Concealed carry permit holder kills 13, wounds more.

[DanTex]

140. Just to add, I'm not sure I agree with your political assessment either.

I agree that talk of "registration" will anger and frighten a lot of people, but Dems and gun control advocates have already been pretty careful to avoid that word. Even Chuck Schumer went out of his way to point out that UBCs and registration were not the same thing.

That didn't seem to work so well.

As I watch politics, I find that the Dems are always using the strategy you highlight -- don't go too far left, and avoid ideas or words that will energize the GOP base. The GOP doesn't follow that advice -- they're out there openly talking about Ayn Rand and "Death Panels" and calling for things like flat taxes and drowning the federal government in a tub. The result has been that ideas that start out on the fringe get repeated so often that they become part of the mainstream dialogue. Remember, Obamacare used to be a sort of "out there on the right" free market plan that was proposed by the Heritage foundation during the 90s, but things have changed so much that now conservatives think of it as "socialism".

I think its time for gun control advocates to do the same thing. Come out and say that handguns and semi-autos should be registered. Yes, the right will protest, but if we keep saying it, then after a while it will be "on the table". And keep in mind that polls show significant support for this kind of policy.

We've already tried cowering and hiding from the GOP/NRA. I say we change tack and make some bolder moves.