A police officer stands guard inside an area roped off with crime scene tape near a home being investigated by police on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in Redlands, Calif. A heavily armed man and woman opened fire Wednesday on a holiday banquet for his co-workers, killing multiple people and seriously wounding others in a precision assault, authorities said. Hours later, they died in a shootout with police. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Let’s not talk about guns today. Let’s talk about gun violence.

We obviously can’t begin to agree about guns. That much is clear from every poll you see and every political and geographic and sociological divide that separates the country on a dozen other issues. But we can all agree, I hope, that gun violence is a huge problem.

We can look at the numbers — more than 30,000 gun deaths annually, 11,000 of them homicides — or we can look at our TV screens. If you’ve got a TV, you’ve probably spent more than a few hours in the past week watching as the most horrific gun violence played out. We watched as Colorado Springs was held siege for more than five hours. We watched as the day-long horror in San Bernardino ended as if it were a Bonnie and Clyde remake.

And if you’ve got a TV or access to the Internet or maybe even take a newspaper, you probably also saw this statistic: that if you count a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are injured, we have totaled more mass shootings this year than we have days.

So, the question is why, in the face of this carnage, we don’t do something about it. But, sadly, that’s not a serious question.

We know why. It’s the NRA. It’s politics. It’s the notion, one taken seriously in some quarters, that more guns make us safer. It’s the notion, once passed into law, that, when it comes to gun violence, we shouldn’t spend federal dollars to study what does make us safer.

If we were ever going to consider doing something about gun violence, you’d have to think that San Bernardino would be the starting point. As of now, the motive for the massacre remains uncertain, but the FBI is treating it as a possible case of home-grown terrorism, in which a husband-and-wife team – the husband born in America, the wife here on what is called a fiancee visa — may have had ties to radical Islam.

And in their suburban home, officials found thousands of bullets and a dozen pipe bombs. And if they were terrorists, or even if they were not, and we have to ask why terrorists would target a holiday party in an obscure setting in an obscure town, that’s a lot of bullets. In the headlines, they’re calling it an arsenal.

And in an answer to a question you probably don’t have to ask, the guns that the killers used — .223-caliber assault rifles and semiautomatic handguns — were all purchased legally.

Which leaves us here: Thirty governors have said they don’t want Syrian refugees in their states for fear there might be terrorists among them, even though these refugees have gone through a major vetting process. Meanwhile, in the worst case, potentially home-grown terrorists are able to buy military-style weapons they can use to kill 14 and injure 21 at a holiday party before shooting it out with heavily-militarized police in an exchange of hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

If you think any of that makes a difference, you should have turned to CSPAN and watched the U.S. Senate at work. It was a different kind of horror show.

There was a bill, a budget reconciliation bill that included, not incidentally, yet another shot at repealing Obamacare and also an amendment that would defund Planned Parenthood. Barack Obama has already promised to veto the bill, meaning that it was not about making new law, but making sure everyone is put on the record. And so the Democrats, playing the same game but with fewer players, offered up two gun-control amendments, both of which, of course, failed.

But here’s the thing: One amendment, which lost on a 54-45 vote, would have prevented those on a terrorist watchlist from buying guns, this a day after San Bernardino. In other words, it said if you’re on a list that prevents you from getting on an airplane, it also prevents you from buying, say, an assault rifle.

Republicans were forced not only to vote on this, but they had to actually defend voting against it. Paul Ryan, the new House speaker who will have to vote on it soon, defended it on MSNBC saying, “People are saying, you know, this no-fly list. ‘Don’t let a person who’s on a no-fly list get a gun.’ Well, there are people who are arbitrarily placed on those things. Sometimes people are put on there by mistake. And we would deprive of them of their constitutionally protected due-process rights.”

So, Donald Trump says he’s considering undoing a few constitutional amendments by forcing Muslims to somehow register while calling for more surveillance of mosques, and he’s leading in all the GOP primary polls.

If we’re unwilling to change the laws so that people on a no-fly list can’t buy a gun, what is the chance of, say, banning assault weapons again or mandating technology to make guns safer or punishing the few gun shops that willfully sell to criminals or expanding background checks or doing anything — other than pretending to talk seriously about mental illness — about gun violence?

The truth is that mass shootings are only a small part of gun violence in this country. But these are the shootings that force people to notice, as they did right here in Colorado, at least before the recalls. Still, as the shootings continue, they’ve forced Democrats, after years of cravenly avoiding the issue, to make it a centerpiece nationally in the 2016 campaign. Certainly the tenor of the conversation has changed. The level of gun violence has forced the issue. But will it actually force anything to change?

