Today's mass shooting in the US

Democrats have successfully negotiated a bipartisan Senate deal for fresh firearm legislation.

Details: The proposal includes an under 21 enhanced review process, which means buyers under 21 will be required to undergo an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement. The deal also:

  • Clarifies the definition of a "federally licensed firearms dealer": Cracks down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements.
  • Penalizes straw purchasing: Cracks down on criminals who illegally straw purchase and traffic guns.
  • Supports state crisis intervention orders: Provides resources to states to create and administer laws that help ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others.
  • Invests in children and family mental health services: Major investments to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention programs.
  • Closes the “boyfriend loophole”— provides protections for victims of domestic violence: Convicted domestic violence abusers and individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders will be included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
  • Funding for school-based mental health and supportive services: Invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including early identification and intervention programs and school-based mental health and wrap-around services.
  • Funding for school safety resources: Invests in programs to help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, support school violence prevention efforts and provide training to school personnel and students.
  • Invests in telehealth resources: Invests in programs that increase access to mental and behavioral health services for youth and families in crisis via telehealth.
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By UK and Australian standards, this is merely tinkering at the edge of the problem, but if it passes it will be the most significant firearm legislation the US has seen in decades. Most importantly, it is expected to have the support of 60 senators, making it filibuster proof.
 
Roar87 said:
I think everyone is on board with better mental health services, clearly this is a major cause of the school shootings
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I think it's relatively minor compared to the whole thing where you can basically buy a gun easily, or even better get your mum to buy it for you, or your dad to leave his ones lying around the house.

It doesn't do much if anything to stop someone from simply taking one of the other guns in the house, or as we've seen several time parents buying guns for their kids, kids that were showing the warning signs of not being safe to be around guns.

About the only thing it's doing that might make a little difference, is tightening up the definition of dealer to try and reduce that loophole.

But it's still better than absolutely nothing which is what the NRA party wanted.
 
Longbow said:
Very broad. Those shooting up schools are mentally ill.
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I'm not sure.

JCS did a very interesting breakdown of the Nicolas Cruz interview (Parkland shooter) which shows how he was basically trying to look as though he was crazy, but in fact there was no evidence that he was actually mentally ill..

It's an interesting take on the interview either way

(starts at 10:35) but the first 10 mins are pretty interesting;


To me, it almost feels like this response of "Oh, they were mentally ill" is just a sort of cop out, in the sense that it's more like an act of god, or something which can't really be helped, and because it can't really be helped, nothing needs to change, ergo; the people in charge don't need to do any work.
 
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Werewolf said:
I think it's relatively minor compared to the whole thing where you can basically buy a gun easily, or even better get your mum to buy it for you, or your dad to leave his ones lying around the house.

It doesn't do much if anything to stop someone from simply taking one of the other guns in the house, or as we've seen several time parents buying guns for their kids, kids that were showing the warning signs of not being safe to be around guns.

About the only thing it's doing that might make a little difference, is tightening up the definition of dealer to try and reduce that loophole.

But it's still better than absolutely nothing which is what the NRA party wanted.
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If there aren't laws that make the original owner of a firearm liable for any crimes committed with it due to the owner's negligence then there really ought to be.

Involuntary manslaughter sounds about right.
 
This new law will not make the slightest bit of difference.

Kids have just taken their parents guns to do shootings in the past so under 21's will still have access to guns.

A kid wants their parents gun they will find a way easy enough.

Bottom line is the USA is awash with guns and mass shootings are here to stay.
 
VincentHanna said:
Someone doesn't have to be mentally ill, they might just have a sudden traumatic incident in their own life which makes them completely irrational.
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That's known as an act committed whilst the balance of their mind was disturbed. I call that mentally ill, if only perhaps short term. France had, maybe still has, a Crime of Passion. I hope, should your family or close friends face death or life changing trauma at the hands of some scrote you will remember to be similarly magnanimous ;)
 
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