Re: Very bad news today in RMS's extended modelling community of Lancaster PA

The only time in my life that I wrote to a member of Congress was in support of term limits. I wish I had saved the response. A patented, canned response that was well cited with legal precedence and blah blah blah why the congressman disagreed.

He towed the party line during his terms in office, maintaining the status quo when so much more was needed (and still needs) to be done by a real mover and shaker. From day one he was just this old figurehead that could be counted on to vote accordingly and maintain the status quo - just like his predecessor. And wouldn't you know it, his retirement was hastened when the opposing party in the state legislature (the majority) remapped his district and put it in play - if only he should he should have a miscue. To which he obliged with an ill advised campaign remark that forced him to abandon his re-election bid.

But not before tapping a figurehead successor who seems to understand that his number one job is to... ... be counted on to vote accordingly and maintain the status quo.

Sound like sour grapes? This congressman was from the party I support!!!!

Term limits: Good enough for the POTUS, good enough for 535 men and women who would be the most powerful and influential people in government.

WmB

You can sell Americans most anything - but instincts generally are sound enough here to recognize that a criminal by definition is not likely to comply with a law requiring one to turn in the tools of his trade. But that doesn't stop those that believe in fairy tales from coming out of the woodwork whenever a violent tragedy occurs to promote their misgotten belief that eliminate guns and you eliminate crime. There hasn't been much if anything in the mainstream media to this effect with the CO and PA shootings, but I'm sure somewhere the presses are firing up to spit out the gun control pamplets. After the grieving and mouring has abated - the table thumping will begin in earnest against private gun ownership.

Statistics are clear on this matter - most guns (by a landslide) in the US will never see the light of day where they will shoot anyone as a matter of record. Even among those that routinely train and implement them in their daily use and who you would think most likely to shoot someone with them - cops and soldiers - will never draw their weapons and kill another human being.

Yet criminals - violent criminals - can be counted on to be directly involved with each and every single violent criminal act that has or ever will be planned or perpetrated.

Go figure.

WmB

I'd go farther than that - term limits, and a repeal of congressional immunity from prosecution. If they can't make laws they can live by, then let them suffer the consequences just like the rest of us.

I suppose I would agree with that as well. The original immunity from prosecution bit was enacted, if I remember correctly, in an attempt to prevent an elected representative from being detained for the purpose of keeping him/her from attending a session and, particularly, a vote. So, here is another example of what was once probably a good idea being morphed into what so many of our elected legislature view as a get out of jail free card.

I've about had enough of the partisan politics, putting the good of themselves and their party (again, either party) over the good for the country and its legal citizens. I think it's time these folks become real people, answering to the will of the people that put them in office (both parties). They've legislated themselves so many perks, fat retirement plans, pay raised and other sweet deals that they think they're some sort of royalty. There may be a few exceptions but most of them have become so self-serving, untouchable, and arrogant that they have become disconnected from their constituents and only care about us when election time rolls around. Maybe it's time to make them accountable to the lies and promises they make to us at election time.

Guns don't kill people, bullets kill people. Just ban the sale and possession of bullets.

Bill in Hamptonburgh, NY To email, delete the double zeroes after @

"That's not a knife.............THIS is a knife."

• Line item veto.

Then people would just beat each other to death with the butt!

Bill Woodier smirked:

Didn't work for Randy Cunningham, did it?

Hey! Watch that talk! You can't achieve the Socialist Utopia without some sacrifices! You have to dis-empower and disarm that nasty middle class, they are not trustworthy and must be watched. Don't you understand anything??

Bill Shuey

Another Socialist heard from! Probably an ardent supporter of H. Clinton.

Bill Shuey

people kill people. ban humanity, shave the whales.

Ah yes, the elusive bearded humpback - I knew they'd factor into this discussion sooner or later.

Electric or blade?

WmB

But we *don't* need such a level of "self-protection" here in Oz, primarily because we've never been a heavily armed culture.

And, access to handguns has been controlled for so long that removing semi-automatic pistols from private ownership will affect very few people, the only semi-automatic owners I know of all have them for reasons that will not be affected by such a recall.

Cheers, Gary B-)

Ah yes, another irony deficient septic. Go steal a dictionary.

Cheers, Gary b-)

Gun related crime , home invasions, burglaries and muggings have increased here also . The Government says we have a safer Australia now. The Government is pretty quick to shove a rifle into young kids hands and send them off to Iraq or Afgahnistan though.

Pet crocodiles are regulated also you can have them but when they reach a certain size you have to hand them back and get a smaller replacement.

I kid you not.

I understand that it is against the law to protect ones self and family with a firearm .

carbolic