Obama Gets Gun-Shy

Those things may be true im not an expert on guns, but my point was that we need better examination of people buying these weapons, if the story above is true two major flags for this guy about his mental health were never brought up, why? Dont these forms he filled out go through the federal government shouldn't they know about his history in the military and his restraining order. Both of those show a tendency towards violence that was overlooked. People who are buying weapons like that should be looked at more thoroughly because in the end they are becoming more dangerous whether they mean to or not

Guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people, the gun just makes it so the cowards don't have to be close to do it.........All hail the NRA at work

First: a seni-automatic firearm is NOT an 'ASSAULT WEAPON".
Second: an AK47 is NOT a "high-powered' firearm. Ballastically, the 7.62x 39 round is about as powerfull as a 30-30, which, by the way is the most popular deer hunting round in the country for nigh on a century.
Third: the Second Ammendment is NOT about hunting or sport shooting. It's about maintaining a "free state".
Fourth: read the Supreme Court's majority decision in D.C. vs Heller from last year. It explains perfectly clearly for anyone who reads it why the Second Ammendment was written and adopted.

It's true banning assault weapons won't stop a determined lunatic from getting one, but there does need to be stricter laws and examinations for people trying to buy them. These weapons were specifically designed to kill people you dont go hunting with ak-47's, i really dont see a reason at all to allow automatic or semi automatic weapons to be purchased by civilians at all but i know if a complete ban was sought the right wing would go banana's

"only a dishonorable discharge "adjudged" in a court-martial"

The author obviously needs to go back and read the laws! He confused dishonorable discharge with adjudicated incompetent. ALL dishonorable discharges result in loss of right to possess firearms. Completely separate is being found mentally incompetent. Typical that means court ordered to mental health treatment, assignment of a guardian, etc.

Did the author intentional confuse the two in order to further his anti-gun agenda with lies? Of is he so incompetent that he got things confused. If he really is so incompetent I hope he has been found so by a court, resulting in him being reported to instant back ground check database. It would be scary if someone so incompetent were to be allowed to possess a firearm!

"Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a New York Democrat, is one of those who are impatient with their party's silence. She has reason to be: a gunman firing randomly on a Long Island commuter train on Dec. 7, 1993, killed her husband, Dennis, and severely injured her son, Kevin."

The shooter was obviously insane, as was obvious after and probably before his rampage. Most mass killings, 60%, are by people obviously insane but not getting treatment. Like in the McCarthy case the killer planned ahead, enabling him to obtain weapons legally or illegally. It's not like he normally carried a firearm and just "went postal". Because they often use bombs or airplanes gun bans won't stop them. National health care with aggressive care for the dangerous mentally ill would work far better. Incidentally the next largest group, 40%, are members of law enforcement who "go postal", using their work related weapons. No preparation or warning. Gun bans won't work here either.

See my web site for details. I will be updating it soon with information about the latest shootings.
http://rideronthestorm-armed.angelfire.com/

Mr. Isakoff, Your report indicates the two officer- killed as they entered the door were shot with an AK47 which has full automatic capability. Fully automatic weapons have been regulated by the Treasury Department since the thirties. The latest regulation, 1958. requires a permit from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco for the legal purchase and possession of a fully automatic weapon. I have admired your reporting for years. By omission, this article is not up to your usual standards.

"permitting a flood of cheap Romanian, Bulgarian and other Eastern European AK-47s"

Oh really??? The authors must know that select fire automatic weapons like AK-47's are very, very, illegal. Only the police and military are allowed to possess them! If they are being imported then they can only be going to our military and police. Maybe that's how all the AK47's are getting to Mexico! See these links to see reports on weapons going to Mexico from the US MILITARYand South American military:
http://www.10news.com/news/19071202/detail.html#-
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-arms-race15-2009mar15,0,229992.story

"The gun-shop staff had no way of knowing, for instance, about Poplawski's January 2005 discharge from the Marines for what Lt. Josh Diddams, a U.S. Marine Corps spokesman, tells NEWSWEEK was a "psychological disorder" (he had assaulted his drill sergeant during basic training, says Poplawski's mother). They probably also didn't know that Poplawski's former girlfriend had gotten a restraining order against him, later in 2005, after he grabbed her by the hair and threatened to kill her."

YES THEY WOULD KNOW THAT!!! THAT IS WHAT THE NICS INSTANT BACKGROUND CHECK DATABASE IS FOR!!! Obviously someone in law enforcement or military screwed up and failed to report his dishonorable discharge. Someone in law enforcement failed to report his domestic assault conviction and/or active restraining orders.

Don't blame gun owners when our government employees fail to obey the law and report things like this to NICS.

As a late night C store clerk I saved mysekf and others from seriouse violence useing a firearm 3 times....successfully each time.
The key to success is, when the trouble comes and it's time to act DON"T STAND THERE APPLAUDING GUN CONTROL THAT KEEPS YOU SAFE...because it aint!

Very good adjitprop, jwight01, but we've heard this crap. Say it again,and again!
disarmemnt only make our communities safe for the violent.As politicians sidestep thier responsibilty with some feel good expedient measure.
keep helping the system work! because loophole, spray death, assault mean people, i thediscrimination campaign!
How do you get along with blacks , gays and women? You are so....ightwing!

There's nothing wrong with the system. The system works like this:
There is a news media discrimination campaign against Americans who own firearms legally, and it gets repeated!
The firearms owners AND AMERICAN PUBLIC have heard it and heard all about the "loophole, "Cop-killer" "spray death"" Saturday night special" "high powered" "Assault" "easy access" and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...
And the public is ignoring what has become an obvious discrimination campaign against law abiding FELLOW AMERICANS.
The system works!
Americans come to sympathize with the American in the crossfire of a sensational discrimination campaign! And the gun owner has certainly been in such a crossfire for several decades now!
Discrimination campaigns are vulgar because they use lies and half truths, deceptive comments and must, to be GOOD discrimination campaigns!
The discrimination campaign directed against the gun owner in the USA has been VERY GOOD! EXCEPTIONAL!
And News Week has done it's share!
Lets hope the system keeps on working, and politicians turn their attention to the violent criminal and drug problem fueling the nations systemic crime. And enhance enforcement of the laws we already have! No discrimination campaign is needed to do this! This is reasonable! This is common sense.