Nashville school shooting

[Herman Cain]

Nashville congressman responds to radical trans group: Turning shooter into 'martyr' is 'beyond disturbing'

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nashville-congressman-responds-to-radical-trans-group-turning-shooter-into-martyr-is-beyond-disturbing

[tower912]

That was inevitable.  And every bit as wrong as the other extreme.

[dgies9156]

Well, there's some false equivalence in there because, in general, only one side celebrates the gun culture at every turn.

Brother MU:

Sadly, I don't agree with you. If this nation collectively wanted gun control, assault weapons bans and stricter regulation on firearms and ammunition, we'd have it. People would lobby their Congressman or Congresswoman and Senators, NRA money would dry up and, frankly, fewer firearms would be purchased in this country.

None of this has happened.

Our gun culture in this country is crazy and goes far beyond legitimate hunting and protection needs. We seem hung up on the notion of having firepower with no purpose.

We have a crazy gun culture in Florida that scares the living beejeebers out of me. There's more concealed carry permits in this state than there are high school diplomas. Our state hardly is THAT dangerous. And yet we're literally up to our eyeballs in firearms. And, it's a real threat. In our old neighborhood here, houses were close together and the design was similar. One of our neighbors walked up to our house thinking it was his. He tried to open the door and aroused my wife' suspicions. Had he seen her and been armed, he was justified under our state's "Stand Your Ground" in shooting her. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.

I get that people want to hunt. I also get there is room for folks who view shooting as a sport -- and a challenge -- as long as its done legally and on a range. There's also people out west who live 50 to 100 miles from a police or sheriff's office and need firearms for protection. The challenge is how we protect these legitimate rights and needs while assuring the woman who shot up Covenant School didn't get an assault weapon -- or any firearm for that matter.

We've had the debate over assault weapons for a long, long time. At least since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Maybe a ban on assault weapons would have made a difference in Nashville. Maybe not. I have no idea. But what I do know, sadly, is the country as a whole does not want significant incremental controls on firearms.

And that's a mistake we're going to have to live with.

[MU82]

Nashville congressman responds to radical trans group: Turning shooter into 'martyr' is 'beyond disturbing'

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nashville-congressman-responds-to-radical-trans-group-turning-shooter-into-martyr-is-beyond-disturbing

Don't worry, 9-9-9. Kentucky's legislature just overrode a gubernatorial veto to pass a law that surely will lead many trans kids kill themselves. So there'll be fewer people on earth to turn this shooter into a "martyr."

Sadly, I don't agree with you.

Well, we agree on most everything except which side is absolutely intractable on gun legislation, refusing to consider measures that 75%+ of Americans want. Because, you know, all life matters.

[Hards Alumni]

You are being totally dishonest. Dems HAVE NOT had a filibuster-proof advantage. They HAVE passed numerous gun control laws that were then killed in the Senate. They ARE STILL in favor of passing more common sense gun laws but the Rs won't have it.

You need to learn how government works before making untrue statements. If Dems ever get a 60-40 advantage in the Senate, then come back with your argument.

Until then, please tell me how Dems could have done it,. I'm all ears.

I'm not the one being dishonest here.  End the filibuster.

Stop supporting moderates.  Stop accepting their excuses.  It's all they have to offer.

I assure you, I am very aware how government works.

[MU82]

"The first thing [Democrats] talked about is taking guns away from law-abiding citizens. And that's not the answer," Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said at a news conference. "Why don't we, number one, keep those families in our prayers, and then see if there were things that were missed along the way."

Yep, the families of those 3 dead kids, and all the children who will traumatized forever by the Nashville shooting, will be comforted to know that congresspeople are praying to the all-powerful god who did a bang-up job of protecting their school from the shooting.

If only schoolchildren were still inside their mothers' wombs, maybe their lives would matter more to Scalise and his cohorts.

[21Jumpstreet]

Don't worry, 9-9-9. Kentucky's legislature just overrode a gubernatorial veto to pass a law that surely will lead many trans kids kill themselves. So there'll be fewer people on earth to turn this shooter into a "martyr."

Well, we agree on most everything except which side is absolutely intractable on gun legislation, refusing to consider measures that 75%+ of Americans want. Because, you know, all life matters.

Sickening law in KY, guess freedom only applies to some. The Nashville shooting is yet another sign that we don't actually focus on freedom.

