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BREAKING

Biden to Deliver Gun Violence Reduction Plan Within Days, as News Breaks of Another School Shooting

At least two people have been shot at a high school near Bakersfield, Ca., reports say

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by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t +

Vice President Joe Biden announced he will offer his anti-gun violence task force's recommendations to President Obama by Tuesday, as word spread of another school shooting in Bakersfield, CA.

Initial reports say at least two people were shot Thursday morning at Taft Union High School in Kern County. A person believed to be the shooter was taken into custody. One victim received minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene and the other person was airlifted to Kern Medical Center with unknown injuries, KGET-17 in Bakersefield, Ca. reports.

Meanwhile, Biden alluded to what his group's upcoming recommendations to President Barack Obama may include. He said a consensus is emerging over proposals such as tightening background checks and banning high-capacity ammunition magazines, the Washington Post reports.

Biden is set to meet later today with officials from the National Rifle Association, the gun rights group, and Wal-Mart, a top seller of firearms.

Via The Washington Post and KGET-17
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Is there anything Biden could recommend that would have prevented the Bakersfield, Ca. school shooting?

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157 Comments (view in Forum)

  • Enslaved
    !
    How about asking, Why Now? What is it about our day and age that children can get shoot up in school. This didn't happen 30 or 40 years ago, when guns were easier to get. It didn't happen when laws for gun purchases were not as tough, so why now?

    Blaming the gun is cowardly because the real cause is much to hard to address.
  • marine1
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    @russ Everyone knows that this would piss off a certain voting block and way too many political freeloaders would loose their do nothing job. God forbid goverment truly had to accomplish something in return for their salary.
  • frigginhell
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    Who said that's not part of the problem? You're trying to pretend it's the entire problem. It's not. It's an issue but it is not the only issue. The ease with which these disturbed people you're whining about and blaming it all on can get a weapon designed to kill as many people as quickly and effeciently as possible is also a very real part of the problem as well. You want to deflect anything you find inconvenient and focus on only one part of a larger issue.
    So what do you suggest? How do you know who all these crazy people are? They don't all go to psychologists. They're not all diagnosed before they strike. Are you suggesting we trample on everyone's right to privacy and madate psychological evalutations so we can keep a database of the disturbed and possibly commit them to facilities against their will because we're afraid of something they might do instead of something they've actually done? My what a champions of liberty and justice such a notion is armed with the tiny portions of The Constitution that certain individuals want to protect for themselves while pissing one everyone else's rights.
    Guns were easier to get 30 years ago than they are now? Really? So if I go to a gun store and pay 450 dollars in cash for a Ruger .357 i won't have to wait five days and I can take it home right then without signing any paperwork and the gunstore owner won't tell me he'll refuse to tell the cops if they ask what I bought. I'll call that BS because I know for absolute certainty that scenario can play out. Call it a well informed fact as it's not a theory or some kind of conspiracy. So it was easier than that? The only way it could be easier was if it was cheaper. That's it.
    I love the way people love to say, well look at Mexico, they have strict gun laws and look how it's working out for them. As if completely glossing over the fact they come across to border to buy those guns here in this country because we don't have the enforcement and legislation of gun laws and gun trafficking isn't how they get the guns in the first place. Mexico is a real problem and we are a very real part of that problem. You want to tell me someone's not going to sell guns to Mexicans because of some sort of morality issue with it? They've caught cops doing it in AZ. The whole fast and the furious mess that everyone wants to blame on Obama and Holder that was started by Bush was in fact an effort to try and break the gun running that goes on across the border between Mexico and the United States. The gun running that is still going on because it wasn't a very good plan and poorly executed. You want a conspiracy on the Fast and Furious? How about some gun lobbyists exposed it to make the attorney general look weak in an attempt to shut down any legislation that might have resulted if they were able to show the gunline between the two countries. Seemed like if that was there plan then they did a mighty fine job.
    Gun violence and violence in general are very real issues in this country that need an open and honest discussion. Trying to take something off the table just because some feel a selfish need to cling to their AR-15's because somehow they think they're patriotic as they're citing the constitution while they think the government it represents is out to get them. The same people who say support the troops and the military hates Obama and yet are afraid the military will totally accept his orders to come take their guns so they can declare him King of America. The same people who really need to be put on the mental health issues list because they seem to be suffering from some sort of paranoia and can't be deemed competent enough to own a firearm themselves. Somehow these people think we shouldn't talk about guns.
    Guns are a part of it. Talking about them and changing some of the laws in relation to them are part of the solution. It's not the entire solution. Pretending it's not an issue is a self-deception at best and an outright lie at worst.
  • martydotcom
    !
    The question Could Biden say anything that would make a difference when nary one bit of information about the shooter, victim, cause is available is just stupid

    Several weeks ago the news was afire school bus shooting one killed. Everyone thinking another rampage.

