I applaud the members of the Black Caucus who walked out in order to fight for sensible gun control laws despite the NRA and gun enthusiasts who will not even consider life-saving legislation in this gun-crazed state.

Because gun owners don’t forget on election day. Kiss your majority good-bye.

read the news,gun laws are not used the right way ! use the ones youhave.don,t plead bargain them away.

In other words, the black caucus is saying “If I don’t get my way, I’m going to take my marbles and go home.”

Ah yes, I remember my youth when I wanted chocolate and my mom said no; well, I cried and screamed to get my way. Then I turned 5, and realized it was time to grow up. We are talking about mature adults, who we pay to run a government, and they are walking out? Threatening to take a leave for the remaining session? This state government is really gearing up for a major overhaul. This 2008 election will have a lot of new faces.

-citizen driven

Ok they should be able to walk out, as long as they have their pay suspended in the meantime. Does that sit well with you, or do you think they should still get paid even though they are not working?

- citizen driven

PD – if your logic is to pay people to take time off and do nothing, then i will quit my job to work for you and your tax dollars. You are willing to have your tax dollars go toward people who can get anythign accomplished so they refuse to do anything else? Gun control is a serious issue but there are other things on the agenda that my tax dollars are paying to get resolved.
Your logic is flawed becuase you say you do not mind your tax dollars going to pay for the memebrs of the black caucus to take on the NRA. At what point are they going to take on the NRA if they are taking a leave form government?
I want my ta dollars to go towards productive work – not vacation time.

-citizen driven

Personally, I don’t have a problem with some members of the Black Caucus in the House asking to be placed “on leave”. Apparently they are sending the message to their colleagues in the House that they care so much about passing new gun-control laws in Pennsylvania that – well, they’re willing to stay home for the rest of the year. Aside from a below-the-fold story, this accomplishes what for their cause? I wonder if their thought process went something like, “Well, we could lobby some other Dems that may be on the fence – nah, that won’t work. We could try to pull some behind-the-scenes maneuvers with the leadership. Ah, waste of time. Wait, I know – let’s pack up and get an early start on Christmas! That’ll show those NRA nuts that we’re serious!” Please. There is a good reason why the bills the Black Caucus wants to bring to the floor won’t come anywhere near it: THEY’LL DO NOTHING TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM! Even most Democrats realize this. Limiting hunters and responsible collectors to “one gun a month”? Yes, let’s penalize the sportsman’s club in Tioga County because those running Philadelphia refuse to take real steps toward dealing with their problem of gun violence. If the Black Caucus and the “Philly Establishment” were really serious about addressing crimes committed with guns, they would seek to increase penalties for crimes committed with guns and possession of an unregistered gun. They would ensure that thorough background checks are done at gun shows and gun shops. They would support Mayor Nutter (a Philly pol I’m actually somewhat optimistic about) in his “stop and frisk” efforts, similar to the effective policy pursued by Mayor Giuliani in New York during the 90s. They would seek to coordinate the efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in tracking the path of the guns that are finding their way onto Philly streets (i.e., where are these things actually coming from? I guarantee it’s not from any responsible gun shop in the Commonwealth). Instead of pursuing stunts such as a three-week boycott, perhaps those in the Black Caucus who walked out on their colleagues (and their constituents, for that matter) might take a look at solutions that might actually go a long way to actually eliminating the problem, instead of utilizing words and slogans that go a long way in a press release.

Now that was on target.

-citizen driven.

The problem is not handguns, it is people that behave like animals. Get rid of them – put them in prison – and let law abiding citizens keep their guns.

I fully believe that these animals will continue to act like animals with or without guns. They will continue to break laws and hurt people. Take away their guns (which you will not – you will only take away the law abiding folk’s guns) and they will revert to knives, bricks etc to kill people.

The black caucus is all wet on this one.

Just like the Dictatorships of the past, like Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, and ones that continue today who have slaughterd hundreds of millions of their own defenceless unarmed citizens, the Black Caucus wants to use the excuse of thugs, and criminals to send us free citizens in the USA down that same slippery slope. Let me say to the Black Caucus, the next time you walk out keep walking to one of those Dictatorial Countries where only the Military, and Police who have become Goverment Thugs, and Criminals have firearms. I’ll even by you a one way ticket.

If the Black Caucus really wants to decrease gun violence they should do what other cities, and towns have done. Make a law that requires every citizen to be armed, and make training available to any citizen upon request sending a strong message to the criminal element that us citizens will not be intimidated, and you will be shot dead if you want to commit you’re crimes on us. This type of legislation has worked in other communities, inhibiting citizens of firearms just sends a green light to the criminals sending the crime rate much higher.

I applaud the BC for, if nothing else, at least standing up and attempting to DO SOMETHING. It may not be the answer to all our prayers, but limiting gun ownership (most notably, handguns; which have essentially no purpose other than to kill people…) is a step in the right direction.

Do we need to fix other things, too? Yea. There is a definite “thug mentality” that is often bred amongst urban youth who have nothing else going for them. Trust me, I’m not giving them a pass. Every human is responsible for their actions, yet poverty and a tragically awful public school system, linked with ongoing drug and alcohol abuse, tends to foment violence. We need to find ways to break that cycle.

But gun violence needs a multidisciplinary approach. We need to approach it from every angle. Arming everyone in sight is not, from where I sit, a solution.

Pilt