Gun Violence - Solutions Now!
Since April 20, 1999 when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot up Columbine High school in Jefferson County, Colorado thirty-one other major mass gun shootings have occurred. During that same time frame only 14 similar events occurred in the entire rest of the world. Gun Violence is epidemic in the United States and the first message out of the White House again was “Now is not the time to talk about gun control.”
We need to discuss our options.
- Enhance mental health services
- Perform background checks on all gun purchases
- Limit the size of ammunition clips
- Ban semi-automatic weapons
- Ban Assault Weapons
- Put more gun-carrying officers in schools
- Train and Arm teachers
Now IS the time to talk about SOLUTIONS to this epidemic. We know the semantics of “gun control” is instantaneously polarizing. We cannot find solutions to this problem if we go to instantaneous polarization. We cannot find a solution without talking as if we are working toward the goal of ending this Violence. We must stay focused on the goal of reducing violence.
Arming teachers is not an American ideal. We live in a better country that this. Suggestions of putting more armed government officials in our schools is a bold idea and it will indeed act to make the community “feel” safer, but does it actually make us safer? My first impression is that it will make our schools into metaphorical prisons. So, I must ask, "Do we really want to raise the next generation of our country this way?" I personally think not. The long term effects would be very detrimental to the collective psyche of parents and children.
At the candlelight vigil held at Perry Hall High School last Sunday night, a news reporter asked “What is it you are asking for? What do you want the authorities to do?”
My response to her was that we need to come together as individuals and talk honestly about solutions. Without our community imput politicians and ambitious elected officials are going to promote an agenda that they feel will get them re-elected or elected to another, higher office. Multiple ideas are far better than one idea better from someone we look up to. We need to participate in our government now more than ever. We need to influence this decision. Our communities are at stake. Our lives could be at stake
Blog articles, here and elsewhere, that allow reader input seem to provoke instantaneous polarization. As soon as background checks are suggested, some pipe up with why that soultion wouldn’t work. Suggest our community limits access to assault weapons and someone else is screaming about taking away his civil rights. My response to that is, “There is a difference between a civil rights and a constitutionally protected right. A unalienable civil right is granted to us in an unchangable way. There are limitations put on the constitutional rights. There are limitations on voting, on free speech, and there are also restrictions placed on owning automatic weapons. Constitutional rights are limited because we voters have the right to change the constitution. And we have more than a few times. What ever happens here will probably be tested at the Supreme Court.
The immediate reaction of many in a position to impact these proposed changes are politicians with partisan agendas. The polarity in these agendas has seemingly little sway at the moment. I am hearing calls for gun ownership restrictions from the Baltimore County Chief of Police, the Baltimore County Executive, our Maryland Governor, our Senator and our President. It feels like a done deal, but I am leery. Will we accomplish anything or will we let this drag out for twenty or thirty more years?
We have had 31 mass gun killings in this country since the Columbine High School mass murder. Yes, it was murder. It was more than a mere gun incident. The tragic mass murder that happened in the Newtown Connecticut elementary school was the straw that broke the “no you can’t” camel’s back. Hundreds of angry citizens marched on the headquarters of the National Rifle Association earlier this week chanting "Shame on the NRA, Shame on the NRA."
Its time for a new solution, We need an assault weapons ban in this country. We need to enhance mental health services in this country and we need a total and comprehensive background checks program in this country and we need these changes now.
Call every single elected official that represents you. This will be on the agenda in Washington DC in very short order. This will also be on the legislative agenda in annapolis. That session will be starting in a few weeks. Tell them how you want them to represent you. Its up to you speak up or live with their decisions.
Mark Patro
7:50 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Yes, do you see the comment in my article that ALL of us should be involved in our democracy
Gomer Pyle
8:53 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Isn't there an old dilapidated house somewhere that needs to be saved? Perry Hall's self-proclaimed "activist" is at it again.......One-man protest coming soon!
JD1
9:34 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
How about this - you commit a crime with a gun and get caught, you go away forever...period. No excuses, no bail, no advocacy groups, no technicalities. Lets try uniform enforcement of the laws we have rather than think that more laws will cause criminals to change their behavior. How about we issue carry permits for anyone who wants to carry a revolver ( given a rigorous background check). Just six rounds for personal protection. Just enough to let the thugs know that they might end up with a .44 to the head if they try to steal my wallet or assault my wife or kids.
Tim
12:54 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Some good, practical ideas, JD1.
This blanket belief that anyone should be allowed to own any kind of weaponry is outdated and problematic. If we had reasonable limitations on firearms, Lanza doesn't get to kill as many kids as he did. Let's not forget that Lanza himself could NOT get a gun legally. He killed his mother, one of those "survivialists", and then took her weapons.
Although I am fully aware that guns themselves don't kill people. Mental health diagnostics, social acceptance, and medication/solutions to solve them are what we need to focus on most.
K L B
4:31 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Because drunk driving kills , do we blame the cars?????
Honeygo Hal
4:44 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
No, we take away the drunk's license to drive. Let's try that. Oh, wait - no such thing as a general shooting license - let's try THAT, and take away their guns while we're at it!
K L B
5:00 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
But Hal, criminals will always have guns, you will only take them away from law-abiding people.
JD1
6:28 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
By the way HH - just because they take away the drunk driver's license, do you think they stop driving? Got a neighbor who drives every day and is on DUI #5! KLB you are exactly right.
Honeygo Hal
7:29 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
I did hear recently about the possibility of putting a breath interlock in the cars of folks found guilty of DUI - that would certainly be an improvement, yes.
Meanwhile, you seem to be the real stand-up citizen - why haven't you ratted on the neighbor? The person he/she kills may be on your head...
Tim
8:17 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Interlock systems are probably easy to pass. Insert friend's breath - you know some gullible girlfriends would do it for their boyfriends, for example.
Honeygo Hal
8:25 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Okay, this is a stretch, but not too much - the interlock device is a mask that includes a retina reader.
JD1
2:14 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
We already have them - its the "magic car whistle" and there are ways to work around it
Mark Patro
2:21 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
The repetitve effort to use "there are ways around them" as an excuse to do nothing has grown tired. The work that Mothers against drunk driving has done to reduce the regularity of DIUs has been successful work to lower that rate, and in so doing they have lowered the death rate. We should acknowledge that the same type of excuse making is occurring with this effort to talk about the reduction of gun violence.
Mark Patro
2:44 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
o this is where it would be appropriate to suggest that it is just as difficult to get a license to own and use a gun as it it to own or drive a car. Tougher penalties for those who misuse guns, gun sales and gun use. We should demand that someone knows how to use a gun before being allowed to purchase one. It should also be required that they go through a background check no matter where the purchaser buys the gun. This includes "gun shows" and personal sales. I can not do a personal sale of either my house or car without the proper paperwork being filed. this should happen with guns also. The reason here is to reduce access to guns by peopl who shouldn't have them. The Newtown School shooter should not have had access to any guns.
Tim
8:43 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Mark; It's not an excuse to avoid doing something. It's an excuse not to implement expensive solutions that functionally won't work.
It's one thing if a solution can be worked around by say 3% of your target audience. You accept that, imo. But when a large minority of the people can get around it, different story.
Mark Patro
9:13 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tim. putting an armed officer in one school will cost $80,000 (someone else's estimate) in one school. What if the one armed guard was down the hall when the gunman entered the school and started shooting up the place. how much money is 80k time the number of schools we have in this country. This is an overly expensive solution that could be easily moved around. The answer is to limit access to the weapons not send our kids to schools where they will be be aclimatized to prison-like situations. The Baltimore county government has been installing airconditioning in schools since I was in high school in the 1970's and they still haven't completed THAT task. how long would it take before they could fund armed guards in all county schools?
Tim
9:27 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Where did I suggest that armed officers at every school was a good answer?
Armed officer didn't help at Columbine, now did it?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/columbine-armed-guards_n_2347096.html
The NRA's recommendation of having armed guards at every school was not only self-beneficial but full of sh*t.
Honeygo Hal
10:26 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
When considering the "cost" of armed guards in schools, please remember that the guard may get vacation that is taken during the school year, and accomodations must be made for sick time and other absences. For a large system like Baltimore County, that effectively means several extra personnel to fill the holes - ka-ching.
Mark Patro
9:49 am on Sunday, December 23, 2012
tim: i could have written the previous response in a better way. I was agreeing with you about costly measures and using the armed guards as an example.
