Gun manufacturers are like military contractors in that every day, they profit from mass murder.

[YoungDemCA]

And because of how rich and politically connected both groups are, most politicians will never find the courage to fight back against them.

True historically, still true today. Welcome to the world.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. The sooner gun owners understand gun manufacturers are neither their friends

nor do they engage in gun ownership for the same reasons, the better.

In the bigger picture, guns are the problem. We all know it, and I suppose we also all know the problem is so bad, so big, nothing can be done about it.

[billh58]

3. "Nothing can be done about it"

is the mantra of the NRA/ILA/GOA apologists who claim to be Democrats but support the right-wing gun lobby. I'm definitely not accusing you of supporting the NRA, but it is all too easy to begin to repeat the lies and misinformation coming from the Second Amendment absolutist gun culture crowd.

There is definitely something that we can do about the obscene proliferation of guns on our streets and in our communities. The bottom line is that we do not care if there are a Brazillion guns in this country -- just keep them at home, and if there is a need to transport them to the range or for hunting there should be strict regulations governing that activity. There is absolutely no reason to carry a loaded gun in public in this country, and Scalia left that premise wide open in the Heller decision.

Where we should concentrate our efforts is in reining in concealed public carry, open public carry, and stand-your-ground laws. Carrying a gun in public should have penalties right up there with terroristic threatening, assault, and at the very least being a public nuisance/menace. Criminals caught with guns in public should have their sentences doubled or tripled.

We can further tighten up who has access to a gun in the first place by expanding background checks to ALL gun sales and transfers, and widening the scope of background checks to include local law enforcement agencies to look for activity such as alcohol-related offences, disorderly conduct, domestic abuse, animal abuse, road rage, and repeated misdemeanor offences. AS it stands right now, drunks, wife-beaters, and road rage bullies can, and do, qualify for concealed carry permits.

[Eliot Rosewater]

4. You are right, but ultimately the laws will be decided by who is elected to office.

Republicans steal elections all the time.

Last night 130,000 Georgians went out of their way to give their healthcare away, to make their lives much much harder, for the privilege of being racist.

But you are right, never give up.

[Hoyt]

2. I think something can be done, if not short-term, certainly long-term. Every decade we do nothing,

another 100 million guns end up on the streets, in white wingers' gun caches, in bully's pants, etc.

Every year we do nothing, makes a long-term solution tougher.