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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Political Discussion Thread

What do you think are the odds that Obama has classified documents at his house? What about George W or Bill Clinton. My guess is 100% in all cases.
I am becoming more of the belief that we have a lot of documents considered classified and this will happen a lot more if we actually looked into it.

That doesn't mean that Trump's nuclear documents were less important or shouldn't be classified, etc., but I do think our need for additional classification probably makes the jobs of our elected leaders impossible.
 
They found out Pence had some too...
I saw that, which is what prompted the comment.

I agree with you completely. Let's face it, there are levels of classified/top secret whatever you want to call it. I'd imagine most paper the President sees is classified to some extent. I'm sure some is just plain "forgot about it" kind of stuff because in the scheme of things it's really not all that important. But the problem is that there is information that IS really important so it's much better to have in place protocols to ensure nothing ends up in places it shouldn't and then always follow those protocols.

The protocol aspect was something that I was wondering about. There must be something in place that protects our elected officials being that I would guess that 9 times out of 10, they have no idea what files are at their homes and how many of them are actually classified.

I am becoming more of the belief that we have a lot of documents considered classified and this will happen a lot more if we actually looked into it.

That doesn't mean that Trump's nuclear documents were less important or shouldn't be classified, etc., but I do think our need for additional classification probably makes the jobs of our elected leaders impossible.
Trump deserves to go to Prison for a host of things. But I truly believe that he is the 1 out of 10 that knows what he was doing when it came to stealing these files.
 
They found out Pence had some too...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...I can't wait to watch the GOP contort themselves to find a way to turn these Pence/Biden apples into Pence apples and Biden oranges.

Duplicitous...hypocrites...in 3, 2,...
 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...I can't wait to watch the GOP contort themselves to find a way to turn these Pence/Biden apples into Pence apples and Biden oranges.

Duplicitous...hypocrites...in 3, 2,...

You mean like this?

 
From what I've seen, it's definitely more likely that higher ranking staff and officials would be the ones with classified materials where they shouldn't be.

I spent a lot of time working in SCIFs and "Command Centers" in the Marines and there were very tight controls over these facilities - I'd get my brief verbally and go in and do my work. I could usually bring nothing in and nothing out. Even the grease pens and tape and stuff I was working with would remain in the SCIF. Hardcopies of materials that I was working on in those facilities were brought in by the "librarian" or whoever actually produced them and then left with the librarian. And this is to say nothing about the all the physical network security and firewall protections over the systems that we used to access electronic information. Now if the G-2 or G-3 officer or the CO or somebody along those lines needed to go to an off-site meeting with some classified materials they'd check it out, put it in a marked folder, and basically be on their way. Hopefully they'd check it back in when they return but if they didn't was little E-3 me going to keep hounding a colonel or some two star general for a binder of SITREPs? :r: If somebody of my lowly rank had to access classified information at a meeting not in our own facility that material would be supplied to me when I got to that facility.

In the large secure command center I worked at for 6 months, we actually had a crusty old civilian guy who oversaw everything, instead of calling him the librarian or the custodian, we referred to him as "The Mayor" and he was like a GS-14 or GS-15 so he had no problem getting on some high ranking officer's case to make sure materials were properly accounted for on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure nobody who worked there knew this guy's real name and we all suspected he worked for the DIA or HUMINT at some point. He definitely looked like one of those people who had "Seen some sh1t."

When we'd pack up classified materials for movements as part of deployments we'd take inventory at multiple points along the process. Once packed, the materials would be guarded my armed personnel 24/7 until they were back in another secure facility.

I always imagined that outside of someplace like the DIA/CIA/NSA/FBI, the security protocols on the civilian side were probably significantly more lax than on the military side, especially among politicians and their top-level staff, many of whom likely never served in the military and had a security clearance or worked in one of those alphabet-soup intelligence agencies where OPSEC is drilled into you on ad nauseum.

It's worth mentioning that there is a problem of over-classification of a lot of information and I think a lot of it boils down to two reasons: When you are working with classified materials, in most circumstances any materials derived from those original materials are also classified regardless of what you produced or how much you tried to scrub it of the actual sensitive stuff and it takes a lot less effort to leave those derivative materials as classified rather than going through the steps to see if that classification is actually relevant. Second, there was also a habit of some folks to automatically mark anything they produce classified at some level because it made them feel more important. :r:

And of course there is a big difference in what Trump did (repeatedly saying he didn't have classified materials and refusing to turn them over without a search warrant when told he did have them) than what Pence and Biden seem to have done (found they had materials and then notified the proper authorities). I would imagine that a lot of folks that worked in the Executive and Legislative branches probably have stuff laying around that they don't realize they have or have but don't realize it's classified.

