So Now You Can't Even Go To A Movie Without Worrying About Getting Killed?

[Sarah]

I've also read a couple of articles talking about how all women still want a shining knight to save them, and guys still think its their job to take a bullet for their girl. I would have thought we were past that.

[Cynthia]

I always think oh yeah, we are SO over that bigotry. For God's sake little IOWA has same-sex marriage equality. Can't we all just get along? Honest to Pete.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Why killing is a profitable enterprise

There are, today, few who hunt with handguns or assault rifles equipped with 100-clip magazines. There are even fewer reasons to do so. But the National Rifle Association’s principal focus has evolved mostly to those. It is news to no one that the NRA has abandoned the sportsman in every practical sense; if the group were honest, it would change its name.

The NRA represents gun manufacturers, end of story.

It strikes me that the NRA is pretty comfortable when debates over mass murder devolve into intellectual discussions relating to civility vs. demagoguery, insanity vs. impressionability, and freedom vs. the tyranny of gun zealots. The more abstract, the better. In the end, however, it’s simple: The NRA shills for gun makers who profit from the murder of American citizens. If you think the country’s policies are shaped by Judeo-Christian values, you’re not paying attention.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinion...

[Cynthia]

"These two actions clarify beyond argument that the safety and welfare of you and yours have simply dropped from the NRA’s list of priorities. The NRA represents gun manufacturers, end of story."

Excellent article, LG. You always find excellent opinion pieces. Thanks.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

You're welcome, Cynthia.

[[deleted user]]

I took the class to get my license to carry concealed a couple of weeks ago. Makes me feel better about being in a place like that and knowing I could protect myself. But, at the same time it makes me nervous that I would have a responsibility to protect other people and possibly take a life to do so.

The thing about "gun control" is that folks like me that take classes to be able to obtain a license to carry, apply for it, meet all of the criteria, and only carry it for self protection or potentially to protect others in a situation like that would be the ones affected by the legislation you propose. Illegal guns and gun carriers are more like illegal drugs and drug users. You can pass the laws to restrict me, but they'll do it anyway. What makes you think any law you pass is going to make ANY difference to a criminal or a crazy person? If there had been one person like me in that theater that could have taken that guy out, how man lives would have been saved?

I just don't understand why taking my gun from me would help. Now, if it was like the UK, where there basically are no guns, I'd understand. But, it's too late, you'll never get the bad guys to give up their guns at this point.

[Félix]

Statistics show that a high percentage of shootings are a result of the original carrier's weapon being taken and used against them.

This occasionally happens to police personnel -- but at least they have intensive training designed to prevent this from happening.

The gun manufacturers have the most to gain from a lack of effective gun control. It's not about safety at all. It's about money.

[[deleted user]]

Hmmm. Well, I do understand that point, Felix. There are a couple of common mistakes I have been taught to avoid (I expect I am more educated than your average as my bro-in-law is a former Navy Seal who does training with military and law enforcement, much of which my husband has taken). One is holding the gun out in front of yourself. I have been taught to hold it next to my side, not aiming down the sites. You only have to aim for a general torso area, I'm not trying to win a competition, I'm just trying to get away!

You would be horrified at the lack of training in many law enforcement agencies around our fair land.

I can't tell you what it's about for you, or the next guy, but for me it IS about protection.

[[deleted user]]

Bun, I do think it's impossible to get there. Not without some serious changes in border control. I'm not saying I'm bagging on immigrants from Mexico. That nice family that dun snuck over the boarder isn't my issue, there are LOTS of not nice folks bringing drugs and an awful lot of guns over the same way. Until you can get the guns out of the hands of the criminal element I don't think it's fair or wise to vote mine out of my hand. That's all I'm saying. If there was a solution to the other, I'd be more inclined to give mine up voluntarily. I'm not unreasonable.

Edit: Not impossible, you're right. Just VERY VERY unlikely.

