As a lifelong hunter, sportsman and gun owner it is frustrating to hear politicians and others call for gun control, being quick to blame the gun and not look for the root problem of violence.
The political solution is to look like you are doing something — a quick solution. Hence the problem: There is no quick/easy solution.
When America had an assault weapons ban that didn’t mean there were no mass shootings. Crime stats compiled by a Northeastern University professor, the Census Bureau and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published earlier this year showed that while the ban was in place, from 1994 to 2004, the number of mass shootings actually rose slightly during that period. Columbine occurred right in the middle of the ban.
From 1985-94, there were 173 mass shootings and 766 victims. From 1995-2004 (starting with 1995 because it was the first full year the law was in effect), there were 182 mass shootings and 830 victims.
Weapons don’t kill people; people kill people. They do so with knives, guns, explosives. Banning assault weapons won’t eliminate these mass shootings as statistics prove the opposite.
Banning guns from law-abiding citizens will do one thing though — make it more likely that only those who are going to commit crime have a weapon and you don’t.
Kids don’t respect or fear authority parents or God; a politically correct society has no winners or losers, so when they do lose for the first time they don’t know how to deal with it; and a society that believes they are owed everything and don’t have to work for it is a good place to start.
Politicians blaming guns is like politicians blaming McDonald’s for me gaining weight — both neglect the human behavior that is the root cause of the problem.
David Anderson,
Lonsdale
Comments (52)
Add commentGreat letter David! Well,
Great letter David!
Well, after reading Feinstein's brilliant proposal for a NEW Assault Weapons Bill, it certainly looks to me that she is proposing a 200 dollar registration tax on those OH-SO-Evil semi auto assault weapons and making them non transferable, all the while still letting REAL NFA firearms such as machine guns be transferable. She has bought into her own paranoia about "assault weapons" being so horrible, so beyond the pale, and SO dangerous, that she is creating a new category for them making them MORE regulated than machine guns. This whole media onslaught is amazing. They have CREATED the new and improved definition of an "assault weapon", overriding and making obsolete the REAL definition, that of a select fire weapon. Demonization of an inanimate object to achieve thier desired end, regardless of the means to achieve it.
Keep yer powder dry
Make your own "No Gun Zone."
http://youtu.be/AhgzcioPet8
I'm sure the Liberals wont get it!
This letter completely lost the plot
Dapa2, guns don't kill. Emotionally unstable people, who would never otherwise hurt anybody, unless they have unreasonably easy access to guns, kill people!
Every society has a certain percentage of mentally unstable people among them, but America's insane gun culture and lack of reasonable gun regulations, are the primary problem.
More guns, as Jaysoffhisrocker has ranted endlessly about, and a less politically correct, more rightwing "on your own society", as you suggest in this clueless letter, are beyond stupid!
Reasonable solutions including bans on the sale of completely unnecessary assault rifles and high capacity magazines and expanded background checks are simply common sense.
As always, you've completely lost the plot.
Talk about STUPID! Only
Talk about STUPID!
Only Military and LE can have "Assault Weapons."
Because a weapon "Looks" like an "Assault Weapon" does not make it one. Our Government and the Media have bastardised a semi-auto gun and RWN isnt bright enough to figure it out.
Here's a thought for the Gun Grabbers
Business moguls who favor stricter gun-control laws -- among them Bloomberg LP founder and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, financier George Soros and entertainment honcho David Geffen -- are in the unique position of being able to put their money where their mouths are, and with a single bold move can change the raging gun debate in a way that intransigent politicians cannot.
These well-intentioned billionaires (and others) should buy Freedom Group Inc., the world’s largest gun manufacturer, from Cerberus Capital Management LP, which has put it up for sale, and literally liquidate it.
The company’s existing stockpile of guns -- it has some $200 million in inventory according to the latest quarterly report -- can be melted down and turned into plowshares, or at least tasteful monuments to the horrors of gun violence, and installed in places such as Newtown, Connecticut; Aurora, Colorado; Blacksburg, Virginia; Tucson, Arizona; Binghamton, New York; and Fort Hood, Texas.
In his Dec. 14 speech after the Newtown shootings, President Barack Obama called for “meaningful action” on gun- control legislation. What would be more meaningful than buying Freedom Group from Cerberus and then closing it down?
Keep yer powder dry!
Nutty should be ashamed
Nutty says, "Reasonable solutions including bans on the sale of completely unnecessary assault rifles and high capacity magazines and expanded background checks are simply common sense."
He also says to the letter writer, "As always, you've completely lost the plot."
As always it is Nutty's own fantasy plot. Nutty doesn't address the facts presented by others. As always he personally attacks anyone that he disagrees with.
Nutty should be ashamed of himself!!!
58% agree with me for stricter gun laws
[filtered word], your parents should ground you to your basement for being such a belligerent, extremist know-nothing.
Considering that in his letter, Dapa2 has almost out-crazied you two whackos, by dishonestly misplacing the blame for our rightwing gun-crazed culture, and all the needless gun carnage on absurd causes, like political correctness, I suggest that you induct Dapa2 as the third of The Three Stooges, now that Earthworm has burrowed back into his compost pile.
