The Glade 4.0

Also, the 1994-2004 period of the Assault Weapons Ban doesn't seem to have done much, here. There's no precipitous drop in victims/incident after it went into effect, nor a noticeable spike after it sunsetted.

Why the difference? Fox is looking at all mass shootings involving four or more victims — that’s the standard FBI definition. Mother Jones, by contrast, had a much more restrictive definition, excluding things like armed robbery or gang violence. They were trying to focus on spree killings that were similar in style to Virginia Tech or Aurora or Newtown. The definitions make a big difference: On Fox’s criteria, there’s no uptick. On Mother Jones’, there’s a clear increase.

Westboro Baptist Church planning to protest Sandy Hook funerals, saying "God sent the shooter." Anonymous is on the case.

Westboro Baptist Church planning to protest Sandy Hook funerals, saying "God sent the shooter." Anonymous is on the case.

Not that I'm wishing ill on Westboro Baptist Church and their ilk, but I'm curious if they would have the same interpretation if somebody went to their church and shot the place up. What a toolbox.

White House: Obama would support new gun laws

President Obama "strongly" supports the renewal of the assault weapons ban and would back new gun legislation, the White House said Tuesday, as the president spoke to a pro-gun senator who has shifted his position since Friday's mass shooting in Connecticut.

(PHOTOS: Pols speak out on gun control)

"He is actively supportive of, for example, Sen. [Dianne] Feinstein’s stated intent to revive a piece of legislation that would reinstate the assault weapons ban," White House press secretary Jay Carney said during his daily briefing. On Monday, Carney would only say that the president supports the return of the ban and did not weigh in on the bill Feinstein said she plans to introduce on the first day of the new Senate.

Carney also offered some other gun laws Obama would back. "He supports and would support legislation that addresses the problem of the so-called gun show loophole, and there are other elements of gun legislation that he could support … high capacity ammunition clips, for example. That is certainly something he would be interested in looking at," he said.

(Also on POLITICO: Obama's options on gun control)

Obama “is heartened ... by what we have all heard from some members of Congress who have been longtime opponents of gun control measures," Carney said, and spoke to Sen. Joe Manchin earlier Tuesday. Carney didn't share more about Obama's call with Manchin, but the West Virginia Democrat is a longtime NRA member who has since Friday come out in support of tougher gun laws.

UPDATE: Manchin released a statement confirming the call but not revealing anything new about Obama's plans on guns.

The President called me this afternoon. We agree that as Americans and parents, all of our children belong to all of us – and we must work together to keep our precious children safe.

I believe that we must have a dialogue and bring parties from all sides to the table. I know my friends at the NRA and those who support our Second Amendment rights will participate because I know that their hearts are aching for the families in Newtown, just like all Americans.

To have a productive dialogue, we also need to address a number of critical issues, including our mental health system, safety in our schools and a media and entertainment culture that glorifies unspeakable violence.

What I have learned since coming to Washington is that there are some who will vilify you for being open to a conversation with anyone you might not agree with. That’s wrong – as Americans, we all need to sit down and have a serious, adult conversation about the best actions to move forward. The deaths of these children demand that each and every one of us in Washington and the United States be willing to talk with each other.

Depends how you define "mass shootings":


Personally, I doubt the ban had much effect, but the different counts are worth considering.

Firearms have absolutely no place in our schools—the Dec. 14, 2012, tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., is a chilling and heartbreaking reminder of this. Permitting firearms in schools—visible or concealed—enables a dangerous set of circumstances that can result in similar tragic outcomes. We should be doing everything we can to reduce the possibility of any gunfire in schools, and concentrate on ways to keep all guns off school property and ensure the safety of children and school employees.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

Westboro Baptist Church planning to protest Sandy Hook funerals, saying "God sent the shooter." Anonymous is on the case.

That may just push people over the edge. I didn't lose one of my children, and even so I don't honestly believe I'm strong enough to witness this without being provoked to violence.

You realize that's what they want...

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

That doesn't change anything. I can either control my temper, or I can't.

...said Adam Lanza

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin