I am not an expert in the field, but it is my understanding that micro tracers are available for ammunition. Tracking would also require tracking the sale. If you tracked the sale and the use through the tracers, I suspect it would make solving gun crime a little easier. Would it solve all problems? Of course not. It is also my understanding that gun show sales are outside background check process. Is that still the case?

Ammunition tracking using micro tracers would make the price of ammunition skyrocket. There are warehouses full of ammunition in this country, much of which has been purchased from the old Soviet block nations or China. There are also a great many firearms from these countries still packet in oil in crates available for sale across the nation. I don't think that the ammunition is as big of a deal as you think. Ammunition is fairly precise per the manufacturer. Beyond that, it will always be available. As for the gun shows, all new weapons sold at the shows do require an immediate background check. However, the used gun trading and selling has no check, nor do I see a way to institute a check. It would be like trying to make me have a background check to buy a used gun from my neighbor. The amount of ammunition sold at these shows in buld is what may surprise you. I often go to these shows to purchase 7.62x39, 5.56, 9mm, and .45 in bulk. I buy it by the case, which means 1,000 rounds. It is very cheap at these shows. Your ammunition tracking system would not have an affect on this type of purchase, since like I have already stated, much of this ammunition is foreign and very accessable.

I've seen this politicized on television already, but I 'd like to clearly state, "This is not a conservative or liberal issue."

 

No one with any sense wants lunatics to have guns, no one wants criminals to have guns. Taking guns away from the vast majority of good and decent law abiding Americans will do nothing at all to get/keep them out of the hands of crooks and crazies.

 

I read somewhere that we have around 20,000 gun control laws in 50 states. Another law or two piled on top is not going to make much difference.

 

When we are faced with individuals willing to take their own lives in the act of killing others, it doesn't matter whether they are equipped with a gun loaded with "tracable" bullets, a rental truck filled with fertilizer and diesel fuel, a box cutter, a disposable lighter and a can of gasoline or simply a driver's license and a three ton SUV barreling down the road.

 

Our problem is much deeper than who has a gun or not.

Interesting to this situation, I believe it was last year that a bill was presented in the Va. General Assembly that would have allowed students with a carry conceal license to be able to carry their weapon on campus, even if the school had a policy preventing such. The bill died in sub committee. Administrators at Va. Tech lauded the General Assembly for not passing the bill as they felt that guns on campus would make students feel unsafe.

 

While we can not ever know how the results of this situation would have been different if some of the students had been armed, I think one can logically conclude that perhaps the carnage would not have been as bad.

 

A partner of mine was originally opposed to carry concealed legislation because of his fear that people with guns (legally) would use them when they became outraged or upset. Now with statistical info from just about every state with carry concealed laws indicating that there is less, not more, gun violence in those states, he agrees that his concerns were unfounded. I believe that allowing licensed students to carry weapons on campus would not create more violence; rather it would reduce it.

 

There are some interesting articles on townhall.com addressing this issue if you are interested.

 

I do think we all need to realize that it is simply impossible for police officers to be in every classroom, in every corridor or to have metal detectors at every entrance of every school building. In other words, we cannot expect the police to prevent these types of situations from occuring. It is not possible. Thus, we then have two choices: one, prohibit all guns. This is simply not possible. If we can't stop tons of drugs from being illegally imported or millions of aliens from crossing our borders illegally, we won't be able to stop guns from being illegally imported. And that does not even address the Second Amendment issue/problem with banning all types of weapons. And has been pretty well addressed on here, banning only certain types of weapons really isn't the answer either. The weapons used in this most recent incident, are run of the mill handguns owned by millions of law abiding citizens; not exotic weapons.

 

The other or second option, is that we as individuals need to come to the conclusion that we must start realizing that we must protect ourselves and cannot rely on others to do that for us. While allowing law abiding, licensed individuals to all carry guns may make people not familiar with guns to "feel" unsafe, the fact is that policies such as Va. Tech's that prevent students from having weapons on them is "definitely" unsafe.

 

As for the ammunition tracing idea, such may make it easier for police to track criminals using guns, it would not do anything to stop events like the one that recently occured.

Background checks are only required for hand gun sales. And it is my understanding that any dealer with an FFA has to preform a background check on used handguns as well as new.

 

Keep in mind this is not the case for rifles and shotguns. You only have to fill out a form to purchase a rifle or shotgun. No wait and no background check.

 

These laws could have changed but I am pretty sure they are still this way.

Background checks are only required for hand gun sales. And it is my understanding that any dealer with an FFA has to preform a background check on used handguns as well as new.

 

Keep in mind this is not the case for rifles and shotguns. You only have to fill out a form to purchase a rifle or shotgun. No wait and no background check.

 

These laws could have changed but I am pretty sure they are still this way.

