“While it may be intuitive that a 14-year-old has no legitimate purpose, it doesn’t actually mean that they’re going to harm someone. We don’t know that yet,” said Rep. Tony Lovasco, a Republican from the St. Louis suburb of O’Fallon. “Generally speaking, we don’t charge people with crimes because we think they’re going to hurt someone.”
Meanwhile, this is the same state which (along with others) are trying to pass a travel ban on pregnant minors because they "might" be going to get an abortion....
I'm a former police officer who carried a gun on duty and off duty. I grew up in California but now I live in on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. When I moved to Canada in 2015, I was NOT allowed to import my off duty 9mm because the barrel was 1/4 inch too short. They have very strict gun laws up here and, believe it or not, MOST people follow those gun laws. Like you can't even have a loaded gun inside your home--the gun needs to be stored locked and the ammo kept separate. In 2015, you'd only occasionally hear of a shooting in British Columbia. It was a liberating feeling for me that even though I was not "armed" like I used to be when I lived in the states, I was relatively SAFE here in Canada because most of the fellow citizens around me ARE NOT ARMED. In the last two years, gun violence HAS started to happen in BC but it is primarily from major gang conflicts. I still feel SAFE when I am in my community, but whenever we come over into the states (which is fairly often) our heads are on a swivel! We once hear that when you ask a Canadian "what is your primary fundamental right?" they will say, "Health Care" and when you ask an American that same question, the answer is "a right to bear arms." It's just a very different lifestyle and paradigm, and as much as I love America, I just don't think I could live there anymore!
Of all the divisive issues in our country, this is the hardest one for me to have much understanding of the gun loving perspective. I try to follow Francis' call to seek to understand rather than be understood, but this one baffles me, especially when so- called followers of Christ join that chorus.
I completely agree. The part of this issue I cannot seem to give an adequate rebuttal to is when they say, “If you take away our guns, only criminals will have guns.” What’s the best response to this?
On top of everything else, the Missouri Legislature just refused to bar minors from openly carrying firearms on public land without adult supervision.
https://apnews.com/article/politics-joplin-missouri-st-louis-children-24e0b91f63d83011e1f938c8cb587786
“While it may be intuitive that a 14-year-old has no legitimate purpose, it doesn’t actually mean that they’re going to harm someone. We don’t know that yet,” said Rep. Tony Lovasco, a Republican from the St. Louis suburb of O’Fallon. “Generally speaking, we don’t charge people with crimes because we think they’re going to hurt someone.”
Meanwhile, this is the same state which (along with others) are trying to pass a travel ban on pregnant minors because they "might" be going to get an abortion....
I'm a former police officer who carried a gun on duty and off duty. I grew up in California but now I live in on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. When I moved to Canada in 2015, I was NOT allowed to import my off duty 9mm because the barrel was 1/4 inch too short. They have very strict gun laws up here and, believe it or not, MOST people follow those gun laws. Like you can't even have a loaded gun inside your home--the gun needs to be stored locked and the ammo kept separate. In 2015, you'd only occasionally hear of a shooting in British Columbia. It was a liberating feeling for me that even though I was not "armed" like I used to be when I lived in the states, I was relatively SAFE here in Canada because most of the fellow citizens around me ARE NOT ARMED. In the last two years, gun violence HAS started to happen in BC but it is primarily from major gang conflicts. I still feel SAFE when I am in my community, but whenever we come over into the states (which is fairly often) our heads are on a swivel! We once hear that when you ask a Canadian "what is your primary fundamental right?" they will say, "Health Care" and when you ask an American that same question, the answer is "a right to bear arms." It's just a very different lifestyle and paradigm, and as much as I love America, I just don't think I could live there anymore!
Of all the divisive issues in our country, this is the hardest one for me to have much understanding of the gun loving perspective. I try to follow Francis' call to seek to understand rather than be understood, but this one baffles me, especially when so- called followers of Christ join that chorus.
Right to the heart of things, as usual.
How did we get to families holding AR-15s for their Christmas card photo!
I wonder if the current falling apart of the NRA will make a difference in Congress (not this one) being able to pass reasonable laws? I hope so.
I completely agree. The part of this issue I cannot seem to give an adequate rebuttal to is when they say, “If you take away our guns, only criminals will have guns.” What’s the best response to this?
Agreed. Thanks!
Thanks, Maggie. Good response.