20/20 Friday (WARNING: Gun Control thread!)

DialecticMaterialist said:
And they did so much to destroy government infrustructure too by killing random civilians.

The fact is their operation was covert as well.

Another fact is it was handled by internal police forces, not the army.

It's kinda hard to conduct a covert op with 90 million people.....

The militia is impotent. Look at what happened to rebels that opposed Saddam after Desert Storm without US aid. You are living in a fantasy.

The fact is 90 million people wouldn't be able to organize themselves enough to fight. Not like any would have to worry about feeding their families, or would turn traitor. And I'm sure they'd all have enough time to turn their car into a sniper mobile, and practice snping....I'm also very sure many people wouldn't be supporting the government. Believe me if that many people were against it, in such a strong organized manner, you wouldn't need guns because the economy would shut down. However what you are talking about is very unlikely. You couldn't organize an nation wide strike let alone a nation wide armed rebelion.

I'm sorry but if overthrowing an unpopular government was that easy there would be no Iraq, China or many south american dictatorships.

Your "snipers did lots of damage" is extremely pointless and amounts to mere terrorist action, which rarely ever works to overthrow a government.

I'm sorry but in this case, in this particular subject, you cannot compare the US to other countries. If you continue to try then you're going to have to compare all aspects of each nation, crime, punishment, population control, liberties, etc.,etc,
 
The militia is impotent. Look at what happened to rebels that opposed Saddam after Desert Storm without US aid. You are living in a fantasy.

Sorry, you cannot compare the two. U.S. citizens have the right to bear arms, and millions excercise it. The same is not true with the Kurds, or the Chinese people. One cannot fight a goverment when one is not armed.

The fact is 90 million people wouldn't be able to organize themselves enough to fight.

There is no need to organize. A handfull of men here and there will wreck havock with hit and run tactics. It was in this very manner the early Revolutionary soldiers adapted to fighting a standing British army, which at the time was far better trained, and equiped than any Revolutionary soldier was. I would put one seasoned hunter against a company of regular trained soldiers any day.

I'm sorry but if overthrowing an unpopular government was that easy there would be no Iraq, China or many south american dictatorships.

Again, firearms are prohibited for "ordinary" citizens in these countries. Not easy to fight against an armed goverment when you are not. Perfect examples of succesfull gun control and gun bans are evident in your observation of those dictatoral countries.

I suspect your assumption that most Americans will not fight for their beliefs, and against tyrany are indicative of your own guttless attitude about freedom. You underestimate your fellow Americans my friend. Many are well armed, and well "trained". It is every Americans responsibility, and duty to be.
 
Sorry, you cannot compare the two. U.S. citizens have the right to bear arms, and millions excercise it. The same is not true with the Kurds, or the Chinese people. One cannot fight a goverment when one is not armed.

But they had arms and still got beat down. As do rebel groups in south america....and its not even effective with small governments.


There is no need to organize. A handfull of men here and there will wreck havock with hit and run tactics.

I really doubt it. Those men will be cut off from mainstream society, they will have no refuge, no supply lines, no communications. They would be isolated,circled and destroyed.


It was in this very manner the early Revolutionary soldiers adapted to fighting a standing British army, which at the time was far better trained, and equiped than any Revolutionary soldier was.

-This was the 18th century.
-Their wasn't a big difference in civilian vs military weaponry back then,
-The enemy government was an ocean away, the soldiers in the US were at home with popular support.
-The British government existence wasn't at stake. The loss of the colonies was very minor in fact.
-The French were helping us out.

A battle with our own government would be a very different thing indeed.


I would put one seasoned hunter against a company of regular trained soldiers any day.

And on that day you will see your little hunter eat led and concrete.


Again, firearms are prohibited for "ordinary" citizens in these countries.

Yes but when the rebels get acess to them, like in South America where in some places I think it legal, they still do next to nil.


Not easy to fight against an armed goverment when you are not. Perfect examples of succesfull gun control and gun bans are evident in your observation of those dictatoral countries.

