I don't bloody understand mass shootings

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > I don't bloody understand mass shootings

thrakkorzog: Nov 16, 2007

Thanatosian posted:

The first amendment and the second amendment aren't comparable.

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are paramount to a free society; freedom of guns is paramount to people who really, really like guns. Like, in a weird way.

The First and second amendments kind of compliment each other at this point.

Try to restrict 1st amendment rights, and you can expect a cavalcade of people exercising their second amendment rights.

Right now there are approximately 300 millions guns in the U.S., or about one gun per person in the U.S. There is no practical way to collect all the guns in the US without violating the 4th amendment.

thrakkorzog fucked around with this message at 08:58 on Dec 5, 2015

# ¿ Dec 5, 2015 08:40

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 15, 2024 04:58

thrakkorzog: Nov 16, 2007

Thanatosian posted:

You don't need to collect every gun in the U.S. to reduce gun violence. You just have to collect a lot of them. And you don't have to do it all at once; presumably, the U.S. government is going to be around for awhile; it can afford to play the long game.

And there are fucktons of countries out there with free speech, and free press, and freedom of religion, and no loving guns. Hell, there are several countries out there with lots of guns, and none of those freedoms. There's no complement there, and in fact, people shooting back is something that's most likely to make it easier for someone to get the U.S. military to turn on the people; and that's really the only thing that matters when it comes to a tyrannical dictator who isn't backed by the general populace, whether or not he can get the military to fire on civilians. Because you and your 30.06 aren't going to be able to do poo poo about a B-2 dropping a bunker-buster on your backyard, or an Abrams pulling up to your door.

Please name those other countries who all about free speech, and have stronger free speech protections than the U.S.

# ¿ Dec 5, 2015 09:25

thrakkorzog: Nov 16, 2007

Thanatosian posted:

Most of Western Europe has similar levels of free speech, and far less gun ownership/more gun regulation.

So the Pope is protected by the Swiss Guard who wield MP15s. The rest of us who aren't popes can get hosed. We don't have the Swiss Guard protecting us. I would like to have a gun to protect myself.

thrakkorzog fucked around with this message at 09:56 on Dec 5, 2015

# ¿ Dec 5, 2015 09:50

thrakkorzog: Nov 16, 2007

JohnGalt posted:

There totally were 355 mass shootings this year

According to Mother Jones, once you exclude the noise of gang bangers doing a drive by, and look for crazy assholes shooting up the place there has been a grand total of 4 mass shootings in the U.S in the past year.

Personally, I'd prefer to be armed with something stronger than harsh language.

thrakkorzog fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Dec 6, 2015

# ¿ Dec 6, 2015 13:50

thrakkorzog: Nov 16, 2007

Geniasis posted:

Oddly enough, there was a fair amount of gun control in the (not really all that very) Wild West. In a significant number of towns you were required to leave your weapon with the local sheriff as a condition of entry and got it back when you left.

Sadly the legend of the gunslinging cowboy duels are more fiction than fact, with a couple of exceptions.

In the Antebullum south they were all about making sure that people wanting a gun had to get permission from the local sheriff to get a gun. Want to make bets over who was allowed to have a gun and who was denied?

# ¿ Dec 11, 2015 14:03

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > I don't bloody understand mass shootings