Guns, Gun Laws, The NRA, The State of Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

[Yavin4]

After this recent horrible event, I'm sure that the NRA will dredge up the fact that Washington, D.C. has very restrictive guns laws but more gun crime.

As a person who grew up in D.C., please let me inform you of something. The Virgina is to D.C. as Brooklyn is to Manhattan. If Manhattan had restrictive gun laws, but Brooklyn did not, then Manhattan would still be riddled with guns.

A D.C. resident can take a $3.00 subway ride into Virgnia and buy a gun legally, and that's why D.C. has so much gun violence. D.C's gun laws frankly do not really matter at all.

[AndyA]

1. A friend of mine who lives in D.C. said this very thing to me today.

He said you can't say that the strict gun laws in D.C. don't work based on the crime there, because all the criminals go to neighboring communities and buy them.

Virginia, apparently, is very lax in its gun laws.

Perhaps they'll revisit that issue now. Too bad those lives can't be saved at this point. There aren't any do-overs when you shoot someone dead.

I wonder how many people are walking around the United States right now with a gun that shouldn't have it?

[Yavin4]

2. I'm Sick of The NRA's Comparitive Analysis Using D.C. As A Model

Virginia is literally within walking distance of D.C. Anybody can easily go there and buy a gun.

[DCKit]

3. Yavin4, few, if any of the guns on the streets of DC are legally purchased weapons.

Criminals have buying networks for guns just as they do for drugs, and look how far drugs travel.

Illegal guns and the criminals who use them are the issue, not the availability of guns to the average citizen.

[damntexdem]

4. No, the availability of guns to the nutcase citizen is the issue.

And the VA Tech shooter bought the Glock legally in VA. Walked in, paid by check, walked out with a dangerous weapon and 50 bullets.

The 2nd Amendment says "well-regulated." VA is not well-regulated. (And that's not even getting into the militia argument.)