As they are in the UK,Japan, Germany, and France as well.....with no dictatorhsips present.

I suspect your assumption that most Americans will not fight for their beliefs, and against tyrany are indicative of your own guttless attitude about freedom.

Yes, I give most americans either too much brains or too little in terms of conviction for this. Most would not even fight Britain during the revolutionary war. What makes you think they'd fight their own government?


You underestimate your fellow Americans my friend.

No, I'm realistic about their willingness and capaibilities. Your head is too full of hollywood rebelions and visions of glory my friend.


Many are well armed, and well "trained". It is every Americans responsibility, and duty to be.

Perhaps a right but not a duty and certainly not many. Nobody I know in fact.

If anything your the one that underestimates my friend, you underestimate the effectiveness of the US army and government. You underestimate the reuthlessness and strength of an authoritarian regime.

Perhaps you should realize any armed resistence against a modern day government fails. As was the case in Nazi Germany:

http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/resist.htm



All they managed to do, with aid of Stalin, was disrupt powerlines and such. And the Nazi army is nowhere near as strong as the modern US army. The resistence fighters couldn't even feed themselves much of the time.

In fact if you read 1984 you would notice a major theme is how impossible it is to fight totalitrarian or opressive governments from the inside is.

Also let us keep in mind that violent revolutions, usually just end up establishing a more opressive system then the one that was overthrown.
 
Brooklyn Dodger said:
$500 to get a handgun registered? How did we come to this? I have several handguns, and I have yet to pay that much for one. But New York has the unmitigated nerve to make the system so complex and expensive that people will willingly pay expediters $500 to register a gun? This is criminal!

Not only that, but he paid the $500 and the gun didn't even end up being registered!!!
 
LukeT said:

Are you against having to register the tank and minigun?

Sorry, I guess my post was unclear. My fault.

I am against general registration. Although I agree that Class 3 weapons (minigun, tank, full auto weapons etc.) registration is a slippery slope - I don't necessarily have a problem with registering them. You can still own them, but they must be registered. There are few Class 3 weapons owned by the public anyway.

Weapons that are generally regarded as defense weapons (pistols, semi auto rifles) are not Class 3 and I am not in favor of registering. Non Class 3 weapons would encompass the majority of weapons owned by the public.

So no, I am not against registering the tank and minigun. I am sure the person I speak of has them registered, as he is well known around here for his "toys", and has the money to do so.
 
Weapons that are generally regarded as defense weapons (pistols, semi auto rifles) are not Class 3 and I am not in favor of registering

That's good. So when a cocain addict breaks out of prison he can easily get his gun for "self-defense" without having to register it....

Likewise I wonder why it is, if guns are such a strong deterent, countries with tighter gun laws have less rates of violence crime. Like Japan, much of Europe, Britain, even China.
 
And further, that ordinarily when called for service these men were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time." -- U.S. v. Miller -the Miller case specifically held that specific types of guns might be protected by the Second Amendment. It depended on whether a gun had any military (militia) use, and they wanted some evidence presented, confirming that citizens have a right to military style weapons.

The weapon in question in this case was a sawed off shotgun, which the court deemed illegal because it had no usefull military purpose for a militia on a field of battle. Ironicly today, weapons that are of great military value, such as auto firing rifles and machineguns have been outlawed, BEACAUSE THEY ARE EFFECTIVE MILITARY WEAPONS!.

You see the state of hypocracy we are living in today? I would call it stupidity, and slow, incrimenatl gun control.

That's good. So when a cocain addict breaks out of prison he can easily get his gun for "self-defense" without having to register it....

Silly statement. It is illegal for a convicted criminal to poses, let alone register a firearm.

The level of crime at any one time, in any given country or state is not a pre-requisite for firearm ownership (a right). Everyone is entitled, and has a right to self defense, even if that right is never excercised because of a low crime rate.

Our rights exist because we are free, not because of the fluctuating crime rate.
 