Mike Littwin writes for the Colorado Independent (www.coloradoindependent.com).

70 replies on “LITTWIN: We all agree gun violence is a huge problem. Right?”

  1. You know Dave, everytime you write something, you make more stupid remarks. ‘even after a major vetting process for Syrian refugees’ Major? Many of these people don’t have any records, of any kind, and yet, you want them to immigrate into our country. But, since you are for ‘open borders’ and only recently admitted that Obamacare is a failure (it has been from the beginning, a costly, poorly run and thought-out, piece of partisan legislation that was doomed from the beginning, by unthinking Democrats) I imagine you would think ‘come one, come all’ is a good idea, after all, many of them won’t be terrorists.

    1. gooey has Mike and Dave confused. Nothing new! gooey’s confused 24/7 and then some.

      His wing nut cognitive abilities are impaired exponentially when Dave or Mike ring his chimes. They do so with relative ease proving gooey’s lack of basic intelligence.

      1. Kay Kaiser! There’s a blast from the past. I doubt gooey get’s it.

        Funny post. Keep em coming.

  2. ”
    We all agree gun violence is a huge problem. Right?”
    Only in gun free zones and demoncrat run ghettos.

    4. Are you calling Colorado Springs a ghetto? I know it’s not a gun-free zone. Just the opposite. Open carry of long guns in the street.

  3. “One amendment, which lost on a 54-45 vote, would have prevented those on a terrorist watchlist from buying guns, this a day after San Bernardino. In other words, it said if you’re on a list that prevents you from getting on an airplane, it also prevents you from buying, say, an assault rifle.”
    What other rights do you want a bureaucrat to decide you deserve? This is LIBERAL FASCISM.

  4. “the guns that the killers used — .223-caliber assault rifles and semiautomatic handguns — were all purchased legally.”
    LIE.
    The long guns used in the attack are banned in California, both by description of their configuration. Farook most certainly did not just walk into a California gun shop or a gun show and buy them in that configuration. ALL long guns less than 50 years old are banned from private party sales in California, and to legally possess a banned-configuration “grandfathered” semi-auto rifle in California, it would have had to have been registered to Farook on or before December 31, 1999. But he was 13 years old in 1999, so that is impossible. https://survivalblog.com/observations-on-the-december-2nd-california-terror-attack/

    1. Long gun, short gun, pink guns, yellow guns. What difference does it make. I’ll take the word of the authorities over a aldew’s.

      Leave it to a gun freak to post detailed NRA drivel. “Survivalblog”? aldew is a survivalist? That says it all!

    2. The two long guns were purchased legally by a friend outside of California. Which is all law enforcement will disclose.

      1. A straw purchase across state lines is illegal. You mean to tell me the terrorists broke the law. INCONCEIVABLE!

        1. I’m sure you realize it’s difficult to prove a straw purchase. No idea of the details. Law enforcement said all purchases were legal.

          1. It is ILLEGAL to possess weapons of those configurations in California regardless of where they were purchased, unless the terrorists owned them in 1999 when they were 13 years old. The TERRORISTS broke the law. Pass more laws. That will stop them.

  5. “why terrorists would target a holiday party in an obscure setting in an obscure town, ”
    Actually that sounds like a very good terrorist target in order make ordinary people fearful.

  7. “more than 30,000 gun deaths annually, 11,000 of them homicides ”
    Where do most of those homocides take place? If you take out several of the demoncrat run paradises, our gun crime rate is lower than most countries in the EU.

    3. Six took place in Colorado Springs, completely open carry. Hardly Democratic. It’s a paradise for open carry, no surprise the nuts are moving there.

  8. Violence was here long before all you smart people were born.. and it will be here long after you guys are gone. If it ain’t guns.. it will be something else.. Best solution is to remove gun free zones and campaign to increase number of people carrying guns. We need to make it hard for these cowards to carry out these easy massacres.

    1. Breath taking! “Increase number of people carrying guns”. Obviously vetteboy is not among the “smart people”.

    2. YEAH! Everyone packing heat!!! That’ll solve everything!!!! Just like the good guy with a gun who left it out so his little girl could blow out her brains the other day. Pal, you’re so wrong.

