General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Prepare for mass shootings like we've never seen before in the coming year [View all]Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)For me, however, it means that there is a much larger priority in terms of gun control: keeping handguns out of the possession of criminals. The largest segment of gun-related homicide is made up of murders committed by persons with significant prior criminal records, and with handguns, not rifles.
While I'd like to think that both segments could be addressed at the same time, that might not be the case. If we on the left have to burn political capital to achieve any of these outcomes, I want that political capital spent where it will potentially save the most lives. I realize the argument can be made that in that large segment of gun murders committed by felons, the victims are very often felons, too...whereas mass shooting victims are almost always innocent victims and thus more deserving of the effort. But I'm not comfortable with that...I don't think that's a progressive stance.