Ah, so to make a weapon effective for military use, it would have to be as strong as lets say a machine gun. (So much for the armed militia vs army idea).

However for some odd reason, I'd rather not see a machine available to psychopaths. red necks and gangsters. Call me odd but the thought of seeing Scarface or Jethro with a minigun sounds a tad disturbing.
 
I only read up until the end of the first page, and I am responding becaue I think LukeT made a good point. And up until then, I was against this man being charged, but no I agree with it. He was breaking the law before the burgler, so he should be charged because of that. But with the fact that he was in the act of regeristering the gun, I don't believe he should be charged, and if he is charged, it should be lenyent(spelling?)
 
You care to define "red neck"? Equal protection under the law applies to us all. I would like to know what class of people in society you group into the "red neck" class, and how we should brand them for easy identification to all who wish to deny them their rights.

Your bordering on bigotry.
 
DialecticMaterialist said:
That's good. So when a cocain addict breaks out of prison he can easily get his gun for "self-defense" without having to register it....

And gun control will stop it, how? A criminal who has busted out of jail and is now a fugitive isn't going to think, "Oh, gosh golly gee willikers, I'd better not get a gun 'cause that'd be against the law..."

However, without gun control, he might think twice about mugging or raping those ladies in case they or someone nearby has a gun.

Likewise I wonder why it is, if guns are such a strong deterent, countries with tighter gun laws have less rates of violence crime. Like Japan, much of Europe, Britain, even China.

Uh, Switzerland? Doncha just love how these gun control types select their data? Not to mention the oft-repeated (but ignored by the same gun control types) point that cross-cultural comparisons are all but worthless.
 
DialecticMaterialist said:


That's good. So when a cocain addict breaks out of prison he can easily get his gun for "self-defense" without having to register it....

Sorry, I don't usually get nasty on the forum, but that is probably one of the most moronic statements I've seen in quite a while.

Why would a cocaine addict, who just broke out of jail register a firearm, for any reason? Think about that for a while. Maybe you'll understand.
 
I wasn't going to address this, but let me show you some of my friends down in Kentucky....

BigGunDay2.jpg

DayFlameThrowing.jpg

DynamiteExplosion.jpg

G3withFlameOk.jpg

nightcannon.jpg

LineUpFlame.jpg

VulcanGun.jpg

Those are all Americans, and we have a shoot out twice a year. Come on down if your not too "uncomfortable".

Those are the teeth of liberty. You think the terrosts will want to wade into that rainbow orgy of brass? Knobcreek is safer than the Presidents jockstrap while we're there.
 
DialecticMaterialist

Okay, odds still against you superman. I mean come on, is he Wyatt Erp or something?
Why would he need to be, given that he is faced with non-Wyatt-Earp-like opponents? Or are you deliberately contriving stupid objections?

Yes knowing the "terrain" of his house would be sooo advantageous. He could for example duck behind a couch... and leap over chairs.
Not at all. The suburbanite sits in his bedroom, aware of the intruder. He hears a creak, and knows that the intruder is in the middle of the staircase to the second floot. the master bedroom door is at the top of the staircase, on the side, with the hinges on the side away from the strairs, opening inwards -- so the suburbanite eases the door open a little. The intruder cannot see this unfortunate (for them) layout, but the suburbanite now has full view of the landing on top of the stairs, without being exposed -- the bedroom is dark, but the landing is faintly lit by the lights coming in through the window. The moment the intruder steps onto the top stair, the suburbanite will be able to see him and shoot him, without the intruder even being aware of the "ambush".

What I described above the layout of my house. I don't own a gun, but had i had one, I would most certainly be able to use my knowledge of the layout to spring an effective ambush. Hell yes, I would have a good chance against the intruder.

Not like the crook has to just point and shoot someone who is trying to pull off fancy moves and its not like the layout of a house is hard to learn, with like, a glance.
You see what happens when you don't think? You start sounding like a parody of the archetypical whiny gun-grabber.

