Was James Holmes a gun nut? You bet.

[Cali_Democrat]

Gun nuts love to buy a shitload of weapons and ammunition and exercise their "second amendment rights". James Holmes was his own little private army with his shotgun, assault rifle and high capacity clips. He also purchased all of his goodies legally thanks to the NRA and their right wing agenda.

I guess the other question at this point is...how long before Holmes claims "stand your ground"? Gun nuts like to claim "stand your ground" when they go human hunting. If Colorado doesn't have specific SYG laws, I'm sure Holmes will have some kind of self defense claim.

America is now considered by most people around the world to be the land of the gun nuts. They are correct in their assessment.

[permatex]

14. That was me and you still haven't proven me wrong

BTW, got that petition going yet?
Do you actually have anything intelligent to add at all? Anything, anything?

[TPaine7]

2. Your argument is well thought out and well laid out.

If he does claim SYG or self defense, I'm sure he will prevail, as long as he has an American jury.

Any American, being a gun nut, could easily see that this was a clear case of self-defense. Those movie-goers, being Batman fans, posed a clear and deadly threat to The Joker.

Great post!!!

PS: And I think that Europe should be the standard of rights. After all, European countries have state supported churches, forbid mockery of religion and will not allow you to deny the Holocaust. We are so behind the times!

[Clames]

3. Actually he wasn't.

If you've paid attention to the news you'd know that until he decided to murder a bunch of people in that theater he certainly wasn't any kind of "gun nut". Just a plain "nut" that finally cracked. Labels and insults all you have? Hope you didn't lose too much sleep thinking up this little diatribe...

[spin]

4. Interesting post as I have been called a "gun nut" before ...

I'm sure that in your opinion I would qualify.

1) I own a relatively small collection of 25 firearms including handguns, shotguns and rifles.
(Many of my shooting friends have much larger collections.)

2)I have no idea just how many rounds of ammo that I have although it is probably several thousand.

I should point out that I really don't view the term "gun nut" as an insult. If you intended to use that remark as contemptuous, you failed! It would be more polite to call people like me gun enthusiasts but it's really no big deal. There is a even a web site called The Gun Nut from Field and Stream at
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/gun-nut and another at http://gunnuts.net/ The fact is that I am a gun nut and I'm proud of that.

I've enjoyed shooting sports for over 40 years and it has been my primary hobby. If you have never been exposed to the sport it is difficult to understand why some enjoy shooting and owning firearms. I have a difficult time understanding why some people love skydiving but I have never tried it.

I have a Florida Concealed Weapons permit and I carry. I also support the "Stand Your Ground" in Florida although I will agree that it was so poorly written that it is somewhat ambiguous and has consequently allowed some people who may have been guilty of murder to escape prosecution for their crime. I expect that it will be rewritten but doubt that it will be repealed as it is still popular in Florida even after all the negative attention from the national and local media.

Fla. poll finds wide support for 'Stand Your Ground'

Nearly two-thirds of Florida voters support the state's 7-year-old "Stand Your Ground" law, but they are closely divided on whether George Zimmerman was justifiably defending himself when he killed Trayvon Martin, a new poll shows.

The survey, conducted by TheMiami Herald, Tampa Bay Times and Bay News 9, found that almost 65% of likely voters believe no changes are necessary to the law, which allows use of deadly force if people believe they are in grave danger. The poll also found that 18% want the law repealed and 16% think it should be modified.

Support is strongest in northern Florida and the Panhandle (71%) and weakest in the southwest (55%), where repeal enjoys its biggest backing (27%).

A state task force is considering rewriting the law.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/07/fla-poll-finds-wide-support-for-stand-your-ground-/1

The "Stand Your Ground" defense will be used by many of those accused of murdering another individual. That doesn't mean that such a defense will be successful if the law is properly applied.

It is my opinion based on the information that I currently have gleaned from the media that Zimmerman screwed up badly when he left his vehicle after calling the non emergency police number. I would have never done so in the same situation as I am not a cop or a vigilante. It is not my desire to chase and confront an individual who might be dangerous as I lack the training to do so and I do not consider myself to be a crime fighting super hero.

"Stand Your Ground" may not even apply in this situation as if Zimmerman pursued and confronted Martin that is not allowed under the law. If Martin attacked Zimmerman and ended up on top of him beating the crap out of him and tried to grab Zimmerman's weapon as Zimmerman has stated than it is also not a "Stand Your Ground" issue. If actually true then Zimmerman would have been unable to retreat. A jury will probably decide Zimmerman's guilt or innocence and that is only fair.

One problem with this case is that only one person survived to tell his version of the story. However even prior to the implementation of the "Stand Your Ground" law, similar cases where there no witnesses were hard to prosecute as the person who used lethal force could claim that he did try to retreat.

It does appear at this time that Holmes was a true nut not just a gun nut. To qualify as a gun nut I feel you have to have a background that would involve owning a number of firearms and actively engaging in the shooting sports for at least a few years. From the current info that I have it appears that he purchased his weaponry recently. I feel that an Holmes developed severe mental problems and decided to play the "Joker" and indiscriminately kill people at a Batman movie.

There are good arguments on both sides of the gun control issue and one of the best arguments for the side that backs stronger gun control is that people with severe mental problems can all too easily obtain lethal weapons and misuse them to create tragedy. The counter argument is that rational and honest people can use legal firearms to defend themselves and others when attacked by an individual who intends to seriously injure or kill his victim or victims.