All that said... this does make me a bit nervous about that stack of empty folders and pad of TS stickers that may have followed me home as souvenirs 20+ years ago!
 
<National Review columnist Charles C.W. Cooke describes Trump as "ranting like a deranged hobo in a dilapidated public park" and he notes that his Truth Social posts are loaded with esoteric references that only his diehard fans can even begin to understand.

"Throughout his public career, Trump has resembled nothing so much as a drunken talk-radio caller from Queens.>


What a visual!





emphasis mine
 
<National Review columnist Charles C.W. Cooke describes Trump as "ranting like a deranged hobo in a dilapidated public park" and he notes that his Truth Social posts are loaded with esoteric references that only his diehard fans can even begin to understand.

"Throughout his public career, Trump has resembled nothing so much as a drunken talk-radio caller from Queens.>


What a visual!





emphasis mine
Dennis Miller would like to comment - “The current tax code is harder to understand than Bob Dylan reading Finnegans Wake in a wind tunnel.”
 
My wife told me there's a story about George Santos being a Brazillian drag queen. I'm not sure if I can believe the story, you know being about George, and I can't find an actual source.
For someone who hadn't even heard of Santos as late as November, 2022, I really am getting sick of hearing about this piece of $hit. This guy's whole life is a complete fabrication. He is a disgusting freak. He is my most hated politician at the moment right now. There is something about this human excrement that really, really gets under my skin that even Trump doesn't manage to do.

On top of being a pretentious douche, Zuckerburg is an accessory to murder too. He is complicit in every single Facebook post that incites violence and hatred past, present and future. That's got to be thousands and thousands of counts.

Unlike the "plausible deniability" he could claim before, everything from this day forward is on him.

Donald Trump to be allowed back on to Facebook and Instagram
 
I read a few reports about the police beating of Tyre Nichols and it raises a lot of questions of why did this happen. I also worry about how people will respond once the video comes out. I really hope it does not result in riots.
 
I read a few reports about the police beating of Tyre Nichols and it raises a lot of questions of why did this happen. I also worry about how people will respond once the video comes out. I really hope it does not result in riots.
Very creepy. I read one description of the police squad as succumbing to "wolf pack" mentality. Strip away the thin veneer of civility and you see a savage.

It also says a lot about the danger of mass mentality.
 
That Paul Pelosi bodycam footage is a bit weird no? I mean, allegedly the guy broke in, stood over the bed and woke him up. But yet he's holding a drink in his hand when he answers the door. I don't know, maybe he was just a really confused old guy. But it sure seems like there may be more to that story.
 
I read a few reports about the police beating of Tyre Nichols and it raises a lot of questions of why did this happen. I also worry about how people will respond once the video comes out. I really hope it does not result in riots.
You'd see riots by now if the officers where white. The black community does not care about black on black crime.
 
You'd see riots by now if the officers where white. The black community does not care about black on black crime.
It points to a serious core problem in police training, screening, etc. Racism is a huge part, but focusing on it grants a pass to a significant problem with how police view themselves and the public overall. "Jackbooted" is an insult that profession has earned in spades. It absolutely disproportionately impacts minorities, but it also impacts everyone else. See, for example, this police assault from my hometown. Of course, I'll also mention that the officer involved had a LOOOOOONNNNGGGG history of problems like this, including instances that seemed to have a racial motivation. Multiple people had tried to get him fired, and the union & union contract allowed the turd to stay on the force. The point being, the police profession does a shit job policing themselves, is poorly trained, and seems to be attracting a personality type that thrives in oppressing others.

 
It points to a serious core problem in police training, screening, etc. Racism is a huge part, but focusing on it grants a pass to a significant problem with how police view themselves and the public overall. "Jackbooted" is an insult that profession has earned in spades. It absolutely disproportionately impacts minorities, but it also impacts everyone else. See, for example, this police assault from my hometown. Of course, I'll also mention that the officer involved had a LOOOOOONNNNGGGG history of problems like this, including instances that seemed to have a racial motivation. Multiple people had tried to get him fired, and the union & union contract allowed the turd to stay on the force. The point being, the police profession does a shit job policing themselves, is poorly trained, and seems to be attracting a personality type that thrives in oppressing others.

