These guns were bought legally. But the quantity purchased all at once by someone recently from Islamic country along with large quantity of ammunition would have raised eyebrows don't you think.
It wasn't 20 guns.
It was a smaller number and in Ca. there is a one in thirty day limit on firearm purchases.
If you have a group of people that aren't flagged, each one could buy a gun.
These guns bought by a former roommate were purchased a while ago.
Large amount of ammo? What's large?
I buy 300 rounds at a time and I might have 600-1000 rounds in my gun safe.
If I go to the range I can go through 200-300 rounds in target practice.
So you are saying since black market purchases are possible, let's throw up our hands and say oh well. Let's not do anything regarding weapons. How little the 14 lives matter when any check on guns is raised.
Let's not do nothing, but lets not go nuts either.
Shall we ban cars when someone runs into a crowded sidewalk?
In a free society a nutcase can kill people if they want to and there is nothing you can do.
They could steal a semi and go plowing down the freeway or a crowded pedestrian area.
What law do you pass then?
Let's start taking actions that will begin to yield results. Nothing is perfect. All those that feel a back door to their data, financial, medical, etc should be available to law enforcement. Let's stop the manufacture and sale of automatic and semi automatic weapons to civilians.
First and foremost to buy a fully automatic weapon legally is no easy task.
The ATF wants to have a talk with you. Extra background check, extra money, etc.
There have been no legal automatic weapons involved in any mass homicide.
let's also dispel the notion that you are likely to be killed by someone with a semiautomatic rifle, or any rifle for that matter. From the last available FBI statistics, you are more likely to be beat to death or stabbed than shot with ANY type of long gun.
SCOTUS has already settled the argument.
The right to bear a firearm is an individual right.
Guns available for purchase legally fall into what is in common use and that is both semi-automatic pistols and rifles.
They have been around in common use for more than 100 years. The 1911 .45 Cal is a prime example.
Single shot weapons will allow hunting, target practice, etc. But give a chance to victims of gun violence to try and rush the shooter. Name one case where a herd of dear attacked a hunter and he was saved by using semi auto weapon with high capacity clip.
So why don't we limit free speech like you want to limit the second amendment?
If all amendments are equal, then why is everyone trying to make the 2A second class.
The framer of the constitution didn't know about the internet so why not require a permit for that dangerous and anonymous speech?
They did know about semi-automatic weapons. They existed just not in a form that was small enough to carry.
There is also no such thing as a "high capacity clip". It's a magazine and what is high capacity?
Name me one instance where a terrorist attack was stopped by civilians retaliating with semi auto weapons. Sure some terrorists will obtain weapons illegally, but currently they don't have to even bother. Just order from Wallmart.
There are numerous instances where armed citizens stop a crime or prevent one.
But terrorists like most criminals go after soft targets where they are less likely to meet with resistance, so your presumed argument can be labeled as specious.
If you trust the government with your private data, why not trust them to regulate firearms in a useful manner. If you want your stash of weapons to protect from government abuses, why is giving up your privacy any less aggregious.
You assume, I and others trust the government. I don't. They can't be trusted.
"Power corrupts. Absolute power, absolutely corrupts."
I don't willingly give my data to anyone. I only give my "real" data where legally required.
I don't do Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you don't know the product, you ARE the product.
When push comes to shove anyone thinking they will hold off the government because they have a stash of weapons is dillusional. Show me where a showdown with government authorities ended where the civilians with assault weapons prevailed.
See the Battle of Athens in 1946
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946)
http://www.constitution.org/mil/tn/batathen.htm