Tonight is the seventh anniversary of the debut of The Call. Sadly, we've talked about gun violence dozens of times. The people get outraged, the politicians blame one another, then the next big story breaks and precious little gets done. I've seen this cycle far too many times. And I might add, I don't think anything will get done, until those in power are the victims of gun violence. Sad, but true.

Police have made two arrests in connection with the fatal shooting of a Bronx boy. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Sunday night's gunfire during a basketball tournament was the continuation of a fight between two groups over drugs. Four-year-old Lloyd Morgan was caught in the crossfire as he played nearby in a playground at the Forest Houses.

The arrests come as Mayor Bloomberg continues his push for reforms to the nation's gun laws. In an op-ed piece in today's Daily News, Bloomberg wrote, "Every day, 34 Americans are murdered with guns. If not now, when is the time for [the presidential candidates] to outline their solutions to gun violence?"

The Mayor is also asking New Yorkers to sign a petition asking Washington lawmakers to pass legislation requiring universal background checks for all gun sales. Bloomberg says, "Currently, about 40% of gun sales happen without a federal background check, making it easy for criminals and the mentally ill to purchase weapons." What do you say?

What's your reaction to the arrests made in connection with the shooting of Lloyd Morgan? Is it too soon after the Aurora massacre to talk about reforming gun laws? Do you support universal background checks for all gun sales?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

It is unfortunately no surprise it was some young idiots involved in this and that drugs were involved. Products of the the Mayors education mill, living in New York City Housing reservations, most viable source of income drug dealing (probably low-level dealing at that). Mayor statistics can blame the guns all he wants, but it is symptom of a bigger problem that he has only continued to make worse during his time in office. As for national gun control, take a look at the local papers in Colorado and you will see where that notion is heading. Gun sales up 41% since the movie theater incident in the area. Just like Bloomberg wants to make certain people disappear through financial terrorism, people in other parts of the country are dead-set on having guns to protect them from similar boogeymen. Bloomberg's vision of the world doesn't play past Manhattan and certain trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods, so he might as well try to ban large sodas in other parts of the country while he's at it.

RL
The Bronx

The mayor is correct everyone must come together now and demand that lawmakers put an end to the easy access of guns and the consequent havoc and carnage they inflict on society.

Felix
Bay Ridge

John,

The petition that the Mayor should be circulating is one intended to have all criminals to sign up and identify themselves so that they can be arrested without straining the NYPD or being shot by a cop 50 times.

Anyone who is not a criminal should tell Bloomberg to take a walk, petition in hand.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

Hi John,

Why is this dictator picking on Romney and Obama? Did this mayor ever count how many are shot and how many are killed only in the outer boroughs every day. He doesn't even know anything about weapons or anything else for that matter. Why do this out in the open? Is he trying to embarrass them. What has he done about the drugs. Just goes to show us all that he bans smoking and allows marijuana. Maybe these joints that people are smoking are contributing to the birth defects. Also the nerve of him to ask us to sign a petition. Since when does he need our help. He creates the laws and then has his hand picked cronies pass everyone of them in his favor. OHHHHHHH DO WE HAVE PANELS Why is it that every perpetrator you arrest for one reason or another usually have an arrest record that resembles a long laundry list? So why are they still out on the streets.

NO ONE PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO YOU OR ANY OF YOUR CRONIES WHEN YOU DECIDE TO GET UP ON A PODIUM TO MAKE SOME SORT OF NONSENSICAL SPEECH AND THAT INCLUDES MS. QUINN.

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp

Where's the petition? I want to sign! This is beyond state level.

Adelin
Jamaica, Queens

[Our reply: You can find the petition at www.DemandAPlan.org]

I'm in full support of gun control and cannot believe that anyone should have the desire or the right to own an assault weapon!!!! That being said, I also agree with Ray Kelly that we need to address the blue elephant in the room. We have thousands of inner city kids, irregardless of race, who espouse the gang life and the gun violence that goes along with it. Along as this culture is allowed to continue, so will the killing. All the gun control in the world will not keep guns from the hands of murderous thugs.

Parents and community leaders have a responsibility to stem this violence. Not universally, but gang life in the inner city is glorified by many, just as the mafia is in many communities. Most parents are fully aware that their kids are involved with gangs and choose not to do anything about it. Many are also well aware that their kids carry guns!!! The most appalling news in all of this, is that residents do not support police efforts to apprehend criminals in order to not be branded a snitch!!!!! I hate to be a pessimist, but as long as these mores and attitudes continue, so will the senseless killing of innocent people.

Let's wake up people. Gangs need to get a strong message that they're not welcome in homes and communities.

Gary
UWS

It is very sad to see young people wasting people's life and also their own life for no reason. The shooter is so young and it breaks my heart to know his life is over. The problem come from irresponsible and uneducated parents raising irresponsible kids and leading them to nowhere.

Angela from the Bronx

Avi from the Bronx......Bloomberg is the only one talking about gun control in this election year. He is a briliant man. I wish he would have run for President.

