Yes, Tom, I guess your .22 squirrel gun is an assault rifle at least according to the left.  Joy Behar claims that people don't shoot people.  Guns shoot peopIe.  I'd love a demonstration.  I haven't seen a magic show since my daughter's 7th birthday party.  By Behar's standards, people don't strangle people.  Hands strangle people.

I do apologize to you, Mark and Major, for my waspish comments about our rights here in the States.  I forget that you all have had gun control for a very long time and you didn't grow up being used to being around them.  I think Canada was much the same.  Pete got his first gun at the age of 6 months I believe.  Another thing that might sound strange to you is that we have many gun laws and they vary from state to state.  While the Second Amendment applies to all citizens, states have the power to regulate  laws within their own boundaries; e.g., if I have the right to carry a gun in Virginia, I do not have the right to carry that gun over the state line into Maryland or the District of Columbia.  I also think you have been given the impression that a gun may be purchased anywhere and that is simply not the case.  If you order a gun, for example, from a catalog or over the internet, that gun does not get delivered to you.  It gets delivered to a licensed gun dealer who must perform a background check.  Suffice it to say that most criminals don't get their guns legally and no amount of gun control laws will stop that any more than drug laws will prevent the flow of illegal drugs.  Those who obtain their guns legally for illegal purposes hurt us all and most generally pay for their crime with their lives as do their victims. 

Another interesting category is the "castle doctrine" or the right to protect your home.  This too varies state to state, but that is a discussion for another day.

Very politely waspish which is perfectly OK. It's something you over there and we over here will never agree on; different countries different attitudes. Now let's get on and kick Putin's ass.   

Yes, Tom, I guess your .22 squirrel gun is an assault rifle at least according to the left.  Joy Behar claims that people don't shoot people.  Guns shoot peopIe.  I'd love a demonstration.  I haven't seen a magic show since my daughter's 7th birthday party.  By Behar's standards, people don't strangle people.  Hands strangle people.

I do apologize to you, Mark and Major, for my waspish comments about our rights here in the States.  I forget that you all have had gun control for a very long time and you didn't grow up being used to being around them.  I think Canada was much the same.  Pete got his first gun at the age of 6 months I believe.  Another thing that might sound strange to you is that we have many gun laws and they vary from state to state.  While the Second Amendment applies to all citizens, states have the power to regulate  laws within their own boundaries; e.g., if I have the right to carry a gun in Virginia, I do not have the right to carry that gun over the state line into Maryland or the District of Columbia.  I also think you have been given the impression that a gun may be purchased anywhere and that is simply not the case.  If you order a gun, for example, from a catalog or over the internet, that gun does not get delivered to you.  It gets delivered to a licensed gun dealer who must perform a background check.  Suffice it to say that most criminals don't get their guns legally and no amount of gun control laws will stop that any more than drug laws will prevent the flow of illegal drugs.  Those who obtain their guns legally for illegal purposes hurt us all and most generally pay for their crime with their lives as do their victims. 

Another interesting category is the "castle doctrine" or the right to protect your home.  This too varies state to state, but that is a discussion for another day.

You can make excuses all you like about your rights and laws but the whole world sees that they don't work or are they obeyed. You say most criminals don't get their guns legally so where do they get them? I will tell you. They get them two ways. Either some one who is a legal gun owner sells them for profit to them or they are stollen from places that haven't secured them properly like in your own homes. To me that makes you just as much a part of the problem when these unresponsible gun owners guns are used to kill someone or commit a crime. In other words, your not a part of the solution but the problem itself.

For some reason a lot of the guns stolen in the States are never reported as stolen. It's not until the gun has been found some where else by the cops that you remember all of a sudden, oh that's my gun but it was stolen from me a long time ago. To me that tells me that the gun really wasn't stolen in the first place but sold for profit without doing any back ground checks to buy another one.

