Perhaps this is the time, as Ken U says. Massive fire weapons arent being used to protect homes and businesses, but to commit massacres. Use, harmless as it may be, of military weapons at shooting ranges may no longer be a sport we can afford if it releases these mass destruction weapons to school and public arena killers.

However, Executive Ulman and Myor bloomberg dont go far enough, because the quantiy of weapons even after a ban will be ample enough for a determined killer to secure a high capacity weapons.

Let's look at enhanced surveillance of potential killers then: In each recent case, wisconsin, Aurrora, VA TECH and Newtown. it's clear the killers were displaying aggressive or strong antisocial tendencies or acts. while commital may not be needed or desireable in the lack of a specific threat, (and it's unclear if such threats existed at V Tech or Aurrora, they may have, nevertheless, individulas can be tracked and periodically interviewed, which could deter them or at least put them under surveillance.

The total leave me alone society probaby died the day 9/11 triggered govt surveillance of every american's phone and computer. IF we have no privacy anyway, we might as well be safer from mass killers.\

Since major modifications to gun rights and privacy rights are in order, only the President can lead. Not the governors, not the local executives.

Would Ulman also make those same rules apply to the local police department? It's easy for Ken to make these statements while standing next to an armed guard. Ken even takes armed people to high school football games to protect him. If an assault weaopon ban would work, there's no reason why state and local police would need assault rifles either. The rules should apply across the board. If the police insist on keeping their assault weopons they are really saying that they know that a ban will simply disarm law abiding citizens rather than criminals.

Ken says: "You've got to take a test to get a driver's license. Hopefully we can agree there ought to be basic steps that ensure people are responsible."

There already are steps in place smart guy, this isn't the wild west. We should make people take a test to vote.

Allow me to correct you Andrew- you must pass a background check to buy a gun.

Andrew who do you think you're talking to young man? I unlike you I own regulated firearms.

Also, H.R. are you worried that if assault weapons are banned police may infringe on citizens' rights due to police having more firepower? Military takeover? Why do you feel it's important for citizens to have access to these types of weapons/ magazines?

I don't have an opinion either way, I'm just truly sick of seeing innocent people being killed in masse by lone shooters and am wondering what policy, if any, could possibly prevent another one.

their major modifications to deter violent crimes like this should start with looking at the content of video games like grand theft auto
cartoon shows on tv
vulger language of most rap style music
just my thoughts on why their is a lack of respect for peers and authority from the younger generation

Its funny everyone wants to go grab the guns off the shelf and throw the away using the phrase "common sense". Yes what happen is bad but the 20yr olds mother should have never showed her mentally disable son how to use them....we also have to remember that baseball bats are used in more murders in the USA then any other weapon. What's next Kenny rocks?

Speaking of assault weapons and Howard County, recall that few years ago a HoCo police officer in Elkridge left his Sig Sauer assault rife in his car overnight and it was stolen from the car. Despite the police sending a SWAT team to raid a man's house and shoot and kill the man's family dog in the process, the rifle was never recovered and is still on the street in the hands of a criminal. What to Ulman and McMahon have to say about that?

H.R. There is absolutley no reason for assault weapons to be available to the public. They are designed for one reason. To kill people. Extended magazines are also not necessary as the only reason for them, is to kill more humans. I grew up in a "Gun" environment. My father taught SWAT and eventually ended up working for interpol as the US liason for anti-terroism. He was at Attica in NY and even flew over to Munich in 72. The first weapon large caliber weapon I fired was an AR-15 at the age of 6. What HoCo needs to do is lift the ban on non-lethal weapons such as the taser (we are one of five counties in the entire US that bans them, yet I can own a mossberg pump that will certainly kill under any circumstance). The police need them in the rare event that a criminal does obtain heavy fire power like the bank robbery in LA where police were out gunned by the criminals. And baseball bats cant murder multiple people. Please come to our dojo with a baseball bat and see what happens.

Remember, this is the same Ken Ulman who made the totalitarian decision to ban the sale of sugar-sweetened drinks on county property. So, now he wants to do the same with assault rifles and multi-shot clips for all weapons. And just think, this liberal fool wants to be governor. He would make O'Malley look like a saint. Both Ulman and his dictatorial attitude are dangerous to freedom. He really needs something to shrink the size of his ego.

I would also note, H.R. and Michael, that labeling the opposition as automatically "liberal", and using the term in a derogatory fashion, is ignorant, fallacious, and does nothing to support ~your~ side of the argument.