Penny from Midwood says,

having a gun in the theater or any public place does not ensure swift end to massacre, if anything, it creates more deaths from crossfire. In Aurora, the killer had body armor, you would have had to be more than a SWAT type expert. What's wrong with universal background checks? Enforce the laws, close the loopholes. If NRA can't live with that, then they are thugs. By the way, how many shooting victims have they visited?

The person who was arrested in the shooting, if found guilty, should be in jail for life,
jail them, because persons who not suppose to have a guns ALWAYS ends up having
one or more cause someone always know someone who can give them some thing
they are not suppose to have. It's all about "who know who" it's just like the unfairness
in obtaining a job, "who know who" OR "who don't know who" JAIL THEM !!!

Ruthann

African American ppl. have always wanted stricter gun laws. I would like to bring on this point... WHERE ARE THE STOP AND FRISKS HAPPENING? THE NYPD KNOW WHERE EVERY CRIME RIDDEN COMMUNITY IS IN NYC. THE EFFORTS NEED TO GO SPECIFICALLY TO THOSE COMMUNITIES. AND HYPER POLICE AND SURVEIL THOSE COMMUNITIES INTENSELY.

SAM

This is getting way out of hand and too many innocent people and children are being senselessly killed or hurt. There needs to be a change in the law. I personally feel that no one should be able to own or purchase any guns. I feel that only law enforcement officials should be allowed to have guns.

Cathy .A.
From the Bronx

STOPPING ILLEGAL GUNS FROM CROSSING STATE LINES IS ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE, SO ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED TO STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT TOPIC AND THINK OF OTHER WAYS......AND BLOOMBERG AND KELLY NEED NOT TO FORGET THAT ILLEGAL GUNS ARE BEING SOLD BY THEIR OWN !!!

WILL FROM LONG ISLAND CITY

I believe no one should carry gun no matter if you are law enforcement, licened person or goon, there should be one law ( No Guns ) period. I heard and read in the papeer that in London Law Enforcement or anyone is not allow to carry gun it's a big crime. bullet take life no matter if it's innocent or devil. Thank you please don't mention my name.

Thank you.
Have A good evening

Unfortunatly 98% of the crime is done by blacks and hispanics if you look at the satistics its the truth and I live on forest right down the street where the 4 year old boy got killed I live here for 5 years and we never ever been in that park not once if they give a person that's convicted of carrying a fire arm 5 years a lot of people would change there mind bout shooting and now people is really rethinking about mayors stop and frisk law.

Kenyette

The previous viewer pointed out that a person with a gun was able to stop a stabbing-spree. However, the risk is not worth it. If the stabber had a gun, it would have turned into a deadlier shooting spree. That would have made it worse.

(Fully Anonymous)

I feel that gun law reforms will not change gun violence. Criminals will always find ways to break the law no matter how crafty one makes it to obtain a hand gun. Most hand gun are obtained out of states.

Money

The 17 year old who was arrested admitted that he was shooting a gun to defend himself? These folks are walking around with guns on them like they are debit cards...we have gone back to a time that is worse than the WILD, WILD, WEST! If you told this 17 year old that he had to carry a book he would be outraged, but, he had no shame to admit that he had his gun at he ready to "so-called" defend himself....we don't know if he fired the first shot or not...sure he is singing that old song like a little baby..."he hit me first mama so I hit him back." I would be ashamed to open my mouth and make a statement like that. He would have been better off to have shut his mouth. No brains at all. Again Bloomberg has it right...guns have to go and books and mental health clinicians need to get on board ASAP.

kathy from Throggs Neck da bronx

Increasing the penalty wont fix the situation, but it it will lessen the amount of illegal guns on our streets. Twenty years for possession, but shave off ten years if you cough up the seller and they get convicted. That will get the snowball rolling in the right direction.

Patrick from Astoria

The rules according to Chairman Mao Bloomberg: no guns, no salt, no soda.

If Bloomberg wants gun country nationwide, he should work with the US Senate as they would be the ones that would need to pass (with 2/3rds majority vote) an amendment to our Constitution.

Thanks,
John
Bronx, NY

I believe this vicious circle may continue as long as people want to use drugs and vice. If the age of "stop and search" is continued it should be aimed directly at the, 13 to 39 year old age groups. Gun possession will surely decline then! And, call it "The Lloyd Morgan Search Law" and, they will understand that and cooperate in: Memory of, this 4 year old Angel of peace, Lloyd.

Arthur

Gun Control should be about illegal guns. I believe in the 2nd Amendment.

All this talk about gun control is not clear. The N.R.A. are all licensed and responsible gun owner individuals. The senseless shootings are caused by unlicensed and illegal guns in the possession of criminals, in the possession of irresponsible people, in irresponsible neighborhoods. It's easy for them to complain and blame about senseless harm, but ask them to tell the police who did it and they refuse to say. Therefore it is not the responsible of the politicians, and not the responsible of responsible individuals, but the families who have lost loved ones at the hands of their neighbors. So open your mouth and stop blaming others!