Jason
2:49 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Enhance mental health services: Bingo! That is the problem we have. We definitely need to fix this! 100% this is the real problem we have. I think everyone should read this if your really concerned.
http://thebluereview.org/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother/
Perform background checks on all gun purchases: This is already being done. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks peoples background at the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division. The Maryland State Police also needs permission and 7 days before a handgun or regulated weapon can be sold. You think MSP will ALLOW this!
Limit the size of ammunition clips: Clips? Old school and old weapons. We use magazines now. Does it really matter? I can use 5 rounds, 10 rounds or 20 rounds. Doesn't matter it only takes seconds to change out magazines.
Ban semi-automatic weapons: Not going to happen. Your talking about every handgun and rifle. If your talking about automatics those are machine guns. Try the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. See if you can ban those first. Semi-automatic means you pull the trigger to fire each round. That means handguns, hunting rifles, shotguns, and muskets. Just because it looks like a military rifle does not mean its automatic. You have have a special license to own a automatic weapon. Again, see the military for that.
Mark Patro
2:54 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Background checks are not done at gun shows. They are not required if you sells one to your neighbor. The truth is 40% of all guns sales in this country go unchecked.
And we do not need a gun carrying officer in every school if we had school nurses in every school and made it a requirement to know who needs help. Those in need of mental health services would be helped long before something like Sandy Hook were to happen.
Jason
2:50 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Put more gun-carrying officers in schools: Why not and tax more we already taxed for all the parks anyway. That's why there is a recreation tax on hunters. I'm not afraid to pay more for my child's protection.
Train and Arm teachers: Why not? Just because it's a gun safe zone means crap. How many teachers who were murdered wished they had a gun? We failed to protect our teachers because they could have armed themselves and protect our children. I also think parents should be armed as well and they can volunteer to secure our schools. Guns aren't going away and neither are drugs so why do think you can ban all the guns when we can even get drugs away from our kids?
FIFA_archived
3:04 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Great ideas Jason. Arm everyone. We need them at playgrounds, recreation centers, sports our kids play. Don't forget our parks. Now when the bad guys come with semi-automatic weapons and Kevlar and outgun us we will have to step it up as well and our guards will need automatic weapons hanging around their shoulders every where they go ready to shoot. Oh, that already exists, it is called Afghanistan and Iraq.
Shoot 'em if you got 'em.
Mark Patro
3:04 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
How about I say all your solutions are designed to increase the appetite for guns in this country. It almost sounds like you are a walking commercial for gun manufacturers. I do not want to live in the wild west. The scenario you are developing infringes on my right to live in a peaceful society. How about we subdue this appetite for guns in stead of crank it up? The restriction of semi-automatic guns will happen, because there are more and more people fed-up with this war zone mentality.
Jason
3:11 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
When you go to a Raven games who has guns, go to a baseball game who has guns? Concerts or after school activities? Don't we already have local police presence? Your asking for solutions?
Timonium will have a gun store next month. Try and buy a hand gun or assault weapon without being checked.
Appetite for weapons? Look around its already happening. Check all the area gun stores and see how many rifles, handguns, ammo, and magazine are sold. When you tell people you can't have something people go out and buy more.
FIFA_archived
3:21 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Jason, you miss the whole point Your answer is more guns. These nutty shoots have a death wish in that they assume they are dying.
A well armed shooter, AR 15 lookalike with a 90 round clip steps out of a motor home in the middle of the H lot 2 hours before game time will most likely empty that magazine before anyone touches him. The police with guns at the event are not there for the mass shooter, they are there for the everyday drunk. Do they have contingency plans for the possibility, I'm sure they do and they should. But a lot of people are going to die.
Jason
3:34 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Again, what does one 90 round magazine so different if I had nine 10 round magazine? No one around with a weapon and it only takes a second to change out a magazine. It's still 90 rounds.
Do you plan to charge a person aiming a weapon with a 90 round magazine or one 10 round magazine?
FIFA_archived
3:46 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
You exaggerate with your "one second" claim. You will not exchange magazines and rechamber a round in one second in those circumstances where you are killing people.
That said, I have continually stated that I am for banning all semi-automatic weapons. Thus solving the problem you suggest. A clip and a bolt action weapon and you will fire much more slowly.
Jason
5:40 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
FIFA, OK if you think so. Now a bolt action tends to be high power rifle with larger cartridge. So, now someone can shoot one bullet at close range possibly penetrate 2 to 3 people before the bullet stops. Even better at long distance the rifle becomes accurate. Again, what is the difference.
