Missouri votes against banning children from carrying guns in public

[elias7]

Source: The Guardian

The Republican-led Missouri state house on Wednesday voted against banning minors from openly carrying firearms on public land without adult supervision. The proposal to ban children from carrying guns without adult supervision in public failed by a 104-39 vote. Only one Republican voted in support.

A Democrat, Donna Baringer, said police in her district asked for the change to stop “14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St Louis carrying AR-15s”. “Now they have been emboldened, and they are walking around with them,” Baringer said. “Until they actually brandish them, and brandish them with intent, our police officers’ hands are handcuffed.”

Republicans decried the effort as an unneeded infringement on gun rights. “While it may be intuitive that a 14-year-old has no legitimate purpose, it doesn’t actually mean that they’re going to harm someone. We don’t know that yet,” said Tony Lovasco, a Republican from the St Louis suburb of O’Fallon.

“Generally speaking, we don’t charge people with crimes because we think they’re going to hurt someone.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/09/missouri-rejects-ban-children-carrying-guns-in-public

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It’s a deadly irony, passing laws just to keep the status quo is an unnecessary infringement on gun rights. The slippery slope they have been decreeing for decades works in reverse: As more and more deadly weapons are created, the fear of a slope increasing control has had the opposite effect of giving deadlier weapons to the public, and of course, multiple mass shootings on most days, which is the slippery slope sensible people have been trying to avoid.

[Ray Bruns]

1. It's time to repeal the 2nd amendment.

[mopinko]

17. i'm hearing that more and more.

beau of the 5th column has mentioned that a couple times in the last week.
dont see it happening, but at least it’s a countervailing force.

[Initech]

27. Pretty sure it would take a major war to do that.

These fuckers won't give up their guns willingly, and they want this to happen. It's a truly scary "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.

[mopinko]

29. dont think it will happen but

it’s good to remind them it could. might make them a little more willing to be reasonable. i know, i know. just sayin.

[Blues Heron]

2. there is no 1791 law about AR-15s, Bazookas, or even tactical nukes

so regulate away till they squeal with outrage.

[The Jungle 1]

7. Shouldn't I be allowed to go down to walfart ...

and buy a stinger missile??? Stupid NRA won't protect my right to own a stinger.

[Blues Heron]

9. lol! they would sell them if they could!

[Lonestarblue]

3. How long before the first classroom shooting by a student carrying a gun to school?

Just like the 6-year-old in Virginia who shot his teacher. I suppose the Missouri legislators think that getting into a school with a gun, or onto a playground is just too onerous and they should be allowed to freely walk in the door. Guns are now the number one cause of death for children in the US, surpassing car accidents. Will there ever be a tipping point where people just get tired of this crap and vote these idiots out of office?

[newdayneeded]

12. That'll happen then we'll get a

Condoleezza Rice type statement of "No one could have seen a 14 y/o child was gonna kill other kids with a gun".

[Marcus IM]

4. The greatest nation on earth. Envy of the world.

NOT!

[Timeflyer]

5. "...It doesn't actually mean that they're going to harm someone." We have to wait for the blood

to flow and bodies to drop before using common sense regulations to prevent the killing and maiming? Is this really happening?

[The Jungle 1]

6. Give them guns and take away their books.

WTF

[SouthernDem4ever]

8. How Effing twisted do you have to be? Missouri Repugs are the answer to that

[raging moderate]

10. About 45 years ago, I suddenly moved to a very small town.

After I finished training as a speech/language therapist, I got a job in a rural school district traveling to six schools in three towns. I had grown up in Chicago, so there was a lot of culture shock for me (and also for them, I am sure). I remember that all the (approximately) twelve-year-old boys were carrying rifles over their shoulders much of the time. I had never seen that before. It seemed to work out all right. Although there was this bad moment when somebody was shooting at my little black and white kitten out in my backyard. I ran to her and grabbed her and saved her. Of course, I could have wound up shot. Oh, well. I am still glad I did it.

[Scrivener7]

11. These people are insane. And let's face it, evil.

And we have people here who cheer lead for them every time there is a mass slaughter.

