More assault rifle fun

[MichaelHarris]

"BEAUMONT, Texas — A man opened fire Wednesday outside a Texas courthouse where he was on trial in a family dispute, killing an elderly woman and wounding three other people, including a daughter he ran over with a pickup truck as he tried to escape, authorities said.....An assault rifle believed to belong to the gunman remained in the building, Gibson said."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/police-1-dead-3-injured-in-shootings-outside-southeast-texas-courthouse-suspect-in-custody/2012/03/14/gIQAfqGECS_story.html

For a weapon type you guys say it used very often to kill people it sure has killed a lot of people in the last few years. I would highly recommend looking at the stories just from the last two years. You won't of course. You know the stories, you've seen them, you just won't accept them.

[gejohnston]

1. accept what?

For a weapon type you guys say it used very often to kill people it sure has killed a lot of people in the last few years. I would highly recommend looking at the stories just from the last two years. You won't of course. You know the stories, you've seen them, you just won't accept them.

What are you trying to say? Are you saying that a couple of sensationalized news reports are more "real" than the FBI Uniform Crime Report?

I doubt it is an assault rifle, because they have been tightly regulated since the 1930s. This guy's rifle is, for all practical purposes, has the exact same firing rate as many skeet shotguns.

[X_Digger]

2. Count them..

I'll save you some time, you can go to the FBI's UCR.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr

Why the fuck would we use news reports when we have an authoritative source? Derp.

[Callisto32]

8. Hey, when the data don't back your position...

I guess you roll with what you can get.

[spin]

3. While it is true that those who have mental issues ...

do occasionally cause a tragedy with their firearms which sometimes include "assault weapons" the overwhelming majority of such gun owners never cause any problems.

Remember that there are at least 80,000,000 firearm owners in our nation that own at least 300,000,000 firearms. A very small percentage of gun owners do misuse their firearms to cause tragedies and often these tragedies are caused by the abuse of alcohol or drugs or the individuals involved suffer from a serious mental problem.

My question to you is how do we reduce this problem? Do we ban firearms and confiscate them or do we impose draconian restrictions on such weapons? Take into account that often firearms are used to stop criminal attack and if honest citizens would turn in their firearms if required, criminals who by definition do not obey laws would not. The result of very strong gun control might be a result in an increase in crime.

Statistics show that while the sale of firearms including "assault weapons" has skyrocketed in recent years the violent crime rate has fallen dramatically. While this doesn't prove that more firearms results in less crime it does prove that more firearms does not equal more crime.

Obviously we need to prevent unnecessary tragedies caused by firearms. I propose improving the NICS background check and requiring states to turn in data on criminals and those adjudged as having severe mental issues on a more timely basis. I also would like to see this system required for ALL sales of firearms including ALL private sales.

But this alone will not solve the problem. Obviously in a nation with 300,000,000 firearms, firearm safety courses should be mandatory in high schools. We should also focus our attention on enforcing existing laws and imposing severe penalties for anyone caught straw purchasing or smuggling firearms. In my opinion such people should be charged as an accessory to any crime that was committed with the firearms they illegally purchased or smuggled.

Of course poverty often leads to crime. Our educational system is, in my opinion, a failure. We also need jobs that will provide a living wage. Outsourcing jobs to nations that pay peanuts for long hours hurts out nation and benefits the 1%.

What are your solutions? Are you thinking about a bunch of "feel good" laws that would do little or nothing to address the issue? Are you considering a total ban on firearms which in the current political environment is impossible or just a ban on assault weapons and the incremental approach to banning all firearms which would also be almost impossible to achieve at this time?

I seriously doubt that any headway will be achieved on reducing gun tragedies in the near future considering the divide between the two major political parties. Democrats didn't really make any real headway on this issue when they controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress. It's obvious that many of the ideas on gun control for those who oppose firearm ownership will face enormous hurdles in the near future. Compromise appears to be a lost art between the two major political parties in our nation.

I have proposed some ideas that would be difficult but perhaps not impossible to achieve. Obviously the NRA and other pro-gun organizations would disagree with me and there is no doubt that they pack considerable power.

Now it is your turn to come up with some realistic ideas that could be implemented.

[Simo 1939_1940]

4. Well, if you're suggesting that we don't accept

that anecdotal evidence should guide public policy, then yeah.

[ileus]

5. What about his assault truck?

I get my new AR lower today...