Your thinking and that's good and your energy is spent on removing all rifles and handguns. Again, your thinking about a material made out of metals and plastic but never once you thought about the person behind the weapon. Now think outside the box.
With all the handguns and rifles gone from this world. Use the same creative energy and show me how you would use common house old cleaning supplies, commercial fertilizers, detergents, vehicles, kitchen knives, light bulbs, gas, natural gas and the list goes on and on. You think this will stop?
We need to be educated and teach our kids, teachers, police, and parents the signs a signals. Just I was taught what to look for when someone wants to commit suicide. We deny we even saw the signals until it is too late. We teach our kids not to drink or take drugs. Do you know the signs your child could be high?
FIFA_archived
5:54 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Let's go, a bolt action limited to a 5 round clip or an AR-15 look a like with a 90 round clip. Jason, be real, which would you rather have if you wanted to do a mass murder? Don't need a a duffel bag or nothing else. Just walk out of my motor home at the Raven's tailgate. It takes a sick mind to do that, they are everywhere.
Jason, right now about 30.000 people die from gunshot wounds a year for all reason. I'll take my chances on the other stuff. Try building a large bomb with fertilizer now and see how far you get. I don't know how many people I can kill with light bulbs, but I'm sure you will help me out.
Jason, yes I know the signs, it is not very difficult if you are paying attention.
Jason
5:40 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
A manic shows signs, carrying a large duffel bag when normally he carries a small back back or none, wearing a long coat during the summer, showing signs of withdrawal, being abusive to parents, teachers and peers, mistreatment to animals or fascination with death or even our school nurse and principle already knowing an individual may be mentally unstable but can't tell anyone. These are things we should be looking at.
Once guns are out of the picture something else will come along and take its place and will we be ready for another assault?
We have to be firm and determined. You think TSA is doing a wonderful job? Maybe, its the Air Marshal with a loaded weapon on the plane that is deterring people away. These are things we should be looking at the Solutions what works and doesn't.
FIFA_archived
5:43 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Your facts on the Air Marshall, or just your two cents? I am betting on the pennies in this one.
There hasn't been a school shooting in the United Kingdom since 1996. Coincidence?
Jason
6:06 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
FIFA, you are correct since the first gun to school massacre started there. But maybe they are doing something different. Maybe, we should send our FBI or local police and find out what they are doing to secure their schools. Americans are hard headed and we don't do thing right the first time. Look around, China and Japan the perps used a common house old kitchen knife and stab like 20 kids. People and the internet are creating copycats and trying to become bigger in life from what the last person has done.
Air Marshall, since they been flying around armed the skies have been safe and I hope we can keep it that way. Maybe, its because we copied the Israelis since they have been armed for many years. They even have teachers armed in their own schools too. Again, its a solution and needs to be looked at and see why this works. Right?
FIFA_archived
6:15 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Anything that works needs to be looked at, check on your Israeli facts though, they had a different problem, terrorists and have since tightened gun controls. Terrorists have different motivations and believe they are working for a "greater good". The whole virgin thing, etc.
Regarding UK, they banned anything that fired "cartridge ammunition". They went for the whole enchilada.
Jason
6:30 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
That's the UK and other nations but your talking about the US and the 2A being abolished. Will that happen? Maybe or maybe not. So they have the AWB and someone will find ways to circumvent the law and make the adaptation and changes but still looks like a gun, still looks like a magazine and still looks like a cartridge. And again, nothing has changed.
Israeli tighten gun control? A bit hard to mess with a group of people who train to fight, kill and take nothing from terrorists.. They are very experienced with automatic weapons too. That would deter me from messing with them and I would not play around with them. They earned their respect.
FIFA_archived
6:39 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Never happen here. And a AWB is no good unless you get the existing stock as well as the magazines. So, what will happen, we will continue to have mass shootings and mourn those who have died and whine about why we haven't done anything about it.
That be us, I'm afraid.
Steve
1:55 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012
There is no sense in reinventing the wheel. Australia had the same problem and they solved it. Let's just adopt the Australia Model.
Greg Redmer
9:41 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323777204578195470446855466.html?mod=hp_opinion
A 3% drop in gun murders isn't really solving it.
Jason
11:06 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012
http://youtu.be/RaX3EM-fsc8
Steve
1:03 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012
"A 3% drop in gun murders isn't really solving it."