    Get the fact before leaping in. In this case a dumb parent left a pistol unlocked and a 9 year old took it to school to show off and had it out on the bus and it went off accidently.

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  • Enslaved
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    That's not why gun sales are up. No law abiding, gun toteing American, fears illegal aliens. Personally I say let all come here if they want, but any business that employes them should be severely penalized and punished, there should be no free handouts of any kind and no natural citizenship for children born of illegals.

    Anyone can immigrate here, but they must follow the law. Slipping in under the cover of darkness should no longer lead to a free handouts, a job or citizenship for little bambino.
  • Jean
    !
    have you ever tried to control a person with a mental problem!??!?!
    I am beginning to think that our elected officials have mental problems in that they cannot get that controlling the choice of weapon will not control the mental health problems. They will still use whatever weapon they can get their hands on......all the while handicapping the sane from having protection.

    Good old Uncle Joe.
  • Jean
    !
    @Denizen_Kate agreement is overrated....especially in a country founded as ours was.
    it is about discourse and the ability to have it. I thank God for it!
  • kirbstomp1
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    The gun's girlfriend broke up him so the next morning he decided to go off and kill people. Seriously...when you make something more difficult to get it becomes more valuable which then causes more people to be jailed, killed, and caught up in illegal operations. Our government is making the wrong choice. I will say all the Hicks down here in the South are all spouting 'the South will rise again.' I will bust out laughing if they start forming militias.

    Just hope the government isn't stupid enough to white out the 2nd amendment.
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  • dkpayton
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    just one man can not be every where just like the cops in your town can not cover everyone all at the same time. sounds like more guards were needed..
  • AceLuby
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    @dkpayton And who's going to pay for all these armed guards? What about workplace shootings? What about shootings in public squares? What about shootings in movie theaters? To think that 'more guards' is the answer is naive.
  • DARSB
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    @dkpayton I'm just not sure we, as a nation, are ready to embrace militarizing our schools. If violent video games can desensitize a person to mass murder, what effects would daily observation of an actual armed human being have on first graders?
  • seedtick
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    @DARSB First graders would be affected the same way they would be seeing an armed police officer any other place. There's a big difference between seeing a person they know should have a gun and seeing someone strange walking into the school packing one.
    As far as protecting the campus is concerned, we have to wonder why one guard had so many open entrances to watch. The schools my granddaughters attend already had total daily lockdown before the Sandy Hook tragedy...you had to stand in a foyer and be electronically "buzzed" into the office and present your picture ID before being allowed into the building.

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  • MadAmerican
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    @PNWest Yes, he's drawn attention to himself. Maybe he was diricting to those threatening to take his business and way of life. At any point if the government goes door to door to take their guns, a lot of Americans will be killing each other. PN, the only way you are going to see that more regulations do not stop killings is watch what happens after this bill is passed. You can have 1,000 regulations banning every gun made, however drinking and driving is ilegal, but people still do it. Crystal meth and cocain illegal, but people still do it, robbery, theft, etc. It's just a knee jerk reaction to make people feel safe, but it really doesn't work. I do believe in banning assult rifles and expanded clips and putting someone, (armed teachers or armed guards) in schools to not only act as a deterent, but to hopefully stop or cut down the casualty rate from these monsters.
  • PNWest
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    @MadAmerican This man is a highly trained gun instructor - exactly the kind of trained person that gun nuts say we need more of. He's not only been properly trained in firearms - he teaches proper firearm usage. See his qualifications here: http://www.tacticalresponse.com/d/node/160 . Now he is threatening to go out and kill people because he doesn't want gun laws changed. It seems to me that if the people who are the most highly trained in firearms can't be trusted then who can? Do we need to station someone with a gun in Mr. Yeager's training facility just in case he goes nuts? And who watches the guy guarding him. Remember Mr. Yeager isn't defending his way of life - he is threatening to go out and kill people!
  • MadAmerican
    !
    @PNWest I'm not defending him, don't know him but because of these idiots the rest of us who do obey the laws are the ones about to be punished. That's the problem I have with our government. the majority doesn't rule anymore, it's always the poor little minorities.
  • Buzzfriendly
    !
    Gun control advocates are the criminals best friend. They don't see this, they fail to recognize that criminals don't follow laws, nor will they be deterred to commit that crime, they have no concept that people can easily modify the weapons already out there and they don't give a crap about the second amendment. Emotional legislation is worthless, costly and ineffective.
  • MongoAPillager
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    they know that laws do not work,they do not care,our government is corrupt an infiltrated by every enemy of freedom imaginable,being evil,it fears an armed populace
  • AceLuby
    !
    Why would 'government' want to take guns away from people? Do you really think that neighborhood militias with guns are what's standing in the way of the greatest military in history? How cute.