I had this exact discussion with my wife this evening.

It appears the powers in Memphis reacted in the way we have been asking for a couple decades.
 
Now that I have looked at the videos I have a problem with media description of two "confrontations". The initial stop was an attack by the first officer, who snatched the suspect out of the car and threw him to the ground. I was pulled over for rolling thru a 4 way stop last year and the officer said, "Sir, may I see your license?", not "Get the f*** out and get on the ground".
 
Now that the video has come out, there are protests but it does not appear that any of them have turned violent.

I applaud the way the Memphis police chief and prosecutor handled this. Something like this should never happen, regardless of the color of one’s skin.
 
I applaud the way the Memphis police chief and prosecutor handled this. Something like this should never happen, regardless of the color of one’s skin.
Memphis did move WAY faster than most other jurisdictions have.

I'm cynical enough though to wonder if it happened so fast because the officers were black rather than white, although the videos likely made it a very easy call for the prosecutor.
 
I'm cynical enough though to wonder if it happened so fast because the officers were black rather than white, although the videos likely made it a very easy call for the prosecutor.
This concept was mentioned by someone on one of the various news broadcasts on this over the weekend and I sincerely wonder.

Time and future similar incidents will tell.
 
Memphis did move WAY faster than most other jurisdictions have.

I'm cynical enough though to wonder if it happened so fast because the officers were black rather than white, although the videos likely made it a very easy call for the prosecutor.
I hope that is not the case and that they did it because it was the right thing to do.
 
Just saw this in one of our business magazine and thought it was interesting.

Today’s number: $45,933
That is the difference in median household income between the richest North Carolina congressional district (the Wake County 2nd) and the poorest (the northeastern 1st).
The Census Bureau has updated its statistics for the districts of the 118th Congress. The interactive database is called “My Congressional District,” What I wanted to see was how our North Carolina districts ranked in median household income. I made a list, from wealthiest to poorest. If you are fuzzy on where the districts are, click on the links. After all the redistricting, I can’t keep them all straight.
  1. District 2, $92,635, Rep. Deborah Ross, Democrat.
  2. District 14, $76,176, Rep. Jeff Jackson, Democrat.
  3. District 13, $71,598, Rep. Wiley Nickel, Democrat.
  4. District 12, $69,019, Rep. Alma Adams, Democrat.
  5. District 4, $66,293, Rep. Valerie Foushee, Democrat.
  6. District 8, $63,115, Rep. Dan Bishop, Republican.
  7. District 6, $59,118, Rep. Kathy Manning, Democrat.
  8. District 10, $58,845, Rep. Patrick McHenry, Republican.
  9. District 9, $58,473, Rep. Richard Hudson, Republican.
  10. District 7, $56,858, Rep. David Rouzer, Republican.
  11. District 3, $55,911, Rep. Greg Murphy, Republican.
  12. District 11, $55,831, Rep. Chuck Edwards, Republican.
  13. District 5, $51,640, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Republican.
  14. District 1, $46,702, Rep. Don Davis, Democrat.
 
Just saw this in one of our business magazine and thought it was interesting.

Today’s number: $45,933
That is the difference in median household income between the richest North Carolina congressional district (the Wake County 2nd) and the poorest (the northeastern 1st).
The Census Bureau has updated its statistics for the districts of the 118th Congress. The interactive database is called “My Congressional District,” What I wanted to see was how our North Carolina districts ranked in median household income. I made a list, from wealthiest to poorest. If you are fuzzy on where the districts are, click on the links. After all the redistricting, I can’t keep them all straight.
  1. District 2, $92,635, Rep. Deborah Ross, Democrat.
  2. District 14, $76,176, Rep. Jeff Jackson, Democrat.
  3. District 13, $71,598, Rep. Wiley Nickel, Democrat.
  4. District 12, $69,019, Rep. Alma Adams, Democrat.
  5. District 4, $66,293, Rep. Valerie Foushee, Democrat.
  6. District 8, $63,115, Rep. Dan Bishop, Republican.
  7. District 6, $59,118, Rep. Kathy Manning, Democrat.
  8. District 10, $58,845, Rep. Patrick McHenry, Republican.
  9. District 9, $58,473, Rep. Richard Hudson, Republican.
  10. District 7, $56,858, Rep. David Rouzer, Republican.
  11. District 3, $55,911, Rep. Greg Murphy, Republican.
  12. District 11, $55,831, Rep. Chuck Edwards, Republican.
  13. District 5, $51,640, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Republican.
  14. District 1, $46,702, Rep. Don Davis, Democrat.
That is an interesting comparison and may be instructive of some realties of our national politics and changing demographics and assumptions and etc, etc.

