Another day in the MSM echo chamber. More parroted talking points about military weapons, despite the fact that no military uses the civilian variant AR rifle. “Designed for mass killing?” LOL. AR’s are used in mass shootings because of the copycat effect. They are neither the most powerful weapon legally available, nor the most effective (they’re also not the most used in shootings, either). When media runs 24 hour coverage of mass shooting events, it makes the shooters and all elements of what they did famous. It’s well known that, following one of these events, there’s a heightened threat of another copycat attack. But ignore these factors. Time for some common sense collective punishment!
Yup, a new law will certainly dissuade those who already disregard all other laws, murder being the most obvious among them.
Never mind that violent crime has been on a steady decline for the past few decades. One high profile event definitely justifies knee-jerk removal of rights for all those DIDN’T do anything wrong.
Ignore the fact that the US locales with the highest gun homicide rates are also those with the strictest gun laws. Can’t be any other factors responsible for these phenomena, nooo.
Did you click on the Mises article?
All those datapoints in that article then link to the other sources’ reports.
Not heard of Stratfor? It’s the public version of intelligence reports. www.stratfor.com
I heard of Stratfor but I don’t know what they have to do with guns in Mexico. Nor did I see the original report.
Not that I think you can really learn anything from Mexico which is far from a normal nation state.
Just to clarify, the AR-15 is the civilian version of the military’s M-16. It is semiautomatic (versus automatic M-16), because automatics cannot be legally sold.
A “bump-stock” is not an automatic weapon. It is attached to a semi-auto (like AR-15) so that the recoil of the weapon actually kicks back the gun onto the shooter’s trigger finger to then “trigger” another shot at a faster rate than just pressing, releasing, pressing, releasing, etc.
Rhetorical questions never come across so clear when typed out, ha ha.
Friedman just said Turkey would be a major regional power. Kind of self-fulfilling given where it is geographically. Everyone (from Europeans to MidEast countries to U.S.) has to deal with it in some way or another.
I’ve reread his take on Mexico, it’s not really a definitive statement. Kind of wishy-washy.
With all due respect, the answer to that is perhaps you are virtue signalling?
Think about it, honestly. What real change is going to going to come about from the anti gun lobbyists? On the right, I see person after person joining the NRA or renewing their membership. They are more deeply entrenched now than ever and more distrustful after the CNN ambush town hall meeting.
Trump is suggesting teachers carry guns, the left wont go for it, the left is pushing to up the age from 18 to 21, the right wont go for that. Perhaps you get something on bump stocks. A nothing burger.
Perhaps you might consider, how this is being approached is the wrong approach?
That means nothing to me. The answer is that it’s obviously correct. These weapons are making it easier to kill people, children, in rapid fashion with gaping wounds. The only right approach is the approach that gets action on these weapons. Therefore, I will take what steps I can to achieve such action. Achieving the goal is the imperative. At present, I don’t believe that trying to discuss things or working to achieve some kind of happy medium between all sides is practicable, at all. It’s not happening.
This concept of hand-in-hand cooperation has no practical application here. When Trump and the Republicans pass one of their shitty laws, do you think they wring their hands about who they’re going to piss off on the left and make reconciliation impossible? Ha! That gets played out locally all the time too. Your argument here is divorced from the reality of the American political situation. The ship of reconciliation hasn’t just sailed; it’s sunk. Maybe we’ll build a new one some day but asking anyone to constrain their actions to make that a greater possibility is at present, worse than pointless. Maybe it’s virtue signalling on your part? I’m not really up with all this new socio-political terminology.
Well , I wish i could share your optimism TG. There are other issues at play here, including huge failings from FBI, Police, Medical issues and I think that removing the weapon of choice from circulation is not addressing the core issue.
I too ,think that an AR15 is not required for any sane reason…but it seems to me that you penalise only the Law abiding owners in reality.
Guns maybe wrong but they are a reality , and Legal . Work on stopping the School shootings…Yes. but also accept the view that simply removing some types of Guns from legal ownership will not stop School shootings . these nutcases will use an illegally obtained weapon or alternative means.
Need to focus on the shooters , not just the delivery method. IMO.
No, one looks at a situation and then reacts appropriately with a mind for what one can achieve given the reality. Trump is in lockstep with the NRA, doesn’t matter how I feel about it or how you feel about it, I would say that is reality.
You and I don’t often disagree, especially on an issue that essentially we both agree on. I don’t like guns in society any more than you, and have said so on every occasion. Would I be wrong to say you have experienced personal loss because of guns? If that’s the case, I will drop what I am saying, an abstract argument is not the place when deep emotional feelings are involved.
You would, I haven’t had any such experience thank God. I’m not really alone in thinking this way. I think change is coming. All I’m talking about is change through means of the political process, so I’m not sure what your problem with that is, or what your suggested solution is that would avoid offending anyone.
I alluded to it earlier, win the hearts and minds of the people. The Dems could propose getting rid of semi automatic rifles in exchange for an end to sanctuary cities and implementation of voter ID. ALL things most Americans would agree with.
That’s how you deal with the issue, put up what looks like a compromise between the left and right, but ALL things you are offering are things the majority support.
I’m open to dealing like that, depending. I’m not so left on the immigration issue. I don’t think it’d be that easy, but stranger things have happened.
I too ,think that an AR15 is not required for any sane reason…
Enough said.
but it seems to me that you penalise only the Law abiding owners in reality.
You could say the same about any item banned for the protection of public safety.
Guns maybe wrong but they are a reality , and Legal . Work on stopping the School shootings…Yes. but also accept the view that simply removing some types of Guns from legal ownership will not stop School shootings . these nutcases will use an illegally obtained weapon or alternative means.
Nothing can be a panacea, and no one is saying it will be as far as I know. Yet, we’re talking about people’s lives here. Let’s get these particularly dangerous types of weapons out of public circulation in order to protect the public.
Weren’t the vast majority of school shootings done with legally obtained guns? A couple, such as columbine I believe, the guns were legally owned by parents and taken by kids.
Also, taking away one type of gun wont stop shootings, but it will decrease the possibilty of future “mass” killings with weapons that cause horrific damage to internal organs.
You honestly think you can take on the government with your “guns”? Ha! This isn’t the 1700s.
Keep state militias. Exercise your right to vote. Get control of your country that way. Enough with these fantastical stupid ideas that the average shmuck can take on the government with their “guns”. It aint happenin.