It's your choice, [filtered word] and Jaysoffhisrocker, because it's your comedy routine. After all, The Two Stooges just doesn't have the same ring to it, don't you think?
LMAO! Another intelligent
LMAO!
Another intelligent answer from RWN!
''Life's tough, pilgrim, and it's even tougher if you're stupid.''-- John Wayne
Regarding Nutty's
Regarding Nutty's intelligence,
“He had just about enough intelligence to open his mouth when he wanted to eat, but certainly no more.”
― P.G. Wodehouse
I cant believe he eats
I cant believe he eats through that vulgar mouth!
Keep yer powder dry!
Really?
You say the violence is blamed on guns RWNs? What substantiates that remark?
In Minnesota Permits to Carry now total over 100K. The data shows that crimes commited by permit carriers are far lower than the general population in Minnesota. Why is that?
Now only if you factor in those committed obtained illegally then an only do you see the numbers rise.
That data is ready available in Minnesota through uniform crime reports and Permit to Carry report as it relates to handguns.
Now factor in the assault weapons ban that was in place. What does the data show? That there was no decrease in these supposed killing sprees? Did you notice that disparity in reports on the assault weapon in Ct. Most reports said the assault weapon was found in the car's trunk? Federal law enforcement officials also stated that but then amazing you see all these stories that the assault weapon was found with the perpetrator. Convenient?
You dont think that political correctness had anything to do with this? That punks that have never had to respect authority, that have never lossed a game, who dont have a God to fear have anything to do with it? Who is the nut RWNs?
Data
Part of the law enabling the AWB also required the Department of Justice to look at the effect of the ban on crime before and after the decade that it was in place.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/173405.pdf
The study failed to show a significant impact on “assault weapon” use or support the allegation that large capacity magazines lead to more murders.
Mass murders are tragic and, fortunately, rare. There is no data to support the notion that reinstating an AWB will prevent further tragedies. In fact, two of the largest mass murders in US history, the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center towers and Pentagon, and the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing did not even involve firearms.
According to another study done by the University of Pennsylvania: "Assualt Weapons prohibited by the 1994 federal ban accounted for between 1% and 6% of guns used in crime" and that "the estimates consistently show that AWs are used in a small fraction of gun crimes."
According to FBI data, more people were killed with shotguns (373), knifes/blades (1,704) and “other weapon[s]” (1,772) more often than they were with rifles in 2010, which were reportedly used in 358 murders that year. Keep in mind that killed does not necessarily mean it was not self inflicted, accidental or other only that an individual was killed.
Should we ban knives, shotguns, cars, alcohol (drunks kill far more than guns)
Great posts DAPA but whatever
Great posts DAPA but whatever the State run media and Democrates say is Gospel to RWN!
If RWN could he'd carry Obama's Baby!
LOL. Jay, you crack me up!!!
LOL. Jay, you crack me up!!!
ECHO: YOUR NEW COMMENTS FUNCTION SUCKS!!!
ECHO: YOUR NEW COMMENTS FUNCTION (or more accurately, lack of function) really SUCKS!!!
I ran across this in my daily
I ran across this in my daily reading and in cogitating on it, I know why we never see stories like these in the national news:
http://townhall.com/columnists/ashleyherzog/2013/01/04/good-guys-with-guns-n1479114/page/full/
The reasons, of course, are obvious. In the first place, unless there are heaps of bodies, a mass slaughter, it isn't "newsworthy". If the bodies of the slain are children, then it's even more newsworthy.
The second reason is more insidious (or maybe invidious). Stories of ordinary American citizena defending themselves and others with their legally owned and carried firearms simply don't fit "the narrative" which the MSM pushes - that a disarmed society is a safer one. Never mind that the Americans who stepped up and used their guns likely prevented another mass killing. Nope, that doesn't fit "the narrative". Such stories are either buried in the back pages or never see the light of a TV screen.
We don't have the power or means to prevail over the MSM. They control the great majority of the means to get the truth out - so "the truth" is their truth, whatever they say it is.
Because the "sheeple" believe it.
GOD HELP US!
Wrong again
Jaysoffhisrocker, that was not a story in the legitimate media because it was simply a cop pursuing a gunman who shot someone he was angry with- a scenario that unfortunately happens multiple times every day in our gun-crazed country. It was not about a mass slaughter with assault weapons, as also unnecessarily happens far too often. You've lost the plot again, Jaysoffhisrocker.
Echo won't allow me to refute Dapa2's flawed posts
Dapa2, your two posts are complete nonsense and easily refutable. Unfortunately, the Echo's censorship gauntlet won't allow me to refute them with real, meaningful data. Therefore, it looks like you "won" the argument this time, because the Echo is "picking winners and losers", and not allowing rational debate.
The Echo has already refused Jackpine access to this site. Looks to me like they want only rightwing opinions (albeit radical fringe) expressed here. Looks like the Echo is looking for perspectives about as "fair and balanced" as Faux News.
