Saturday, January 15, 2011

Meaningful Discourse

So an anti-gun site is asking for reasonable discourse in its comments about what do at this point forward, post Tuscon.  

So far it's staying relatively actually reasonable.  Here is my post in case they delete comments in job lots for some reason. (Hey, it has happened.)  The question is, summarized, "Well, what can be done now?"

The ATF goes for the easy prosecutions, like paperwork where the I's aren't dotted or the T's crossed. They should be incentized to go after the hard ones, and ones that gunnies agree with and would cooperate with. Frex, criminals that try to buy a gun. These cases are rarely investigated. They're stupid AND should go to jail, and I don't understand why they are reluctant to go after these types.

If the ATF culture saw gunnies as allies instead of future perps in a sort of adversarial relationship it would go a long way toward catching more bad actors. Criminalizing the law abiding just leads to a atmosphere of mutual distrust. You'd start getting FFLs approaching the ATF more with, "I got a funny feeling about this one..." calls if you stop leaning on the good guys for no reason.

Adjudicated criminals and mentally ill that clearly NEED a custodian 24/7 should be obliged with one.

Prosecute felonies. There are people walking around with rap sheets longer than this blog post and comments that probably should not be.

These aren't perfect corrections, but they go a ways toward reducing criminal violence without stepping on the toes of the law abiding and their rights.

Meh.  It's a tough problem. An the instinct that somehow there is a legislative remedy is a strong if faulty one.  A cultural change is what is needed to truly impact in this and other areas, and you can't just change the culture by passing laws.

h/t Snowflakes in Hell  and I'd recommend his advice.  If you feel compelled to comment, it doesn't hurt to be nice.

8 comments:

JB Miller said...

They seem to be only posting some notes.

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

It took a while before mine was posted.

Old NFO said...

You get more bees with honey than vinegar... Just sayin...

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

I don't think these are bees. Another kind of insect, impervious to honey.

Baldr Odinson said...

Thank you for visiting and your comments, "Thunderbolt". I appreciate the honesty and good-will. Post anytime.

Borepatch said...

Nice comment, T-Bolt. Although it does violate Intarwebz commenting policy, which says it needs to be of the form "I'm here to help you be less of an idiot." ;-)

Crotalus (Don't Tread on Me) said...

NJT, I think you're right. I'd say "lice".

Anonymous said...

Solution:

1. Come and get them
2. Bring lunch

Not one more inch. This is where simpleton thought has brought us. The conversations are over.