(Red) States that allow 17-year-olds to participate in presidential caucuses, but may not vote in primary elections for other offices.
People are very confused about what gun control is and what it is not. The young people applauding actually want to carry assault weapons into school. They believe they can react quick enough to stop an attack on them. That is not possible. The gunman in the Florida school took all of 12 seconds to gun down many people, including staff.
The Second Amendment is not about gunning down people that may or may not want to kill an array of students and faculty. The way the Gun Rights folks put it is that assault weapons are necessary in our society to protect from DANGEROUS GOVERNMENT. Does anyone believe assault weapons are to be strapped on a person daily to protect from mass murderers such as the one in Florida? That is not realistic and there will be unnecessary deaths if such allowances are provided.
Gun control is about PREVENTING unnecessary deaths, not interrupting attempts to carry them out. There is no way, under current law, the Las Vegas mass murderer can be stopped. The problem and difference between assault weapons and hand guns is the problem with mass deaths. Hand guns are for personal protection and assault weapons are about mass deaths.
There is a huge difference between gun rights regarding personal safety and that of allowing mass murder. Everyone allows the exploitation of Americans for profits when it comes to assault weapons. There is no place for them in today's society. Lawmakers point to the sentences for murder AFTER the fact as a means of preventing such incidents. There is no law regarding mass murder that prevents the crime. The people arming themselves and carrying out these crimes are convinced they are going to survive the attack and carry out either more such attacks or will go back to their own lives. These people are not rational. They don't care about a death penalty, they believe they are bringing their own justice to others.
The Las Vegas murderer positioned himself in the hotel to survive any attack from the ground and/or an approach from the hallway. He was armed to kill every human being that would have any effect on his ability to kill others. He PLANNED to not only "kill for the thrill" at the hotel in Las Vegas, but, then to go on to continue to kill in other places. These are not rational people.
The idea the deaths in Florida could have been averted if 18 year olds could purchase weapons is playing on false ideas. How many 18 year olds are in the Florida school where the deaths occurred? The propaganda surrounding assault weapons is thick and plays on fear. One needs to ask, would Cruz be able to carry out his crime if assault weapons were not available? THAT is the question and the solution, not providing access to assault weapons by 18 year olds.
PROPAGANDA about assault weapons is as dangerous as the weapons themselves. If the USA government turned against the people, that is a problem for the people, NOT THE PERSON. Solutions to evil government is not about having organized militias at the ready, it is about "the people" in a democracy to organize allies and themselves to end what would be a civil war. If the USA engaged in a civil war, the people would have more armaments against a miniacle government than we could ever imagine. There are plenty of people in power in other countries that would want to end such events. I am not worried about a federal government gone bad that acts violently against the people.
The Revolutionary War was won with allies to the colonists, not the British being outnumbered. I don't lose sleep over the USA military storming the city.
Where is Joe Biden when you need him? If anyone can talk to young people about such issues, it is he.
February 21, 2018
By Brendan Farrington, Josh Replogle and Tamara Lush
Survivors of the Florida school shooting (click here) descended on the state's Capitol on Wednesday and had one overarching message: It's time for action.
The kids split into several groups to talk with lawmakers and other state leaders about gun control, the legislative process, and mental health issues. Some tearfully asked why civilians should be allowed to have weapons such as the AR-15, which was used in the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School exactly one week ago.
When Florida's Senate President Joe Negron heard the question, he didn't directly answer: "That's an issue that we're reviewing." When another lawmaker said he supported raising the age to buy assault-style weapons to 21 from 18, the students broke into applause.
The Florida Senate opened its session by showing pictures of all 17 victims in the attack....
