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[PTTG??]

Turning away from the arthritic old guns debate between mass-murderers and nazis, we have a more productive and, I think, urgent issue before the national conscience.

Aaron Swartz, perhaps most immediately recognizable as a co-founder of Reddit, and I think easily describable as a Cory Doctorow protagonist, and his legacy.

I didn't think too much of this- high-profile suicides are somewhat occasional- but this article has clearly summarized what is most disturbing about his legal battles.

[FearfulJesuit]

I'd like to see some candidate come out in 2016 on the platform of criminal justice reform.

But it probably won't happen.

Maybe a law jailing prosecutors for defendants who go off the deep end?

[Frumple]

The thing is this law only applies to murders anyway, so you'd already be in massive trouble without this law.

Do you have a source on this? I've currently woken up and am currently trawling the net trying to find something appearing to be an official transcript of the word of the provision, and new stories, at least, are waffling back and forth as to whether it's just killing or, as you say, specifically murder (At least one I've seen so far is saying that killing a first responder becomes first degree murder, with not mention as to mitigating circumstances -- so a manslaughter or self-defense charge would be upgraded.). The latter case would be pretty much no-issue (well, maybe. Mandatory sentencing in general is a bit scuzzy.) but the former has potential problems. A link to something official would be really nice...

As for what you linked, PTTG, what's your $0.02 on it? Most of what I'm taking away from reading that article is that maybe we should be reigning back the legal system a bit instead of relying on prosecutors to "correctly" inconsistently apply the law.

[Bot Hack]

Gun laws are another non-issue that can not possibly be handled by a massive empire-government such as the USA. It is the same with marriage rights, abortion, drugs, and simply most laws in place now. The only thing to stop these things or allow these things in your community is you.

I abhor the next news reel about a mass school knifing.

The thing about laws is that you can never not submit to them. You either abstain and stay safe or commit and live further, if you aren't CAUGHT.

[Leafsnail]

http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S2230-2013

Several sections of the bill create new and enhanced penalties for
illegal gun use. Sections 33 through 36, known as "Mark's Law," will
include the intentional murder of certain first responders in the
Class A-1 felonies of murder in the first degree and
aggravated murder. The mandatory penalty for a conviction of
aggravated murder is life without parole.

Pretty sure it's murder, most articles which have specified say so too.

[Morrigi]

Gun laws are another non-issue that can not possibly be handled by a massive empire-government such as the USA. It is the same with marriage rights, abortion, drugs, and simply most laws in place now. The only thing to stop these things or allow these things in your community is you.

I abhor the next news reel about a mass school knifing.

The thing about laws is that you can never not submit to them. You either abstain and stay safe or commit and live further, if you aren't CAUGHT.

This could not be more true. There is absolutely no point in banning "assault weapons" in a country where the vast majority of deaths by firearms are caused by handguns and there are millions... hundreds of millions of perfectly legal firearms within the country, the governmental seizing of which would almost certainly cause the Second Civil War.

Edit: FBI homicide statistics, 2007-2011: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8

[FearfulJesuit]

The slimeballs running my home state, Pennsylvania, are introducing a bill to allot electoral votes by congressional district. Although Pennsylvania hasn't voted red since '88, it is gerrymandered to hell (How gerrymandered? Voted blue this year, but has twice as many Republican Congresscritters as Democrats), and had this bill been passed before 2012 we'd be awaiting the inauguration of President Romney.

There's only one upside I can see to this: if it steals the 2016 election, there will be such a huge outcry we'll have to do something about gerrymandering. And if, or when, it does happen, 2020 really will be the death knell for the Republicans.

I know the article's from ThinkProgress; I'm a-Googlin' to find a less partisan citation. I can't find one, yet, but it's only been an hour...

On the bright side: Obama: It's time for universal background checks.

Keep in mind, however, we're likely to see an impeachment attempt opened within a couple days.

[Frumple]

http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S2230-2013

Yeah, the actual sections in question state that the person doing the killing must have reasonably known the person in question was a first responder, as well as have been in a sound state of mind, etc. Most of my troubles with that provision of the bill (beyond the bullshit mandatory aspect, of course) are covered by that.

[FearfulJesuit]

The House GOP has graciously reversed its position and allowed a budgetary increase. Why? Why, to protect us from teh gayz, of course!

[Nadaka]

Florida Govorner Rick Scott adopted a dog during has last gubernatorial campaign as an animal rescue. The dog later disappeared and there was a coverup on what happened to it. Turns out he just gave it back when the race was over and he didn't need to seem like he had even a tiny bit of human compassion anymore.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/mystery-solved-gov-scott-missing-dog-170659491.html

[Urist Imiknorris]

Wow.

[PTTG??]

Gun laws are another non-issue that can not possibly be handled by a massive empire-government such as the USA. It is the same with marriage rights, abortion, drugs, and simply most laws in place now. The only thing to stop these things or allow these things in your community is you.

I abhor the next news reel about a mass school knifing.

The thing about laws is that you can never not submit to them. You either abstain and stay safe or commit and live further, if you aren't CAUGHT.

This could not be more true. There is absolutely no point in banning "assault weapons" in a country where the vast majority of deaths by firearms are caused by handguns and there are millions... hundreds of millions of perfectly legal firearms within the country, the governmental seizing of which would almost certainly cause the Second Civil War.

Edit: FBI homicide statistics, 2007-2011: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8

I disagree- handguns have utility; assault weapons simply do not. The only use of an assualt weapon is the mass slaughter of unarmed human beings. Even if there was a legitimate need for an insurgency, if you'll allow a little pandering to the paranoid, you'll notice that successful insurgencies don't send a squad of AKs against a bunch of jack-booted thugs- they send one guy with a hunting rifle on a snipe hunt.

So, assault weapons just do not have any use besides mass shootings. So why allow them? The country got along just fine when they were banned before.

Handguns, hunting rifles, fine. Coilguns and crossbows? Great, I have one of each. AKs and ARs? What place are you planning on shooting up?

[Nadaka]

You say, there is no purpose for an "assault weapon" except mass slaughter of human beings. But that isn't true. They are used for hunting and sports shooting like any other rifle.

[Mictlantecuhtli]

You say, there is no purpose for an "assault weapon" except mass slaughter of human beings. But that isn't true. They are used for hunting and sports shooting like any other rifle.

Semi-automatic rifles with high capacity and high-power rounds that can fire ~15-30 rounds a clip are not for hunting. Target shooting, yes, but I don't really give a shit if someone's hobby is being infringed on if that hobby can help lead to 10+ mass shootings per year. We cannot solve the gun violence issue in our country unless we address the thing that is the issue causing deaths, namely that Gun part of it.

You don't stop people from using Heroin by banning needles.

[PTTG??]

You say, there is no purpose for an "assault weapon" except mass slaughter of human beings. But that isn't true. They are used for hunting and sports shooting like any other rifle.

In that case, use any other rifle.