;)
 
I greatly disliked when elected politicians blame other elected politicians of ‘playing politics’.

It’s disingenuous at best.

😠
 
Nikki Haley is going to win a lot of middle of the road Republicans.

DeSantis is going to win a lot of MAGA Republicans who are tired of Trump.

Trump will still win those who cannot see any forest for the trees in the whole thing or think he is some God.

I think it will be interesting once we see how little overall support the "mainstream" Republicans have for Trump once he isn't a kingmaker any longer.
 
interesting

Heh. If Trump actually runs in 2024, you know the debates will be "interesting" to say the least! All the prognostication going on these days seems to forget how Trump took down everyone during the 2016 debates. One shouldn't forget that. DeSantis or Haley or whomever will need to exceed the stones and chutzpah that Trump brings to these media events. The problem is, at least for those other candidates, no one can pull it off as naturally as Trump can. Thus, their believability is already tarnished even before the debates for this cycle has even begun.
 
Heh. If Trump actually runs in 2024, you know the debates will be "interesting" to say the least! All the prognostication going on these days seems to forget how Trump took down everyone during the 2016 debates. One shouldn't forget that. DeSantis or Haley or whomever will need to exceed the stones and chutzpah that Trump brings to these media events. The problem is, at least for those other candidates, no one can pull it off as naturally as Trump can. Thus, their believability is already tarnished even before the debates for this cycle has even begun.
I think there's a difference this time: in 2016, everyone expected Trump would implode/self destruct during the primaries, or lose interest and drop out, so that an adult would carry the R banner. Obviously, neither happened (at least during the primaries, "grab them by the pu**y" coming in the run-up to the general) and then it was too late. Like sheep, they all boarded the Trump entourage. This time, they should all see that coming and be duly prepared. Perhaps this time too, the media won't headline every outrageous thing Trump says or does like they did in '16, giving him tons and tons of free air time.

Conversely, the Rs could find someone sane to run, say Sununu of NH. Oh, what am I thinking? - they would never do that.
 
The Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. campaign has officially filed its year-end financials with the Federal Election Commission.

The filing lists the over 40,000 individuals who have donated to the campaign, as well as detailed filings on expenses.

The filing also lists the itemized expenses for the campaign — nearly 10 percent of Trump's expenses have gone to two Trump entities, the Trump International Golf Club and his Mar-a-Lago Golf Club for facility rental and catering services.

Exactly $68,987.88 of the Trump campaign's $760,394.47 of expenditures have been spent on the Trump entities. And it continues a years-long pattern of Trump's political committees spending donor dollars at Trump properties in a manner that directly benefits Trump's for-profit businesses.
 
The Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. campaign has officially filed its year-end financials with the Federal Election Commission.

The filing lists the over 40,000 individuals who have donated to the campaign, as well as detailed filings on expenses.

The filing also lists the itemized expenses for the campaign — nearly 10 percent of Trump's expenses have gone to two Trump entities, the Trump International Golf Club and his Mar-a-Lago Golf Club for facility rental and catering services.

Exactly $68,987.88 of the Trump campaign's $760,394.47 of expenditures have been spent on the Trump entities. And it continues a years-long pattern of Trump's political committees spending donor dollars at Trump properties in a manner that directly benefits Trump's for-profit businesses.
Shocked Futurama GIF
 
So this morning someone posted a threat against our middle school and there was enough specifics to result is a massive police response. The school was locked down, and the police went through room by room and determined that there was no weapon in the school. This is the second threat this week against the this school, and there was another lockdown at another school in the county. The other day a gun was found on a student at a high school in a different part of the county. The part that is the most troubling is this is not an isolated incident and has happened multiple times throughout our County.

So, let's talk about this. What can be done to protect our students. Before you come back with a "Ban All Guns" crap, I am talking about real solutions that can be implemented.
 
