After Calif. shooting, senator calls for Congress to revisit gun control legislation
(CNN) – A day and a half after a shooting rampage in California left six victims dead, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Sunday the tragedy serves as a reminder of the legislative efforts to stem gun violence that occurred in the aftermath of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.
The Democrat from Connecticut, appearing on CBS’s "Face the Nation," said statements from the California victims' families bring the nation back to "when it seemed like we were on the verge of, potentially, legislation that would stop the madness and end the insanity."
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Twenty first-graders and six adults died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012, the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Efforts to enact stricter gun laws fizzled in April of last year, when a bill that included stronger federal background checks for gun purchases failed to pass the Senate.
Elliot Rodger, who is accused of killing six people and then himself on Friday night around Santa Barbara, California, passed the background check needed to buy the firearm used in the shooting, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN.
But Rodger did suffer from an undisclosed mental health issue, and was under the care of a variety of health care professionals, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
Asked if he believes the failed legislation that emerged after Sandy Hook would have prevented Friday's shooting, Blumenthal said at least better mental health resources would have been available.
"The legislation that failed to pass - it got support from 55 senators - would have provided a mental health initiative with more resources, greater ability for the Santa Barbara police to intervene," Blumenthal said.
"I am going to urge that we bring back those bills, maybe reconfigure them to center on mental health, which is a point where we can agree that we need more resources to make this country healthier and to make sure that these kinds of horrific, insane, mad occurrences are stopped - and the Congress will be complicit if we fail to act."
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Amazing, this young man stabbed 3 of those people to death but that is left out of the narrative. It's pretty bad when these hacks put their ideology before their professional integrity.
Unfortunately there are too many men with "shortcomings" that require compensation that only a gun can provide.
How many times will the somewhat kid that seems to have it all explode, kill innocent people to hell with the NRA, they are covert terrorist, any stockpile of weapons should come under scrutiny, especially the high powered semi automatic weapons, politicians are in denial, pandering
If mental health is used as a criterion to deny people exercise of their rights then no one, including those in government, would be able to keep and bear firearms. Curiosly, what standard would be used, the DSM V?
Gun violence is actually way down from it's peak in the 90's. Truth of it all is this: out of 300 million people....some are flat out crazy. Be they stabby stabby or shooty snooty...they are simply crazy.
And that darned knife that was used to kill, it doesn't get any press at all.. Guess if you only have it out for guns, that is all you will legislate on.. Pathetic group of lawmakers..
Look here's the facts. More people were killed and injured by this guy with a knife and his car than with the gun. His parents tried to get law enforcement to intervene last month because of his posts online. They should have done an involuntary commitment on him and gotten him some help. Just because mentally ill people and thugs use guns as a tool you think it's right to limit the rights of law abiding citizens. Let the guilty accept responsibility for their actions and let the judgment be swift and the punishment be severe. Blame Hillary Clinton and the HIPA law she rushed to pass without thinking of the consequences.
I have carried a gun since I was 11yrs old. I've used them to hunt and manage pests and livestock killers. We use them in the humane slaughter of our farm animals for consumption. I have been a soldier and am a retired law enforcement officer. My guns have never attacked anyone. I will use them in my everyday life, in defense of my home and property and in defense of my country from all enemies both foreign and domestic because I swore that oath before God.
When will these jerk wad democrat politicians realize you CAN'T legislate sanity! No idiot law banning , requiring one more this or that will stop someone bent on killing. Doesn't the fool bloomenthall realize commiefornia has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, they really are working huh? How about the stabbings bloomie? The boy passed a back ground check in commiefornia. He had already made comments he was deranged, the cops "interviewed " him and left, so much for tougher gun laws.
Just another Friday in NRA owned America. Machine guns for everybody,especially the crazies!