[sakabatou]

13. I'm sure nothing bad will happen due to this bill

[newdayneeded]

14. I guess the repubs will now eliminate

seat belts, because, you know, it's not like everybody gonna get in a car accident.

[wnylib]

19. I remember the opposition to

seat belts and seat belt laws when they were first installed in cars. "Infringement on individual choice and freedom."

[Polybius]

34. My day never wore one

He was in his 50's in the 80's, and when he was young, there weren't any seatbelts (at least on most cars). He said they were too uncomfortable. When I told him I was fine with them, he said "you're a kid that grew up on it and will always be used to it."

[IronLionZion]

15. Of course. We have to wait until they shoot someone

That's the price of free dumb

[wnylib]

20. Would they change their minds if

it was their child, spouse, or parent who got killed or permanently maimed by a child shooting a gun?

[IronLionZion]

22. "it's complicated"

Even in places like Uvalde TX, many of the parents of dead children stated they own and like guns. But would like some sort of better regulation to make it harder for high school age idiots to buy assault rifles.

Getting enough people to agree on what regulations are needed is a major challenge. I'd like to see some psych eval and references and proof of need (hunting wild hogs or whatever).

[Marthe48]

16. Missouri doesn't love company

Off my list to visit, along with so many other bloody red states.

[Escurumbele]

18. republicans are slowly building a militia, kids are very impressionable, they are easier to convince

of doing the wrong things because the ability to measure consequences is still not fully formed.

Like in Iran/Iraq/Africa where kids walk around with guns and horrible things happen, that is the goal of the GOP criminals. Way to support the police GOP.

[wnylib]

23. I have been thinking the same thing.

I believe that the reason for the right wing support of gun deregulation is to have militias to call upon for violent enforcement of RW politics.

[Rebl2]

21. Figures

[Moostache]

24. As a trapped denizen of East Kansas, I have an answer to these OP hacks...

Organized classes - with guns drawn and locked and loaded, because 'reasons' - that explain to these armed children exactly WHY there are no jobs or manufacturing base left in Missouri, and maps to the residences of WHO voted for policies to impoverish and arm them.

No judgement or suggestion will be made, only information and details of where to find these sons of bitches and a mandate to exercise their 2nd Amendment solutions to this problem...take the arms and use them to demand answers to the questions like "where did YOU get your wealth from?" and "why are there lobbyists in your office but no constituents?" and my favorite "Why are you backing away from a legally armed citizen exercising their rights under the praised 2A? What are YOU afraid of? Can't possibly be the business end of a loaded AR-15 in the hands of someone we won't allow to vote, drink, drive or marry, amirite?"

It is NOT liberal positions or policies that are destroying the world these armed children are inheriting; and if they don't want to be impoverished slaves to a shrinking cadre of masters and their bought-and-paid-for bagmen in politics, they may want to start asking tough questions of the powers that be, while heavily armed of course...because what could possibly go wrong?

[LiberalFighter]

25. Too many stupid, ignorant people.

[CaptainTruth]

26. I'll say it again: Every Republican action & policy results in more dead Americans.

Prove me wrong.

[JohnnyRingo]

28. ...until they see black kids throwing signs while wearing a Glock on their hip.

And what's to stop them? As long as they don't have a record, they have the law on their side.

I for one would be shocked to see a 15 year old in public with a sidearm, but conservatives would have a stroke if they saw an ethnic child with a 9mm in a holster. They will get back to the drawing board before you could say LaPierre.

[Bayard]

30. So now, mass school shootings can be an inside job?

A kid can bring his AR-15 to Show and Tell? That's completely bonkers.

[chowder66]

31. Some adult/young adult men (and a few women) can't cope with their emotions and kill.

What the hell do they think hormonal angry kids are going to do?

This is going to get real people killed as the republican politicians play with our lives. This is a shitshow.

[chowder66]

32. Well then give them buckets of acid and grenades while you're at it.

[republianmushroom]

33. sooner or later there will be a good shoot out.

then people will want to know "how did this happen".
That 6 year old that shot the teacher could carry totally legal. Cops asking a kid in Mo. if he's
going to school may have reason to fear for his life. Gotta love the intelligence of the republicans.