[Phil]

Amelia wrote: " If there had been one person like me in that theater that could have taken that guy out, how man lives would have been saved?"

In that particular situation? I'd say zero.

The shooter in the theater was wearing body armor. Rather than hurt him, you would probably just piss him off.

[[deleted user]]

BunWat wrote: "Yeah but England manages it and its not any farther from England to Lebanon than it is from NY to Mexico. You know. Obviously there are very significant differences but a lot of it is about politic..."

It's an island, they don't have the same border problems. And, they never had the same proliferation of guns that we do. I understand your desire for the ideal. I really do. I just don't see it as practical or probable.

[[deleted user]]

Phil wrote: "Amelia wrote: " If there had been one person like me in that theater that could have taken that guy out, how man lives would have been saved?"

In that particular situation? I'd say zero.

The shoo..."

Fair enough. How about any college or school shooting? The US Congresswoman who was shot along with a bunch of other people? There are so many instances. And, though I agree I'm not a good enough shot under stress, but I'd bet you that I know at least three people that could take him with a head shot if they had been there.

[[deleted user]]

Body armor...let's regulate that!

[[deleted user]]

My mistake. Sheesh. Sorry.

[[deleted user]]

I worry sometimes that my discernment might prove to be incorrect in a situation like that. It is a concern. But, the chances of my actually ending up in a situation like that are very low. I take comfort in that. I am much more likely to be personally assaulted, which is a whole lot easier to identify the target.

[[deleted user]]

Agreed.

[Félix]

Gun sales ramp up sharply after every mass shooting, even though the likelihood of anyone being involved one is extremely remote. The gun companies make money from fear that is propagated by the NRA.

[Cheri]

Amelia wrote: "Bun, I do think it's impossible to get there. Not without some serious changes in boarder control. I'm not saying I'm bagging on immigrants from Mexico. That nice family that dun snuck over the ..."

It makes me want to shoot someone when I hear Amelia say that America's illegal gun problem is due to all those the boarder jumping Mexicans, bringing guns into the country. Americans are responsible for America's gun violence.
see:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/20...

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

"We did a count, said Calderon, and discovered 8,000 American gun shops along the border with Mexico. Eight thousand! By his calculation, that adds up to nine gun shops for every Wal-Mart found in all of Mexico and the United States combined."

Wow, it's almost as if the gun shops want the Mexicans to cross the border and buy their guns.

[Cheri]

BunWat wrote: "Border.

Not boarder.

I know Amelia spelled it that way first, I just can't take it if the misspelling is going to spread.

Other than that you have a point Cheri. The guns in the US don't co..."

I knew that boarder was wrong. sloppy me

[[deleted user]]

Fixed em, Bun. I keep wanting to do that. Jim already corrected me yesterday in another thread about the book store...

Cheri, I NEVER said, "...all those the boarder jumping Mexicans..." In fact, I made great strides to say that I was NOT talking about Mexican immigrants in general, merely the route they take into the country that is used by criminal elements.

LG, there is a huge difference between illegal gun running weapons and my local regulated dealer. Seriously?

[Sarah]

This is a response to the comment about how an armed bystander in the theater or at the supermarket where Gabby Giffords was shot might have stopped the shooters. I'd like to point out that in that shooting near the Empire State Building a few weeks ago, every single person injured other than the initial targeted victim was shot by police officers trying to take down the suspect (who had already stopped shooting after his initial victim).
In a smoky, panicked theater, even if the gunman wasn't wearing body armor, what would have been the odds of hitting him versus hitting another bystander?
At the supermarket in Arizona, with people panicking and running everywhere, that would also be a concern. And if you drew a gun, in all that confusion, it would be very hard for the police to distinguish between you and another attacker.

[Cheri]

Sorry, I see you said, "I'm not saying I'm bagging on immigrants from Mexico. That nice family that dun snuck over the boarder isn't my issue, there are LOTS of not nice folks bringing drugs and an awful lot of guns over the same way.

