Americans Can't Agree on Guns? Wrong.

[MasterOfMeatPuppets]

Michael R. Bloomberg

108th Mayor of the City of New York
Posted: January 18, 2011 10:52 AM
The shooting in Tucson, Arizona has affected our entire country. In the days since, as we have prayed for the victims and survivors, we have also reflected on the lessons we might learn.

Yesterday, again, many of us contemplated the tragedy of gun violence as we came together to mark the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a champion of peace who was taken from us by a gun assassin.

Mass shootings and assassinations are shocking, and the sad truth is that America's history of gun murders is as repetitive as it is tragic. And what's more, much of its enormous toll never makes it into the national headlines: 34 Americans are murdered with guns each and every day.

As we remember those we have lost, we know that honoring their memory requires renewing our effort to overcome the threat of guns in the wrong hands. The aftermath of this tragedy is our nation's chance to challenge old assumptions about the politics of guns in this country.

One of the major old assumptions in the media and in Washington is that the gun issue is one that hopelessly divides Americans: Red versus Blue, urban versus rural, gun-owners versus those who don't own guns.

But a new poll shows a remarkable consensus among Americans on gun issues. The poll, conducted jointly by a Democratic and Republican polling firm, was released today by the bi-partisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Among its key findings:

* Americans overwhelmingly believe the Second Amendment protects the rights of law-abding individuals to buy guns: 79% of Americans believe that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own guns and only 17% would support a proposal to ban all handgun sales.

* Americans overwhelmingly believe that felons, drug abusers, and the mentally ill should not have access to guns and that more needs to be done to ensure that their records are in the federal background check system: 90% of Americans and 90% of gun owners support fixing gaps in government databases that are meant to prevent the mentally ill, drug abusers and others from buying guns. Likewise, 89% of Americans and 89% of gun owners support full funding of the law a unanimous Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed after the Virginia Tech massacre to put more records in the background check database.

* Americans overwhelmingly believe that its time to close the loopholes that make it possible for people to buy guns without background checks: 86% of Americans and 81% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check, no matter where they buy the gun and no matter who they buy it from.

See the full results for yourself.

It turns out there is a broad consensus on guns in America. Just consider that in less than five years, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown to include more than 550 mayors from across the country. We have come together around a simple idea: it's possible to respects the rights of responsible, law-abiding Americans and do more to keep guns from criminals, the mentally ill, and other dangerous people.

It is the job of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns to alert Washington that the conventional wisdom about guns is just not true.

Washington: are you listening?

Let's see how long it takes for Indiana Levi and the Cargument of Doom to show up.

[vanitybinge]

Every single new law and regulation infringes upon your freedom and any drug abuser/felon/"other" person who wants a gun WILL GET A GUN.

STFU with this shit.

[SeminiferousButtNoid]

* Americans overwhelmingly believe the Second Amendment protects the rights of law-abding individuals to buy guns: 79% of Americans believe that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own guns and only 17% would support a proposal to ban all handgun sales.

Considering it's a clearly expressed inalienable right that can never be taken away, the percentage should be 100%.

* Americans overwhelmingly believe that felons, drug abusers, and the mentally ill should not have access to guns and that more needs to be done to ensure that their records are in the federal background check system: 90% of Americans and 90% of gun owners support fixing gaps in government databases that are meant to prevent the mentally ill, drug abusers and others from buying guns. Likewise, 89% of Americans and 89% of gun owners support full funding of the law a unanimous Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed after the Virginia Tech massacre to put more records in the background check database.

There are already laws in every state concerning felons and people that are mentally ill buying guns. The current system of background checks has done an excellent job weeding out the aforementioned. Jared Lougher was not legally considered mentally ill so he wouldn't have shown up on a background check anyway, no matter how stringent. How the state handles the mentally ill is the broader issue.

How does the government define "drug abusers" legally in relation to whether they have access to guns. If Bloomberg's ghost writer means people that have been convicted of drug charges, then saying "felons and drug abusers" is a tautology, since that would include a multitude of felons.

* Americans overwhelmingly believe that its time to close the loopholes that make it possible for people to buy guns without background checks: 86% of Americans and 81% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check, no matter where they buy the gun and no matter who they buy it from.

Federal legislation curtailing transactions between private individuals violates the Commerce Clause of the constitution, and would never pass the House anyway. It's up to the states to pass legislation regarding the gun show loophole and many already have.

It turns out there is a broad consensus on guns in America.

Consensus is irrelevant where the Bill of Rights is concerned, even if 100% of people supported something that is unconstitutional.

And a single poll from a special interest group does not constitute a consensus.

We have come together around a simple idea: it's possible to respects the rights of responsible, law-abiding Americans

That's a lie. MAIG opposed the SCOTUS decisions in Heller and McDonald, and opposes interstate carry by law abiding citizens with permits. If this group supports gun rights for "law-abiding citizens" then I'm a Mau Mau fighter pilot.

Someone should tell Mayor Bloomberg that his policy for nannying the dietary habits of New York is inapplicable to matters of natural law.

[Crazy Levi]

Let's see how long it takes for Indiana Levi and the Cargument of Doom to show up.

I hate the cargument.

You hate me hating the cargument.

You brought up the cargument.

The circle is complete.

[MasterOfMeatPuppets]

Let's see how long it takes for Indiana Levi and the Cargument of Doom to show up.

I hate the cargument.

You hate me hating the cargument.

You brought up the cargument.

The circle is complete.

I don't hate it. It's hilarious when you go HMZ on it.

[Crazy Levi]

Let's see how long it takes for Indiana Levi and the Cargument of Doom to show up.

I hate the cargument.

You hate me hating the cargument.

You brought up the cargument.

The circle is complete.

I don't hate it. It's hilarious when you go HMZ on it.

So is this going to be your bit now? You'll mention me, Indiana Jones, and the cargument at all opportunities?

Hilarious.

[MasterOfMeatPuppets]

Just this one. It seemed appropriate.

[CrouchingStonerHiddenBong]

Indiana Levi and the Cargument of Doom

LMGDMFAO

[Skate4RnR]

That shit is good. Levi, you're funny because you're the TheMetalChick of men.