[Vision2020] Gun Talk

[Paul Rumelhart]

On 02/02/2013 01:09 PM, Joe Campbell wrote:
> 1/ ban those guns too maybe

If only there was some Constitutional backing for that.  If that still 
matters, anymore.

>
> 2/ and the drones.

I wouldn't "ban" them, necessarily.  Better to use drones that put boots 
on the ground.  I'd simply suggest that we stop using them as our 
President's personal kill toy.

Someday I'd like to hear this story from the perspective of one of the 
remote controllers of the drones.  How exactly does an average drone 
assassination go down?

Paul

>
> On Feb 2, 2013, at 10:55 AM, Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com 
> <mailto:godshatter at yahoo.com>> wrote:
>
>>
>> You know, I could get behind these attempts to portray people who are 
>> against the assault weapons ban as sociopaths or schizophrenics, if 
>> it weren't for the following things:
>>
>> 1.  If the proponents of these bans weren't so disingenuous with 
>> their wording.  "Assault weapon" is a look-and-feel definition, not a 
>> usage-based one.  A Ruger Mini 14 is just as deadly in a spree 
>> shooting as an AR15, but it's not considered an "assault weapon" 
>> because it doesn't look enough like a movie prop.  I've both made 
>> this kind of comment on this list before and have seen it made here 
>> many times.  I haven't seen anyone answer it.  What is the use of 
>> banning a weapon based on how military it looks?  Why ban guns with 
>> barrel shrouds?  All they do is keep you from burning yourself on the 
>> barrel.  Or bayonet mounts?  Are we really worried about the latest 
>> rash of gun stabbings?  My conclusion: it's only useful politically.
>>
>> 2.  If they weren't so intent to ride the "think of the children" 
>> wave.  If the deaths of school children should be driving our 
>> behaviors, then how about we overhaul the drone program?  Lots of 
>> children are dying every day via drones, all OK'd by our sitting 
>> President.  I posted an article about that a few days ago, I think.  
>> So why is the outrage over Newtown driving the assault weapons ban 
>> but there is no outrage over drone-killings?  The only differences I 
>> can see are that the Newtown angle has been in the news non-stop 
>> while there is very little reporting on personally sanctioned 
>> assassinations by our President and that the children killed by 
>> drones are brown and not white. "Foreign" and not "domestic", if that 
>> makes you sleep better.  Also, every new gun-related incident gets 
>> center stage attention, as if these kinds of tragedies haven't been 
>> happening all the time.  Suddenly, a switch is thrown and we're all 
>> outraged about them.
>>
>> Now, I can get behind better background checks.  I'd like to see more 
>> focus on how we can keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill as 
>> well, as long as we're careful about people's rights so a random Joe 
>> can't be suddenly labeled "mentally ill" because he or she owns an 
>> AR15 or for some other trumped up reason.  Better databases covering 
>> gun sales would also make sense, though I can understand the concerns 
>> that if they know about your guns they can also come take them away.  
>> More training on gun handling and safety would also not go amiss.
>>
>> But this push to ban "assault weapons" is blatant political theater.  
>> The magazine size restrictions are idiotic, as well.  It takes a 
>> second to swap a magazine if you've practiced it a few times.  Pick 
>> up the magazine, release the current one and let it drop, shove the 
>> new one home.
>>
>> tl;dr version: gun control is currently all about political 
>> expediency when it should be all about actual effectiveness.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>> On 02/02/2013 09:26 AM, Moscow Cares wrote:
>>> <mime-attachment.jpg>
>>>
>>> Seeya round town, Moscow, because . . .
>>>
>>> "Moscow Cares"
>>> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>>> Tom Hansen
>>> Moscow, Idaho
>>>
>>> "There's room at the top they are telling you still
>>> But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
>>> If you want to be like the folks on the hill."
>>>
>>> - John Lennon
>>>
>>> On Feb 2, 2013, at 9:05 AM, Art Deco <art.deco.studios at gmail.com 
>>> <mailto:art.deco.studios at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Understanding why we need assault rifles:
>>>>
>>>> <Tom Tomorrow Glib Guns TMW2013-01-30colorKOS.png>
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
>>>> art.deco.studios at gmail.com <mailto:art.deco.studios at gmail.com>
>>>>
>>>>
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