Friday's shooting tragedy at a Connecticut school has ignited debate on the issue of gun control.
Twenty-seven people, including 20 children, were killed when a gunman opened fire inside a kindergarten class at Sandy Hook Elementary.
The shooter has been identified as Adam Lanza, 20, the son of one of the victims, according to police.
Some, like White House press secretary Jay Carney, said Friday "was not the day" to discuss gun control. Others disagree.
Assemb. Michelle Schimel, D-Great Neck, a strong advocate for stricter gun control legislation said elected officials must put public safety before the interests of the strongest gun lobbyists.
“I am appalled once again. Little children gunned down in the safest of places, their elementary school classroom. In a world gone seemingly mad, I have always had to defend my stance in government for stricter gun laws and regulations," said Schimel in a press release. "I urge people to call the White House and their State Houses — and scream out — our children, our children."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said society must unify and once and for all crack down on the guns that have cost the lives of far too many innocent Americans, according to a press release Friday.
"While we don’t have all the facts and our focus must be on the victims, this is yet another senseless and horrific act of violence involving guns," Cuomo said. "Let this terrible tragedy finally be the wake-up call for aggressive action and I pledge my full support in that effort."
Tell Us: Where do you stand on the gun control issue? Let us know in the comments section.
Get a new scthick cause sane people arent buying what your selling.
1898 1.0 murder rate per 100k people, no gun control 1997 1.3 murder rate per 100k people, implemented strict gun control, 820 violent crime reported per 100k people 2010 1.3 murder rate per 100k people, struct gun control, 1,977 violent crime reported per 100k people and no reduction in murders. Sadly for the antis, gun control has never been the reason for Englands low murder rate and by the govt data didnt reduce murders. You can review the data yourself at Home Office UK-Crime & Statistics Such a sad state for the antis how this trend is repeated in all those gun ban countries, even in Switzerland, Israel and such.
Oh thats right, socialists never, ever blame the person responsible for committing the crime! Funny, the government is unable and unwillingly to protect the individual citizen. But hey. dozens of court rulings showing this, as well as govt data showing how police only solve 8.06% of all violent crimes committed each year have no bearing on Davids fantasy. Sorry for intruding David, say Hi to the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts for us.
So THERE. [snicker]
92 U.S. 542
It can't happen. Here's why. In 1994, the D.C. v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago decisions didn't exist. There was no judicial barrier to passing one. Now, it is precedent that a) the people have an individual fundamental right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes not dependent upon militia service, b) that holding has been incorporated to the states, and c) Justice Scalia (in the Heller holding) clarified what the U.S. v. Miller (1939) decision actually said. Miller established a two-pronged test to define just what types of arms are subject to Second Amendment protection. It held that small arms "in common use" that "bear[s] some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia" enjoy constitutional protection. Semiautomatic rifles and pistols meet both prongs of this test, hence they are proscribed from any government ban. The Heller decision also addressed (and dismissed) the argument that the Framers couldn't have envisioned the capability of today's modern weapons. Just as the Internet has supplanted moveable type, so have semi-auto firearms supplanted muskets. The principle involved in both of these rights is not constitutionally affected by the evolution of the mechanisms to exercise them. Now, this may be bad news to some, but it is pure celestial harmony to others. And, it is the state of the law.