posted June 05, 2014 10:41 PM            

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Originally posted by YoursTrulyAlways:
What we should do is apply the Bush Doctrine of Preemption. That way, all guys would be dressed in bow ties, wear polished shoes, keep their pants from falling to their knees and speak in complete grammatically correct sentences and never, ever oogle any girls.

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You're directing your sarcasm to the wrong person. This was supposed to be a serious thread.

posted June 05, 2014 10:41 PM            

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Originally posted by teasel:
Do you think this would stop if people stopped airing the news stories, and talking about them? Or do you think they'd just try to go 'bigger', trying to force them to give them attention?

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posted June 05, 2014 10:46 PM            

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Originally posted by StarlightSmileSupreme:
It would happen no matter what so long as psychos have guns.

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I'm not a big fan of guns, but people could do other things, like learn how to make bombs, thanks to the internet. Or probably just walk into Walmart, and buy one at this rate.

posted June 05, 2014 10:49 PM            

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Originally posted by teasel:
I'm not a big fan of guns, but people could do other things, like learn how to make bombs, thanks to the internet. Or probably just walk into Walmart, and buy one at this rate.

The story of those two little girls who tried to murder a third girl... it's chilling. A different scenario, but I'm getting to the point where I'm not so keen on being in public places.

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posted June 05, 2014 10:59 PM            

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Originally posted by Randall:
When American citizens lose the right to carry guns, the rest of the world should be very afraid.

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posted June 05, 2014 10:59 PM            

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Originally posted by teasel:
I'm not a big fan of guns, but people could do other things, like learn how to make bombs, thanks to the internet. Or probably just walk into Walmart, and buy one at this rate.

The story of those two little girls who tried to murder a third girl... it's chilling. A different scenario, but I'm getting to the point where I'm not so keen on being in public places.

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posted June 05, 2014 11:08 PM            

A sort of grand illusion of safety for the masses. All the while ignoring the reality that most rapes are acquaintance rapes, most murders are domestically related, logcally speaking there can only be a mass killing if there is a mass of ppl.

A good rhetorical question I once heard said, if firearms are to blame, then why are there no mass killings are firearms shows?

posted June 05, 2014 11:32 PM            

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Originally posted by teasel:
I'm fine with responsible citizens having guns, but is this really necessary?

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This was probably a protest action, there are protests where people OC (open carry) and they do so in a group as they hope it would show them as responsible gun owners. Assuming that's the case here there would be others with firearms. (I believe the mistake they make is that they know they're fine and upstanding people and thus expect others to automatically recognize that and thus associate guns with fine & upstanding people rather than psychos and criminals.)

Do I think it's the best way to assert their rights to OC? No. OTOH, if there were others who were armed as well I wouldn't be worried...least I'd be less worried than when in a car on the freeway.

There are also places in the country (such as some rural Texas communities) where guns are everywhere, as in you walk into a store and you'll see holstered guns all about and/or guns in truck gun racks (and when I'm in such a store I never worry about it being robbed). Those people were raised with guns in the background and know how to safely and responsibly handle guns (as otherwise the community comes down on them hard, assuming the offender doesn't just give himself, or herself, a Darwin Award) and thus I'm not worried (at least not about the gun, the extreme conservative views that tend to permeate such areas may give me cause to worry at times, though even in such areas they usually leave you alone as long as you're just passing through or visiting family).

posted June 06, 2014 09:38 AM            

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Originally posted by ariestaurus:

The thing is, even if a dictator took over and you still had your guns, how in earth would they protect you from the US army, the most powerful army in the world? Drones, automatic guns, tanks, nuclear bombs? The government has gotten very powerful. The founders envisioned a society in which the populace had the means to fight back against tyranny, no? We are way past the point of no return on that one.

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The United States is huge with a massive civilian population. If MOST of the population was armed and were forced to stand up for themselves it wouldn't matter if the government had tanks and automatic rifles. There would be a full-scale war that would be difficult for the government to actually win.

Even with all our resources, it took 10 years to find Bin Laden in a country smaller than California.

And even a government that wanted to become a dictatorship would be hard pressed to drop nuclear bombs on itself.

posted June 06, 2014 09:41 AM            

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But if I saw one guy alone carrying a gun like that where I'm at in California then I'd instantly leave.

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posted June 06, 2014 09:46 AM            

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Originally posted by MoonWitch:
That looks like an Airsoft gun to me.

