Ban on guns even closer

[slim 1,533]

On the way home from work tonight I heard Obama is now inching closer to his assault weapons ban "because it's going to help keep Mexico safer."

Ah.... #######?

Since there's so much "new" drug-related gun violence in Mexico and so much of it is being done with U.S. weapons, they're thinking that banning guns is going to curb the violence a little. Now, I'm not arguing here. I'm simply asking, how is banning the sale of "assault weapons" to law-abiding U.S. citizens (because they're the only ones who will be effected by a law.... remember, criminals don't follow the laws!) going to stop Mexican criminals from killing each other over drugs?

Let's keep in mind -

murder is illegal in the U.S. and Mexico

drugs are illegal in the U.S. and Mexico

using a firearm in the commission of a crime and or possession by a felon is illegal in the U.S. and Mexico

What they're doing is already illegal. How is passing a law aimed at law-abiding American citizens going to curb violence conducted by criminals?

OK. Next thing...... and a little more domestic.

New Orleans had the Mardi Gras parade yesterday. There was a shooting incident. (http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/two_people_shot_on_st_charles.html) Part of Obama's gun control ban is going to include a ban on semi-automatic handguns. Now, once again, let's keep in mind (and we'll use the news story as a review)

-murder is illegal

-possession of a handgun by a minor is illegal

-possession of a handgun by a felon is illegal

-using a firearm in the commission of a crime is illegal

The "men" who commited the crimes Tuesday were criminals. They weren't obeying the law. Laws we already have in place to prevent violent crimes from happening. How is another law, a law aimed at law-abiding Americans (remember again, criminals don't obey the laws!) going to lessen crimes like the one above?

I'm posting this not to cause outrage or garner support for the gun ban or whatever... I'm simply asking for clarity in how folks think restricting the sale and possession of firearms, ANY firearms, by law-abiding people is going to stop criminals from commiting crimes and somehow keep us all more safe.

Please explain it to me. Please help me to see the light that everyone with "hope" seems to be seeing.

[NickD 203]

Send this off to your senator and congressman, hell, even to Obama on his website, get another hundred or so people to send it off by emailing your statement and the links on how to contact them.

Only thing you will get here is some stupid opinions from a very small crowd, and that also includes me.

[justashooter 430]

it's not about guns, buddy. it's about control.

hitler did it, stalin did it, mao did it, why should osama be any different?

[NickD 203]

it's not about guns, buddy. it's about control.

hitler did it, stalin did it, mao did it, why should osama be any different?

Can add Chavez to that list as well. Well you can have a gun if you are 100% allegiant to him. We got it first hand, used his armed troops to down any demonstrations on this last referendum so he could run forever.

[Ban Hammer 14,283]

i'm not surprised by this news one bit. and the sheeple will think it's great, the government will protect us. you know them, the same ones that rant and rave about the government protecting them with the patriot act.

[justashooter 430]

it's not about guns, buddy. it's about control.

hitler did it, stalin did it, mao did it, why should osama be any different?

Can add Chavez to that list as well. Well you can have a gun if you are 100% allegiant to him. We got it first hand, used his armed troops to down any demonstrations on this last referendum so he could run forever.

you said it.

if there is no 2nd amendment, the 1st and all of the rest are just toilet paper. combine that with his intended "neighborhood watch" system (china has this - amatuer busybodies rat on neighbors for cash) and his intended "civilian security force" (schutzenstaffen - black shirts), and you have a country not worth living in, but still worth fighting for.

things get bad enough, you are gonna hear some loud voices in the room, and shots fired. there are too many literate americans with an understanding of constitutional structure who will not go silently into the night.

it will be interesting to see how congress will attempt to legislate into non-existence the language of the majority decision written into Heller by Justice Roberts. he specifically stated that any class of weapons in common use could not be prohibited, and by the nature of the original case v dc, a grandfathering prohibition is also out of the question.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

it's not about guns, buddy. it's about control.

hitler did it, stalin did it, mao did it, why should osama be any different?

Word. To many people 'assault weapon' = machine gun. It's not.

[Shad and Dani 3]

it's not about guns, buddy. it's about control.

hitler did it, stalin did it, mao did it, why should osama be any different?

Exactly! Obama is a communist Become a member of the NRA! Protect our second amendment right!