But a 30% drop in gun crimes is. Actually if there was even 1 less murder by firearm it is successful.
Greg Redmer
9:28 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
Gun sales in our country are at an all time high and crime has been going down for years. Guess we are already successful.
Steve
12:20 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012
They is no correlation of causation between more guns and less crime. That was John Lott's premise and it was discredited a long long time ago.
Mark Patro
10:16 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
guns are at an all time high because gun manufacturers and the pro gun lobby are stoking fear. More gun ownership has nothing to do with lower crime rate. How about lets put twenty-somethings back to work in this country and the crime rate will go down even more.
PerryHallCrafter
10:26 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
As a long time, legal gun owner (who has never fired it except at a firing range), I am happy to hear that legal gun ownership is at an all time high. I hope many, many more eligible, decent, law abiding citizens purchase, learn how to property use, store and own one and that those who attempt to infiltrate private property for the sake of crime get what's coming to them. The only thing that's missing is the right for people to carry them and shoot back when the constant flow of crimes, committed by gun owning criminals, shows no signs of stopping. They can carry on buses, into schools, into malls, into theaters, into salons, in street fights, in cars, why can't WE?
Mark Patro
10:33 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
for the same reason the person who smokes cannot do it in the grocery store, the public restaurant and in school buildings.
JD1
10:42 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
My guess is that the twenty-something's that you are talking about are not the ones committing the gun crimes. The gun lobby doesn't need to stoke fear - look at the headlines in today's paper - that's what stokes fear. The first day of school at PHHS stokes fear. Every drug dealer in Baltimore City stokes fear. Seems to me that the good guys should have the right to defend themselves against the slime with reasonable force.
Mark Patro
10:45 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
they may not need to but they do
Steve
12:22 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012
Gun Nutters live in a dream world...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QjZY3WiO9s&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Steve
1:16 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012
This topic seems to go 'round and 'round. Archie Bunker's take on Gun Control
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLjNJI54GMM&feature=youtu.be
(Who does that remind you of?)
Mark Patro
5:09 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
On January 14, 2013 Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley announced at a Johns Hopkins Gun Violence Summit with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg a new comprehensive gun violence prevention legislative package for Maryland.
Anyone wishing to purchase a handgun first be required to obtain a license to purchase the weapon from the state police.
Proponants of this legislation suggest this is the best way to reduce gun violence because it will substantially reduce "straw purchases," which occurr when people who are prohibited from owning weapons get someone without a criminal record to purchase the gun for them. Straw purchases are the most common way tha guns end up in the hands of people who use them to kill other people.
The complete list of goals to prevent gun violence in Maryland are:
Requiring a license to purchase a hand gun
Banning assult weapons designed to kill and inflict maximum carnage
Limiting magazine capacity to 10 rounds per magazine
Providing the State Police authority to regulate gun dealers for illegal activity
These are common sense measures that will not infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens, or sportsmen that use hunting rifles or shotguns. These are responsible measures to take military-style weapons off of our streets and reign in the sale of hand guns by "straw purchasers" just before they are used in a crime.
For more information please go to http://marylanderstopreventgunviolence.org/
Evets
5:18 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
These measures sound fairly reasonable to me. I did not yet go the website you cited, but I wonder what the state plans to charge for this license to purchase a handgun.
Mark Patro
7:29 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Tim could you please provide a link to page 19 where you are reading this.
Mark Patro
5:26 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
The requirement to get a license to make a gun purchase will make sure the background check is done before the gun is purchsed. This is the change. It will make sure that gun prchases in a neighbor to neighbor scenario and gun show sales will also require this license to purchase. It will greatly reduce the holes in the current gun sales law.
Mark Patro
7:45 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
thank you. I was looking at this one: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/hb/hb0038f.pdf
Mark Patro
3:05 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
this will help Move Maryland in the right direction:
https://www.change.org/petitions/support-solutions-to-gun-violence-that-work#
Mark Patro
3:34 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
Prevent Gun Violence: The Firearm Safety Act of 2013 (SB281/HB294) The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee voted 7-4 to give this bill a favorable report and it is now ready for consideration by the full Senate. SB 281 significantly modifies and expands the regulation of firearms, bans military-type assault weapons, requires licensing for handgun purchases, limits magazine capacity and makes changes to mental health regulations related to the possession of firearms. The opposition will speak out in force on this one. The passage of this law will help decrease gun violence in Maryland.