• BobaFuttbucker@reddthat.com
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    4 months ago

    Yes. We had an Assault Weapons ban until 2004 and after it expired, shootings have become much more common. I would happily vote for a President who is in favor of bringing it back.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban

    But because the 2nd amendment says “the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” we’re supposed to just be ok with people dying from shooters, Americans not brainwashed by the NRA are sick of it.

    It’s so bad here that we’re not even allowed to fund studies into the effect of bans because that’s too close to infringing on the 2nd amendment.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      The increase in shootings is not because of the availability of AR-15s, it’s because of a downward spiral of our society, and a government that has turned its back on the people. It’s obviously far more complicated, but I’m sure you are keenly aware of the issues that contribute to the type of mental health issues that produce mass shooters.

      • BobaFuttbucker@reddthat.com
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        4 months ago

        The increase in deaths per shooting is due to the gun used, which in my examples were AR-15s.

        They were designed to kill many people quickly at a high rate of effectiveness. You don’t need one to protect yourself or hunt, you only need one to kill people.

    • Kaboom@reddthat.comOP
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      4 months ago

      Funnily enough, the overall homicide rate went down. Only mass shootings went up, and they are microscopic compared to the overall rate.

      This is mainly because the AWB was about cosmetic features and not functionality.

      • BobaFuttbucker@reddthat.com
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        4 months ago

        What you’re leaving out is that after AWB expired the average number of deaths per shooting went way up, in some cases over 3x compared to the deadliest shootings before AWB.

        https://time.com/4965022/deadliest-mass-shooting-us-history/

        https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/school-shootings-database/

        They’re more frequent and deadlier than they were before.

        Surely this alone should warrant at least some more studies to see what can be done legislatively?

        And AWB covered wayyyyyyyy more than just cosmetics.

        The Act included several exemptions and exclusions from its prohibitions:

        • The Act included a “grandfather clause” to allow for the possession and transfer of weapons and ammunition that “were otherwise lawfully possessed on the date of enactment.”[17]
        • The Act exempted some 650 firearm types or models (including their copies and duplicates) which would be considered manufactured in October 1993. The list included the Ruger Mini-14 Auto Loading Rifle without side folding stock, Ruger Mini Thirty Rifle, Iver Johnson M-1 Carbine, Marlin Model 9 Camp Carbine, Marlin Model 45 Carbine, and others. The complete list is in section 110106, Appendix A to section 922 of Title 18. This list was non-exhaustive.[17]
        • The Act “also exempted any firearm that (1) is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) has been rendered permanently inoperable; or (3) is an antique firearm.”[17]
        • The Act “also did not apply to any semiautomatic rifle that cannot accept a detachable magazine that holds more than ten rounds of ammunition or semiautomatic shotguns that cannot hold more than five rounds of ammunition in a fixed or detachable magazine.”[17] Tubular magazine fed rimfire guns were exempted regardless of tubular magazine capacity.
        • The Act provided an exemption for the use of “semiautomatic assault weapons and LCAFDs to be manufactured for, transferred to, and possessed by law enforcement and for authorized testing or experimentation purposes” as well as transfers for federal-security purposes under the Atomic Energy Act and “possession by retired law enforcement officers who are not otherwise a prohibited possessor under law.”

        Even GHWB banned imported semi-auto rifles because they did not have a legitimate sporting use.