I think there's a difference this time: in 2016, everyone expected Trump would implode/self destruct during the primaries, or lose interest and drop out, so that an adult would carry the R banner. Obviously, neither happened (at least during the primaries, "grab them by the pu**y" coming in the run-up to the general) and then it was too late. Like sheep, they all boarded the Trump entourage. This time, they should all see that coming and be duly prepared. Perhaps this time too, the media won't headline every outrageous thing Trump says or does like they did in '16, giving him tons and tons of free air time.

Conversely, the Rs could find someone sane to run, say Sununu of NH. Oh, what am I thinking? - they would never do that.
Trump did implode and self destruct during the primaries. I think there were a lot of people who either enjoyed watching the show or wanted to see how much damage could be done. The problem is that he drags the discussion down to his level. In the primaries, candidates who try to stay on the high ground will come off to a decent amount of GOP voters as smug, pretentious, or RINOs. Those who get in the gutter and try to match Trump will lose the respect of those who want a more serious candidate and never gain the respect of those who like Trump. By the time the general election gets around, GOP voters will vote for Trump because he's better than the "commie, elite, abortion loving, unpatriotic" democrat. I think the only way he's not the candidate is if his health fails or the GOP pays him to do something else.
 
So this morning someone posted a threat against our middle school and there was enough specifics to result is a massive police response. The school was locked down, and the police went through room by room and determined that there was no weapon in the school. This is the second threat this week against the this school, and there was another lockdown at another school in the county. The other day a gun was found on a student at a high school in a different part of the county. The part that is the most troubling is this is not an isolated incident and has happened multiple times throughout our County.

So, let's talk about this. What can be done to protect our students. Before you come back with a "Ban All Guns" crap, I am talking about real solutions that can be implemented.
Limit who can have guns and what type of guns.

and/or

Just go ahead and make every school a fortified zone. High security fencing, check points and inspections, monitored cameras, armed/trained security, interior play areas, no visitors, reinforce classrooms and other safety areas. Make students and staff wear uniforms so that outsiders are immediately visible. Create choke points and double gated sections to slow shooters down. Limit doors and windows to classrooms, at this point is a fire or a shooter more likely. I'm sure there are good examples from parts of the world that deal more commonly with terrorist threats.
  • I don't see most schools actually being able to afford to upgrade physical security.
  • Manned security is probably less likely. Most schools around here share resource officers.
  • Arming teachers is too much to ask. Teachers shouldn't have to be action heros. Plus we don't feel comfortable letting teachers decide what books can be in a classroom, but no worries about a gun. Arming teachers will eventually lead to a student getting a teacher's gun or a disgruntled teacher doing something bad.
 
Limit who can have guns and what type of guns.

and/or

Just go ahead and make every school a fortified zone. High security fencing, check points and inspections, monitored cameras, armed/trained security, interior play areas, no visitors, reinforce classrooms and other safety areas. Make students and staff wear uniforms so that outsiders are immediately visible. Create choke points and double gated sections to slow shooters down. Limit doors and windows to classrooms, at this point is a fire or a shooter more likely. I'm sure there are good examples from parts of the world that deal more commonly with terrorist threats.
  • I don't see most schools actually being able to afford to upgrade physical security.
  • Manned security is probably less likely. Most schools around here share resource officers.
  • Arming teachers is too much to ask. Teachers shouldn't have to be action heros. Plus we don't feel comfortable letting teachers decide what books can be in a classroom, but no worries about a gun. Arming teachers will eventually lead to a student getting a teacher's gun or a disgruntled teacher doing something bad.

Ok, let's talk about the first part of your suggestion with limit who can have guns and what type of guns. Can you expand on that? Who should not have guns, and what guns should not be avalible?
 
So this morning someone posted a threat against our middle school and there was enough specifics to result is a massive police response. The school was locked down, and the police went through room by room and determined that there was no weapon in the school. This is the second threat this week against the this school, and there was another lockdown at another school in the county. The other day a gun was found on a student at a high school in a different part of the county. The part that is the most troubling is this is not an isolated incident and has happened multiple times throughout our County.

So, let's talk about this. What can be done to protect our students. Before you come back with a "Ban All Guns" crap, I am talking about real solutions that can be implemented.
...sorry to hear that.
 
...sorry to hear that.
I am just thankful that there was no gun and that no one got hurt. But the amount of resources that needed to be dedicated to an event like that was substantial and it took these emergency service staff away from their other duties. And it wasn't just local police. We had police from 3 cities, county sheriff deputies, and state police on scene too.
 
The Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. campaign has officially filed its year-end financials with the Federal Election Commission.