[Lennys Tap]

When Jockey, Mike and others are standing on soapboxes screaming at the top of their lungs that all Republicans are evil, hate children and must be destroyed at all costs is that considered political or simply the  official position of Scoop?

IBTL

[dgies9156]

I'm not the one being dishonest here.  End the filibuster.

Stop supporting moderates.  Stop accepting their excuses.  It's all they have to offer.

I assure you, I am very aware how government works.

Brother Hards:

The American people get what the American people want. Period. Brother MU said 75 percent of the American people want some form of firearms control. Undoubtedly true but the form of that firearms control is an open issue.

During the 1960s, Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Public Accommodations Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1967. Each of those laws had strong, powerful opponents who went down to a very nasty defeat in Congress because of bi-partisan support for the end of segregation. The number of Americans seeking a change far exceeded status quo advocates.

That's not close to happening in this country.

[Jay Bee]

When Jockey, Mike and others are standing on soapboxes screaming at the top of their lungs that all Republicans are evil, hate children and must be destroyed at all costs is that considered political or simply the  official position of Scoop?

IBTL

Official position of Scoop. They all should receive harsh bans for knowingly disregarding the rules, but the powers-that-be have different rules for different people.

[jesmu84]

Brother Hards:

The American people get what the American people want. Period. Brother MU said 75 percent of the American people want some form of firearms control. Undoubtedly true but the form of that firearms control is an open issue.

During the 1960s, Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Public Accommodations Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1967. Each of those laws had strong, powerful opponents who went down to a very nasty defeat in Congress because of bi-partisan support for the end of segregation. The number of Americans seeking a change far exceeded status quo advocates.

That's not close to happening in this country.

Wrong.

https://www.vox.com/2014/4/18/5624310/martin-gilens-testing-theories-of-american-politics-explained

The American people get what the American people want only if the wealthy and elite also want it.

We are dang close to an oligarchy.

[Uncle Rico]

Official position of Scoop. They all should receive harsh bans for knowingly disregarding the rules, but the powers-that-be have different rules for different people.

Have you tried the new message board? 

[Hards Alumni]

Official position of Scoop. They all should receive harsh bans for knowingly disregarding the rules, but the powers-that-be have different rules for different people.

You should probably cry about it more.  Rocket and 4ever haven't caught a ban lately despite their constant nonsense.  The great oppression of the conservatives on this board is greatly inflated.

I apologize for not leaving any grammar for you to correct today.

[lawdog77]

I don't know if 75% of Americans really want gun control when it matters most (voting day). Seems like they may say they want it, as long as it aligns with their other political beliefs. If it truly was 75% that were adamant about it, politicians would take notice.

[wadesworld]

Remember when BeeJay had some other poster come on here and cry that he was permabanned?  Even had the poster share a screenshot of his permaban.  That was funny.  Even funnier when he returned.

[4everwarriors]

You should probably cry about it more.  Rocket and 4ever haven't caught a ban lately despite their constant nonsense.  The great oppression of the conservatives on this board is greatly inflated.

I apologize for not leaving any grammar for you to correct today.

Dat's 'cuz wee no ball, aina?

[Hards Alumni]

Brother Hards:

The American people get what the American people want. Period. Brother MU said 75 percent of the American people want some form of firearms control. Undoubtedly true but the form of that firearms control is an open issue.

During the 1960s, Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Public Accommodations Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1967. Each of those laws had strong, powerful opponents who went down to a very nasty defeat in Congress because of bi-partisan support for the end of segregation. The number of Americans seeking a change far exceeded status quo advocates.

That's not close to happening in this country.

We don't get what we want at all.  Popular policies are shot down all the time.  Paid maternal leave, government funding for childcare, medicare for all, medicare negotiation of drug prices, minimum wage increases, tax reform to make the super wealthy pay more.  Each of these policies has 70% support among the American public.  Yet, here we sit.  Zero legislation.

So no, we don't get what we want.  We get what those who can afford to lobby want.  Period.  The system is broken, and becomes more broken every decade.

[Hards Alumni]

I don't know if 75% of Americans really want gun control when it matters most (voting day). Seems like they may say they want it, as long as it aligns with their other political beliefs. If it truly was 75% that were adamant about it, politicians would take notice.

[Hards Alumni]

Dat's 'cuz wee no ball, aina?

Wee ball is how I would describe you, yes. 

[Pakuni]

I see the Scoop Martyrs are out nailing themselves to crosses this morning.
And it's not even Good Friday yet.