Then these Texas politicans get on the air waves and say how sorry that another mass shooting has happened and that their thoughts and prayers go out to the families. Mean well, before that they say to the people of Texas, California is beating us in buying guns like it should be some kind of competition.

To top it all off the NRA is going to be holding a rally in Houston Texas where these same Texas politicans who are sorry for another mass shooting in their State and are telling everybody that their thoughts and prayers go out to the families,will attend and speak to pick up their pay cheques from the NRA. Phoney B's.

HOUSTON (AP) — The National Rifle Association begins its annual convention in Houston on Friday, and leaders of the powerful gun-rights lobbying group are gearing up to “reflect on” -- and deflect any blame for -- the deadly shooting earlier this week of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Talk about sick puppies. Almost forgot, Trump will also be showing up at the convention to get his pay cheque for speaking along with many other Republican politicians trying to score points for the next election.

The kids haven't even been buried yet, and their already talking about more guns.

Any opinions Tommy on the police's response that's attracting so much criticism now. How should they have handled it if they got it wrong in Uvalde?

Any opinions Tommy on the police's response that's attracting so much criticism now. How should they have handled it if they got it wrong in Uvalde?

They've reported that some of the distraught parents were handcuffed for  hounding the police to do something. One hour they waited outside.

Any opinions Tommy on the police's response that's attracting so much criticism now. How should they have handled it if they got it wrong in Uvalde?

OK Mark, here we go. I will give you two perspectives, one will be the first officers arriving at the scene, the second will be when SWAT arrived. I was on SWAT for a number of years with a total of 3 deployments all of which were hostage situations where the perp was barricaded. 

First officers at scene. Analyse the situation, enter the building & engage the suspect in an attempt to stabilize the  situation.  All the while radioing back info while back-ups are enroute. Back ups take position outside the building and are primarily there for crowd control & evidence gathering. 

SWAT. Will arrive after the fact with enough equipment to handle most situations. Set up a command post outside of building, engage perp with conversation on bullhorns in an attempt to convince him to surrender. This is done by a professional hostage negotiator. This could go on for hours until an opportunity arises that could allow for the perp to be taken down. Once gunfire is heard from inside the building everything is now off. An immediate assault with maximum force immediately. 

Now for the press conference. The press always clamors for instant details which are often not available. Usually the talking head for the police is the chief or a high ranking officer. It is essential to give accurate info, or if that is not available, say so. What appeared at this one is an attempt to CYA (cover your ass) by announcing something, & then  retracting that & announcing something else. This was clearly a P.R. disaster & a very good bad example of what not to do. 

Any opinions Tommy on the police's response that's attracting so much criticism now. How should they have handled it if they got it wrong in Uvalde?

They've reported that some of the distraught parents were handcuffed for  hounding the police to do something. One hour they waited outside.

Yes, by Federal Marshalls. The local officers who knew the parent convinced the feds to "unarrest" her. A true P.R. nightmare. 

I only heard about that one-hour wait outside last night on the news and thought, surely, I had misunderstood.  No one is going to wake up from that nightmare in a better mood. 

Rule of thumb was always once you hear gunshots the negotiations  were over & it was immediately "All In." Maybe that has changed over the years but I doubt it. The nightmare continues.

No matter how well trained you are any situation can throw things into the air. As von Moltke said "No plan survives first contact with the enemy".

Over here we had the Manchester Arena suicide bombing in 2017. The ambulance service did not enter the building for up to an hour "while the situation was assessed" by which they meant the danger of further bombs. Now acknowledged as a mistake, several people died in that hour who may have been saved. 

No matter how well trained you are any situation can throw things into the air. As von Moltke said "No plan survives first contact with the enemy".

Over here we had the Manchester Arena suicide bombing in 2017. The ambulance service did not enter the building for up to an hour "while the situation was assessed" by which they meant the danger of further bombs. Now acknowledged as a mistake, several people died in that hour who may have been saved. 

