Riley24

Ah sorry, thought that meant he was German with Iranian heritage

The shooter wasn't a refuge....

How...exactly? I'm not familiar with Merkel's policies, at least not ones related to terrorism.

The former cannot be without the latter.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/01/good_guy_with_a_gun_myth_guns_increase_the_risk_of_homicide_accidents_suicide.html Read this article, and check out the sources they cite. I don't own a gun because I care about my safety. In this country, we have a MASSIVE firearms industry made up by billion dollar corporations. Corporations have one purpose: to make as much money as possible. They actually have a legal obligation to their shareholders to make as much money as possible. They give very large sums of money to lobbying groups like the NRA, who ensure the election and re-election of politicians who will in turn refuse to pass gun control legislation. The NRA and similar groups then spread misinformation and fear, which leads Americans to purchase guns at record high rates. Its a trick, and its working wonders for them. Its all marketing. But we're no safer now, are we? And if you're interested in the Second Amendment, go ahead and read this as well. It's very long, but absolutely worth the read. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/nra-guns-second-amendment-106856

Thanks for the laugh. You're just making that up because the sentence sounds good, where are your facts? Both are activities that you can easily get away with, and done unbeknownst to the government. But if you're caught, there are steep penalties. I think it should be illegal to sell a gun privately without an extensive background check and waiting period. What is it you support, exactly? All I've gotten from you is "eh, fuck it. Enforcing laws is hard" Really? The police in the UK have said that? Please share your sources. Also, you're the one that brought up armed police. Why? What was your point exactly? Because if British police are safer without guns, why aren't you? You might want to do research into things like the NRA, because you are blatantly wrong. They receive massive funds from the gun industry http://www.businessinsider.com/gun-industry-funds-nra-2013-1 There are BILLIONS of dollars to be made by scaring the shit out of Americans and getting them to buy guns. Exhibit A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd73D44L6cM Of course there are other factors that contribute to gun violence statistics, I never said there weren't. That's also why I'm in favor of ending the war on drugs and combating income inequality. But isn't it a little odd that the top 20 states with the most gun violence are also states with some of the loosest gun laws? Number 2 on the list is Louisiana, where the Baton Rouge attack happened. Louisiana has ridiculously loose gun laws, is it any surprise that Gavin Long was able to get his hands on 3 guns? Thanks to the before-mentioned corporate interests we have more guns than people in the country, that doesn't exist in any other western Country. And we lead the western world in our gun violence rate. Hmmm....funny how that works... =http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/death-by-gun-top-20-states-with-highest-rates/21/ http://www.vpc.org/press/states-with-weak-gun-laws-and-higher-gun-ownership-lead-nation-in-gun-deaths-new-data-for-2014-confirms/ Unless you have adequate evidence for your arguments, I will not respond. It would be a waste of both of our time.

"psychological indication"...get outta here, Mentalist. That's the most arrogant thing I've ever heard on a forum. I didn't address your point because it's a bad one. You can claim "slippery slope" about literally anything, it doesn't make it true. It's a throwaway line used by people paranoid that the big bad government is gonna come take their guns. Yes, straw purchases are illegal. But using your logic, why bother making that illegal? Criminals are just going to do it anyway. By having laws against straw purchasing we're only hurting law abiding citizens that want to go gun shopping together. Right? /sarcasm And I'd like for you to flip your theory. The police in the UK don't have to be armed, because the criminals aren't armed. The criminals aren't armed because they can't get guns. They can't get guns because the UK doesn't have a multi-billion dollar gun manufacturing industry that pays the NRA to lobby politicians to block gun control, and to spread misinformation and fear that leads people to buy guns in record numbers.

If you choose to break the law because it was previously legal, you're now a criminal. That's a choice, I would have zero sympathy for a gun dealer that chooses to break the law and sell guns without the necessary security checks. And "criminals don't follow the law" is silly. Why bother having any laws then? They're just gonna break them. That's an argument for anarchy, and its ONLY used when talking about guns. We're all required to register our cars, should we not be required to do so because some cars on the road are unregistered? Going through the DMV is a pain in the ass, why can't we just buy a car from our neighbor Bob and hit the road? Funny how you don't list "bought through a private sale" as one of the ways criminals get guns. Seems like you're very willing to ignore that as one of the avenues. No one is arguing that we can make it impossible for terrorists and known criminals to get guns, we're saying we can make it pretty damn hard. And I'd love for you to compare the rates of gun violence in France to the United States. Weird how French criminals use guns less when guns are less available.

You are advocating for that, just indirectly. That's a direct consequence of your policy proposal. And all I've heard for the past four years from gun enthusiasts is how they are "law abiding citizens". Should those laws be put into place, I would expect them to follow the law, and not become criminal gun merchants. Again, you are mentioning the black market but not considering where those guns come from. Guns do not appear magically in the hands of criminals. Just because you put a question in bold, doesn't make it a smart question. There are COUNTLESS illegal activities that occur unbeknownst to the government. The reason we make things illegal is to discourage it through the threat of penalties, and to prosecute the people who are caught doing it. This is a mentality used by gun enthusiasts ONLY on the topic of guns, NEVER when talking about any other laws. Why is it that you think we have laws? And I have very little interest in your next point, if that first question is any indication of how you are approaching this topic. All I've heard is BS NRA talking points that have been regurgitated online so they can sell more guns.

Simply not true. Guns do not appear magically in the hands of criminals. We have an astronomically high circulation of guns in the country, it is possible to cut off avenues by which criminals obtain their guns and make it harder and harder for them to get their hands on them. That then gives the government the ability to prosecute anyone who does not go through those checks. You're advocating for criminals to be able to legally purchase guns, in a thread about 3 cops being shot to death. Think that over.

It shouldn't be up to the discretion of a random gun owner, there should be a mandated and thorough background check system for every gun sale in the country, private or otherwise. The fact that a gun can ever be sold legally without a background check is ridiculous. That's my argument, plain and simple. We owe it to our law enforcement officials to make sure that they encounter as few criminals with guns as possible,

It is perfectly legal in many parts of the country to purchase a firearm from a private seller without a background check.

That'd be cool, like the traffic stop backup callout, but with an uncooperative suspect.

I've seen videos just like the one that was shared, except the undercover person bought the gun without a background check. That is the gunshow loophole right there. I don't care how uncommon or limited it is, the fact that it exists is unacceptable.

And if you're not an FFL dealer?

No, but "criminals don't obey the law, so we shouldn't have the law" is silly. I've only ever heard that argument used against gun laws.