The People's Email Network Last 25 Messages Transmitted Log Go Back It's Time To Actually Regulate Murder Weapons ********** [171203:101615] K.E., Antioch, TN We seriously need stronger gun laws in this country and we need it yesterday! We've endured too much violence that could have been stopped had there been better gun regulation in the United States. We need a Congress that will act, not one that stalls at every turn. ********** [202824:101515] B.P., Saint Louis, MO We need effective gun control laws to stop the slaughter. ********** [220622:101215] A.W., Wishon, CA For those capable of reading even a single, intact and complete sentence from our Constitution, the Second Amendment says this: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." What we have in America today does not even resemble a "well regulated militia." Instead what we have are seemingly endless supplies of lone wolf lunatics senselessly murdering our family members again and again. Our founders intended arms bearing as a collective right, for the protection of the community, NOT an individual right to be claimed by every mentally ill criminal. And that was during a time when we had no systematic police forces or even much of a national army. And yet Congress, perpetually beholden to the murder weapons manufacturers of America, adamantly refuses to even put in place even reasonable regulation of who can acquire NEW deadly weapons, entirely apart from those already sold to people who should not have them. In particular, any nutcase can walk into a free for all gun show and walk out with a family member grabber. So-called "unlicensed private sellers" can do anything they damn well please. There isn't another deadly anything in this country as unregulated and with so many gaping loopholes as this. The actual word in our Constitution is "regulated," and it's time we did something meaningful about it, starting with comprehensive instant background checks. And no gun transfers except through strictly regulated dealers, just like we do for a bottle of beer. You cannot even drive a car without a license. Why should gun ownership be any less regulated? I call on The Fresno Bee to accept our Presidents challenge and publish the TRUTH on the front page: Show the statistics of how many deaths there are from terrorism and how many from deaths from gun violence in the United States. ********** [121429:100915] P.E., Amherst, NH We must regulate assault weapons and the number of shots a rifle may hold. Not weapon should be sold in the USA that fires very rapidly or holds over 8 bullets. ********** [062817:100915] R.C., Pittsburgh, PA All nations have mentally ill citizens, yet America has a gun violence rate that far exceeds that of other industrialized nations. Psychopathology is manifest within a cultural context. A nation with a gun festish such as ours is bound to have more gun violence than a nation not obsessed with guns. ********** [040255:100915] E.r., Charleston, SC Another Shooting this morning on yet another college campus in Arizona. This madness must stop! I am a gun owner /hunter/target shooter a patriot (a non member of the NRA) These politicians who are under the thumb of the NRA, Wall Street, and other entities who do not care about the our citizens but merely lining there own pockets need to be Fired! We need a term limits in US Congress and the State Houses now. Everard O. Rutledge, Ph.D. , LFACHE ********** [234349:100815] M.S., Frederick, MD It's time to civilize the US. ********** [173453:100715] R.M., Strasburg, PA It is time to take our country back from the NRA. I cannot vote republican even if I wanted to, because they as a party cannot even admit that the gun violence in America is a huge problem. ********** [100056:100715] T.K., Slippery Rock, PA The founding fathers were persons of reason and insight. In formulating the Constitution, they clearly did not advocate a deeply irrational and short-sighted notion that seems to be the distorted view promoted by the NRA and their primary funders, the gun-manufacturers, whose central aim is simply greater profits, regardless of the the damage that entails for the rest of the society. Their vision is more accurately labeled 'psychopathic.' Every citizen needs to decide whether he or she wants to support policy, or return to a rational one in line with the original intentions of the founding fathers. In my view, it is as simple as that! ********** [191450:100615] H.H., 1100:1100:Bobby L. Rush, The Second Amendment, so religiously revered by some, was adopted as part of the "Bill of Rights" to the Constitution when it was adopted in 1789 - and that then replaced the Articles of Confederation adopted in 1777. Those were all pioneer days with a wild frontier and many wild animals to be encountered. Virtually every other device in our current civilization [except guns] that has potential to maim and kill now requires licensing and training to be used and also registration of all ownership transfers - and such should be done NATIONALLY with one reasonable set of laws for all - for the common good. ********** [183952:100615] M.D., Monroe Township, NJ The 2nd amendment is NOT about "Stand your ground," nor about having caches full of guns in one's home! ********** [164413:100615] L.B., O Fallon, MO Please make changes to our gun laws now to prevent further carnage. ********** [163353:100615] C.U., Hood River, OR It's time to take back our country - from the NRA. That otherwise reasonable people have been convinced that there is nothing we can do and we must simply endure such a thing is frankly insane. We would not take such a stance with ANY other threat to the public. ********** [153708:100615] J.B., Hickory Valley, TN While respecting the Second Amendment, I also want something sensible to be done to prevent these tragedies. ********** [140720:100615] D.A., Shelburne Falls, MA It is long past time to review the Australian Gun Laws and to consider adopting them. Imagine, following a massacre in New Town, Australia in 1996 these laws were passed within 12 days. Surely, we can do this. ********** [090738:100615] A.S., Moorestown, NJ The 2nd Amendment has been grossly misinterpreted for far too long. It was intended to insure the safety of the state and the public as a whole, but instead its use has been twisted in a way that does just the opposite. The "guns everywhere 24/7 with no limits" mentality must be stopped, and the "well regulated" mandate of the amendment must be moved to the forefront. ********** [081734:100615] C.L., Fort Lauderdale, FL When we will have the guts to stand up to the NRA and take back our country? ********** [073124:100615] R.R., Laguna Beach, CA growing up during and after WWII, U citizens were not allowed to own automatic weapons. I believer statistics will bear out that we had fewer deaths from guns in those days... ********** [071536:100615] A.S., Chicago, IL Please require background checks for gun sales. ********** [005441:100615] R.B., Ocean Shores, WA 2nd amendment did not mean assault rifles and high capacity magazines and special ammo. A registered license to set up in all states to be issued with proper id,verified address.Rules set by Federal Government. ********** [211926:100515] J.E., Steubenville, OH Today's mass of killers wandering our streets has no resemblance to a "well regulated militia". If you are going to quote the Second Amendment, QUOTE THE WHOLE THING!!! It is simple to do: The amendment is only one sentence! ********** [210034:100515] C.C., Seattle, WA It's time for sensible regulation of guns, comprehensive, consistent instant background checks, limitations on ammunition clip capacity, and at least as much regulation as driving or owning a car. ********** [203942:100515] P.P., Malden, MO This the first time I ever read the full text of the second amendment. Now it makes sense. Now the Republican legislators should read it AND ACT stop this killing. ********** [200212:100515] C.F., Ypsilanti, MI Guns need to be regulated. Evidence of that fact hits us in the stomach with every additional tragic mass killing. We need to get guns of war off the streets, have strict background checks for anyone wishing to purchase a gun, and fund the NIH to study gun deaths as they studied auto deaths so they can develop additional options for putting an end to the carnage! ********** [185949:100515] M.H., Vancouver, WA The understanding of the constitution until a few decades ago was the reasonable view that arms for militias were protected. Meanwhile we have savage levels of gun violence despite the experience of Canada and Australia (and others) with gun control leading to a marked drop in gun deaths. For God's sake, let's act with some intelligence and compassion. ********** Go Back