Saturday, December 22, 2012

Tru Dat

 
After watching the bullshit statements made by Wayne LaPierre of the NRA I have concluded that the NRA is not serious about reducing gun violence and should no longer have a seat at the table. More guns is not the solution, nor are armed guards at schools. One or two more massacres and the NRA will become irrelevant and laws will be made around them and their powerful lobby in Congress and that has everything to do with the hard line stance that LaPierre has taken - the same uncompromising position that has allowed too many deaths to occur. If the NRA won't work for change they will have change forced upon them.
 
It's sad that so many people have to die before politicians find their courage but that is the sacrifice that is demanded before things improve. America, I don't care if you have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future but you WILL change your ways and do the right thing for once.
 
Why can't we just take away all the guns and see if that works? I promise that if gun massacres increase after that, you can have your guns back. It's easy to cherry pick examples of how gun bans have WORKED in other countries but that won't stop me from bringing up the example of Australia.
 
In Australia, there hasn’t been a mass shooting since 1996 after the Howard Government introduced legislation preventing people from owning semi-automatic weapons following Port Arthur Massacre. Reported shootings are about 15 per year with deaths almost always being between members of gangs. There have recently been an increase of shootings in Sydney’s south-west between gang members, to which the Government is already drafting legislation making it even harder for people to have gun licenses. I can’t recall a single time where innocent people, let alone children & high school students dying from mentally-ill people possessing guns. Get your shit together America.
 
 

8 comments:

Paladin said...

Graphic is a lie. I own a semi-automatic rifle (several) and use them quite often for non-criminal means. AR style rifles as pictured are one of the fastest growing styles of guns used by hunter, sporting shooters, etc.

As to Australia's "success" in gun control. The news isn't as rosey as the writer would have you believe. Indeed, there are fewer guns as a result of gun control (duh). However even the experts can't agree as to the affect the law has had on killings in general (ie. not just *gun* killings. Some studies show a link, some studies show a decrease in murder/suicide rate starting well before the law was enacted, some show no impact of the law what so ever. (see factcheck.org).

Seems to me that if restrictive gun laws were the answer, then the shining example put up by Australia over the past decade would provide clear cut proof of a link between gun control and decrease in murder (not just murder via gun), doesn't it?

It doesn't.

And the part you quoted about making it harder for people to get licenses as a tool to combat gang gun violence... seriously? How many gang bangers do you think use licensed weapons? I can see them filling out the form now:

Name: Jazzy Thuginstein
Occupation: Meth Cooker
Address:.......

Is there a waiting period before the gang member gets his license approved?

Hobgoblin238 said...

Pay attention Cal....Paladin is dead right. Not to mention Mexico. I live here remember. young men are DAILY hung by their necks under overpasses because they didn't have guns to protect themselves.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Demonizing the mentally ill is no solution either.

Paladin said...

I'd like to know the factual basis behind the "mental illness" angle, myself. I've read lots news stories, but by no means all of them. The original reference to mental illness that I saw was a snippet from the killer's brother who stated that the killer may have been "mildly autistic".

Have there been any reports that he was diagnosed by an actual mental health professional? If so, what the diagnosis was? Did the mother try to get him help? If so, was she denied that help in some way?

I'm not questioning if he was "crazy", because he clearly was. What I'm wanting to know is: Was this apparent beforehand, and what if anything did anyone do about it?

All important questions that aren't being answered because Oh My God Guns Are Evil.

And don't forget Gun Owners are hillbillies. Apparently that's very important too.

Kal said...

What would you change about the gun laws or is everything fine the way they are. Like I said before. I would love to hear from some responsible gun owners and their solutions apart from the rhetoric on both sides. LaPierre really came off badly yesterday and hurt your cause and made his opponents dig in their heals for a fight that will not end well for gun owners. If you don't find solutions you will lose the control you have now.

Paladin said...

I've been very clear in regards to what I would like to see in regards to ideas of gun control.

Hey, Cal... Want to know a secret about the Assault Weapon Ban that every Anti-Gun Liberal is drooling over and demanding?

Want to know exactly what affect it will have on the guns that I own, the guns my friends own, or the thousands and thousands of guns that have been sold just in the past week? 1700 guns were sold in Connecticut alone during the first two days after the Sandy Hook shooting. Store shelves all over the country are virtually empty of "assault" rifles.

Want to know what affect the magical AWB will have on any of that?

Zilch.

The AWB, if passed, will only apply to weapons purchased after the date of passage. It won't make any of my guns, any of the guns owned by my friends, or any gun legally owned by anyone in the entire United States an illegal weapon. Absolutely nothing will change regarding those firearms.

Did you know that?

Kal said...

That shit is just crazy. I think I will just sit up here in the cold with my butter knives in case a bear tries to break into my place. Different lives my brother.

Paladin said...

Its all theater, Cal. Every bit of it. People are pinning their hopes on it and will be happy if it it passes - even thought they have no idea what is in it.

Sheep.