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Obama Orders Feds To Study Smart Gun Technology (cnet.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Today U.S. President Barack Obama rolled out a set of executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence. The most controversial of the provisions requires licenses for those who sell guns at gun shows and on the internet, and forces background checks on buyers. There are also a number of measures dedicated to making background checks more foolproof and universal. Less controversial but more on-topic for Slashdot is that Obama is requiring the departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security to investigate smart gun technology. This can include RFID chips, fingerprint scanners, and other bits of technology. Their goal will be to "explore potential ways to further its use and development to more broadly improve gun safety." The new gun measures include a proposal for a $500 million investment into providing care for people with serious mental illnesses.

3 of 935 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Mental Illness Reporting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    So you're advocating for the right of the mentally ill to by guns?

  2. Re:RF? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    TFS says "explore". Importantly, it also says "other". Rather than hysterical shrieking designed to encourage doing nothing, maybe you could suggest alternative approaches.

    Because "nothing" is no longer an option.

    The critics of gun "control" don't want any solution. Their strategy is to ask for pie in sky solutions or perfect solutions, and absent that ask that no regulation be legislated. As a well known aforism says, the perfect is the enemy of good. Gun control critics spout this mantra at every turn. Time to shove their stupidity up their asses.

  3. Re:RF? by dywolf · · Score: 1, Troll

    No, that is the most dangerous myth about the 2nd Amendment.
    It was never about being able to stop a rogue government.

    The citizenry would find a way to do with with or without hte 2nd Amendment (indeed, with the overwhelmingly conservative (and anti-government) nature of the majority of military and police, just who the flying fuck do you think a rogue government is going to get to enforce its will???)

    Reality is the 2nd amendment is about the ability of the militia to exist and be capable of fulfilling its mission of assisting in national defense.
    The early nation did not have sufficient army to provide for the defense. the idea being that they would be reinforced with citizen militia.
    The army then provides the knowledge and experience, and heavy weapon such as cannon, and the militia provides the bodies.
    The army lacked the equipment to supply every militia though, so it was necessary for the militia to be able to supply its own arms.

    Today, with the militia now being hte National Guard, and the National Guard having no trouble supplying its members with gear, its safe to say needs for providing for the national defense have changed.

    Some light reading to correct your ignorance:
    http://www.slate.com/articles/...
    http://www.slate.com/articles/...

    If Gun Massacres Are the Price of Liberty, We Need to Reconsider What Liberty Means.

    If constant gun massacres are an inevitable result of American liberty—if we cannot be truly free without letting every madman, abuser, and hothead with a grudge get guns, if we cannot send our children to school without fearing they may be slaughtered in a hail of bullets—we need to reconsider what liberty truly means.

    And you should also not pretend that we dont regularly restrict or limit the rights in the constitution over various greater public interests.

    Freedom of speech has its limits: cant yell fire in the movie theater.
    So does religion: you dont get to impose your religion on others even if its what your religious expression or observance calls for
    Assembly: cant block public streets, or you must get a permit to do so

    So dont pretend that the 2nd Amendment is any different, or any more sacred and inviolate than the others. There are times and places to limit it. By imposing background checks, on ALL sales. By requiring training to prove your anret incompetent and a threat to others. By requiring proper storage, so that unauthorized persons, such as children, get access.

    --
    The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.