On The Issue of Guns

Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994–2004):
Banned semiautomatics that looked like assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices. The law expired in 2004.

There were multiple attempts to renew the ban, but none succeeded.

The Biden administration is attempting to put forth another ban. Chances are it also will not succeed.

More (from Wikipedia) …

A study by Mark Gius, professor of economics at Quinnipiac University, studied the law’s impact on public mass shootings. Gius defined this subset of mass shootings as those “occurring in a relatively public place, targeted random victims, were not otherwise related to a crime (a robbery or act of terrorism), and that involved four or more victim fatalities.”

His study* revealed that “both state and federal assault weapons bans have statistically significant and negative effects on mass shooting fatalities but that only the federal assault weapons ban had a negative effect on mass shooting injuries. This study is one of the first studies that looks solely at the effects of assault weapons bans on public mass shootings.”

*https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504851.2014.939367

Meanwhile, “Gun background checks soar to record in March following mass shootings and gun-control bills.”

************************
Further reading:

Mass shootings in the United States
What Does Background Check Show (Note: Nothing on mental health)
What Is Gun Control: Everything You Need to Know

Government Without Restraints?

Heather Cox Richardson’s most recent newsletter was disturbing, to say the least. Since many (most?) of you read her contributions, you may have already seen what I’m about to share.

She starts her newsletter thus:

As the Biden administration sets out to restore a government that can regulate business to level the playing field in the United States between workers and employers, address inequality, and combat climate change, Republicans are turning to the courts to stop him.

The rest of her newsletter describes the many and various congressional actions the Republicans are putting forth to thwart Biden’s plan to foster equality.

As I read her remarks related to Republican actions, I kept asking myself, is this the best way to run a country of several million people? Removing the many and various regulations that are designed to level the playing field between the common people and Big Business?

I won’t go into the several actions being taken by the Republicans to accomplish their goal since she thoroughly outlines them in her newsletter. But I will say this: I was pretty astounded to read all that they’re doing. I suppose I shouldn’t be … but still, it’s often difficult to understand their point of view.

In essence, it sounds to me like they would be happy if the U.S. just abolished the Constitution. In fact, Heather reports that Justice Elena Kagan commented that some of their proposals would essentially mean that “most of Government is unconstitutional.”

Heather sums it up …

But that, of course, is the point. We are caught up in a struggle between two ideologies: one saying that the government has a significant role to play in keeping the playing field level in the American economy and society, and the other saying it does not.

One can’t help but wonder where all this will end up.