LOL!! The Obama Administration silences it's critics?! LOL! I don't think ANYTHING (including reams of evidence) could shut the mouths of Birthers or any of the other delusionally paranoid morons who look for fault in the current administration.
And you can guarantee that even if you are right, that there is no threat today, that there never will be? Because if you can't guarantee this, then saving a few thousands lives at the cost of liberty and freedom, is a really sh#tty deal!
My balls aren't crystal, so I can't use them to predict the future. HOWEVER, I can say that your family will be at a significantly lower risk of dying from an accidental shooting. As for the trade off, I don't think the people of Australia, England or any other first-world democracy would consider themselves any less free than Americans. They have as much freedom of the press as Americans, they can travel as easily (often more easily) than Americans, they live much the same way as Americans do - just without the risk of being shot. If anything, they are more free in many ways because the threat of lethal violence doesn't hang over them.
You mean the one where the shooter was NOT stopped by the armed civilian?? You know it is a wise person that reads their link before using it to support an argument - it is an even wiser person who makes sure that it supports what they are actually saying instead of supporting the opposing view - - - Updated - - - Then why does it have so much power - power to STOP the funding to the CDC if they did firearms research that showed a correlation between guns and gun deaths?
Abso-fraggin-lutely!!! I know that if someone breaks in there is a remote chance they will be armed but there is a huge probability they will not be armed. Even thought there are occasional drive by shootings they are RARE. Our children do not die of gunshot and we no longer have to deal with the once common macerated brains of those who nearly suicided - it still happens but infrequently More importantly we have reduced our health care debt burden by reducing gunshot injuries
Sigh. I don't even know why I try with you. Why do you think that shooter shot himself after seeing a gun pointed at him? It's because he knew it was over. His little fantasy was over. Do you honestly believe he would have shot himself if no one had confronted him with a gun? No, he wouldn't have. He would have kept on going.
I never said ignore anything. Use common sense. Almost all mass killers had mental problems and were on some kind of psychotic drug. Almost all of the mass shootings occurred in places where guns were prohibited, and nobody could defend themselves. Sure crime has dropped, but it is far from gone. All Obama wishes to do are things that do not make a difference. I would support background checks for everybody, and mandatory firearms safety/operation class(es).
The Obama Administration lies all the time, and the media covers for it. - - - Updated - - - I'm not so sure that is true.
I didn't say it wasn't. I just don't think a gun will help. - - - Updated - - - You are sure that the Obama administration lies "all the time", but you're not sure if the NRA (arguably the most powerful lobby group in the US) has the ability to influence government agencies? Wow.
Have you noticed that most mass shooters end the spree by killing themselves? If there were a dozen CCW holders who ran to stop a mass shooter, what do you figure the odds are that at least one of them would shoot another? It's not like these people are trained in tactics or target identification...
You really should change your screen name. Guns help thwart crime all the time. I'm glad the NRA is a powerful lobby. They help prevent freedom-hating leftist liberals from taking away our rights. - - - Updated - - - So it is better to let the killer have free reign?
No, they don't in fact they add to the homicide burden http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/gun-threats-and-self-defense-gun-use/
"All the time" is how often they are used in a crime, or someone is shot on accident... The people supporting gun proliferation admit that over 11,000 lives were lost to "gun murders" last year. I'm sure they would be very happy to say a greater number were saved by guns, if they could illustrate it. Yeah, you're right to keep a tool that is more likely to result in the death of a loved one - or be stolen and used to commit other crimes - than actually be useful. Great. You made a weird statement dismissing anyone that doesn't think like you as "freedom-hating". Can you elaborate on this? Why would anyone hate freedom? I'd love for everyone to have the freedom to express (even when angry) themselves without being worried about getting shot by someone who finds them intimidating or offensive. I'd like for my kids not to have to walk past armed guards or metal detectors just to go to the playground at their school... What's "freedom-hating" about that? Didn't say that. You're only thinking about how to react to an incident that is occurring... I'm thinking further back and looking at how to prevent the incident from occurring in the first place. The best way to ensure a mass murderer doesn't get free reign is to minimize the chances of him becoming a mass murderer in the first place.
Of course, the NRA is not responsible for these deaths. It is like saying that car manufacturers are responsible for car accidents because they keep puting more and more cars on the streets. Of course, the NRA is not in the gun manufacturing business. This is not a gun problem, but a firearms responsibility problem. It's like wanting to remove cars from the streets because some folks are reckless with them.
There were fewer than 10,000 firearms homicides in the U.S. last year. I wish for a violence-free society, but I am not that ignorant to think it will happen. We try to minimize violence, but the fact remains that law-abiding citizens follow laws. Gun control restricts good people from defending themselves properly. I have kids in elementary school, and it frightens me that schools are "defense-free" zones. Almost all mass killers had mental problems and were on psychotic drugs. Let's focus our attention there, and not on inanimate objects. Yes, proper mental health services, background checks for all, firearms safety classes for all and eliminate "defense-free" zones.
Strawman - did not say the NRA WAS responsible - that does not mean I personally think they are a bunch of amoral, inbred money grubbing evil twonks but I actually did not say that on this thread And you are right in that it is a firearms responsibility problem and I agree we should not try to take away guns - but maybe an answer is to make people MORE responsible. You want to own a gun - fine! But a) you have to be a law abiding citizen b) you cannot be under the mental health act (and that would not save many mass shooters as few were under mental health constraint) and c) you have to look after your firearm - including ensuring it is locked away safely and it is tracked and recorded properly
Citation?? Citation? Citation? You do realise don't you that 23 of the mass shootings since 2007 have been by CCW permit holders?? http://www.vpc.org/fact_sht/ccwmassshootings.pdf
I agree with you, except that last part is a little confusing. I keep track of my guns, not Uncle Sam.
I don't have one, but the guy was citing the total number of homicides, not gun homicides. The next part of my post was my opinion on what should be done. These folks apparently qualified for CCW permits at the time of application. Crime happens. Cannot legislate it away. All had mental problems, not necessarily diagnosed at the time of permit application, and most were on psychotic drugs. All but one occured in a "defense-free" zone.
That's not a fantasy, that's a fact. Answer this question: do you think that shooter would have continued his rampage if he hadn't been confronted by that concealed carrier? Yes or no? You're ridiculous.
So if a madman is going to go on a rampage, he is going to apply for his CCW and wait for approval? I mean, he's only going to kill numerous people. That penalty for illegally carrying a gun in public, that's too much! Give me a break. Not to mention your link is from the Violence Policy Center, which is a rabid anti-gun organization. That would be like me citing NRA data for you. I really hope you don't buy that crap they have for a video on their homepage.
I guess if you can't legislate crime away, there's no point to having any laws... "If you make abortions illegal, only criminals will have abortions."
Just backroom abortions. Off the books. There are already thousands of gun laws on the books. They need to be enforced.