Sure he would. Armed fat men beat down gansters all the time.
they wouldn't have to beat them down -- shooting first from concealment is much better.

Not really. The criminals will simply come more prepared and armed themselves. Or they may see your firearms as an oppurtunity to get more of their own.
they can't afford the risk, you idiot. A criminal can't take even a 10% chance of death with each piddling residential robbery, as they have to pull off a whole lot of such piddling residential robbering to make ends meet.

Yeah and well, a lot fewer civilians in general too. The fact is some burglars are willing to do this and if they know most houses are armed, they will merely come armed themselves.
or will not come at all; and if they still do, they will be at a disadvantage due to the creaking stairs and the ignorance of the floor plan...

Turning each robbery into a hostage situation very fast.
Do the ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ math, will you, idiot?

Is it really worth risking yours and your families life in order to save a few possesions? Is that your solution to crime....vigilantiaism?
responsibility is my solution to crime. Police is fine, but courts have repeatedly ruled that they are not responsible for defending individuals. If each individual took responsibility for defending themselves, there would be a whole lot less crime around. As it is, you are advocating taking the game-theoretic "free-rider" position; not only cowardly and irresponsible, but also immoral.

Where enemy soldiers can hide too...
but guess who knows the lay of the land better?

I come from a country with a history of highly successfulk guerilla warfare -- USSR "partisany" inflicted a whole lotta damage on nazis during WWII; and that was with general population unarmed. Finns, with general population armed, kicked USSR's ass in 1938. Yeah, the guerillas can be damn effective against a regimented army...

This isn't Rambo my friend. In realy life all a rebelion would do is cause needless deaths and suffering.
How about the needless deaths and suffering which the rebellion was started to avert? or should Russians in 1941, or Finns in 1938, just rolled over under onslaught from a better-armed and better-trained opponent?

You disgust me, you ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ coward.

I really doubt this. Seriously, everytime I hear of this I hear the opposite. Your reasoning stinks of "one southerner can whip twenty yankees" type thinking.
not only coward, but a moron as well...

I am a Green liberal, foreigner, and I live in an ultra-liberal area of new England; I am not pro-gun -- i am pro-freedom, and I know what I am talking about, because I came from a country where freedoms were few and far between. The paintball match I mentioned took place a couple of years ago, and I personally know some people who participated in it.

Besides a paintball game does not reflect real warfare.
No; but it does prove the falsehood of your contention that the civilians are like sheep before the guns of trained soldiers.

Ah yes mr.genius, most are regular units but you don't think if push came to shove or to make an example they'd hold back from sending in elite units?
Ah yes, mr.moron, do you know why they are called 'elite"? Not just because they are better, but also because they are few. There's not enough of such units to throw them into your run-of-the-mill combat.

-there is the matter of supplies.
-communications
-morale
-spy networks
-organization
-superior equipment

To name but a few.
Half of there are inapplicable to guerilla warfare, and most of the rest can be easily solved with modern consumer-grade technology.

Enough of this idiocy. it's obvious that you are more interested in making excuses that in reasoning out the actual factors involved.
 
I feel the 2nd amendment is a freedom. I dont own a gun but I still believe in freedom. I also don't own a newspaper but still believe in the freedom of press. why woudl you wantto lose a freedom?

Is the self protection argument so foriegn to some people? The police cant be everywhere, and if you've lived out in the sticks there's the concearn over wildlife and such.

Gun's are worth keeping around just for the peace of mind it creates.
 
And gun control will stop it, how? A criminal who has busted out of jail and is now a fugitive isn't going to think, "Oh, gosh golly gee willikers, I'd better not get a gun 'cause that'd be against the law..."

Well its not like they could walk into a walmart and get one...

However, without gun control, he might think twice about mugging or raping those ladies in case they or someone nearby has a gun.

Sure cause you know gramma's packing heat....and the lil lady is oh so effective at using a gun....