[Pakuni]

I don't know if 75% of Americans really want gun control when it matters most (voting day). Seems like they may say they want it, as long as it aligns with their other political beliefs. If it truly was 75% that were adamant about it, politicians would take notice.

Might be because gerrymandering of Congressional districts means that representatives really only need to keep themselves safe from a primary challenge, especially in heavily red or blue states. And that requires appealing first and foremost to the base and fringe.
Thus, while 75% of the general population favors gun control, it doesn't matter a lick when the other 25% makes up the majority your primary voters.

[lawdog77]

Might be because gerrymandering of Congressional districts means that representatives really only need to keep themselves safe from a primary challenge, especially in heavily red or blue states. And that requires appealing first and foremost to the base and fringe.
Thus, while 75% of the general population favors gun control, it doesn't matter a lick when the other 25% makes up the majority your primary voters.

Id be curious to see what candidate lost whose number 1 platform was gun control.

[dgies9156]

We don't get what we want at all.  Popular policies are shot down all the time.  Paid maternal leave, government funding for childcare, medicare for all, medicare negotiation of drug prices, minimum wage increases, tax reform to make the super wealthy pay more.  Each of these policies has 70% support among the American public.  Yet, here we sit.  Zero legislation.

So no, we don't get what we want.  We get what those who can afford to lobby want.  Period.  The system is broken, and becomes more broken every decade.

There are three components to any political position:

1) Do you want it? Yes or no?
2) How badly do you want it? (1= yeah it would be nice; 10 = I'll actively push for it and devote my time to it).
3) How is the question written?

Let's use Medicare negotiation of drug prices as an example.

Sure, I'd like to pay less for my pharmaceuticals. Who wouldn't? That has about 90 percent approval.

But, how badly do you want it? Well, it depends on who is insuring you and what your out of pocket costs are. If your out-of-pocket is minimal, then concern probably drops compared to not having a prescription plan or having a weak one.

How the question is written is critical. And, so is the scope of an issue. For example, with Medicare control of drug prices, if you compare today to say 40 years ago, the amount of therapeutics, new drugs and new treatments for diseases brought about by America's pharmaceutical companies is enormous. If you take the profit and return motive away from the pharmaceutical industry, guess what -- capital will flow to other businesses with a higher return and the number of new treatments to treat diseases like Alzheimer's will decrease.

I don't really want to get into an ancillary/hijacked argument about Medicare. My point is that no question, including gun control, is simple. You can boil the question down to a simple issue but the fact that we don't have legislation covering some of the issues you outline, including gun control, suggests the matters are not nearly as simple as you make them out to be.

Money helps but in many districts across the country, gun control and assault rifles are less an issue than say, economic growth, infrastructure, environmental regulation, foreign affairs, the Supreme Court etc.

[jesmu84]

There are three components to any political position:

1) Do you want it? Yes or no?
2) How badly do you want it? (1= yeah it would be nice; 10 = I'll actively push for it and devote my time to it).
3) How is the question written?

Let's use Medicare negotiation of drug prices as an example.

Sure, I'd like to pay less for my pharmaceuticals. Who wouldn't? That has about 90 percent approval.

But, how badly do you want it? Well, it depends on who is insuring you and what your out of pocket costs are. If your out-of-pocket is minimal, then concern probably drops compared to not having a prescription plan or having a weak one.

How the question is written is critical. And, so is the scope of an issue. For example, with Medicare control of drug prices, if you compare today to say 40 years ago, the amount of therapeutics, new drugs and new treatments for diseases brought about by America's pharmaceutical companies is enormous. If you take the profit and return motive away from the pharmaceutical industry, guess what -- capital will flow to other businesses with a higher return and the number of new treatments to treat diseases like Alzheimer's will decrease.

I don't really want to get into an ancillary/hijacked argument about Medicare. My point is that no question, including gun control, is simple. You can boil the question down to a simple issue but the fact that we don't have legislation covering some of the issues you outline, including gun control, suggests the matters are not nearly as simple as you make them out to be.

Money helps but in many districts across the country, gun control and assault rifles are less an issue than say, economic growth, infrastructure, environmental regulation, foreign affairs, the Supreme Court etc.

As per the study I share above, ultimately, legislation that gets passed is based on lobbying money above all else. What's popular or "what people want" is irrelevant

[Pakuni]

Id be curious to see what candidate lost whose number 1 platform was gun control.

I'd be curious to see the unicorn Republican who made gun control number 1 to 100 on his or her platform.