I thought, "LOTS of not nice folks bringing drugs and an awful lot of guns over the same way" sounded like you might feel the 'South of the Border' immigrants are responsible for bringing guns into the country and making America's gun violence worse. Haven't all the mass shootings have been done with legally purchased guns by Americans?

The drugs: This is supply and demand capitalism at its finest. Americans demand drugs (which our country has determined are illegal) and the supply is filled. Until Americans are willing to treat drug addiction as a health problem, the supply will continue.

[Sarah]

Father shoots his own teenage son: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10...

[Jim]

I heard about this earlier this week. It sounds like the kid put himself in a very bad situation, but why would the father do anything but but stay in his house and call the police?

[[deleted user]]

Cheri, I'd have to look into whether most of the mass shootings were done with legally purchased guns. I'm assuming in the case of most of them, since they were perpetrated by minors they were taken from a legal purchaser who should have them in a gun safe (I do). But, my thing isn't that I want to be armed, because I think someone is going to mow down my grocery store or shopping mall. My concern is more the mugger/murderer/rapist lurking by my car in the dark. I try to be really aware of my surroundings, but that may not be enough.

Secondly, I would be willing to wager that 80% or better of crime involving a fire arm is not with a legally purchased weapon.

[Jim]

BunWat wrote: "Jim wrote: "I heard about this earlier this week. It sounds like the kid put himself in a very bad situation, but why would the father do anything but but stay in his house and call the police?"

..."

First I wouldn't live that close to family, but you are probably right. But I may stay on the phone with them and go to the door and start yelling as I walked across the lawn to their house and I would have them turn on all of their outside lights while I was watching. I have an extremely loud voice, so there would be more than a few neighbors awake before this was over. Now if she said they are in my house, I would be over in a heart beat.

[[deleted user]]

My step-mom almost shot my step-brother once. It was REALLY late and he came in the house unexpectedly. I'm pretty sure she'd had a few Black Velvet & Cokes.

She didn't. (Shoot him, that is)

Bun, I'd go over with my Polarion!

http://www.polarion-store.com/

They're so bright they actually hurt! And, yes, I do have one.

[Jim]

BunWat wrote: "Of course my big question is why the hell was this kid lurking outside his aunt's place in a ski mask holding a knife? "

That really is the question, or why when he saw his dad with a gun he didn't whip of the mask, or yell stop dad it's me.

[Félix]

Cool light, Amelia.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks! It's my husband and his brother's company. I think they're pretty cool. The lights, not the boys...and the boys.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

The Giuliano shooting is still being investigated. No conclusions have been reached yet. But, "the community was on edge after a woman was reportedly sexually assaulted in her home earlier that week, police said."

[[deleted user]]

That would put me on edge.

[[deleted user]]

Not saying I'd run out into the dark shooting at anything that moved, just that it would put me on edge.

[Cynthia]

I can't read this thread any more. Depressing as hell.

[Phil]

{sarcasm} It sure is good we don't have a gun violence problem in this country. Can you imagine how much worse it would be if we did? {/sarcasm}

26 Reported Killed in Newton, Conn., school shooting

[Susan]

Phil wrote: "{sarcasm} It sure is good we don't have a gun violence problem in this country. Can you imagine how much worse it would be if we did? {/sarcasm}

26 Reported Killed in Newton, Conn., school shooting"

I like your correct use of programming syntax.

We need a file for certain threads titled, Depressing as hell.

[Chris]

Phil wrote: "{sarcasm} It sure is good we don't have a gun violence problem in this country. Can you imagine how much worse it would be if we did? {/sarcasm}

26 Reported Killed in Newton, Conn., school shooting"

This says it all. What the hell has society come to?

In the past week, there was a shooting at the Clackamas mall here in Oregon, the very next day in Washington state, a rifle was confiscated at a high school that a student had brought, and now this horrible tragedy....people are insane anymore. What kind of monster targets children? Extremely depressing story.