    3. Colorado Springs is not a “gun’free” zone. It’s the opposite. They’ve had two shootings by those open carrying assault weapons down the street. Not one open carry good guy that was there, either time. Why would they target an open carry town?

    4. YEP. Cain and Abel When these folks shot up some groups, there was folks with guns in the group, and they did not start spraying bullets. You need to think about your attitude against honest folks having guns. That was why our ancestors came here, and we did not have so open problems in earlier years. Some even drove to school, into town, and other places with guns showing in racks of their vehicles. Without incident. I carried rifle down street of Romney WV when I was 16, to uncle’s house without causing any excitement from police, neighbors, or family.
      Only now, in this PC world of pansies, gays and lesbians, foreign folks in costumes not required by their religion, but by the men of their families, who still think in 6th century, figurative Koran writing by a evil false prophet claiming to be last prophet, getting direct words from Allah, does mother faint at sight of a gun, or folks run for their phone to call the police. And folks like you who have head in sand.
      Stationed in Las Vegas area 1950-54, we could list 17 different parts of police who carried concealed, plus all the deputy sheriffs, paid by casinos, and only authorized to keep peace in the casino where they worked, as armed openly. That did not include federal marshalls or others who also openly or concealed, CARRIED. GIVE ME A BREAK. GUNS DO NOT SCARE ME. MY GOVERNMENT NOW, SCARES ME MORE THAN THOSE ENEMIES IN YEARS I WAS IN MILITARY SERVICE. And folks like you who will not see.

  9. Per the FBI’s Expanded Homicide Data, Table 8:
    Total Firearm Deaths, 2014: 8,124

    Per the CDC
    Total Deaths Caused by Drunk Driving, 2013: 10,076

    Guess which one Littwin thinks is the bigger problem.

    1. Hey! Simply brilliant on rock head’s part. “Guess which one Littwin thinks is the bigger problem”. Mind boggling!

        1. Apparently rock head doesn’t think period! That much is obvious reading most his/her wing nut comments.

          1. Apparently rock head doesn’t think period!
            ryeguzzler projecting like a movie theater again.

          2. Apparently rock head has a problem with movies, another freakish wing nut apparition with Hollywood no doubt.

          3. Apparently ryeguzzler’s been hitting the sauce too hard again, clearly common-sense alcohol control is needed.

          5. ryeguzzler’s letting his alcohol-fueled rage get the best of him. Much easier to whine about gun owners than address his addictive behaviors.

          6. Yes indeed. Hardhead is into his booze. Obsessed with it sounds like. Every comment about alcohol and addiction. Sounds like a problem to me.

          7. Once again ryeguzzler project his personal problems onto people he disagrees with. Confronted with the fact that more people are killed by drunk drivers than are murdered by someone with a gun (not to mention more people who die from alcohol-related causes than from firearm-related causes–88,000 deaths per year vs the 30,000 that Littwin cited), he lashes out in anger. Obviously someone who values easy availability of his favored vice over public safety.

          11. Whereas ryeguzzler reveals his addictions for all to see. Poor ryeguzzler, looking so hard to disarm people he merely disagrees with, but unwilling to face his own addictions head-on. Perhaps once he does, he’ll be willing to hold himself to the same standard he holds gun owners.

          13. Common sense Gun Control is using two hands, and squeezing the trigger gently, so weapon will not be pulled off target. And I hope someone catches you soon, Rye and bottles you into whiskey or some other drink with Rye. Don’t moonshiners use corn and rye, to make their whiskey. Please move to Kentucky or somewhere that still has moonshiners.
            We all know (or should know) that democrat family produce mental defectives, who buy guns and go to other states, to kill in ‘safe gun zone’ areas. Holmes from CA, kid in NE state, and same in white kid who shot the blacks in southern church. Never seem to read of gun permit holders committing these mass shootings, but sure prevalent in Chicago, Detroit, NYC, NJ, MD, DC, and around most of our military factory cities, or the Civil Service overloaded Union cities. Not in rural areas, where folks work for a living, when government leaves them alone.

          14. Are you attacking me big guy? I’m disappointed. I thought you were a level headed old coot. Turns out your just an old fart blowing smoke rings. Hypocrite!

            Take your meds and get some sleep. You need it!