Good point Mark, & now all the second-guessers & Monday morning quarterbacks will be endlessly voicing there opinions. One of the reasons I am against stationing armed security at the schools is "friendly fire" casualties among the little tykes. 

No matter how well trained you are any situation can throw things into the air. As von Moltke said "No plan survives first contact with the enemy".

Over here we had the Manchester Arena suicide bombing in 2017. The ambulance service did not enter the building for up to an hour "while the situation was assessed" by which they meant the danger of further bombs. Now acknowledged as a mistake, several people died in that hour who may have been saved. 

Good point Mark, & now all the second-guessers & Monday morning quarterbacks will be endlessly voicing there opinions. One of the reasons I am against stationing armed security at the schools is "friendly fire" casualties among the little tykes. 

They dropped the ball plain and simple and it is a police job to serve and protect and when I say protect that officer is to put his life first to save others. Today it came out that first two cops went in and then in total 19 cops were in and they stood around with no one taking command for an hour while kids inside the classroom were calling 911. They were asking where are the police and said there are people in here dead but their are still more us in here. For a dam hour they made no attempt to break into the classroom. The 19 cops all had heavy weapons and some with body armour on. First cop through the door will likely take a bullet but the one rushing in behind him will take out the shooter. No communication from 911 was being relayed to the cops inside even though the different kids where talking to 911. This should have been passed on right away.

The whole situation was one big balls up from start to finish. Heads are going to roll and people fired and probably law suits from parents by the time it's all over. They during their news briefing were trying to hide the fact that someone made a bad wrong decision but finally the new people got it out of them and they owned up to it.

A lot more of those kids could have been saved if the right measures had been taken from the start.

No matter how well trained you are any situation can throw things into the air. As von Moltke said "No plan survives first contact with the enemy".

Over here we had the Manchester Arena suicide bombing in 2017. The ambulance service did not enter the building for up to an hour "while the situation was assessed" by which they meant the danger of further bombs. Now acknowledged as a mistake, several people died in that hour who may have been saved. 

Good point Mark, & now all the second-guessers & Monday morning quarterbacks will be endlessly voicing there opinions. One of the reasons I am against stationing armed security at the schools is "friendly fire" casualties among the little tykes. 

They dropped the ball plain and simple and it is a police job to serve and protect and when I say protect that officer is to put his life first to save others. Today it came out that first two cops went in and then in total 19 cops were in and they stood around with no one taking command for an hour while kids inside the classroom were calling 911. They were asking where are the police and said there are people in here dead but their are still more us in here. For a dam hour they made no attempt to break into the classroom. The 19 cops all had heavy weapons and some with body armour on. First cop through the door will likely take a bullet but the one rushing in behind him will take out the shooter. No communication from 911 was being relayed to the cops inside even though the different kids where talking to 911. This should have been passed on right away.

The whole situation was one big balls up from start to finish. Heads are going to roll and people fired and probably law suits from parents by the time it's all over. They during their news briefing were trying to hide the fact that someone made a bad wrong decision but finally the new people got it out of them and they owned up to it.

A lot more of those kids could have been saved if the right measures had been taIken from the start.

I cannot argue with any of these points. 

Now they have thickened the soap even more and said those 19 cops inside the school waited that hour for room keys and a swat team to show up. Room Keys??

Now they have thickened the soap even more and said those 19 cops inside the school waited that hour for room keys and a swat team to show up. Room Keys??

The NRA's explanation of the good guy with the gun only works when the good guy engages the bad guy. 

There are no winners here. 

Sad but true Shula.

Now they have thickened the soap even more and said those 19 cops inside the school waited that hour for room keys and a swat team to show up. Room Keys??

The NRA's explanation of the good guy with the gun only works when the good guy engages the bad guy. 

How about when the good guy has a weapon as high powered as the bad guy. You don't take on an Ar-15 with a 38 special. For one the rifle is much more accurate and and shoots further and fires at a much higher rate that a pistol.

