News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of Ameri... by matheusmoreira on Wednesday May 25, 2022 @07:13PM (#31512078)
> How about, you're born on the "can't purchase" list and stay on the list until you've reached the age of 21, passed extensive background checks including having every single thing you've posted online carefully scrutinized

Excellent point. Everyone is born a potential mass murderer until proven otherwise by the totalitarian government surveillance apparatus whose reach must be expanded even further to investigate the dangerous thoughts and opinions of the citizens so that subversive ideas don't galvanize into armed revolt and insurrection, and if you were president of the USA you'd do everything in your power to further corrupt and erode yet another one of the very principles the nation was founded upon.

Re:Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of Ameri... by bitwize on Thursday May 26, 2022 @11:26AM (#31519529)
I'm not saying everyone is born a potential mass murderer, only that you should need a license to own a gun and that to get such a license, you need to subject yourself to deep government scrutiny, because guns falling into the wrong hands have massive implications for public safety. The fact that you inferred "everyone is born a mass murderer" from that says a lot about how sick America is compared to the rest of the world on the matter of guns.

Gun licensure will probably affect suicides more than it does mass murders. That's still an enormous improvement.

Re:Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of Ameri... by matheusmoreira on Friday May 27, 2022 @01:58AM (#31526435)
> I'm not saying everyone is born a potential mass murderer

That's exactly what you are saying.

> only that you should need a license to own a gun

> you need to subject yourself to deep government scrutiny

The USA was founded upon some very simple principles. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. You have the right to bear arms. You won't be subjected to unwarranted government interference.

What you're advocating for violates all of those. You don't see free human beings whose innocence and right to be armed is presumed. You see suspects, potential mass shooters who have no business owning firearms until they prove to the government that they're innocent.

The right to bear arms is a symbol of a people's freedom and self-determination. You'd see them reduced to sheep in exchange for the illusion of safety.

> The fact that you inferred "everyone is born a mass murderer" from that says a lot about how sick America is compared to the rest of the world on the matter of guns.

I'm not american, I'm brazilian. I'm part of "the rest of the world".

Brazil is a country that actually held a referendum about gun control, discovered that over 60% of the population was against it and then effectively disarmed us all anyway. As a result, armed criminals invade our homes with the absolute certainty that we pose no threat to them. Even in formerly peaceful rural cities where some of my relatives live.

I suggest you think very carefully about what sort of future you want.