          15. And by the way. I only kept one pistol and gave my other guns to oldest son in another state. Inherited this gun about 50 years ago, no permit, and don’t intend to get one. Have owned guns since age 16, learned to shoot at 13. In all the years between 13 and 86, I have never shot a human. Came close on 4 occasions, but bad guys decided to depart, post haste, when they saw I was armed, and serious about it.
            And 26 years 18 days of that was in military service, during Korea, cold war to Vietnam, and I worked with many WWII veterans in 1950 – 54, and 54 to 59, in 3 different military assignments. Also worked with foreign and USA military all of those 26 years, some in Warsaw Ghetto, one Japanese who was child in a camp during war. His family went back to Japan after WWII, disowned him, because he joined our US Air Force in 1950. Also WWII veteran who joined US army in Europe, being born there, and becoming US citizens. So I have been around guns most of my life, and was able to control any wild, basic alarms. But I have to admit Dave Perry could create lot of friction, with harping on gun control, to match Obama.

          16. Right! And the Martians have landed in Jersey. Get a life and a grip. You need it! And please. Don’t shoot yourself in the ass on the way out.

          18. frank you surprise me. You’re attacking me again. Get some rest. I fear Father Time has taken it’s toll. Don’t forget to use “two hands” so you will not miss the toilet bowl. Have a nice day frank.

          19. Quit with the one liner attacks on others. So 3 to 5th grade, “your mother wears combat boots”, and “so is your old man” and others such remarks that used to be prevalent on WWII playgrounds. And during Korea, those were said too. But now mothers are wearing combat boots, and Ash Carter just opened all skills in military to females, IF THEY CAN QUALIFY.
            ——
            So now we get crap that used to be chalked on sidewalks from you and others. And no matter age, the mental ideas projected are not attractive, useful, or informative. Insulting and downgrading, and that is not pretty or acceptable among polite society. Hate it even more on internet, which is most used by young and old, for communication, sharing of ideas, or opinions.
            ————–
            But the trashing, smearing, and talking down to others is what destroyed citizens band radio, and brought folks back into public with cell phones, so they now walk down streets broadcasting to all around them, of what phone booths were built to keep private.
            ————–
            My work 1970 to 1976 was proving Satellite Communications would work, world wide, and instant command and control would be available to commanders, around the planet. Civilian companies (communications and knowledge exchanging) closely followed.
            AND THIS IS BEING PROSTITUTED BY THE SIDEWALK, CHALK WRITERS, AND FOLKS OF SMALL INTELECT.
            LOW INFORMATION, TWEETING, AND TRASHING FOLKS JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. GROW UP AND SHARE DATA-INFORMATION. AND QUIT TRASHING OTHERS.
            —-That last line is for all who use internet, and read this comment. I do not respect you, when you do not respect me and my opinions. No matter your age, gender, color, race, or any other dam reason.

          20. Dear me. You have busy fingers this morning. A little exercise in the AM is good.

            For a guy who’s done it all and seen it all, or so he claims, I’m suitably amused.

            Have a nice day.

          21. So you doubt my opinions or statements. Well I have the documents, photos, and even the performance reports of those years to show. And I look back and wonder why my supervisors(superiors) up through the senior officer ranks, and grades, even flag officers allowed me the freedom to run my shops, and stay off my back while I did it. Only required I set in at staff meetings, as a participant, and keep them all advised of my progress. They were interested in results, and missions accomplished. Not how I did them. As 2 full colonels in recent years told me repeatedly, in working with me in retirement, told me I should write a book. But none of the chalk writers read books, and no one believes Ollie North. But Majors have lot of authority when backed by the President. And even a Master Sergeant ( SSgt to MSgt) years, I had the backing, authority and responsibilities that my superiors gave me. Why, I have no idea. But farm boy to working with other countries, and major commands, directly on my words, has given me memories. LET ME SAY, I DO NOT, AND NEVER DID BACK UP TO THE PAY TABLE. AND TAX-PAYERS AND US Air Force got a bargain in my work. Not bragging, or even caring if you believe it. If you ever talk to Gov. Bill Owens, Tom Tancredo, Bob Beauprez, Sam Johnson – TEXAS Representative- guest of N. Vietnamese for 7 years in Hanoi Hilton, they will tell you I am not faking, or one to shade the truth. Sam endorsed his book “Captive Warriors” to me twice 2005 and 2006 when visiting here, and I have that photo of Bob Beauprez and Claudia, my wife, Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, and Sam signing the book in Aurora 2006. So get off my back. I was there, did it, and do not embellish it at all.