You have been watching too many John Wayne movies.

We are up to 19 kids killed now and two adults. Cruz gets on and says we have to start thinking about arming the teachers better. What an "A" hole he is. There was an armed guard at the school but when an 18 year old can buy an AR-15 which is a miltary style rifle with extended mags and body armour. That's where you problem is and has been for most of your mass shootings. The AR is not a hunting rifle but was made for one purpose and one purpose only and that's for killing other people. It has nothing to do with your second ammendment rights if assault weapons are banded for civilians. When your own cops say they want them band maybe it's time to listen. Instead of parents buying a new backpack this year in theNo fall, maybe the money would be better spent if they purchased them body armour.

The trouble is the company that makes all these weapons also supports the majority of the Republican party. None of them have the Bal** to say anything out of fear of losing the NRA's support. Pretty sad when one group controls everything that comes out of your mouth as a politican.Time maybe to start listening to their own police forces and consitituents instead.

See date on launch post. You don't have to be Nostrathomas to predict this. Now for the reasons:

Mental illness on the part of the perps. 

Availability of guns.

24/7 News coverage which encourages copy-cats.

Now to address Pete's usual drivel. The Second Amendment was put into place because of the oppressive conditions forced upon the colonists. It was to protect us from those types of government & foreign invasion. It has nothing to do with hunting. So if the English weren't so oppressive we would never have had to put the Second Amendment in place. So by using Peter Logic.........the English are to blame. There ya go, problem solved until the next one. 

The numbers have come out Tommy and proved you wrong about mental Illness being the cause. They are saying it's not the mentally ill doing the killing. For one they can't buy a gun or own a gun.

They say it's people who usually have anger management problems or people who can't fit in with the rest of society. I would say this is the profile seen in most mass shooters and the school shooting is a perfect example of it. If it is mental illness then why have most Red States stopped funding it.

You also haven't mentioned to the Brits that when this type of weapon used at the school was banned for a couple of years, the number of mass shooting dropped but then went up again when the ban was lifted. So the problem seems self induced.

Probably true Art but they didn't threated to kidnap the Govenor of Michigan did they. They also didn't show up at the Capital building on Jan 6th, did they?

Thirteen people were charged Thursday in an alleged domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, federal and state officials announced.

The alleged scheme included plans to overthrow several state governments that the suspects “believe are violating the US Constitution,” including the government of Michigan and Whitmer, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Six people were charged federally with conspiracy to kidnap, and seven other people, associated with the militia group “Wolverine Watchmen,” were charged by the state, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced.

“The individuals in (state) custody are suspected to have attempted to identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers in order to target them, made threats of violence intended to instigate a civil war, and engaged in planning and training for an operation to attack the capitol building of Michigan and to kidnap government officials, including the governor of Michigan,” Nessel said at a press conference.

The arrests are likely to draw additional attention to the political tensions roiling the nation in the closing weeks of the 2020 election season, and underline warnings from law enforcement officials, members of Congress and groups that track extremism about the increasing threat of extremist and far-right groups. Whitmer at times has been the focus of extreme vitriol from far-right groups over her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” on Thursday night, Whitmer thanked law enforcement for making the arrests.

“This is unlike anything we have seen before. The brave men and women of these two police organizations put their lives on the line to keep me and my family safe,” she said. “I’m incredibly grateful and humbled by the work they do.”

In televised remarks Thursday afternoon, Whitmer said she “knew this job would be hard, but I’ll be honest, I never could’ve imagined anything like this.” She specifically blamed President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly declined to condemn far-right groups.

“Just last week, the President of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups,” she said. “‘Stand back and stand by,’ he told them. ‘Stand back and stand by.’ Hate groups heard the President’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, as a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight.”

The Republicans condemn abortions from the moment of conception to birth but they don't seen to care about a child after it has been born or they would speak up much stonger about the kids in the latest school shooting and banning assault weapons again.