[shadowrider]

6. Ain't you got the memo yet?

Assault vehicles kill more people than guns but because they weren't designed to kill, those deaths are ok. Same with assault swimming pools.

[ileus]

11. My pool assaulted one of the neighbors cats...

this past winter....
how is it my kitties and dogs never drown, but every few years a neighborhood kitty drowns in it?

[shadowrider]

13. We need to ban pools. It's the only way cats will be safe.

[era veteran]

10. But trucks have a rough ride

Much better:EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Hoyt]

7. Yup. When they release the type weapon used, sales will increase.

[Callisto32]

9. To quote a stupid sitcom...

"It must be hell inside your head."

[ileus]

12. demand is already out pacing production....

ammo is drying up, components are hard to find already.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. A different twist on the story

http://www.khou.com/news/Deputies-arrest-brother-of-man-accused-in-Beaumont-courthouse-shooting-rampage-142729535.html

It provides some context for the story.

Also of interest is that Quanell X is at a news conference trying to explain how the shooter "could not get justice". The same Quanell X who lead protests when Joe Horn was not charged in the shooting of thieves stealing from his neighbors house. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Horn_shooting_controversy

[Atypical Liberal]

15. Rifles of all kinds kill about 300 people a year. Half as many as hands and feet.

2010:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl20.xls

In 2010, all rifles combined accounted for 358 homicides in the USA. Hands and feet accounted for 745 homicides.

2009:
http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_20.html

In 2009, all rifles combined accounted for 348 homicides in the USA. Hands and feet accounted for 801 homicides.

For a weapon type you guys say it used very often to kill people it sure has killed a lot of people in the last few years. I would highly recommend looking at the stories just from the last two years. You won't of course. You know the stories, you've seen them, you just won't accept them.

I would highly recommend that you look at actual statistical data rather than trying to make an informed opinion based on anecdotes published in the news.

The data on this is quite clear. There is no significant rifle crime problem in the United States, let alone assault-rifle crime.

[friendly_iconoclast]

17. Aww, you went and ruined a perfectly good appeal to emotion with your stupid facts.

Nice work!

[ileus]

18. butt butt....hands and feet aren't designed to kill.

You've never heard someone say "hands and feet kill people." have you.

[montanto]

29. Oh, f@%! no!

Again with the facts? Why must people go on polluting our wild speculation and ill informed conjecture with facts and figures?

[Remmah2]

16. So you think that's funny? nt

nt

[rl6214]

19. Hit and run, nice job...

Can't stick around to answer any of the questions or address any of the posts?

[shadowrider]

20. And answer questions? -- Snort --

[oneshooter]

21. He never does, just a drive by one shot poster.

[The Straight Story]

22. Interesting how you posted but are not replying here.

Perhaps because you know it is flamebait and you don't have much to really stand on....

[safeinOhio]

23. Assault rifles are not scary, so stop saying that.

NRA spokesperson says so.

[BiggJawn]

24. He had a full-auto rifle?

Rifle has to be capable of fully-automatic fire (you know, a MACHINE GUN?) to be an "assault rifle".

Just because it's a scary black AR-15 clone with a fuckin' bayonet lug doesn't make it an "assault rifle", I don't care what Brady says.

[safeinOhio]

25. Has to be a real assault rifle.

The man is on the Board of Fricking Directors of the NRA. Elected by the membership. He is not some punk kid, he is the real deal.


opps, you are talking about the "assault type rifle" which is not so scary to anyone that can tell the difference.

[oneshooter]

28. It was a 40cal carbine.

[Paladin]

31. An "Assault Rifle" Is Whatever The NY Times Says It Is, On Any Given Day.

Better that definition, than a definition approved by Wayne LaPierre and Ted Nugent......

[gejohnston]

32. Actually

I prefer the actual technical definition accepted by military and police amours. This has been the accepted definition before Wayne was in high school and Ted was banging on his first guitar.
As far as I can tell, this is not an assault rifle because it:
is semi-automatic only and uses a pistol round.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_rifle#United_States

[safeinOhio]

33. Actually this forum

should be about guns on ships and tanks "Gun Control & RKBA" and what's in my pants.

First Sergeant told us, years ago, "this is my rifle, this is my gun. This is for fighting, this is for fun."

[gejohnston]

34. Valid point Drill Sergeant

[montanto]

30. I accept!

That crazy people do crazy shit. Sometimes they even use guns in the process. Not always though. Not even most of the time.