          22. Why frank! Whatever gave you the idea I’ve been “on your back”. What would Both Ways Bob and Tommy the Loony Tancredo think? No wonder you’re a “Quack” fan.

            Ollie North? That says it all.

          23. You must be a joy to your friends, if you have any. But that last tells me whole story of you and your beliefs. You cannot handle truth, or have much respect for what USA used to stand for. Enjoy your illegal alien neighbors, and don’t show too much fear when any muslim show you what they think of ‘infidel’ like you. They are here, whether you believe it or not.

          24. The last I checked, the USA has always stood for the same thing from 1776 to the present. Freedom of expression, the right to worship according to your beliefs, the right to vote, petition your government, the right to a trial and defense attorney, and all of those “unenumerated rights” referred to in the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

            Not to worry frank. You’ll soon be gone which seems is your preference to living in this depraved world according to frank.

            Have a nice day what’s left of it.

          25. Those folks are my friends, and I worked on both of Tom Tancredo’s advisory panel all the years he was in House. Been in his home, know his wife Jackie, and your are not qualified to call them any names, except Representative Tom Tancredo in the formal sense. Same goes for Bob Beauprez, and wife Claudia. Very personal friends, and both recognized my wife and I, with hugs, handshakes, and greetings at Heather Garden Picnic area on 12 June 2014, as both campaigned for Governor. Either one of them is (and was) eminently more qualified to be Governor, then the looney toon Governor we have who was touted for VP candidate with Hillary, when she was out here, but some like you.
            If you like a governor who cannot bring himself to represent the whole state, and make decisions, opposing the ex-mayor of NYC, with his millions (or is that billions) and massive spending for gun control, then move to New York State. You and Blasio will get along well together. And Ollie North did what Pres. Reagan and the administration wanted, and needed to do. Congressional opposition, as now, is the stopper, while at same time is bringing your friendly muslims into the country by thousands. If you think you can get along with them, go back and really restudy the crusades, and reason for 7 of them, over centuries. As long as they follow the Koran (Quran) (any other spelling) and Sharia Law, they will never be my friends. No matter how skillfully they hide their true beliefs. Or hide their women (????) inside those tents, called burquas. (? sp). Could be men with guns, just as easily, since their religion allows lying to “infidels”.
            ———-No, you lose all validity with me when you support those, and use Liberal means of smearing better folks than you. And like my friends who worked issues as volunteers and died much too early, I will keep ON WITH WHAT I DO, DID, AND HOPE CHANGE WILL GO BACK TO IMPROVING SOCIETY, NOT TEARING IT DOWN FOR PERSONAL GRATIFICATION OF PRESENT FOLKS.

          27. One other comment: Watch Video: Live life that matters. Could change lot of attitudes. 4 minutes of powerful, societal significance.

          29. NOPE. WATCH IT AND FIND OUT. BUT SELECT THE HIGH DEFINITION VERSION. MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL AND IMPRESSIVE. IF IT DOES NOT GIVE YOU A THOUGHTFUL IDEA, YOU ARE BEYOND HOPE.

          30. High definition. Now you’re talking. Have you watched HBO’s “The Sopranos”? If not you are beyond hope.

          31. Do you have something against Glen Beck. He is a conservative and like Russ Limbaugh, he says it the way it is. Suppose you won’t watch Judge Jeanie, either? Why not? Can’t stand the truth, or do you have a liking for pabulum, as put forth by the other candidates? DNC and GOP.
            Trump is the exception. Uses his own money, and those collecting money in his name, are not connected to him, or speaking for him. They do support his statements. Not policy, because not one of them has done anything to put their talk into action, other than talk, talk, talk, and they are spending PAC money to send you and all of us, those fancy little flyers. And this year, so far, I have received 18 calendars that are beautiful, BUT NOT ONE OF THEM IS A COUNT-DOWN CALENDAR TO WHEN THIS ADMINISTRATION IS DONE. Even that little change would help. Anything to give me idea that we will change policy in January 2017.
            THANK GOD I AM OLD. WILL NOT HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS CRAP MUCH LONGER. So if you pray, let it be that I have satisfied whatever I was born to do, and let it go. Not depressed, or suicidal. Just tired of witless, pandering by those who should know better.

          32. Judge Jeanie? I thought it was Judge Judy. Oh well! On to Rush and Beck. I consider them both to be defaults by choice.

            You sound tired frank. Life getting you down is it breathing the same air with liberals and bottlehead blonds. Whatever you decide, good luck at the pearly gates.

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