111–120 of 135 posts
Responsible gun ownership is not a valid argument when you share a country with (many, many) people who can hold the opinions of QAnon.
> Another man allegedly showed up in the nation's capital with an assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and told acquaintances that he wanted to shoot or run over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, prosecutors said. Wonder if this is what makes lawmakers consider some sensible gun regulation...
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> I have a concealed carry permit in a state that allows open carry.... Nor would I draw my weapon without real fear for my life Does it make you sad or disappointed you feel the need to carry a gun in your regular life just to feel safe and secure in your society? I've lived ~20 years in Canad and ~20 in Australia. My sister has lived ~20 in Australia and ~20 in the UK. The idea we would ever, ever feel the need to…
My thoughts exactly. People say they need guns for defense. I can empathize with this, but I also understand that is just because there are other stupid people around carrying guns. There would not be a problem if nobody around had a gun. In countries like that there are outlets for people to be able to shoot guns. In Poland you can go to a shooting range and you can also get a permit for hunting or sport rifle. In e…
Your understanding is incorrect. I don't carry a gun because I fear others have guns at all. You all seem to think that a gun is the only way that someone can hurt you. When I was a younger man I was the victim of an attempted car-jacking. Fortunately quick thinking got me out of that situation. Regardless of whether this individual attempting to steal my car with me in it had a gun or not, he was physically larger than me and would have caused me harm (I did not grow up learning to fight.)
The idea of other people having guns is not the primary reason I carry. I'm happy for you that you never felt the need to carry a gun. I'd rather have one and not need it than need it and not have one. I respect your opinion, but the fact is we all have different, valid life experiences that affect our behavior and actions. I feel safe not carrying (I don't live in a warzone,) but I feel much safer carrying when and where I can lawfully do so.
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This had nothing to do with gun control however. The stand your ground rules (different in each state) pertain to use of deadly force (using any kind of weapon, including your fists.) Again you can not brandish (“parade”) a gun without a lawful reason. I have a concealed carry permit in a state that allows open carry. I have no interest in drawing attention to myself. Nor would I draw my weapon without real fear for…
> I have a concealed carry permit in a state that allows open carry.... Nor would I draw my weapon without real fear for my life Does it make you sad or disappointed you feel the need to carry a gun in your regular life just to feel safe and secure in your society? I've lived ~20 years in Canad and ~20 in Australia. My sister has lived ~20 in Australia and ~20 in the UK. The idea we would ever, ever feel the need to…
It's funny, I think hunting is pretty inhumane (though I understand the need to manage the population, etc.) I'm not an advocate for making it illegal, it's just not for me. That's how I feel how guns should be looked at. If you don't want to own/carry a gun, that's your business - but don't try to stop me from doing so based on your preferences/opinions. Do guns wind up getting used to hurt people illegally - certainly. So do a lot of other things (alcohol, knives, vehicles, etc.) We don't ban them, we simply regulate them. We already have plenty of gun laws, and most people (99.999%) are law-abiding citizens.
I feel like this is the equivalent of a guy showing up to a party of people he doesn’t know that well. Brings a drink in and then if the party gets going he’s like “don’t worry I have a lots more in the car” to make friends. Except in this case it’s a weapons cache and obviously incredibly disturbing.
People have been bringing guns to protests for a while. It's kind of remarkable how few times this has resulted in actual shooting.
The most surprising thing to me is that despite guns on both sides there were only 4 deaths. I guess that either both the police did very well their jobs (after the fact) and/or the 'insurgents' (almost) only had their guns as symbols and/or there was a lot of luck involved.
We're up to 5 deaths now. Not to mention those that will result from COVID branching out from this event. Which - while less related - when considering the actions of the instigator are certainly notable. DC has a ton of security, and it's basically only legal for them to possess the guns. Carrying guns openly in this area would lead to a quick arrest. So - I think you're right that there was a lot of luck, but also…
... only one of which involved a firearm, and that one was in the hands of a Capitol Police officer.
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I think what you mean by "gun culture" is more "tacticool culture" which interests a sub set of firearms owners. I agree that this is a problematic culture, but it's not the dominant culture. A large number if not most gun owners including myself own firearms for lawful self defense, hunting, sport, or job related duties (eg ranching, security) and have no interest in running around in plate armor or joining a militi…
I see the distinction you're making, but... I know a bunch of gun owners too, and the overlap is very substantial. It's all the same people, really. Obviously not every gun owner is a right wing terrorist, but they all subscribe to the same magazines and subreddits and all imagine the same euphemisms about freedom and protection and self-determinism. > constantly demonizing all gun owners as bad people And see... thi…
> I know a bunch of gun owners too, and the overlap is very substantial. It's all the same people, really. Obviously not every gun owner is a right wing terrorist, but they all subscribe to the same magazines and subreddits and all imagine the same euphemisms about freedom and protection and self-determinism.
QED, you make unfounded and sweeping generalizations and then are surprised when people get defensive. When you employ rhetoric such as this, opponents will fight you just to do it.
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This sort of denying all the technology in assault weapons to maximize destruction. It's the kinetic energy, the design of the bullet, there's recoil mitigation, bullet cavitation, etc. They are weapons designed to reduce the amount of effort required to stop people, permanently. (I'm not a gun nut but I am a physics nerd, so i read up on how assault weapons differ from more conventional hunting weapons. Note that ma…
In a few states, you can use an assault rifle for hunting deer. But it only makes sense at really close range with excellent shot placement - anything less that is inhumane and causes the deer to suffer. You can also verify this by checking the rifles that snipers use if they have a choice - it's never an assault rifle.
Nothing about my message should suggest anything about the humanity of using assault rifles to hunt deer. It's entirely about being factual about the nature of assault weapons, which some gun nuts seem to intentionally deny.
The most surprising thing to me is that despite guns on both sides there were only 4 deaths. I guess that either both the police did very well their jobs (after the fact) and/or the 'insurgents' (almost) only had their guns as symbols and/or there was a lot of luck involved.
-Otto von Bismark
I keep returning to that quote in these days at it's so apt even hundreds of years later. The Capitol insurrection could have been sooo much worse. Only a handful of deaths resulted. That's incredulous for such an event. That a fire-bug didn't get in there and light the whole place up is incredible. That all of Congress was evacuated safely and stayed safe despite seditionists actively trying to lynch them, is amazing in the true sense of the word. The damage to the building itself was minimal, the art and statues are mostly intact, just unbelievable stuff. That despite saying he was going with them, Donny stayed at the WH and just watched the TV. Literally every other autocrat in history would have gone down to the floor of the House and declared themselves King. I cannot think of any other example where the tyrant did not do this (Sulla, but not really even then).
The US got so incredibly lucky in this that Bismark's quote is the only thing that makes sense to me.
The most surprising thing to me is that despite guns on both sides there were only 4 deaths. I guess that either both the police did very well their jobs (after the fact) and/or the 'insurgents' (almost) only had their guns as symbols and/or there was a lot of luck involved.
"God has a special provenance that protects idiots, drunkards, children, and the United States of America" -Otto von Bismark I keep returning to that quote in these days at it's so apt even hundreds of years later. The Capitol insurrection could have been sooo much worse. Only a handful of deaths resulted. That's incredulous for such an event. That a fire-bug didn't get in there and light the whole place up is incred…