[rebeccajo 14]

I'm posting this not to cause outrage or garner support for the gun ban or whatever... I'm simply asking for clarity in how folks think restricting the sale and possession of firearms, ANY firearms, by law-abiding people is going to stop criminals from commiting crimes and somehow keep us all more safe.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight......................

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I believe arms sales in the US are largely to do with commercial interests (the UK, in contrast, exports the arms it makes - not that this is a virtue) and that the arguments over restricting sales are often fudged by those same commercial interests by suggesting that it somehow "restricts freedom".

As for the US being "freer" as a result of gun ownership, well its probably just my opinion but I've always found the UK and France, for instance, far less law-respecting than Americans (taking to the streets is almost a national passtime in France, and to a lesser extent nowadays - the UK also).

In point of fact I am astonished at how compliant the US in general is with Authority - and a lot of people seem perfectly content to accept the authority of anyone with a badge or a rank and to believe whatever a rightwing politician tells them (one of the reasons I get homesick from time to time).

Edited February 26, 2009 by Paul Daniels

[justashooter 430]

I believe arms sales in the US are largely to do with commercial interests (the UK, in contrast, exports the arms it makes - not that this is a virtue) and that the arguments over restricting sales are often fudged by those same commercial interests by suggesting that it somehow "restricts freedom".

As for the US being "freer" as a result of gun ownership, well its probably just my opinion but I've always found the UK and France, for instance, far less law-respecting than Americans (taking to the streets is almost a national passtime in France, and to a lesser extent nowadays - the UK also).

In point of fact I am astonished at how compliant the US in general is with Authority - and a lot of people seem perfectly content to accept the authority of anyone with a badge or a rank and to believe whatever a rightwing politician tells them (one of the reasons I get homesick from time to time).

The number of firearms sold to the populace exceeds the number sold to the military and exported for military sales. the last few years the number of new guns sold has held at about 3 million per year. this year i would expect that number to increase to somewhere between 4 and 5 million because of the expected attempt to restrict purchase that is pelosi/reid/osama's wet dream.

as for the relationship between restriction of sale and restriction of freedom, well, that's a no brainer. you either have the freedom to buy a gun, or you don't. fortunately, the constitutional amendments guarantee such freedom, and the supreme court has recently affirmed the same. 300-320 million firearms in private hands in the US is a lot of inertia to overcome.

in the united states "taking to the streets" and throwing bottles/rocks at policemen and burning police cars and buildings is seen as a criminal act. people may commit more of such crime in england and france, but i don't see the relationship between felonious acts and freedom. i see such behaviour shunned here, rather than encouraged. perhaps america is a more civilised place.

i wouldn't expect you to understand any of this, because you've never had the right before, but if you have a green card and 90 day residence you can learn what it's all about for yourself. if you are ever in south central pennsylvania, you would be welcome to visit my place and shoot birmingham and enfield made SLR (england's standard infantry rifle 1956-1982, and a variety of nato and com-bloc weps, as well as infantry and heavy weps dating back to the end of the 19th century.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't think firing your guns will miraculously persuade me that the ideological arguments about gun ownership have merit

The idea that the ability to own a gun equates to a free populace, is at best - a masturbatory fantasy.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

PD, don't go to that part of PA the local hillbillies might try to rape you.

I'll go as far west as Allentown and can't stand it anymore. What a bunch of weirdos out there.

[justashooter 430]

PD, don't go to that part of PA the local hillbillies might try to rape you.

I'll go as far west as Allentown and can't stand it anymore. What a bunch of weirdos out there.

so you're saying you prefer filthadelphia and the puerto rican drug trafficking controlled areas in the south eastern part of the state? how naive. actually, the I-83 corridor between harrisburg and baltimore is quite urbane.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

PD, don't go to that part of PA the local hillbillies might try to rape you.

I'll go as far west as Allentown and can't stand it anymore. What a bunch of weirdos out there.

so you're saying you prefer filthadelphia and the puerto rican drug trafficking controlled areas in the south eastern part of the state? how naive. actually, the I-83 corridor between harrisburg and baltimore is quite urbane.

The only part of PA I actually like is Bucks county. Although I'd probably live in Northampton if my wife didn't work or hate long drives to work