting gun rights activists.

Yeah. I've been thinking about this idea. Am not against it, at all. When Sandy Hook happened I was all about "now's the time". But for as much as those for gun control got organized, so did the opponents which lead to nothing, ultimately. In an ideal world, it would be great to have people come to the table when they weren't driven by raw emotion and fear. But we are far from ideal....so it remains a work in progress as an opinion. I appreciate your input!

I've long believed that how strongly the people on various sides of an issue feel about that issue shouldn't determine policy, not in a democracy. But politics in our country often comes down to that.

After Sandy Hook 90% of Americans wanted change, but enough Republicans held firm because they knew that voting for gun control would get them thrown out in their next primary. Yet only a small percentage of the voting population vote in primaries! It's becoming harder and harder to believe that our lawmakers think they represent all of their constituents.

Your reasonable posts are also appreciated!

Actually, NY passed some gun laws banning absurd features on guns (e.g. folding stock, bayonet mount) which would have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to stop sandyhook. When gun deaths are going down, why is now the time for more gun control?

yes its important to strike quickly while people are emotional and irrational for your side to succeed

Funny, it feels like the gun rights crowd is always like that.

Response to attack does tend to correlate with attack itself.

it feels like guns are bad huh?

yet you just said :

InheritTheWindow LilAsil • an hour ago

On the contrary, now is the time when gun control conversations are the most productive, because people who want stricter gun control are as engaged as the single-issue-voting gun rights activists.

Your point being?

there is no time when a NRA member isn't emotional and strident.
Just mention the phrase "gun control" to a card-carrying NRA member and the blood pressure and pulse rise in pavlovian response.

as a card carrying NRA member you made me laugh and laughter is supposed to lower your blood pressure

As it does with anyone who feels that their rights are about to be trampled on.

Bring up restricting abortion to many women and you will get a similar response.

Oh, look. Another untrue statement you don't think anyone will call out.

http://www.politifact.com/w...

So why does the NRA act against the wishes of its own members?

Because they are just dupes. The real purpose of the NRA is to promote gun industry profits.

Probably, but as long as they're the only ones actually doing anything to protect the 2nd Amendment as well, they'll remain that way.

You mean now is the time when gun grabbers want to ride the wave of emotions to push some ridiculous legislations forward.

well, the father is obviously not a good judge of character.

of course he is - the father is a gun owner, all of whom we are told are above and beyond reproach. It's in the 2nd amendment under "leave me alone".

the father gave a gun to a guy that committed mass murder. charge the father as an accomplice and send him to jail forever. It should be illegal to give guns as gifts.

Really? We can't give away dangerous things? I guess we have to ban McDonald's gift certificates. And ladders, far too scary.

"should be illegal" .. try to get THAT one passed by congress …

we can try

Good luck with that ...

would you vote to make it illegal to give guns as gifts?

No.

There is nothing wrong with giving a firearm as a gift to someone who is not legally barred from owning a firearm. Common sense should prevail over raw emotion and kneejerk reaction.

I disagree. Giving a gun as a gift is a really dumb thing to do.

i would vote to make it illegal to acquire firearms unless you can demonstrate you are not a danger to those around you. The ONUS is on you - the one wanting to have the power to kill must demonstrate you are worthy of that trust.

Oh, ok. That sounds like a winning plan. How on earth does anyone demonstrate such a thing? I drive around countless people every day who present a constant danger to others.

Those people have the power to kill and more Americans die annually at their hands than from firearms.

"How on earth does anyone demonstrate such a thing? "

Really? You think it's impossible to demonstrate that you are a "responsible gun owner"? Yet this is the phrase used all the time to characterize "law-abiding gun owners" (except the father of this guy in this particular case of course).

I think we should do the same for the 1st Amendment, and confiscate all your internet devices unless you can demonstrate you are not a danger to those around you.

You first ….

It's starting to look like ANOTHER case involving ANTI-PSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS.

This may have manifested in a manner that appears as racial,
but any anti-psychotics medications MUST be considered.

Mental illness mixed with any extreme ideology (including racism) is quite deadly. History has shown this over and over and over....

Yes he should have taken more of them.

Actually it is almost always anti-depressants that are implicated in violent acts. I think you have the wrong type of medication.

If you were looking to avoid a larger gun control conversation, then you probably should have avoided putting "I support gun control" in your prior statement.

I thought LilAsil's brief statement was well said, and well thought-out.

As LilAsil said, it isn't that hard to figure out. Try thinking before you comment. The post was well said and common sense.