That does nothing to address the root of the problem.

@RoboGraham Criticize without saying what the root of the problem is, or make a moronic statement like "opposite of Kamala Harris approach" That's as stupid as Republican talking points. Get stabbed or held at gunpoint a couple of times and you'll know law enforcement is necessary. I'm still here. Suburban white kids that have all the answers. I live in the real world. We have a reform DA in my city. Larry Krasner. You prolly think he's got the answers. He's got a revolving door for gun charges without cash bail, meanwhile people are getting shot out there. The GOP in Harrisburg won't pass any gun laws. Philly is an open carry city. I'm a gun owner myself but I'm willing to register a weapon. I support gun control. That had to be done first. Kamala Harris was a reform DA and AG. Political quotes she may have made are misleading. Do your research. Make sure you know what your talking about.

@barjoe

I didn't realize it was necessary to type out the root of the problem, I thought it was obvious. Making it more difficult to get guns is not going to reduce the motivation to commit crimes. It will only make it slightly more difficult to commit crimes but people are resourceful, they will find a way.

If you actually want to reduce crime, address the cause, not a tool that people often use to commit crimes. Reduce poverty, lack of opportunity, lack of decent education, lack of mental health access, and stop throwing people in prison for minor violations and then provide no support to help them adjust when they get out.

The Harris approach is to continue shoveling money into the prison complex and the police forces. We have been doing this since the 90s and it has only made things worse. She said that we need to not invest in schools and instead put more money into prisons. It's a cruel, absurd, and counterproductive approach.

Gun reform can do some good but it is not the solution.

@RoboGraham First of all, reducing poverty involves trillions of dollars and decades to show results with regards to crime. I grew up in poverty, I never shot anybody. There's other issues like equal education opportunities. Second, go ahead blame Kamala Harris for the prison system and misrepresent her position. Since the 90s? You think this started with the crime bill? This started in 70s, Nixon's war on drugs. The crime bill is the GOP blame game to the democrats. You're just as bad trying to blame any of this on Kamala Harris. We need police reform. They cause as much crime as they prevent. Lastly, gun control is the first thing you have to do. Take illegal guns off the streets and you'll see immediate reduction in shootings and gun crimes. None of this is obvious.

@barjoe

Just because you grew up in poverty and didn't shoot anyone doesn't mean there's not a correlation between the two. I grew up poor too and didn't commit any violent crimes but many people I came up with did. Did any of your poor friends end up commiting violent crimes?

I didn't say it would be cheap and fast. I'm saying if we want to put an end to it, we need to address the root cause. Of course it will be costly and take time. I mentioned the lack of good education opportunities in my response.

I will blame Harris because she is part of the problem. Anyone who takes from schools and gives to the prison complex is part of the problem and needs to get the hell out of the way.

Sure, it didn't start in the 90, but that's when it was supercharged. And my point was that these tactics have been used for a long time with the opposite of the desired results. If you want to point out that it's been going on since the 70s, great, that helps me to make my point.

How do you intend to remove the illegal guns from the streets?

@RoboGraham dude you need to get a hobby

@barjoe

Same to ya. You are having the same conversation I am.

The only difference is that I'm doing it better, so you gave up.

@RoboGraham You mean we should attempt to obtain every copy of Al Pacino's "Scarface" from the youth who view that violence as hero worship? Although listed as crime this is more than that. It's a mentality. I live in the same urban madness as Barjoe and our two top businesses are law firms and hospitals. Gun control is definitely the best start.

@IAJO163

I don't think violence depicted on TV or video games translates into violence in the real world.

Right, it's mentality, and we need to change that mentality, and the way to do it is to address the root of the problem, poverty, lack of opportunity, and a punitive prison culture that focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation.

Okay, gun control is a good idea. There are certainly improvements that can be made. But do you think we can actually get the gun situation under control enough to prevent all this violent crime? How would you go about doing it?

@RoboGraham Guns aren't much use without bullets. Regulate the ammo. I have watched kids in my city grow up into not quite adults and the mentality they possess idolizes that Scarface movie. Combined with the music that they listen to it's a deadly combination that makes them feel that they're above fearing death. The reasons for the murders in my city are senseless and no one should have to expire for them. Many of these kids are "Hustlers and don't want to work. They've had very little experience working in the "white man's world" and some have never had a job and are in their 30s now. The mentality thing extends much deeper than what shows on the surface.

@IAJO163

Yes, I believe the ammunition should be regulated also.

The criminal culture that you describe is the root of the problem. We have a system that fails to educate, fails to provide opportunities, and overly incarcerates minorities. In such circumstances, a life of crime is to be expected and there is much anger and resentment, naturally. We need to change this. We do it by rooting out systemic racism, improving education, ending the drug war and the tough on crime doctrine, providing employment opportunities to all, and providing rehabilitation rather than incarceration. This will heel those shattered communities. Gun control is a bandaid on a bullet wound. It will help, but not much, and it will do nothing to address the root cause of these issues.

@RoboGraham I could go on forever about the attitude that I'm surrounded by and the mentality that supports it. You can't force education on people who don't want it. The treasured few who do want it unfortunately get caught up in having to deal with the mentality of the streets and urban warfare. I maintain hope and continue to lend my input, one mind at a time and hope that it pays forward. I thank you for caring.

@IAJO163

All we can do is attempt to have a positive influence on those around us. I'm sure it seems pointless at times when there is so much negativity but it makes a difference. Even a small difference is better than nothing.

The issue of people not wanting education is very serious. I have a degree in education and I wrote my masters thesis on that topic. It was all about how to motivate students and the conclusion that I came to was that education should be as optional as possible. Allow people to engage with topics they are interested in and have them do it in a way that they enjoy. Forcing it upon people in rigid fashion is not very successful and only breeds resentment toward education. School should not feel like prison.

I think things will improve over time. They always do.

@RoboGraham "It’s sort of one of those staples in the Black community. I’m a singer, and I can’t tell you how many times I walk into a studio and a Scarface poster is in the middle of the room!"

As I had mentioned? Behind the mentality of today's youth gun violence? This is a quote from a black actor.