it is just 3 people dead
.
it makes it easier to attack people and pretend they do not care about the victims if they believe in the 2nd Amendment.
I did not have an emotional response to the shooting, at least not a strong one. The victims to me are not more important than the thousands of people who were raped or murdered today. My main thought was if I had had my smallest conceal carry handgun there (which I would not be allowed to do) I would attempt to engage the shooters if I felt I had a 25% chance of success.
You don't post every day about the victims of car crashes or obesity. Our response should be proportional to the effect. Also handguns kill a lot more people than rifles combined ... I can say assault rifles only kill x vs y people.
There are millions of people who have died under dictators who disarmed them.
My belief is that the 2nd Amendment helps prevent democide. Now, if you do not agree then we can discuss that. Also I would like to know what your answer is to a 20 year old woman taking the bus home at 1am, or whether you agree with me that "common sense gun control" would involve letting honorably discharged special forces conceal carry.
Also I'd like to know if you thought you had a 25% chance if you'd engage the shooter or consider charging him if you were unarmed as I would.
I think the issue is to keep things in perspective. While it's disturbing, it is just 3 people dead, that is like 1/3 as many people die in car accidents in CA per day. Also this sort of thing is being copied.
There are important reasons to have the 2nd Amendment and I think banning semi-automatic rifles would be too much of an infringement. Some better gun control questions might be why should it be illegal for retired navy seals or army rangers not be allowed to conceal carry at such events, and what should we do to help a 20 year old woman who is paid and cash you has to take the bus home at 1am into a lower-income area.
The 2nd Amendment isn't the only big issues these days obviously, we have the govt spying on us too much, police and politicians have too much privilege and immunity from prosecution, the 1st Amendment is under attack, etc.
Most gun deaths are young black men. I think instead of worrying about trans bathrooms and how much free stuff to give illegal immigrants we should help solve the issues in inner cities. The liberal media is quick to accuse conservatives of being racist and they are often right, but they themselves do not at all give the same attention to young black deaths.
I'm sorry for the victims but people who want to ban guns need to have an honest discussion about the purpose of the 2nd Amendment, and such a discussion, if supported by facts, can take place at times other than after a mass shooting. The reason these discussions happen more is it makes it easier to attack people and pretend they do not care about the victims if they believe in the 2nd Amendment.