Uh, Switzerland? Doncha just love how these gun control types select their data?

Ah yes one very small country. Got me there. :rolleyes:
 
Those are the teeth of liberty. You think the terrosts will want to wade into that rainbow orgy of brass?

Hmm, would a terrorist want to walk into a gun show where high powered weapons are readily available? Naw....
 
DialecticMaterialist said:
Well its not like they could walk into a walmart and get one...

Let me ask you this: Do you think he'd have any problems getting drugs? I mean, it's not like he could walk to WalMart and buy them...

Criminals aren't deterred by legalities.

Sure cause you know gramma's packing heat....and the lil lady is oh so effective at using a gun....

Uh-huh. Your only response is sarcasm. But it happens, no matter how much people like you want their heads stuck in the sand. Many women carry for their own protection, and it works.

Ah yes one very small country. Got me there. :rolleyes:

Which is armed even more than the US with a mcuh lower crime rate of anywhere in Europe. I only needed one to refute your insanity.
 
DialecticMaterialist,

There are alot of pretty reasonable anti-gun arguements out there, but you seem to be missing all of them.

Did you lose your playbook or something?
 
Why would he need to be, given that he is faced with non-Wyatt-Earp-like opponents? Or are you deliberately contriving stupid objections?

They may not be Wyatt Erps but I imagine professional and reckless criminals who have the advantage of surprise are still a coupple steps ahead of our hero.

Not at all. The suburbanite sits in his bedroom, aware of the intruder. He hears a creak, and knows that the intruder is in the middle of the staircase to the second floot.
the master bedroom door is at the top of the staircase, on the side, with the hinges on the side away from the strairs, opening inwards -- so the suburbanite eases the door open a little. The intruder cannot see this unfortunate (for them) layout, but the suburbanite now has full view of the landing on top of the stairs, without being exposed -- the bedroom is dark, but the landing is faintly lit by the lights coming in through the window. The moment the intruder steps onto the top stair, the suburbanite will be able to see him and shoot him, without the intruder even being aware of the "ambush".

Oh yes very plausible, And I presume nothing could go wrong there....

What I described above the layout of my house. I don't own a gun, but had i had one, I would most certainly be able to use my knowledge of the layout to spring an effective ambush. Hell yes, I would have a good chance against the intruder.

In your imagination pal. Seriously your ego is inflated and your sense of mortatility deficient.

You see what happens when you don't think? You start sounding like a parody of the archetypical whiny gun-grabber.

Ah yes and my parody is so much less realistic and logical then your idea of civilians facing off against professional armies and armed intruders....

quote:Sure he would. Armed fat men beat down gansters all the time.they wouldn't have to beat them down -- shooting first from concealment is much better.

they can't afford the risk, you idiot.

How do you know? Do you doubt there are depserate criminals or some too dumb to care about the risks?

And can the typical man afford the risk? Is it really worth risking your's and your families life to save some household products?


A criminal can't take even a 10% chance of death with each piddling residential robbery, as they have to pull off a whole lot of such piddling residential robbering to make ends meet.

Well then they plan it out better. Problem solved. Also it depends on each house they hit and what they take. Also a lot of times they go after houses for guns, that to me seems like owning a gun would increase your chance of getting robbed, not decrease.

or will not come at all; and if they still do, they will be at a disadvantage due to the creaking stairs and the ignorance of the floor plan...

Yeah in how many cases? And what makes you think they wouldn't hear the creaking themselves?

Also some criminals, believe or not, are desperate and/or reckless. They will come whether they risk their life or not, in fact they do.


Do the ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ math, will you, idiot?

Ah nice objection. I can tell how this issue for you is driven by objective,logical analysis and not blind passion....

responsibility is my solution to crime.

i.e. vigilantaism.


Police is fine, but courts have repeatedly ruled that they are not responsible for defending individuals.

That's bull.

If each individual took responsibility for defending themselves, there would be a whole lot less crime around.

