If there was a national data base that tracked gun and ammo purchases it could of at least

[upaloopa]

raised red flags by putting together a purchase of 6000 rounds of ammo and two rifles and two pistols in the space of 4 months.


That information could have been sent to some local authority and they could have checked up on Holmes. The question they would ask is why.



Any law abiding citizen would not be restricted by this kind of data base nor would they raise a red flag by doing something most gun owners do. It is the out of ordinary things that are noticed. You would state your reason for purchasing the guns and like a credit application you would list relatives and friends for references and there would be a licensing process.

Yes this would not be fool proof but I don't subscribe to the idea that because we can't stop all gun deaths we shouldn't try.

This is the type of middle ground both sides could agree on. Remember your grocery store knows all demographics you. We could at least do that for the common good where guns are concerned.

[rrneck]

1. Ever heard of the fourth amendment? nt

[booley]

4. not sure I get your point

the 4th doesnt' apply to other purchases.

Sudafed, nitrogen based fertilizers, dynamite are all tracked.

And this wouldn't stop one from buying a gun.

[rrneck]

11. Controlling access to dangerous materials

and maintaining a database of purchases for enhanced scrutiny are two different things.

[booley]

16. guns are by definition dangerous

They are designed to kill. That's their function.

And as a matter of fact, sudafed purchases fall into that enhanced scrutiny. if you start shopping around for it it signals alarms.

[rrneck]

17. Designed to kill who? nt

[atreides1]

2. And

Holmes was a law abiding citizen at the time of his purchases...besides his purchases what other thing would have made him suspect?

He could have told them he was stockpiling for his own personal use at a local firing range...he could have been able to tell them any reasonable story to make them happy...and even if they were not satisfied with what he told them, what law had he broke at that time?


You see, while my grocery store may know my demographics...I don't have to provide them with references or the reasons why I purchase lactose free ice cream...so it isn't the same thing!

What you are advocating is a form of control that is already being used by the NRA and Tea Party to frighten people into resisting exactly what you've described...is there a problem, yes...do we need to come up with a solution that can work without making people think that they are losing a right, yes!

The question is what and how do we get all sides to come together to discuss this topic without anyone feeling that they are going to lose something?

[jp11]

15. Agreed.

[MadHound]

3. Six thousand rounds is not really all that much,

A serious shooter can go through that in a week.

Besides, it didn't take six thousand rounds to do the damage in Aurora, just a few hundred at most.

[Kaleva]

13. True but the actual purchase of that many rounds could have raised a red flag.

One could argue that he could have then just purchased much smaller amounts over a longer period of time to avoid possible detection but then that extra time may have given others a chance to discover what he was up to.

[MadHound]

14. That's my point, six thousand rounds shouldn't raise a red flag

Not enough of one to send somebody to invade that person's privacy and question them about their purchase.

Six thousand rounds may sound like a huge quantity to the average, non-gun person, but it really isn't.

[Kaleva]

18. My privacy was invaded in order for me to purchase one old military surplus rifle

I had to fill out a questionnaire and then sign it, show a valid ID (my drivers license) and then wait around while a background check was done on me.

One old bolt action rifle isn't much but I had to do that in order to get it.

Of the few people who I know that shoot alot, they do their own loading as buying ammo in bulk is expensive.

[-..__...]

5. The name on my grocery store courtesy card application....

is Henry Krinkle; so no, my grocery store doesn't know squat about me.

I would prefer that the government and law enforcement know even less.

[permatex]

6. Hear hear

It amazes me that "progressives" are calling for more govt tracking, like we don't have enough already.

[4th law of robotics]

9. But they promised that once we gave up our last rights and shred of privacy

that we'd finally be safe.

Won't you think of the children?

Now, let's see those papers citizen.

[4th law of robotics]

7. A national database would have allowed us

to go back after the shooting and say "yep, he had a gun".

It would have done nothing to stop this.

[hack89]

8. You could use the Patriot Act as your model

since it was also passed to make us safer.

[4th law of robotics]

10. Maybe the TSA could have people at every corner to see if you're transporting a gun

more than a block.

It'd mean lot's of open gropings and metal detectors everywhere.

But think of the children (who would also be groped but not shot, unless the TSA is as incompetent here as they are at the airports).

[justanidea]

12. That kind of purchase isnt THAT unusual though.

6,000 rounds isnt much. I shoot more than that just during the summer and I only own 3 guns.

I know plenty of guys with 20,000+

I shoot more than 500 on a single range trip many times.

6,000 likely wouldnt peak much interest.