Q & A
GUNS GUNS GUNS
This month’s Q&A is about guns and shootings in America:
How is a mass killing defined?
-*A mass shooting is defined by the Congressional Research Service as multiple, firearm, homicide incidents, involving 4 or more victims at one or more locations close to one another, not including the shooter. The FBI definition is essentially the same” (It appears that the number “4” may be arbitrary and the definition means more than one, multiple victims) The Congressional Research Service defines mass shootings, as multiple, firearm, homicide incidents, involving 4 or more victims at one or more locations close to one another. The FBI definition is essentially the same. Often there is a distinction made between private and public mass shootings (e.g., a school, place of worship, or a business establishment).
What is the difference between a long gun, rifle, and an AR-15?
Mike Kerk , M1A2 Abrams Tank Commander at U.S. Army (2015-present). Answered Aug 16, 2021
A long guns is a rifle which, in the legal sense, “is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder [eg. a stock] and designed to use the energy of an explosive in a fixed cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled barrel for each single pull of the trigger [vs. a machine gun]. A rifle subject to the NFA has a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length [in which case it is a Short Barreled rifle].”
A long gun could also include shotguns, which “is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder [eg. a stock] and designed to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of projectiles or a single projectile for each pull of the trigger [vs. a machine gun]. A shotgun subject to the NFA has a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length [in which case it is a Short Barreled Shotgun].” (brackets mine).
In the U.S. all rifles are long guns, but not all long guns are rifles. Long guns describes the category of both rifles and shotguns due to the NFA of 1934 which required (ultimately) that all firearms meant to be fired from the shoulder (aka, with a butt stock) must be 26 inches or more overall. For rifles the barrel must also be 16 inches or more and for shotguns the barrel must be 18 inches or more.
So this creates three (generally) distinct categories of firearms:
Handguns- those meant to be fired with one hand that do not have a butt stock.
NFA items- those meant to be fired from the shoulder
… (more)
finally, see the quora questions on differences between a variety of weapons.
What are the differences between Republicans and Democrats on gun control? In general GOP positions on gun control are governed by a “liberty” argument and the justification that the Second Amendment of the Constitution allows almost unlimited gun possession and carry rights. There is a pattern after gun shootings to stress mental health issues as a cause for gun violence as opposed to the ease of gun possession or use. In general, Democratic politicians, with some exceptions of course, (see spreadsheet below) tend to favor a national registry of gun owners, limitations on semi automatic weapons and magazines, and red flag regulations.
Are there any legislative initiatives regarding weapons which are likely to pass the legislature? If so, what are they?
The response on either side of the political aisle has been predictable. Republicans tend to say that the shooters in both incidents must have been mentally ill. Access to guns and the kinds of weapons has no bearing on their actions. Democrats insist on background checks, a national registry and a crackdown on assault weapons and magazines. Tucker Carlson response: Texas Governor Abbott suggested that the two shooters were mentally ill, yet has cut funds for those who are ill.
Beto O’Rourke currently running against Governor Abbot for the statehouse is dedicated to more restrictions on gun access and a national data base registry. He was ejected from a news conference with Governor Abbott after after storming the stage and accusing the pro-gun Republican of “doing nothing” to stop gun violence.5. How much money are your Senators and Representatives getting from the NRA and. other gun lobbyists?
Much has been written about the role of the NRA in keeping gun control limited in the legislature. Following is a list of those in the Congress who are the major recipients of money from the National Rifle Association. In other words, who is receiving the most money from the NRA? This information comes from the Brady United Organization’s website. (These numbers are always changing, but this is a recent compilation)
The top Senators are: (per year) #of deaths in state
Mitt Romney (UT) $13,647,676 400
Richard Burr (NC) $6,987,380 1,470
Roy Blunt (MO) $4,555,722 1,288
Thom Tillis (NC) $4,429,333* 1,470
Marco Rubio (FL) $3,303,355 2,449
Joni Ernst (IA). $3,129,723* 302
To see how much your Senator and representative may be. receiving from the gun lobby take a look at this spreadsheet with Senate and House dontations from the NRA see this link from Opensecrets.org.