Gun owners come in all shapes, sizes, beliefs, and leanings. Our house consists of a liberal Democrat, and a moderate Independent... yet we own a number of guns and gladly announce our support of the 2nd Amendment. Try arguing against the individuals themselves and not misunderstood labels or groups.

County executive Ulman has armed police security when traveling around Howard County? What's up with that? Seriously? What an insult to county residents.

First Ulman needs to lift the ban on non-lethal weapons such as the Taser. We are one of five counties in the entire US that can't have a Taser. Anne Arundel is another. Second, you don't need an assault weapon to protect your home. That is utterly ridiculous. A conventional firearm will do just fine. you are not going to be attacked by hordes of zombies. And bringing up baseball bats just shows your ignorance. Name one instance where a mass murder was affected in a public arena with a baseball bat. As far as Ken Ulman goes. He will say anything to get his name in the spot light. The only thing we need to do with Ken Ulman is get him out of office.

Hey Ken: Let us know when you want to 'ban' them. I'd like to have something more powerful than a marauder coming to my house has. When the govt 'freelunches' stop, all hell will break loose. We have 100s of thousands, if not millions of people living within 30 minutes of us......who have become addicted to govt handouts that are (I'm sorry to say Ken) unaffordable to continue forever. Our dear federal govt is overspending $1.3T/year to keep the madness going, but the SNAP cards, housing subsidies, medicaid, obama-phones, etc.....cannot continue forever. It will not be pretty, and our best defense will be weaponry against the marauders. Ken, get your head out of the sand.

Ulman, another wannabe fascist. No soda, no rights no freedom.
Look around you Ulman. How many of the wilding gangs of youts cruising for another victim will be handing over their firearms?

Well go ahead with your opinion Ken, I will just need to support another politician!

People I know in law enforcement have told me that practically all victims of gun violence are shot by legally obtained weapons, usually the victims' own weapon or guns stolen from their legal owners. Cases where someone actually used an assault rifle to defend himself are unheard of.

Also, according to FBI crime statistics, both property and violent crime is highest in the region where gun control laws are generally the most relaxed - in the South. That doesn't mean permissive gun ownership causes more crime, but it obviously doesn't reduce crime.

What is for certain, however, is that strict gun-control laws do reduce gun violence, but not necessarily the overall crime-rate. Yes, it's true that murder, robbery, and assault do still occur even when there are few or no guns available. It would be, however, definitely much more difficult to commit mass murders on the scale of Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech without an arsenal of guns and a pile of ammo.

Granted, a mass murderer could figure out some other way of killing lots of people very quickly, like using chemical, biological, or explosive weapons but that would be much more difficult and rare. It couldn't be done at the spur of the moment.

A ban on high-capacity magazines and much, much stricter background check requirements should be enacted for any semi-automatic or concealable weapon. That's not too much to ask for.

A must read study by the DOJ on the "Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: 1994–96"

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/173405.pdf

The "assault weapons" ban had little effect on gun crime and mass shootings.

Texas Democratic Party leader, blogger calls for shooting NRA members

http://www.examiner.com/article/texas-democratic-party-leader-blogger-calls-for-shooting-nra-members

THIS is why we need to protect ourselves, from the intolerant civil rights deniers.

"Gun Control, Thought Control and People Control"
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51838

"The cult of the left believes that it is engaged in a great apocalyptic battle with corporations and industrialists for the ownership of the unthinking masses. Its acolytes see themselves as the individuals who have been “liberated” to think for themselves. They make choices. You, however, are just a member of the unthinking masses. You are not really a person, but only respond to the agendas of your corporate overlords. If you eat too much, it’s because corporations make you eat. If you kill, it’s because corporations encourage you to buy guns. You are not an individual. You are a social problem."

"The Nazis believed that they were the master race because they were genetically superior. Liberals believe that they are the master race on account of their superior empathy and intelligence. There’s an obvious paradox in believing that you have the right to enslave and kill people because you care more, but that didn’t stop millions of people from joining in with revolutions that led to a century of bloodshed in the name of movements that cared more. "

http://conservativefiringline.com/
"Should an apology from a Democratic Party Executive Committee member cover calls for mass shootings?"

"Liberalism remains an ideology of genocidal hate and rage"

All the talk by Obama and Holder and the other liberals about banning the EXACT FIREARMS Obama and Holder forced gun stores in the Southwest to sell to known straw buyers who in turn sent those "assault weapons" to the Sinola drug cartel which led to the murder of Border Patrol Agents Terry and Zapata and hundreds of Mexicans. Where were these liberals ? DENYING the entire story.
What hypocritical buttholes!