Perhaps we can work together to find way to help stop some of those with severe mental problems from obtaining firearms and to educate more people to identify the symptoms of such illness and properly report it to the authorities.

As long as gun ownership is legal in our nation we can never eliminate incidents such as the Colorado shooting. Banning all firearms is not only politically impossible but might well be foolish as it might enable the criminal element to rape and pillage without fear.

Firearms are without a doubt extremely dangerous items but inanimate objects. It all depends on who holds and uses these weapons if they are used for good or evil.

[SoutherDem]

9. A thought on Stand your ground.

I have heard so much press coverage on the Florida Stand Your Ground Law I really don't know what it says. That being true I won't agree or disagree with it. I will say this. Growing up I was told how people were going to jail for defending their families. I do remember being told by a police officer that we had a "duty to retreat" law and we should build a "safe room" basically choose one room usually a bedroom where you have an exterior grade door with dead bolt locks. If your house is broken into you should go to that room lock the door and call the police. You were allowed to shoot ONLY if you could not retreat and then only if directly threatened. My state now has a "stand your ground" law which as I understand not only does not require you to retreat but you can use deadly force to defend not only persons but property and could shoot even if the person is retreating themselves. If the law is as I understand it, we have gone from one extreme to another.

Why is it it seems we alway have to go to one of the extremes with issues like this.

[gejohnston]

10. What state is that?

I know it's not Florida or Wyoming.

[SoutherDem]

11. Alabama

Don't know if I can find it because it was several months ago, but there was a very detailed discussion on the Alabama Stand your ground law several months ago here on DU. As to the old duty to retreat, that is what I was told as a kid and repeatedly heard until the new law was passed, and yes during a PTA meeting a police officer did instruct us to build the safe rooms. Something like that one does not quickly forget.

[gejohnston]

12. My only time in Alabama was

three trips to Maxwell AFB. While the schools I went to were worth going to, I had some satisfaction that a former judge (who claimed to be a friend of Newt) was cleaning my hallway floor and an inside trader was cleaning my toilet. God I loved Club Fed being next door.

[spin]

13. This link will provide the text of the "Florida Stand Your Ground" law ...

Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Statute
Self-Defense, Justifiable Use of Force, and Prosecutorial Immunity

http://www.husseinandwebber.com/florida-stand-your-ground-statute.html

Inside that link is another link that discusses the law:

http://www.husseinandwebber.com/stand_your_ground.html

Marion Hammer who is a past NRA president and is now a pro-gun lobbyist in Florida had an interview years ago when she talked about the new "Stand Your Ground" law. In that interviews she discussed your question about home defense.

GIACHINO: One thing that is a little bit confusing – well, actually a lot of things are confusing about this law, particularly because of the misinformation that is being given by the Brady group, but one thing that confused me, and I read the law several times myself and would consider myself qualified to read it and understand it with my legal background, but nonetheless someone who is retreating, a perpetrator who is retreating, what happens then? If they had entered the person’s home unlawfully and the person felt that their life or someone in their family’s life was in danger, even if at some point the perpetrator turns to retreat, if deadly force is used against them would this law still apply?

HAMMER: The law is designed to allow you to use deadly force against an individual who breaks into your home. If someone turns around, you have no way of knowing whether or not they are retreating or whether or not they are going for a gun or something else. So yes, if someone breaks into your home they are at your mercy. Once they get outside your home – if they turn around and run and get outside your home, then you cannot take action against them.
http://www.cfif.org/htdocs/freedomline/current/in_our_opinion/marion-hammer-nra-interview.htm

I hope this helps.

[ileus]

5. You've got that right...every last point is correct.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. *pfft*

sho nuff got that right.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. James Holmes will probably fit some parameter of Mentally Ill diagnosis. I would not be surprised

if he is a Paranoid Schizophrenic. I find the term Nut to be somewhat offensive to those suffering with a mental illness and insulting to gun owners all in one fell swoop. ymmv.

I really don't know what SYG has to do with the tragedy in Colorado. I highly doubt that Holmes lawyers will use it as defense. Unless I miss my guess they will go with certifiably, legally insane.

I would like a cite to your last statement else, that is pretty much just slander/gossip or a figment of your imagination.

[rl6214]

8. Nice drive by

[Remmah2]

15. Apparently this prediction was wrong. nt

nt

[Lizzie Poppet]

16. In the usual sense of the term, no...nto really.

There is every indication t this point that Holmes had no previous involvement with shooting and didn't own firearms prior to making the purchases of the weapons used in his spree. The term "gun nut" is in most cases used to refer to someone very involved with guns and shooting, someone for whom it is their primary hobby and perhaps even the focus of their life. Holmes doesn't fit the profile.

[GreenStormCloud]

17. Be glad that he chose to use a gun instead of other, more lethal, cheaper means.

A mass murderer killed 87 people at a nightclub using only gasoline and matches.

If he had decided to use explosives he could have taken out the entire theater.

Do you really think that keeping him from guns would have stopped him?

[Atypical Liberal]

18. Let me get this straight. He bought them legally, going through the necessary background checks...

...and you blame the NRA for that? The same NRA that has advocated continuously to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and crazy people?

Yeah, the guy bought all his guns from a federally licensed dealer, and thus passed the National Instant Check System for each firearm he bought.

The rest of your post doesn't even merit comment. If you really want to try and equate mass murder with SYG laws, you're an idiot.