RWNs....easily refutable...lol!
Yeah you will use what NYT, Huff Post, Ezra Klein or some other biased bull crap? Ok RWNs whatever you say. Keep on with your ludicrous rants because nobody cares really what you have to say... but does make for good humor....lol! Hey your buddy Al sold his current TV.... that nobody watches to another network nobody watches.... you must be in heaven. Try writing a column counter point. Like the one on guns in Saturdays Star Tribune....
"Firearms stand next in
"Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."
George Washington First President of the United States
"Echo won't allow me to
"Echo won't allow me to refute Dapa2's flawed posts"
Read the rules Dummy! No profanity. I know your incapable of that RWN!
Its begun
http://youtu.be/S_rY8ZUbrnU
Rick Nolan
Did anyone see Rick Nolan on "Face The Nation" yesterday? What an idiot!
When asked if he supports anti-gun legislation he says he's a hunter from NE MN all his life. He goes on to say we dont need these "Assault Weapons" to shoot ducks!
REALLY! Who the heck shoots Ducks with a rifle? If he does its against the law!
He's nuttier than RWN.
Hunter my butt! Lier maybe.
Alex Jonesoffhisrocker
In this Piers Morgan interview, unhinged whackjob Alex Jones artfully spews the same unhinged rants you Three Stooges recite, and reinforces the need for reasonable gun legislation. He definitely speaks loudly for you whackjobs with guns.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/01/the-deport-piers-morgan-creator-blows-up-on-cnn-153577.html
Again, Nutty can't argue the
Again, Nutty can't argue the facts, so he resorts to name calling. I agree with Alex Jones 100%. The Obama Administration has ignored the Constitution long enough.
RWN-Second Amendment! RWN,
RWN-Second Amendment!
RWN, what part of "Will not infringe upon" dont you so called Americans understand!
Dimwhits!
Remember, four boxes keep us free:
the soap box, the ballot box,
the jury box, and the cartridge box.
Dont do buisness with Bank of America!
Bank of America Freezes Gun Manufacturer's Account
.By Gregory Gwyn-Williams, Jr. of CNSNews.com
January 7, 2013
Bank of America Freezes Gun Manufacturer's Account, Company Owner Claims
Bank of America has reportedly frozen the account of gun manufacturer American Spirit Arms, according to its owner, Joe Sirochman.
In a Facebook post dated December 29, Sirochman wrote the following:
“My name is Joe Sirochman owner of American Spirit Arms...our Web site orders have jumped 500 percent causing our Web site e-commerce processing larger deposits to Bank of America. So they decided to hold the deposits for further review.
“After countless hours on the phone with Bank of America, I finally got a manager in the right department that told me the reason that the deposits were on hold for further review -- her exact words were -- ‘We believe you should not be selling guns and parts on the Internet.’”(emphasis added)
Sirochman also wrote that he told the bank manager that “they have no right to make up their own new rules and regs” and that “[American Spirit is a] firearms manufacturer with all the proper licensing.”
He also noted that he has been doing business with Bank of America for over 10 years, but will now be looking for a new bank.
According to Unlawful News, this isn't the first time Bank of America has targeted a customer involved in the firearms industry.
McMillan Group International was reportedly told that its business was no longer welcome after the company started manufacturing firearms – even after 12 years of doing business with the bank.
Second amendment
Jaysoffhisrocker, no surprise. Alex Jonesoffhisrocker certainly is one dangerous psycho-whacko, and it's obvious why you would agree with him 100%. He screams the exact same unhinged vitriol that you post.
Funny to see level-headed Piers Morgan calmly say during the screaming, "You certainly are a very loud man...very noisy." All of this certainly is helping us to enact more rational gun laws.
What does a loyal Alex Jonesoffhisrocker devotee, like you, not understand about, "well-regulated" in the second amendment?
Something tells me this won't end well
Just a reminder of who/what we are dealing with here, Jaysoffhisrocker previously boasted about illegally carrying "my "best friend" (gun) with me wherever I go, including banks and schools."
Then he boasted to fellow extremists Earthworm and [filtered word] this scary, unhinged post:
"Posted by: jaysoffroad at Aug. 30, 2012 at 7:09:02 am
Earthman, this year I'm gonna use the AK 47. When I pull the trigger I'm going to have Governor Goofy's face in the scope! LMAO
Sounds good TJ, love Beer, Jerky, and Weapons! Good luck fishin."
I keep hearing from the
I keep hearing from the uneducated gun grabbers:
"Nobody needs a Bushmaster with a 30-round magazine. You can't stand up to the power of the government. anyway. It will crush you!"
Really? Somebody should have told that to the Taliban, which has fought us to a standstill in Afghanistan; or the Mujahadeen, who eventually forced the Russians out of the same place; or the Viet Cong, who forced us out of Vietnam; or that rag-tag band of patriots who forced the British into an ignoble retreat after Lexington and Concord. Oh, yes. We, the People can.
Every modern dictatorship has involved the disarmament of its citizens in order to make them subjects.
Keep yer powder dry!