General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Help me understand , why is semi automatic in a rifle so important to gun owners here? [View all]appal_jack
(3,813 posts)Tommy, I am glad that you caught my (deliberate) omission, and responded with humor!
My omission of any mention of the 3rd Amendment is because I am pleased with my current ability to exercise my 3rd Amendment rights. However, were any people here saying that what the 3rd Amendment REALLY means is that a whole army platoon lounging in my living room, making snacks in my kitchen, and swimming in my (nonexistent) pool is ACTUALLY totally compatible with the Constitution, because, hey they're not sleeping in my bed (yet), then yes, I'd have issues. I see things similar about the 2nd Amendment pretty often here at DU.
I support laws against committing murders with firearms. James Holmes and Adam Lanza committed horrible crimes, for which I hope Mr. Holmes gets punished severely (I hope that Mr. Lanza, being beyond our reach, has come to an appropriate reckoning in the afterlife).
I posted my thoughts about the best strategies for preventing violence in reply #28, but to reprise:
The surest method toward reducing violence is attacking root causes: poverty, mental illness, lack of economic opportunity, an education system that fails to adequately cultivate empathy and civic engagement, and a failed and misdirected war on drugs contribute far more to gun violence than the presence or absence of any particular hardware or attendant features.
These are issues that ALL Democrats can (and should) rally around in unison!
-app