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posted June 06, 2014 11:03 AM            

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Originally posted by MoonWitch:

The United States is huge with a massive civilian population. If MOST of the population was armed and were forced to stand up for themselves it wouldn't matter if the government had tanks and automatic rifles. There would be a full-scale war that would be difficult for the government to actually win.

Even with all our resources, it took 10 years to find Bin Laden in a country smaller than California.

And even a government that wanted to become a dictatorship would be hard pressed to drop nuclear bombs on itself.

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The government has access to all sorts of weapons. What about Sarin Gas? What about Drones? I'm afraid guns won't do much in the face of bombs. The US Army is now so powerful that they don't even have to send in actual people to do the fighting; they can do it all remotely.

The idea that a well-regulated militia could actually stand a chance against the most powerful army in the world is laughable. The Army will take you down so fast, it'll make your head spin.

posted June 06, 2014 12:29 PM            

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Originally posted by Randall:
When American citizens lose the right to carry guns, the rest of the world should be very afraid.

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I would love to hear you explain what on earth this even means.

posted June 06, 2014 01:13 PM            

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Originally posted by MoonWitch:
Sure, they could try to go to war with it's own citizens. It would be extremely bloody - drones or no. That is a deterrent even to mighty governments. Disarming all the citizens makes it all the easier for government to do whatever it wants, yeah? I'm all for making it more difficult for governments to oppress people.

But that's partly why so many people are against technology like drones. It puts too much power in government hands. I think it's probably a losing battle since we are heading for the Matrix, Terminator, Aeon Flux, Minority Report, etc. but I'd rather go down fighting.

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There are places around the world with far fewer arms restrictions, like in the middle east, and the governments are far more restraining. In fact, you could be killed or punished for simply not wearing the right clothing or drinking alcohol. Thinking of having an affair or being homosexual? That merits stoning. Thinking of divorcing? If you are a woman, you lose all rights to your kids and suffer stigma. All this among the perfectly legal
Kalashnikovs.

And in the US if you think about rebelling and starting a civil war, the government can always carpet bomb or nuke you if need be.

posted June 06, 2014 01:26 PM            

That's fine. Not my style, though.

posted June 06, 2014 01:28 PM            

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Originally posted by MoonWitch:
Ok, then the answer is for everyone to roll over?

That's fine. Not my style, though.

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People already do roll over lol. Even with guns. Life is too good.

posted June 06, 2014 01:36 PM            

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Originally posted by StarlightSmileSupreme:
[B] There are places around the world with far fewer arms restrictions, like in the middle east, and the governments are far more restraining. In fact, you could be killed or punished for simply not wearing the right clothing or drinking alcohol. Thinking of having an affair or being homosexual? That merits stoning. Thinking of divorcing? If you are a woman, you lose all rights to your kids and suffer stigma.

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I blame organized religion and zealots for this. I think if people are going to kill and suppress others they shouldn't be allowed to hide it in the guise of doing God's or Allah's or any other diety's name.

If people are going to be a-holes they should just own it and stop pointing fingers at the sky. Unfortunately, organized religion creates these zealot factions and a lot of people that wouldn't normally get caught up in this nonsense end up getting sucked in.

Sorry, that's not really the point. That's just something that I mull over a lot. I'm so tired of those in power trying to control people in the name of religion.

I think that if you take away the right for citizens to defend themselves with arms, the ones left with arms are the government, organized crime, and 'bad guys'. So all the civilians are caught in the middle of all of that like sheep.

posted June 06, 2014 01:46 PM            

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Originally posted by MoonWitch:

I blame organized religion and zealots for this. I think if people are going to kill and suppress others they shouldn't be allowed to hide it in the guise of doing God's or Allah's or any other diety's name.

If people are going to be a-holes they should just own it and stop pointing fingers at the sky. Unfortunately, organized religion creates these zealot factions and a lot of people that wouldn't normally get caught up in this nonsense end up getting sucked in.

Sorry, that's not really the point. That's just something that I mull over a lot. I'm so tired of those in power trying to control people in the name of religion.

I think that if you take away the right for citizens to defend themselves with arms, the ones left with arms are the government, organized crime, and 'bad guys'. So all the civilians are caught in the middle of all of that like sheep.

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posted June 06, 2014 02:00 PM            

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Originally posted by MoonWitch:
But but but the high schoolers in the movie "Red Dawn" did it!!!! (against the Russians anyway lol)

disclaimer: I am being facetious.

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