What do you think should be done if there are "red flags"?

I agree with this. I know that there are many responsible gun owners out there. The problem is not with them; it is with unstable, dangerous people being able to buy guns legally and then to proceed to go on shooting rampages.

I understand that making the purchase of a gun more cumbersome would be annoying to “safe” gun owners. What I do NOT understand is their unwillingness to see the big picture.

Surely preventing guns from falling into the hands of disturbed people is worth some effort. It is time to be a little less selfish. If the young man had not been able to buy guns-after clear warning signs that he was unstable- 7 people would be alive today, and a toddler would not be an orphan.

It would be nice if rabid gun rights activists would at least acknowledge that mental health issues are not static - they can arise at any time in a person's life. If you want to blame mental health, then you need to put red flag laws in place that allow friends/family/law enforcement to request the removal of weapons from someone whose mental health is no longer good.

And they should also acknowledge the role that extremist media has in the declining mental health and radicalization of many of these shooters.

Every gun owner is law-abiding until they aren't, and by then it's too late. Pushback against red flag laws shows that gun advocates consider the continuing gun violence in this country acceptable collateral damage in exchange for their right to a personal arsenal - which they may or may not use against innocent people at some point.

It's the height of arrogance to think that mental illness and attendant gun violence will never happen to you or your family. I'm sick of it.

I support passing red flag laws with a judicial process.

However, at what point do a gun owner’s civil rights or 2nd amendment rights surpass his neighbors rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?  All Americans should have the right to go to school, work, grocery stores, movie theaters, clubs, concerts etc without risking their lives.

Most extreme risk protection orders are temporary, generally 2 weeks, which is sometimes all that is necessary.  Most laws include a more complex, involved process to remove guns for longer than that.  So far, red flag laws have held up when they’ve been challenged in court.


Here’s an excellent reason why red flag laws don’t violate due process.

www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/06/07/red-flag-gun-laws-constitution-due-process/

Given that the Constitution allows emergency action to temporarily remove a person’s child before a full hearing, it’s hard to argue that it prohibits emergency action to temporarily remove a person’s guns. Quite simply, the Constitution does not require society to wait until the trigger is pulled.

No, the current laws are clearly not sufficient.  There need to be stricter qualifications to get a license to sell guns and gun dealers need to be held accountable.  Background checks need to be stricter and loopholes for buying guns at a gun show without background checks need to be closed.  The argument that we already have gun laws and they’re not working, so why pass more? is a false premise.

Also, there are loopholes for gun shows.  Background checks in some places are not required to buy guns from a gun show.

Part of the problem is a lack of funding for studies of gun violence.  For 20 years, Congress tied the CDC’s hands and prevented them from studying gun violence.  Some of the laws we currently have are not effective.  There are ways to make them stronger and others that if passed, could potentially save lives.

magazine.jhsph.edu/2021/gun-policies-save-lives

Not sure where you live, but in my state (and the one prior to this, neither of which are known to be strict) private party sales must go through a dealer (and the form and NICS background check that it triggers) are done. Another state I lived in, a CC holder could transfer a fire arm to another CC holder (max of 3 in the life of the CC of the buyer without it being reviewed by the issuing Sheriffs office.)

Honestly, the fee is negligible. Definitely worth it to make sure all the i’s and t’s are crossed. The last thing I would want is a firearm registered to me out there in the world. But, as I said in a later post, I am a rule follower.

I'm curious what did I say that gave you the impression I wasn't open to discussion?  I responded to your posts in what I thought was a respectful way with evidence and links to articles to back up my points.  In my opinion, "I've said what I needed to say" sounds more closed that anything I wrote.

I live in NH - Live Free or Die.  The first day of hunting used to be a school vacation day.  For generations, my family has hunted and owned guns.  I understand the financial and sentimental value of guns.  My grandfathers, my dad, my brother, my uncles and my cousins shoot skeet and hunt ducks, doves and pheasants.  All of the gun owners that I know - friends, family and neighbors, all support common sense gun safety laws.

I'm not sure that you are still reading, but just in case.   

Many of the examples you cited are reasons why we need federal gun safety laws - to eliminate the inconsistency between states and municipalities.  I think we're in agreement on this.

Give an inch, miles will be taken is the hard line that the NRA has taken on gun safety laws.  I'm fairly certain the NRA is on the wrong side of history. Future generations will ask why we didn't push back harder against this.  The vast majority of Americans support common sense gun safety.  Why are we allowing the NRA to have such a hold over politicians?  It's a matter of opinion, but I don't think the 2nd amendment gives everyone of every age unrestricted rights to own guns.

Some of the red flag laws have provisions and repercussions for false reporting.  And red flag laws generally have a provision that removing a gun for more than 2 weeks requires a judge and gives the gun owner an opportunity to present their case.

When I mentioned laws not being enforced, I wasn't referring to red flag laws.  Red flag laws are actually one thing we're doing right.  There's certainly room for improvement and ideally, I would like to take the best, most effective one and implement it across the country.

I agree that gun laws need to be intentional.  And they should be evidence based on what measures are effective.  Regrettably, for more than 20 years Congress prevented the CDC and NIH from studying gun violence. Belatedly, in 2019 they provided spilt funding for both agencies.  Results of those studies might be available as early as this fall but we have a lot of catching up to do.  Recently passed gun safety laws also need time in order to be effective.

And I'm not advocating for taking peoples guns away.  Just common sense gun safety laws.  Red flag laws, stricter background checks for all purchases of guns, minimum ages for assault weapons (If you cant drink until you're 21 why do we allow those under the age of 21 to buy assault weapons?) safe gun storage, bans on high capacity magazines, a universal permit to carry, stricter qualifications and accountability for gun dealers, buy back programs etc.  Beyond legislation, we also need more mental health funding, community based violence intervention programs etc.

Too bad that doesn’t apply to women and their doctors. Then, it is a-okay for the government to terrorize them by criminalizing medical decisions and procedures.  

Welcome to Texas. No background checks on private sales.

ETA: and a whole lot of other states, too. www.findlaw.com/consumer/consumer-transactions/private-gun-sale-laws-by-state.html

Seems pretty pervasive.

For all you talk a little how valuable firearms are, we also have a big problem in this country with crime committed with stolen firearms. Gun owners don’t universally take great care to keep their weapons secure, which seems odd, given how much they cost.