Perhaps sometime kind of check on ammunition purchases should be instituted too. I always wondered why I could purchase any quantity of any kind of ammunition from any store, anywhere anytime. A law-abiding citizen with no mental health issues or criminal record shouldn't mind some limits on the amount and kind of ammo he can purchase and store. Unused, stored ammo is also dangerous when it gets too old.

It's harder to buy a car and get a drivers license than it is to buy a gun. Guns and ammo are not like cars. Both are deadly but cars are not the weapon of choice for mass murderers. They shouldn't be treated the same.

The point is to have a rational debate about gun violence. Being liberal or conservative, gay or straight, black or white, Democrat or Republican has nothing to with it. Being a parent, a school-child, a law enforcement office, a teacher, or a loved one is really who it matters for.

"Gun prosecutions under Obama down more than 45 percent
December 17, 2012 | 4:03 pm | Modified: December 17, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Despite his calls for greater gun control, including a new assault weapons ban that extends to handguns, President Obama's administration has turned away from enforcing gun laws, cutting weapons prosecutions some 40 percent since a high of about 11,000 under former President Bush. Pew Research Center for the People & the Press on Monday found that public is evenly divided over whether the Newtown shootings reflect broader problems in American society, 47 percent, or are just the acts of troubled individuals, 44 percent.

Figures collected by Syracuse University's TRAC project, the authority on prosecutions from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, shows that the administration has reduced the focus on gun crimes and instead steered prosecutors and investigators to drug crimes.

Gun prosecutions peaked at 10,937 under Bush in 2004. A current TRAC report shows that the Obama administration is prosecuting about 6,000 weapons cases.

Oh great! They are doing something!

12-2012 "President Obama on Monday began the first serious push of his administration to attempt to reduce gun violence, directing Cabinet members to formulate a set of proposals that could include reinstating a ban on assault rifles. The effort will be led by Vice President Biden."

2-2009 ""I'm announcing today that this Wednesday, our administration will begin distributing more than $15 billion in federal assistance under the recovery act to help you cover the costs of your Medicaid programs," Obama told a gathering of the nation's governors.
He also said that he was naming Vice President Joe Biden to oversee the implementation of the stimulus plan."

Lets hope Crazy Uncle "“Unfortunately, the bullets are aimed at you” Biden does another bang up job in his new position.

CBS News: ‘Fast and Furious’ Gun Found At Site Where Mexican Beauty Queen Killed
by: Sharyl Attkisson
"A gun found at the scene of a shootout between a Mexican drug cartel and soldiers where a beauty queen died was part of the botched “Fast and Furious” operation, CBS News reports.

Authorities had said that Maria Susana Flores Gamez was likely used as a human shield and that an automatic rifle had been found near her body after the Nov. 23 shootout.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tells CBS News that the Justice Department did not notify Congress that a Fast and Furious firearm was found at the scene in Sinaloa.

CBS News learned the Romanian AK-47-type WASR-10 rifle found near her body was purchased by Uriel Patino at an Arizona gun shop in 2010. Patino is a suspect who allegedly purchased 700 guns while under the ATF’s watch.
The “Fast and Furious” operation was launched in 2009 to catch trafficking kingpins, but agents lost track of about 1,400 of the more than 2,000 weapons involved."

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/12/18/cbs-news-fast-and-furious-gun-found-at-site-where-mexican-beauty-queen-killed/

"SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) – The nation’s largest teachers’ pension fund says it will review its holdings after being criticized for having an investment in the manufacturer of an assault rifle used in last week’s Connecticut school massacre.

California State Teachers’ Retirement System spokesman Michael Sicilia said Tuesday that the $155 billion pension system is making sure its investments comply with the fund’s own social and ethical standards.

The fund invested $600 million in the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which owns gun maker Freedom Group International. Cerberus said it will sell its holdings in the manufacturer of the rifle used to kill 20 schoolchildren and six adults at a school in Newtown, Conn."

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/12/18/california-teachers-retirement-plan-invested-in-gun-manufacturer/

Profiting at the same time as calling for a ban. More hypocritical buttholes.

let me know when y'all got this figured out, in the mean time please take the "s" from Right to Bear Arms in the Second Ammendment

I spent 22 years in the military for everyones rights including mine, and i will keep my firarms and the right to bear arms, those who choose to give them up, that is your right. but don't infringe on my right's