General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why don't most people care whether a gun is semi-automatic or automatic? [View all]pnwmom
(109,021 posts)The theory that criminals aren't affected by laws is a favorite NRA trope, but it's just nonsense. If it were true, then we wouldn't ever have laws against any crimes. Why have any laws against rape? Criminals aren't affected by laws. Why have any laws against murder? Criminals aren't affected by laws. Etc., etc.
I don't think we should renew the old AWB law. It had holes you could drive an armored tank through. We should replace it with a more expansive law without the gun show and private seller loopholes. And serious penalties.
Other countries have people with mental health problems and yet don't have the gun deaths that we do -- because they restrict the manufacture and sale of guns, especially high-powered, high-capacity guns. The problem is the type of weapons we make available to almost anyone, not the fact that we have people in the US with mental health problems -- as every country does.