Are you feeling the crisis?

[peacetraveler22]

We see the word "crisis" constantly thrown around in text and news articles, but I want to know the reality of the situation for the average person living in Russia. I understand almost nothing about the financial markets, and my investments are all handled by stockbrokers with expertise in the area. Yet I go to the gas station each week and see the gas prices continually drop, which is great for me given that I commute a very long distance to work now. Travel is also less costly with the strength of the dollar, whereas many Russian friends no longer can afford to go abroad due to the continual decrease in the ruble. So, are all of these stories on LJ simply written by alarmists and pessimists, or do you feel there's a real crisis now in Russia as a result of sanctions and economics, which dramatically impacts your life? If so, in what way? Do you have hope for improvement in 2016?

Comments

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Only a certain demographic of the U.S. supports him. These are mostly right-winged, blue collar workers who are frightened by "scary" Muslims and confiscation of their guns. Yet they fail to realize that almost every mass shooting in U.S. schools and movie theaters has been committed by trigger happy white boys from suburbia, not bearded Muslims or women covered in hijab or burqas, so their logic is seriously flawed. No one is trying to take away their guns. The GOP candidates promote fear and the threat of an enemy, and this is the scariest way to control a population and build mass xenophobia. Not to mention I don't support their views on female reproductive rights, which is a whole separate issue.

[10-4.livejournal.com]

No one is taking away guns? Are you serious? The so called "assault rifles" were already confiscated in the NY state, thanks to the SAFE act. Hitlery herself admitted, that complete confiscation is their ultimate goal.

At least, comparing to the hateful democrats, hateful republicans try to shift the balance of power towardx states, which will be much betterfor the people regardless of the rest of their agenda.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Yes, NY has some of the strictest gun laws in the USA. I live right by the headquarters of the National Rifle Association in Virginia, so my State is gun friendly. I'm pro Second Amendment. My family has always owned guns and I go to the range, but something has to be done to curb the violence. How can you not support tighter background checks for owners? What is the downside?

[10-4.livejournal.com]

What can possibly be tighter, and what gun violence are you talking about? You are very educated person, that is fully capable of working with statistics. An FBI uniformal crime report shows, that every single category of crime decreases steadily since 1993. Including murder. Despite the number of guns in the hands of civilians TRIPLED in the meantime. Democrats are merely fueling the paranoia by constantly repeating the words "gun violence". Same as Trump, that is repeating "mexican" (or muslim) threat.

The background check exists since 1993 (brady bill), and is mandatory for every purchase thru the FFL. There is also the so called loopholes, where private citizens can sell guns to each other. Every single mass shooter either bought their guns legally, passing the background checks, or aquired them illegaly (like Lanza, who killed his mother, or st. Bernardino terrorists, who's friends commited a straw purchase on their behalf), meaning no new gun laws could stop them. Not a single one used this loophole either, so any new regulation, prohibiting such transaction will be merely a kneejerking for the sake of prohibition without any real effect. So, how can we do the background checks tighter, that would possibly have any effect?

There are indeed quite few things, that should be done. I can share my thoughts on it, if you are interested.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Sure, what do you think should be done? It's always interesting to hear different viewpoints.

[10-4.livejournal.com]

The biggest problem is that the databases for the background checks dont talk to each other. A person can commit prohibitive offense (like minor domestic violence) in one state and then easily move to different state and start off clean. With no record following him. Not to mention, some of such offences are not being reported to the feds, hence not ending up in NICS, that is used by 22 states for the background check. And thats aside from the DAs, that are letting criminals off with the slap on the wrist for major gun crimes, because its easier for DAs to make a deal, than to actually prosecute.

Thats pretty much it. Every single prohibitive measure is a cure, that is worse than disease.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Makes sense. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!