Signed, Anomynous from Staten Island

it’s the perfect time to talk about gun control. but background checks ain’t gonna do it. I bet the Aurora shooter would have passed a background check. In England most cops don’t even carry guns. America has a macho gun culture, and the NRA has legislators scared to do anything about guns, like a total ban on assault weapons (why would anyone need one except to shoot lots of people). Bloomberg can call out the NRA because he doesn’t need NRA contributions to get elected like other officials do. The NRA has sworn to spend millions to unseat legislators who talks about gun control. the system is broken and people keep dying because of it.

Meryl from Manhattan.

We need tougher penalties for carrying illegal guns, if we had a mandatory 20 year penalty with out a chance of parole just for carrying an illegal gun if convicted and a minimum 30 year sentance again with out parole for a crime committed with an illegal weapon, we would see a decline. If we had laws like this we could go into high crime areas and stress the penalties in schools and on foot in these neighborhoods and instill a little fear.

Cristine
Oakland Gardens NY

90% of the gun tragedies have been comittted by young people under 30. (I.e., crime in poor neighborhoods, Columbine, Aurora, VA Tech, the AZ Congresswoman, Zimmerman, ect.). Individuals under 30 years old do not have fully mature judgment and should not be allowed to own guns. This would solve at least 90% of the current gun violence.

William
(Manhattan, UES)

This is tony from harlem R.i.p. Lloyd its not gun laws or the youth the politicians are hypacrytes society promotes violence . Going to war in irak promotes violence and police killing kids too.

We need the military to demand a war on america. they should go into every's home and take all the guns. Police should not have guns because they are human and have errors. they are supposed to be peace officers. The police are bringing the guns into the neighborhoods they cannot be trusted. how can the government go to war in other countries and not make America safe?

Tiny

My name is Titus. I live in Harlem. I can't believe Mayor Bloomberg he is outrageous. He worried about the size of some kids soda but people are shooting and killing each other like crazy. He the guns of the streets! The hell with the junk food!

Why does it take shootings for something like gun control to be taken seriously? Do people not realize the right to bear arms was passed during a time period where war was outside their doors? They needs to change the right to bar arms and limit it to armed professions, law enforcement and military personnel. People shouldn't have firearms unless necessary. Crackdown on gun possession. Make the offense serious enough to stop people from getting them.

Vincent

Gun restrictions will only insure that only criminals will have guns & law biding citizens will be defenseless. Gun buy back programs work more effectively then stop & frisk. Although they don't do stop & frisk in communities like the one the colorado shooter came from. As far as inner city communities job programs will reduce crime I guarantee it.

Christina

It is horrible that so many people have to be victims of violence. However, we are not addressing the root of the problem by simply focusing on gun laws. There has to be a comprehensive social plan to provide the youth with alternatives, jobs, and other social outlets to grow. Too many of the fathers of the young people are in jail for nonsense so they don't have anyone to look after them.

Mario
Bronx

First of all,mike bloomberg is a dictor and these guns on the street comes from these cops resaling guns and mike bloomberg ,just like other public offical they,are the reason for tjese wars going on around the world,stop and frisk domt have anything with these guns,they are trying to link the two,it dont fit,lets get more jobs and program to help stop the violence,jail is not the answer.......mike ....

There shouldn't be no guns given to no one..i don't feel safe im afraid if me and my daughter walking.down the streets we might get shot...

Angie from harlem

Changing the gun laws wont change anything, Illegal guns are the problem in NY.What we have to do is maybe make it harder to be able to have a gun. At the end of the day guns are for protection,Who's gonna be there to help me if it's a cop attacking me? That would mean the police have complete power. Guns dont kill people people kill people. If someone wants to kill they can use a knife.Is that the next thing were banning?

From Queens... anonymous

My opinion is that the conversation should turn to the NRA to take a stand against the misuse of guns in our society. I understand the reality of guns, however we need to address the fact of their effect on our society as being mostly negative. The possession of a gun should be a right of character, and not a fault of life. The NRA should take pride in the service they provide, and not allow guns to be used in such a destructive way. They should work together with law makers to provide a comprehensive legislature that would preserve the second amendment, but also ensure a prosperous and safe society, after all a gun is a responsible persons tool.

Angel
New York

So, if I lose my job that gives me the right to go out and shoot someone? If I had chosen to cut classes in high school and then flunk out of school that gives me the right to rob, steal, and shoot people beause I didn't do what my parents told me to do...that is where this generation has it all twisted. Some of the youth should take a look in the mirror and see that they made choices that put them in this position. Not all poor children from single parent homes turn out to be thugs and not all children from private schools and upper class families turn out to be stellar citizens. Look at the red headed devil from the Colorado Theatre shootings!

Man up people...it is time!

kathy from Throggs Neck da bronx

The right to bear arms in the constitution was adopted in 1791. It took two minutes to load a gun in those days. People needed guns to hunt and annihilate the American Indians. No one but the police need guns, these days.

Carmelide

From Kyle on the UES

I support more background checks and nation wide background checks.
Additionally though, we should discuss much stiffer penalties for carrying guns. You get caught carrying a gun you get put in jail as severe crime.

Thanks, good show.
K

Yes guns should not b on the streets but the focus needs to b more on the source..,,Where R these guns generating from

Tema