I'm with papacrusher on the mental illness aspect. That is a huge gap in our NICS reporting. As a gun owner and firearms instructor (and LEO), I also support gun rights. The area I see has the greatest need for improvement next to mental health reporting is straw purchases. But as long as a non-convicted crackhead is willing to buy guns for crack, it's going to be an issue.
We have a problem in America discussing issues without interjecting emotional appeals. We have to look at things realistically. What law/laws would have prevented the Florida shooting (or other shootings for that matter)? All of the proposed laws I have seen would not have changed things one bit.
One more stat to go with your drunk driving point. According to NPR, far from a bastion of conservative ideals, the medical community kills 250,000 Americans every year. Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Is anyone asking that we outlaw health care? Hell, has anyone even proposed one law to reduce the number of medical malpractice deaths? No. It is not sensational. Not emotional. But it is a fact.
Hi coldsteem! Sorry it's taken me so long to reply but I've been under the weather a lil bit lately. I received your PM and will get back with you on that as well. Of course you and I are seeing things the same way here and you're right, no laws would have prevented him from doing what he did. Thank you for adding the extra information about the malpractice also, I had no idea to be honest.
Glad you are feeling better. Let’s hope the response to this tragedy is measured. We don’t have a gun problem in America. We have a sin problem.