Wow. Common Sense Finally Prevailed in Congress
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ahmed zahmed wrote:
If the Senate had limited it to that I think it would have passed.
Yeah, it drives me nuts all the riders and pork that gets added to bills that we don't even know about. [rant]Our political system has lost all credibility with me. The only thing I remain grateful for is that I can freely speak my dissent.[/rant] Marc
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My BlogYeah, I feel much the same. Wish there was a pay way to fix that. /edit/pay? Perhaps a psuedo-Freudian slip?
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein -
Sadly, only the lobbyists prevailed. Ninety-one percent of Americans now support universal background checks for gun purchases, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. Doesn't seem like our politicians are listening to the people. That doesn't surprise me. A March 7 poll of voters nationwide by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University shows 88 – 10 percent support for universal background checks, including 85 – 13 percent among gun owners. (source)[^]) It appears you are actually in the minority. Why is it that gun advocates you are so vocal about this? Marc
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My BlogMarc Clifton wrote:
Doesn't seem like our politicians are listening to the people
Nor should they on emotional knee-jerk reactions, asserted by polling less than 2000 people. We live in a representative democracy. Vote at the election polls for change not on a phone poll. I just think rights expressly declared in our constitution are pretty important and we shouldn't rush into making significant changes to laws about them without serious thought and real debate. Disclaimer: I don't own a gun. I generally support background checks for gun purchases. I absolutely do not want our politicians listening to lobbyists... ever.
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. ~ George Washington
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Sadly, only the lobbyists prevailed. Ninety-one percent of Americans now support universal background checks for gun purchases, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. Doesn't seem like our politicians are listening to the people. That doesn't surprise me. A March 7 poll of voters nationwide by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University shows 88 – 10 percent support for universal background checks, including 85 – 13 percent among gun owners. (source)[^]) It appears you are actually in the minority. Why is it that gun advocates you are so vocal about this? Marc
Testers Wanted!
Latest Article: User Authentication on Ruby on Rails - the definitive how to
My BlogA couple things: 1. The people polled typically neither knew nor cared much about gun control; they likely had stronger opinions about Coke vs Pepsi than background checks vs not background checks. I've been around many politically-active people, and none of them have pro-gun-control bumper stickers (despite being very vocal on other issues). 2. The bill contained items that some people hated a lot: although it allowed for some background-check-free transfers of guns between family members, it restricted many gun-tradings between friends and neighbors that people take for granted now. Background checks are expensive and time-consuming. There's a large minority of people who are passionate about opposing gun control measures, and then there's the majority of people who might have an opinion about the issue as long as their favorite TV show isn't on and the poll questions don't take too long to read. The politicians were doing a perfectly fine job of listening to their people; the polls are somewhat misleading.
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http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/18/17813250-senate-shelves-gun-bill-after-defeats#comments[^]
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
So you're happy to live in a country whose government is owned by people who manufacture weapons? I'd be happier if it were owned by people who manufacture computers. At least computers do things to improve life; weapons are designed solely and only to end it. However, it should be owned by people who are elected to do their best for the people they represent, and not a lot of that happened, yesterday.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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A couple things: 1. The people polled typically neither knew nor cared much about gun control; they likely had stronger opinions about Coke vs Pepsi than background checks vs not background checks. I've been around many politically-active people, and none of them have pro-gun-control bumper stickers (despite being very vocal on other issues). 2. The bill contained items that some people hated a lot: although it allowed for some background-check-free transfers of guns between family members, it restricted many gun-tradings between friends and neighbors that people take for granted now. Background checks are expensive and time-consuming. There's a large minority of people who are passionate about opposing gun control measures, and then there's the majority of people who might have an opinion about the issue as long as their favorite TV show isn't on and the poll questions don't take too long to read. The politicians were doing a perfectly fine job of listening to their people; the polls are somewhat misleading.
jesarg wrote:
The people polled typically neither knew nor cared much about gun control; they likely had stronger opinions about Coke vs Pepsi
Really? I wonder how that conclusion was arrived at... Question 1: What do you think of gun control? A: Well... er... it's a big issue, and... er... Question 2: Do you prefer coke or pepsi? A: Pepsi! Being able to answer a simple question quickly and decisively does not mean that someone does not have an opinion on more complicated issues.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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So you're happy to live in a country whose government is owned by people who manufacture weapons? I'd be happier if it were owned by people who manufacture computers. At least computers do things to improve life; weapons are designed solely and only to end it. However, it should be owned by people who are elected to do their best for the people they represent, and not a lot of that happened, yesterday.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Mark_Wallace wrote:
So you're happy to live in a country whose government is owned by people who manufacture weapons?
Yes
Mark_Wallace wrote:
I'd be happier if it were owned by people who manufacture computers.
You mean like Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP - those American companies?
Mark_Wallace wrote:
However, it should be owned by people who are elected to do their best for the people they represent, and not a lot of that happened, yesterday.
So you're a dreamer heh?
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
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Yeah, I feel much the same. Wish there was a pay way to fix that. /edit/pay? Perhaps a psuedo-Freudian slip?
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert EinsteinYou need to educate the electorate about the shenanigans that their representative does, and then have someone who won't do it stand in the election. The trouble is that, even more than over here, your voters seem to be tribal and don't actually consider who they're voting for, just what colour their party is.
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http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/18/17813250-senate-shelves-gun-bill-after-defeats#comments[^]
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
I beg to differ: CISPA (SOPA v2)[^]
A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak -
Marc Clifton wrote:
Doesn't seem like our politicians are listening to the people
Nor should they on emotional knee-jerk reactions, asserted by polling less than 2000 people. We live in a representative democracy. Vote at the election polls for change not on a phone poll. I just think rights expressly declared in our constitution are pretty important and we shouldn't rush into making significant changes to laws about them without serious thought and real debate. Disclaimer: I don't own a gun. I generally support background checks for gun purchases. I absolutely do not want our politicians listening to lobbyists... ever.
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. ~ George Washington
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jesarg wrote:
The people polled typically neither knew nor cared much about gun control; they likely had stronger opinions about Coke vs Pepsi
Really? I wonder how that conclusion was arrived at... Question 1: What do you think of gun control? A: Well... er... it's a big issue, and... er... Question 2: Do you prefer coke or pepsi? A: Pepsi! Being able to answer a simple question quickly and decisively does not mean that someone does not have an opinion on more complicated issues.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
If you're a politician, what changes people's votes counts a lot more than what they say in polls. By the time the 2016 elections roll around, the gun control stuff of today will be largely forgotten, and other issues will be deciding outcomes. The passionate people will remember if they hate a certain politician because of what they voted on now, but most people won't know or care how their representative voted on gun control once the elections come. And, on another note, how you word a poll can drastically affect how random people respond. For instance: Would you like: A. Background checks to stop criminals from buying guns, or B. Criminals to run wild in shootouts Would you like: A. Useless background checks that cost billions of dollars and don't stop crime B. Congress to pursue more effective options instead The same people are likely to choose both sides of the issues based on the wording; random polls have to be taken with a large grain of salt.