I have to wonder if, in some part, this isn't because of the "dangerous" reputation we enjoy in the rest of the world. That is, we may be negatively selected for crime outside of the Americas simply because of our reputed callous disregard for human life.
Remember this guy?
The basic problem is that it's not illegal to be homicidal. Go crazy all you want. Just don't injure/kill people.
I had it told to me repeatedly as a youth - Cops aren't bodyguards. The police aren't there to protect you, they're there to bring your killer to justice. It is up to you to act intelligently to avoid getting in such a situation, and then if necessary, be able to defend yourself. Also, double tap. It eliminates a lot of hassle when on trial for defending yourself when your assailant is dead and therefore unable to weave an emotional web of prevaricated misdirection.
According to a source [Mother Jones, take it for what you will] from this guy (not vouching for credibility here, just a thing I read recently), public mass shootings have never been stopped by an armed citizen. Both sources subject to intense scrutiny, of course. That's not to say that people have never defended themselves successfully with a gun, but the mass shootings apparently have not benefited much from armed citizens.
According to this source and rebuttal, that's incorrect.
No, because it's expressly forbidden by the 2nd amendment of the United States Constitution. You want gun control? Get the votes to amend/repeal it. Why is gun control the only law that leftists deem acceptable to have local/state laws trump federal laws and automatically assert they do so universally? Talk about having your hypocrisy cake and eating it too.
Your repeated demonstration of your inability to have a civil conversation on the topic aside, a person's ability to defend themselves, their property and their loved ones with firearm from criminals is a side effect of the 2nd amendment, not the purpose for it. Furthermore you don't want them to go looking to "stop crime," that kind of runs into vigilantism.
One also has to remember that "mass public shooters" frequently choose venues for their murder sprees specifically because they are unlikely to encounter armed resistance there. I've yet to hear of a mass shooting at a gun show - but by the "logic" of gun grabbers, such a place should be a constant bloody war zone.
If they're taking their fat asses to Target and Chipotle, then they're not "good guys," they're grandstanding idiots. Much the same way as I feel bad for the dog with the abusive owner, when I see someone deliberately being dumb with a weapon (or, for that matter, with a vehicle, an Internet, or even a spouse), I feel sorry that this someone was ever granted the privilege.
I dare you to try to get them to serve you, too.
Well shit... we're gonna have to mark out half of that.
For the record, I've changed my mind several times due to information provided me on the board, usually about individual political candidates. But as Stienman says, there hasn't been a compelling reason for me to change my stance on gun control. If anything, everything I've seen in the last decade has been a clear indication that even more staunch opposition to it is needed.Oh Gas, it's hilarious that you, who wants the general public to have unfettered access to military grade weapons so that one day the public can rise up and overthrow our socialist overlords think that I, who wants reasonable gun laws (that are actually enforced) and training for gun owners, can't have a discussion about this topic because I make fun of people who think scaring citizens out to dinner with their penis extensions is how you "stand up for your rights".
I mean, I've moderated my position on this issue over the years from one very similar to yours to one much more in the middle of the road while you have gone further towards crazy-town. So who can't have a discussion? Whens the last time you saw good points made and went, ok, I'm willing to rethink my view on this issue? From what I've seen on HF… never?
I still like you though.
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A couple things, but probably actually learning how to shoot and spending some time with a variety of different guns over the last few years, how easy it is to get guns legally, how much money is spent in lobbying to stop any sort of reform when it comes to gun laws and even studying the issue, personal experiences that I've had with gun owners both responsible and some considerably less so and becoming a gun owner myself. Apologies for any typos, I'm using Siri to dictate and she's not always spot on.
Wow. Alright gas, your use of racial epithets has shown me that I should stop using humorpus and/or snarky insults to describe people who have extreme or disturbing views and from now on I shall only refer to them as patriots. I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable.
Well, I can certainly understand how repeated exposure to people in general can make one trust them less with dangerous objects.
Seriously, watch: "hey, look at all those PATRIOTS marching into Applebee's with their AR – 15's. Man what a bunch of PATRIOTS.
I know you can. Our general hatred and distrust of humanity is what binds us together.
Just like how saying men are sexist pigs is offensice to millions of men that aren't sexist pigs?
As my mother the lawyer explained to me once, the courts define sanity as it pertains to murder as "Consider a man (you) firing a gun at another man. If you think you are spiderman shooting webs at an oncoming truck to save Mary Jane from getting run over, you're insane. However, if you think you are Flash Gordon firing a laser pistol at Ming the Merciless to save Dale Arden, you're sane. You're aware you're using a deadly weapon on another person."
I honestly thought the guys on the right were cops.
Maybe it's because I grew up surrounded by conservatives and was exposed to guns early on, but the guys on the right don't seem threatening at all. It's because they look like they have their act together, where as the guys on the left look like they are about to rob Chipolte. That's really all it takes: put your gun in a holster and look like you don't need to gun people down for self-respect. A little professionalism goes a long way.
Open carry came before concealed carry and was basically so hunters could take their guns with them if they needed to do something in a place of business. Back in the 50's no one thought twice about it because the only place you'd see it was out in the country, where you expect to see people with long guns. Again, it's all about perception: if I see a guy with an orange vest and fatigues/flannel lugging a shotgun or rifle around on his back at a McDonalds at 9am, I know he's not there to cause shit. He's getting coffee and an egg mcmuffin because he just got back from/on his way to hunting. But take away the orange vest and flannel and put the gun in his hands and NOW I'm worried he's about to kill everyone in the room.
