The "wouldn't have prevented" gambit on gun-safety laws

[spin]

31. If you want to think that the video was faked to support gun rights groups ...

that is entirely your choice and your right.

It remains my opinion based on my experience that it was a fair representation of how fast magazines can be changed and how fast semi-auto firearms can be fired by people who have some experience and practice. As I stated in the OP:

I am a gun rights supporter but I feel that this video is realistic and not necessarily positive for the gun rights group. If anything, it may cause some gun control advocates to back banning the civilian ownership of all firearms.

I posted the video for those who have little experience with firearms as many seem to believe that limiting magazine size would greatly restrict a deranged person's ability to kill a large number of people with a firearm.

I do support gun control measures that would help to reduce the problem such as universal background checks, stronger enforcement of existing gun laws and steeper penalties for those caught engaging in the straw purchase and smuggling of firearms.

For example, I feel that anyone caught illegally carrying a firearm in public should receive jail time and if they have a criminal record should spend years in prison. In cities like Chicago or New Orleans such individuals often get off with a slap on the wrist and later kill innocent people.

Obviously our mental health care system has problems. I can't understand why a person who has been legally adjudged as having a serous mental condition can often walk into a gun store, pass the NICS background check and purchase a lethal weapon. The NICS background check is a first line of defense against criminals and those with severe mental problems yet many states do not input records to the database on a timely fashion as required. I also support mandatory firearm safety training for anyone who wishes to purchase a firearm or buy ammunition.

We should reexamine of our War on Drugs which we lost years ago. Gang warfare between competing drug gangs in our large cities leads to many needless tragedies. In my opinion some drugs such as marijuana should be legalized as it would considerably reduce the profit motive in dealing them.

Although I support gun rights I abhor gun violence. I feel that it more important to pass effective legislation and properly enforce it than to pass "feel good" laws.

If only honest and responsible citizens were allowed to own firearms, we still would have gun violence but it would be reduced considerably.

What really distresses me is that I feel we had an excellent chance to pass meaningful and effective gun laws in this nation but some who overreached for another AWB effectively poisoned the water.

Firearm sales are at an all time high because many fear strong gun control in the immediate future. A high percentage of these new gun owners have little use for these weapons and little training. I would like to see this nation return to days like the 1950s and 1960s when the only people I knew who owned firearms were hunters, collectors, target shooters and those who lived in extremely dangerous neighborhoods.

Gun violence in our nation is now approaching an all time low but few people realize this. Both sides of the gun control debate ignore this fact as it serves little purpose for their cause. The NRA and gun manufacturers push the idea that it is necessary to own firearms for self defense and the gun control advocates state that the rising tide of gun violence should be stopped by the banning of certain firearms and accessories.

I feel we can do better but first we have to understand the problem and sort through all the propaganda both sides of the debate feeds us.