The filing lists the over 40,000 individuals who have donated to the campaign, as well as detailed filings on expenses.

The filing also lists the itemized expenses for the campaign — nearly 10 percent of Trump's expenses have gone to two Trump entities, the Trump International Golf Club and his Mar-a-Lago Golf Club for facility rental and catering services.

Exactly $68,987.88 of the Trump campaign's $760,394.47 of expenditures have been spent on the Trump entities. And it continues a years-long pattern of Trump's political committees spending donor dollars at Trump properties in a manner that directly benefits Trump's for-profit businesses.

Grifters gonna grift!
 
So this morning someone posted a threat against our middle school and there was enough specifics to result is a massive police response. The school was locked down, and the police went through room by room and determined that there was no weapon in the school. This is the second threat this week against the this school, and there was another lockdown at another school in the county. The other day a gun was found on a student at a high school in a different part of the county. The part that is the most troubling is this is not an isolated incident and has happened multiple times throughout our County.

So, let's talk about this. What can be done to protect our students. Before you come back with a "Ban All Guns" crap, I am talking about real solutions that can be implemented.
This is part of why I'm a fan of registration and the carrying of insurance for gun ownership. In my opinion, the owner of the gun should bear financial responsibility for the costs of the emergency callout. Hitting people in the pocketbook where it hurts seems like the only way to engrain at least some level of responsible ownership. I likewise think these threats, even without an actual weapon involved, should result in financial penalties for the cost to respond.

I could list off many other things that I know you and I don't particularly agree on so I'll save those, but the above seems like a logical direct response to the situation you described that I feel like speaks to your emphasis on personal responsibility in most of your political posts.
 
This is part of why I'm a fan of registration and the carrying of insurance for gun ownership. In my opinion, the owner of the gun should bear financial responsibility for the costs of the emergency callout. Hitting people in the pocketbook where it hurts seems like the only way to engrain at least some level of responsible ownership. I likewise think these threats, even without an actual weapon involved, should result in financial penalties for the cost to respond.

I could list off many other things that I know you and I don't particularly agree on so I'll save those, but the above seems like a logical direct response to the situation you described that I feel like speaks to your emphasis on personal responsibility in most of your political posts.
Can you expand on how you think that these elements will protect our kids? For example, the situation today was a social media post that had included photos of weapons. I don't know if the person who made the post even have those or if he got a picture off the internet.

The insurance is not a bad idea and it is something that I have had for a while because I realize the legal costs if I have to use my weapon, even if I am 100% legally permitted to do so. Do you think that this insurance requirement should be for all weapons or just particular weapons.

The registration one is an interesting one. On face value, I personally am not opposed to my local police department knowing what weapons I do, or do not have. But I do know several of the officers who are passionately opposed to registration because they have seen how this type of information has been used for targeting particular individuals by other enforcement agencies in the past.

You mentioned several other ideas. I would encourage you to list them if you think that they are really practical and implementable.
 
Can you expand on how you think that these elements will protect our kids? For example, the situation today was a social media post that had included photos of weapons. I don't know if the person who made the post even have those or if he got a picture off the internet.

The insurance is not a bad idea and it is something that I have had for a while because I realize the legal costs if I have to use my weapon, even if I am 100% legally permitted to do so. Do you think that this insurance requirement should be for all weapons or just particular weapons.

The registration one is an interesting one. On face value, I personally am not opposed to my local police department knowing what weapons I do, or do not have. But I do know several of the officers who are passionately opposed to registration because they have seen how this type of information has been used for targeting particular individuals by other enforcement agencies in the past.

You mentioned several other ideas. I would encourage you to list them if you think that they are really practical and implementable.
Arresting the idiots doesn't seem enough to deter it from happening again. Maybe having to pay for it will deter someone. I don't know how to makes laws about this, but I say when someone comes up with a stupid idea like hey buddy, want to post a fake threat the buddy gets to slap the crap out of him and tell him it's a stupid idea. Works with everything. You think the earth is flat? Slap! You might still think the earth is flat, but you're not going to say it if someone slaps you everytime.
 
Ok, let's talk about the first part of your suggestion with limit who can have guns and what type of guns. Can you expand on that? Who should not have guns, and what guns should not be avalible?
I'll think about it a bit and get back. Trying to finish up something before the weekend. Let me not be a jerk and start where I should have in the last post.