Ja how ignorant can you be.your like the rest of the anti gun nuts out there.why aren't you bad mouthing the knife manufacturer that made the knife that killed 3 of them? Or the car co.that made the car he used to go kill these people? It's no different.Or better yet put your alcohol down for a minute and go after that industry for all the people it kills every day around the clock.??? See how ignorant that sounds now.Alcohol kills more people ev ery darn day than guns and drugs together ever will.Yet society glorifies alcohol it's advertised ,sold all most any where.it is available in any amount you want.yet no body says anything like the anti gun nuts do.Probably because they cant put there glass down long enough to say anything bad about alcohol.Go ask a grade school teacher in China what they think about gun control,where guns are banned nation wide.They have to deal with machety swinging ax hacking wackos there.Gun will not stop this insanity from happening by taking them away.Truth Hurts!
NRA had nothing to do with a mass murder in which half the victims were knifed to death and the rest were killed with a low-magazine capacity handgun purchased legally, with extensive California-madated background checks, by the son of a liberal hollywood producer. The gun-control movement has a stockpile of press responses and sock puppets ready to make the most of any mass shooting - even one like this where 3 died by knife, 3 by gun, and four were injured by a vehicle.
I think we need to focus on "knife control". Knives with more than ten blades should be banned altogether because who needs more than one sharp edge? There should be background checks on knife purchases and a database with the serial numbers and owners of all cutlery. And while we are at it, we should just lock everyone up in cells so they won't hurt each other.
California is already a nanny state. We don't need anymore laws that interfere with the rights of our citizenry.
Isn't my right to feel safe in a gun free society more valuable then someone else's right to carry a fire arm to "feel safe".
I don't mind supporting my local law enforcement agency and first responders who are trained to identify these threats, versus vigilante cowboy bob taking matters into his "own hands".
Meanwhile.. other countries laugh and point at our culture of violence and opposition to affordable health care...
Guns dont kill PPL do . If everbody was nuts that own a gun they would'nt be any anti gunners left gee wiz ! Guns are a plus 4 america now days get you one to . You will love it just be safe and take a class if guns are new to you 🙂
Just the truth:
* America has the highest death rate by firearms of any civilized nation. That rate is increasing.
* The NRA and the GOP have collaborated to remove gun control laws, and to support the rights of the insane to buy firearms legally.
* The arming of America means more aggressive law enforcement response- something the GOP hypocritically acts shocked about.
* The majority of Americans want responsible gun laws, and an end to the armed insanity.
Congress needs to support: the end gun show loopholes; mandatory, thorough background checks; end easy access to weapons for those with records, or mental illness; require insurance and make gun owners liable for the damage their weapons cause.
Don't give darn hoot at NRA thugs, just pass total Gun-Ban Laws. These thugs want tens of billion dollars of profit out of kill. USA needs total gun-ban laws. God bless.
America , happiness is a warm gun ?
Less mental health care , more guns makes for a bad weekend ..
Police in a major beach town are investigating a deadly shooting that killed three people in a motel in Myrtle Beach S.C. Saturday night…
Sounds like a East and West coast problem .
-now is the time to pass Total gun-ban laws. Ignore NRA thugs. They want profit out of kil.
I actually feel safer in the knowledge the government does not have a gun monopoly.
From now on ALL motorized vehicles will be outlawed, they kill.
It's dem GUNS !!!
They jump off the shelf,
they load them self, they
chamber a round, and they pull the trigger
ALL by them self.
WE
MUST regulate GUNS
People ARE good.
They would NEVER EVER hurt anyone.
Makes PERFECT Lib / Progressive / Democrat
sense.
Still blaming the guns.......instead of the mental illness........because they choose to do NOTHING about the mentally ill.
As we have seen in recent attacks, no GUN is required for the mentally ill to carry out there violent attacks on others. Other weapons are just as deadly.
Gotta love it, no ideas for solutions, just the usual defensive posture of the "guns everywhere" crowd. The right to bear arms is one thing, the right to sell insane people and criminals guns is another So what should we do about all the crazy people with guns? Nothig right? Price of freedom,right?
When gangs like Los Zetas are operating all the way into Chicago with AK47's, I think a handgun is in order. We've gone through one civil war and we really don't need another. If CNN wants to take the guns , start with the criminal element since controlling is your thing.