Unwarranted speculation which does not explain why there was such a lack of crime in the wild west. Or why there is so much crime in China, England,Japan,France and Germany.

I mean according to you the criminals should be stealing guns and hitting a dozen houses a day since they can "afford the risk" I wonder why they ain't.


As it is, you are advocating taking the game-theoretic "free-rider" position; not only cowardly and irresponsible, but also immoral.

Ah yes the true nature of your arguments: right-wing extremism. If I am not willing to pick up a gun a join you, I am an immoral. free-riding,coward who is against you.

but guess who knows the lay of the land better?

I'd say the soldiers. Most civilians do not study the local geography. Armies have spies, intel agencies and spy sattelites.

I come from a country with a history of highly successfulk guerilla warfare -- USSR "partisany" inflicted a whole lotta damage on nazis during WWII; and that was with general population unarmed. Finns, with general population armed, kicked USSR's ass in 1938. Yeah, the guerillas can be damn effective against a regimented army...

Yes but again for every success there are dozens of failures.Your statement is also misleading and I will get to it in a bit.

Most of what I read about history state that guerillas did little to nothing against the Nazis.

How about the needless deaths and suffering which the rebellion was started to avert ?


Would it avert it? I doubt that.

or should Russians in 1941, or Finns in 1938, just rolled over under onslaught from a better-armed and better-trained opponent?

The Russians had a government backing them against the Nazis, as well as US aid.

As for your statement concerning Finland, it was hardly some isolated guerillas fighting of the Soviet Army but an actual war. http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/f/finnishr1.asp

Note that Finland had assistance in terms of supplies from France and Germany, and volunteers from Swededn and Norway and Finland still lost.

To quote the article:
Finally, however, small Finland was no match for the USSR. Air bombardments and well-prepared frontal attacks (Feb., 1940) on the Karelian Isthmus brought Finnish resistance to the verge of collapse. In the peace treaty signed on Mar. 12, Finland ceded part of the Karelian Isthmus, Vyborg (Viipuri), and several border territories to the USSR.

Bold text is added.


You disgust me, you ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ coward.

Behold the rationality and moral decency of the pro-gun lobby!

not only coward, but a moron as well...

Ah so since this debate started I am a "◊◊◊◊◊◊◊" coward, immoral,moron,idiot, and "free-rider".

I am a Green liberal, foreigner, and I live in an ultra-liberal area of new England; I am not pro-gun -- i am pro-freedom ,

SO anyone against gun control is then anti-freedom? Your stance stinks of extremism.


and I know what I am talking about, because I came from a country where freedoms were few and far between.

So did Ayn Rand....


The paintball match I mentioned took place a couple of years ago, and I personally know some people who participated in it.

Still an anecdote.

No; but it does prove the falsehood of your contention that the civilians are like sheep before the guns of trained soldiers.

How so if it doesn't reflect real war conditions?

Ah yes, mr.moron, do you know why they are called 'elite"? Not just because they are better, but also because they are few. There's not enough of such units to throw them into your run-of-the-mill combat.

Enough I imagine to take out your run-of-the-mill militia I imagine.

Also you know another reason why they are called elite? Because they are damn good. You don't need as much of them to take out a large group of people as you would other troops.

These "elite" make mince meat out of ordinary troops, what do you think will happen to civilians in the face of such men?


Half of there are inapplicable to guerilla warfare,

Actually guerillas need to worry about high-tech weaponry,supplies,spying,etc. You have no idea of what you are talking about.


and most of the rest can be easily solved with modern consumer-grade technology.

Yes, which is why Afghanistan and Iraq fair so well against the US army....

Enough of this idiocy. it's obvious that you are more interested in making excuses that in reasoning out the actual factors involved.

Why? Have I been using the extremist language and incorrect accounts of history? No...that was you.

Your obviously too involved in your right-wing realities to see objectively on the issue but unlike you I am willing to continue the debate of course in a half-way civil manner. That's what being open minded and critical is all about.
 

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