I'm glad everything is ok at you son's school and I'm sorry you had to deal with it. As a parent, almost nothing puts as much fear in me as that same scenario and we've had similar calls happen a few times at my daughter's school over the last two years.
 
I'll think about it a bit and get back. Trying to finish up something before the weekend. Let me not be a jerk and start where I should have in the last post.

I'm glad everything is ok at you son's school and I'm sorry you had to deal with it. As a parent, almost nothing puts as much fear in me as that same scenario and we've had similar calls happen a few times at my daughter's school over the last two years.
I think I need to clarify, it was not my son's school, but it was one of the local schools. I am also friends with a lot of the officers who responded and a lot of the teachers, and several parents who send their kids to the school.

Fact is it should not happen at any school... EVER. But we as a society seem to be too comfortable addressing the symptoms and not the underlaying problems... or even really looking into it to find out what those underlaying problems actually are.
 
Can you expand on how you think that these elements will protect our kids? For example, the situation today was a social media post that had included photos of weapons. I don't know if the person who made the post even have those or if he got a picture off the internet.

The insurance is not a bad idea and it is something that I have had for a while because I realize the legal costs if I have to use my weapon, even if I am 100% legally permitted to do so. Do you think that this insurance requirement should be for all weapons or just particular weapons.

The registration one is an interesting one. On face value, I personally am not opposed to my local police department knowing what weapons I do, or do not have. But I do know several of the officers who are passionately opposed to registration because they have seen how this type of information has been used for targeting particular individuals by other enforcement agencies in the past.

You mentioned several other ideas. I would encourage you to list them if you think that they are really practical and implementable.

Short thoughts since I'm busy...

Here's the thing... the USA has a serious gun quantity problem, and a large quantity of gun fetishists. It also has a parenting problem of some kind--there is a pattern with many of these students of parents that are disinterested or problems of their own. The only thing that really seems to work in this country to change behavior is financial incentives/penalties. Turning schools into micro-prisons with metal detectors everywhere is not a solution--that is actually ENABLING behavior. Arming teachers is literally the dumbest thing I've heard suggested by anyone--let's arm the very people that you're also complaining are 'indoctrinating' students? Riiiiiiigggggghhhhhhtttttt... and introducing accessible weapons INTO schools? I know you're not suggesting that, but that's the crap I hear routinely.

I believe insurance should be required for all guns. Guns have a unique characteristic of being able to kill larger amounts of people with greater lethal efficiency than other weapons. And it should work just like car insurance: different cars and different driver behaviors lead to different insurance rates. The same should be true of guns, and it should be on a per-gun basis. I don't need insurance for a moped (or for a weapon equivalent, a knife), but I do need insurance, and expensive insurance at that, if I ride a modified Hayabusa.
 
Chinese spy balloon said to fly at 60k feet altitude. The famous Gary Powers U-2 spy plane was at 70k when Russia hit it with a missile and Powers was captured in 1960.
 
Short thoughts since I'm busy...

Here's the thing... the USA has a serious gun quantity problem, and a large quantity of gun fetishists. It also has a parenting problem of some kind--there is a pattern with many of these students of parents that are disinterested or problems of their own. The only thing that really seems to work in this country to change behavior is financial incentives/penalties. Turning schools into micro-prisons with metal detectors everywhere is not a solution--that is actually ENABLING behavior. Arming teachers is literally the dumbest thing I've heard suggested by anyone--let's arm the very people that you're also complaining are 'indoctrinating' students? Riiiiiiigggggghhhhhhtttttt... and introducing accessible weapons INTO schools? I know you're not suggesting that, but that's the crap I hear routinely.

I believe insurance should be required for all guns. Guns have a unique characteristic of being able to kill larger amounts of people with greater lethal efficiency than other weapons. And it should work just like car insurance: different cars and different driver behaviors lead to different insurance rates. The same should be true of guns, and it should be on a per-gun basis. I don't need insurance for a moped (or for a weapon equivalent, a knife), but I do need insurance, and expensive insurance at that, if I ride a modified Hayabusa.

I apologize, but I am still trying to see the connection on how this will prevent criminal activity. You mentioned auto insurance… if someone is going to be a get away driver for a bank heist, last thing they are going to worry about is if the car they steal to do the job is properly insured.

Having said that, I do support training requirement and red flag laws for the purchase of any handgun or semi-automatic weapon. I also firmly believe that every handgun should come with a lock on its case.
 
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