My purchasing experience of late has shown that the form filled out will immediately be called into the authorities for a background check on all new weapons. There is no waiting period, because the check that used to take days can now be completed in minutes. This includes handguns. I can walk into a store and out with a new pistol today.

I've seen this politicized on television already, but I 'd like to clearly state, "This is not a conservative or liberal issue."

 

No one with any sense wants lunatics to have guns, no one wants criminals to have guns. Taking guns away from the vast majority of good and decent law abiding Americans will do nothing at all to get/keep them out of the hands of crooks and crazies.

 

I read somewhere that we have around 20,000 gun control laws in 50 states. Another law or two piled on top is not going to make much difference.

 

When we are faced with individuals willing to take their own lives in the act of killing others, it doesn't matter whether they are equipped with a gun loaded with "tracable" bullets, a rental truck filled with fertilizer and diesel fuel, a box cutter, a disposable lighter and a can of gasoline or simply a driver's license and a three ton SUV barreling down the road.

 

Our problem is much deeper than who has a gun or not.

Is this part of the problem? There was a story about how NYC found out that most of the guns in their city that are purchased legally come from Virginia because their laws are so lax compared to surrounding states.

 

Should there be a national consensus on what the laws are instead of state by state differences that create issues?

On national concensus. The Constitution says that we have the right to own guns. Then there is nothing else about guns in the Constitution. Therefore according to the 10th Amendment the regulation of arms is left up to the states, just as there is no mention of marriage licenese or education, these areas belong to the states. The Congress has their delegated powers Article I Section 8 Clauses 1-17. There is nothing in these about regulating guns.

The particular problem in Virginia is they have no gun registration and no waiting period. That's just stupid.

Several people have posted comments about the waiting period. The waiting period is only for the first purchase of a gun. After you have purchased a gun, you no longer have to wait for the waiting period. The reason for the waiting period is supposed to be so you will not make a rash decision to purchase a gun and kill someone, or yourself. It was originally called a "cooling off period". If you already have a gun, then you do not need a "cooling off period".

Several people have posted comments about the waiting period. The waiting period is only for the first purchase of a gun. After you have purchased a gun, you no longer have to wait for the waiting period. The reason for the waiting period is supposed to be so you will not make a rash decision to purchase a gun and kill someone, or yourself. It was originally called a "cooling off period". If you already have a gun, then you do not need a "cooling off period".

Again, Virginia has NO waiting period, period. They do limit you to the purchase of one gun per month.

Scarborough Country is going to focus on tighter gun control tonight.

We do not need tighter gun control. There are laws already on the books that deal with gun issues. The problem is that they need to be enforced by the powers in charge and make examples of the lawbreakers and not just give them a slap on the wrist. This is the same problem with all the other crimes as well. The criminal now has more rights than his victims.

If people did some research on control regulations they would find.

 

Guns are regulated by the:

 

Federal Gov't

State/s

Some cities/counties depending on the city or county.

The bureau of alchohol, tobacco & firearms.

 

When you go to purchase a gun they call the ATF and run your name through the "NIS" (national identification system). Which is a system that instantly pulls up your record.

 

If you don't have a record and your above 21 and legally able to buy a gun, you will get one. But to say the regulations aren't tight enough I strongly disagree.

 

Like it or not this kid had a clean record and was able to purchase a firearm just like anyone on here, who has a clean record. You can't go blame the gun system, just cause he was a psycho.

The particular problem in Virginia is they have no gun registration and no waiting period. That's just stupid.

 

Just like Kentucky. Don't have to register a gun, and as long as you have a flawless record you will walk out of the gun shop in 20 mins with your new gun. I have twice.

During the writing of the constitution, arms meant cannons and single shot muskets and rifles. Is it okay to regulate everything else? I think that it is arguable that limiting government oppression was one possibliity. But I suspect that it is more likely that the well regulated militia clause referred to collective defense against whatever source. The citizen militia was an important part of state and national defense at a time when we had little or no standing army. For what it is worth, I don't think that there is anything in the second amendment to prevent reasonable regulation of arms. What is reasonable may change with time and location. You still haven't answered my questions about regulation of arms. In your opinion, is it constitutional to regulate any arms? If so, where is the line.

The key part of this is..'against whatever source'.And this can be construed as including the standing government itself...against whatever weapons it posesses. Therefore,any regulation gives even the other 'source',whatever it may be..an advantage. Remember..in the revolutionary war we WERE at war with the government in power.

The right to bear arms doesn't say the right to hunt with arms. I believe that Semi-Automatics, and even automatics, are my right as an american to own. The right to bear arms is the United states people's ultimate check and balance. This right is how the people can protect themselves from tyranny or out of control government or invasion. Not just protection from animals and common crooks. In a day where technology wins, our hunting rifles alone could not win back or protect our freedom.

 

Do you see any genocide in our country? Invasions? Do we have people invading our home without a warrant? Why not? We can protect ourselves.