I don't see increased Federal Gun Control as stopping mass shootings. I support it. [View all]

[cali]

I've always kind of held the same position as my Senator, Bernie Sanders, that gun control should be left to the individual states. Bernie was elected to the House in large part because he opposed increased gun control and his opponent, one term
liberal Republican Peter Smith, supported it. As recently as this past August, Bernie reiterated his belief that gun control should be a state issue.

In case you doubt that Bernie won because of his opposition to gun control:

<snip>
In the one 1990 congressional race in which gun control appeared to be a decisive issue, Bernie Sanders unseated former Rep. Peter Smith, R-Vt., a gun- control supporter whom the NRA had squarely in its sights. Sanders, the only avowed socialist in Congress, voted against the Brady Bill.

<snip>

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-05-20/news/9102270272_1_nra-officials-brady-bill-powerful-gun

Bernie is wrong. I hope he changes his mind.

No, I don't think, that in the short run, increased federal gun control will stop gun violence or a mass shooter determined to claim as many victims as possible, but we have to start somewhere. We have to take on the gun culture and the NRA and put the brakes on their unbridled power. Starting by reinstating the ban on assault weapons is one small step that democratic legislators can take that says loudly that they're willing to do something to fight back.

We aren't going to be able to do anything sweeping. That's just not a political reality, but we can start to at least challenge the NRA and others in the pro-gun establishment. It may not do much in the short run, but you have to take the first step to get anywhere.