It seems that those NOT in favor of gun control would vote for a law that EVERYONE should have a gun because if we all had one that no one would shoot. Are we going back to the good old wild west? I am not saying take away all guns, but assault rifles and AR 15’s SHOULD NOT in any circumstance be available to the general public and I’m tired of hearing that the bad guys are the mentally ill would find a way to get them anyway. The less of them out there, the less the chances they’d have of obtaining.

Scooby dooby do!

I don’t see myself as defending it (in my comment).

I see myself as advising on what needs to be done to succeed in changing things in accord with your opinion of “common sense controls”.

Why defend an obviously dysfunctional status quo?

BBD:

And to implement these ideas, the 1st and 2nd amendments would have to be changed. Otherwise, your “common sense controls” would be struck down as unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that hate speech is protected under the 1st amendment.

I believe a ban on paramilitary weapons would also be struck down, but such a law has never been passed (that I am aware of). The only bans I am aware of are the full auto ban (not semi-auto) and the sawed off shotgun ban. I don’t think the fully automatic ban was ever litigated (which is lucky for gun control advocates).

Common sense controls on firearms would include the ban on civilian ownership of paramilitary rifles with high-capacity magazines. Common sense controls on free speech would include a restriction on the right to hate speech. In neither case is the freedom of the majority compromised. In both cases, the restrictions would be beneficial to the majority.

I think MikeN is being sarcastic.

Comparing what Trump is doing with the press with what some want to do with guns – “common sense controls”.

I of just guessing – but that is how I read MikeN’s comment.

The funny thing is you both object to “common sense controls” on the 1st amendment, but not on the 2nd.

At least I bet MikeN thinks it is funny!

Trump isn’t taking away anyone’s free speech. He just wants common sense controls on free speech.

No, he is trying to limit the freedom of the press, which is standard operating procedure for authoritarians trying to shut down legitimate criticism of their behaviour. And it’s decidedly un-American, so why are you endorsing this behaviour?