The King Soopers tragedy hit close to home as it is 1 mile from my son's college apartment and he usually shops there on Monday's - fortunately he was with me that night - It got me thinking about my position on an A/R ban - I have several in addition to my bolt guns. I wonder what would happen to existing legal owners - I have heard the government would pay for the weapons if they ever took them away. It would be interesting if I they would pay what we all paid - which could be quite pricey, especially when you include the scope.
It also got me thinking about a solution to the problem - I have always argued that picking on AR's is stupid, as a common hand gun has about the same capacity, rate of fire and can fit in your pocket and is far more dangerous in most circumstances (except things like the Las Vegas Shooting) - meaning a crazy can not typically walk in a movie theater toting his 308 AR.
I think if I were going to address this problem I would limit sales of high mag anything to people that had any sort of violence convictions for a long time and maybe some day let them buy a deer rifle to hunt, lengthen the waiting period and increase the scrutiny on background checks. Also I have always been surprised that short barrel AR Pistols are legal - the Velcro thing on the butt stock is a joke and they are no different from a normal AR.
Again I love my shooting and hunting hobby, but the only use I can think of for a 10 in barrel 556 or 308 BO is urban warfare. (Maybe for hogs??)
I would think they are terrible home defense weapons as you will shoot through your walls and into your neighbors house -
Perhaps if you lived in Mogadishu or Darfur they would be handy to protect the family from roaming terrorists and genocidal maniacs but not here.
I believe I was arguing for AR ownership, " I have always argued that picking on AR's is stupid" and against selling guns to mentally deranged people that have extreme violence convictions and questioning short barrel AR's purpose -
I absolutely do not want the government to come take my toys.
I really was not expecting this sort of response and had hoped for intelligent discourse among people that love shooting and hunting as much as I to a serious problem facing our great country. Darkfader and Super Corn Dogs - what part did you object to? Also, do you actually own a double barreled dildo bike and if so - how do you use it and what is it for?
First and only post in the Bear Pit - many will be glad
1. I love America, I love my guns, know how to use them, practice often, just not combat and believe in my 2nd amendment rights
2. There are probably some ex military or special forces on here and I thank you for serving - my cousin was a Marine based in Da Nang in the late 60's and my brother in law died 30 years later from Hep B from being a med evac pilot in the same place - I worship them
3. I should have known better than to post this topic here - it will be people like me that end up saving your second amendment rights through intelligent discourse, legal protection and compromise
4. I wonder how many of the haters on here have actually used their weapons to protect their life or anyone's - LE and Military excepted and I humbly thank you for serving society and our country -
5. The toys comment was a joke - obviously they are very serious business - I just have way more than I actually need hence the humor
6. For those that can read I was actually arguing for AR's by stating a pistol is more dangerous - and I never came close to suggesting banning handguns
7. I would be outraged if the government actually tried to take my AR's - is was only interesting to explore how they would compensate, as was said, the genie is out of the bottle and at this point a ban would only put them in the hands of the bad guys.
8. I assume none of you that hate posted objected to not selling guns to violent convicted criminals or crazy people - unless you are hiding something
9. All the incendiary and ignorant comments here were actually amusing - except the guy that posted the Rosa Parks comment - You - I would like to face you in the boxing ring without your gun to protect you.
You are being manipulated by the media, with that you are having a emotional response to a logical problem. You need to sit down, take a deep breath and have a logical reaction to a logical problem.
Mass shootings/killings are NOT common place as the media would have you think.
The definition used to define a "mass shooting" is any time 3 people die at the same time/location from being shot. This definition varies a little but for the most part this is the one the media and I believe the FBI uses.
If a husband kills his child and wife and then himself with a firearm that is considered a "mass shooting", but if he kills his wife and kid with a gun but then takes a bottle of sleeping pills to kill himself then is is not a "mass shooing"
That is just one example, but is why when a real mass shooting happens like in Boulder that the media says shit like "this is the 225th mass shooting this year".
No one, not even those in the media believe the above example with the husband killing his family is actually a true "mass shooting". But they use the inflated numbers to get your attention and get into your emotional closet and kick shit around.
Most would agree that a true mass shooting involves an act of randomness, that is why it creates such fear. If you look at crime statics you will see that realistically you have never been safer, that crime 30 years ago was much more rampant and the murder rate was much much higher,
You look at the Boulder shooting and have chills run down your spine that your son shops at that store. That is totally understandable.
I myself (and I would imagine most people past a certain age) have been in situations where had the smallest variable changed I would have been a "victim". A couple years ago I gave the cat and extra 20 seconds of attention before I left the house, about 8 minutes later I watched as a car about 100 ft in front of me was t-boned at an intersection by a car who ran a red light at about 50mph.
If you look, that kind of shit happens all the time. Life is luck of the draw most the time.
Now, on to the gun thing.
This one is a little simpler. First people been killing people since people became a thing. Jim Jones killed 918 with tainted kool aid.
I will admit here that at times I have questioned (only for a nano-second) my ownership of firearms (most notably after the Vegas shooting). So I understand your thoughts. I will admit I to had an emotional reaction to a logical question, which I quickly got over.
No one wants these random killing sprees to happen and I think it is natural to look for solutions and fixes. The fact is there is no blanket solution, despite what the media would have you believe.
Some how, some way the media/government has gotten many, dare I say most people to look at a firearm in a light that is used on no other inanimate object. Is it because "arms" is used in the Constitution?? I consider "arms" anything I can use to defend myself, it doesn't have to go BANG in my mind. The media/government constantly push that restricting gun ownership will fix the problem.
I ask you this, why do they never push to ban personal ownership of vehicles when a drunk driver crashes into a vehicle killing a family??
Also on the same note, please explain how you giving up your vehicle would stop illegal street racing??
See, there has been a seed planted that guns are the problem, change the gun for another common inanimate object and all arguments go out the window. And yet the Constitution does include "arms", they must have done that for a pretty good reason.