    If 'they' wanted control like that,'they' could simply take it as 'they' have done to countless countries for 75 years. It's a laughable argument.
  • Your_Name_Here
    !
    @AceLuby What's laughable is referring to what we have as the greatest military when all they have accomplished in the past 50 years is get a bunch of our own people killed. How about if they go over to China or North Korea and piss on their tree? Attack somebody who can retaliate instead of a nobody like Hussein so you can get your picture in the paper and look good to the idiots that support you. Do you think the greatest military in history is going to attack their own families to get control of the people? I don't know "why" the government would want to take guns away from the people but I want to know why that ARE doing it.
  • AceLuby
    !
    @Your_Name_Here Who is taking your guns away? Seriously. No BS, no side stepping, who are the ones that are taking your guns away right now?

    And if the military isn't who we would fight to overthrow our govt, who would we fight?
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    Right. The federal government caused the murder of 20 small children just so they could take our guns. You seem to be in need of some serious adjustment to that tin foil hat you're wearing.

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  • whataGOVwehave
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    Or death.....I'm not feeding, bathing and clothing someone for life for doing a horrible thing. So they can sit and watch tv and eat junk food for the next 30-40-50 year's....no way.
  • thejimbo
    !
    Okay, 2 articles this morning alone..... The Press has switched buzzwords.. and it is subtle.. NO anti-gun lobbyist is a "GUN SAFETY ADVOCATE". They HATE the NRA who ARE the largest proponents of safe practices and education in the world. Don't disguise "anti-gun" as pro-safety. It's NOT!
  • Malitia_Man
    !
    While you guys sit around talking about the faults of guns in the hands of doped up psychos, I want to talk about the benefits of firearms!!!

    August 30th, 2010, school resource officer Carolyn Gudger of Sullivan Central High School stopped a 62yo male with her CONCEALED FIREARM, that had entered the school withe firearms of his own!

    Link:
    http://littlebytesnews.blogspot.com/2013/01/a...

    Another instance of a justifiable use of a firearm was actually here recently! The woman not only saved her life, but the lives of her INNOCENT 9-yo twins!!! She shot the intruder 6 times with a .38 revolver! The intruder on the other hand lives in this heroic tale... Just think! This is a prime example of a viable place for a SEMI-automatic rifle! What if there had been more than just one intruder!!! If she had to shoot one intruder SIX times to save her and her children's lives, how would she had been able to protect herself and kids if there were a second???

    Link:
    http://www.gadailynews.com/news/147692-loganv...

    All in all, we will always be surrounded by predators looking for blood! How we are able to defend ourselves is what really matters!!! III%

    ΜΟΛΩΝ
  • tomincali
    !
    well anyone who cares to check obama once said he didn't think people should be allowed to own guns,it seems he still thinks like that.

    school shooter was said to have targeted those who bullied him. ca school say they have a zero tolerance on this yet.

    funny thing about ca schools, a kid can ask for help and get none from the schools, he stands up breaks a few bones of the trouble maker and then the school kicks him out when all could have been prevent by removing the trouble maker the first time letting the parents figure out what to do with him.

    shooting is not the answer,yet schools not 100% enforcing their zero tolerance is a failure on all counts.
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    Politix, what an inane question. Seriously, how can anyone say whether or not the veep's plans would have prevented this latest school shooting without having any details whatsoever about the shooter, his background, who was shot and why he was shooting at them? Sheesh!
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    Really, you are asking way too much. Just andwer the question without any factual basis and start an argument. That is how this site works. Soon ad you introduce facts you defeat the whole purpose of these debates...
  • Keyjo
    !
    Chicago has very strict anti gun laws. It's NOT working there. In fact, shootings are epidemic. All the criminals are armed, the Police are overwhelmed, honest citizens are unarmed and defenseless.
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