@ClearAirTurbulence: Yeah, but it's a lot messier, time consuming and somewhat less spontaneous than the 'point and shoot' method. Also, prolly less actual deaths with knife vs. gun.
I'm gonna wager that the surge in gun sales in the run up to the election had as much to do with fears of an Obama LOSS as much as fear of an Obama win. Riots, maybe?
@Minsley Tortimer: But if he'd had a knife, he would have done the same thing. Little eight-year-old kid with a knife? There's NO WAY two adults could have overtaken him!!
When I was 10 I accidentally stapled two of my fingers together. In full disclosure, I have an IQ of 141 and had already skipped a grade by age 10. My point? All 10 year olds are fucking idiots.
The NRA is like any other lobby group in this country. They have a very distinct goal and they will use any excuse to get it in the news. I just purchased my first firearm this week for my 30th birthday. It was hard to find the one I wanted in stock because of this paranoia people have over what policy changes will be made once Barack is in office.
Personally I hope and think the man is smart enough to realize that there are bigger issues our country faces at this time than gun control.
@rainmkr: Yeah. Guns aren't in any way related to urban crime issues, ridiculously high incarceration rates that affect the black community at a disproportional rate, the drug trade, gang issues or anything like that.
Man, I love guns. I have some hidden all over my place. You can never be too well armed.
I usually clean one at my desk while waiting for the next open caption. Take this small pistol I have right now... I'm pretty sure its not loaded and I like to aim it about my room making small 'percgg percgg' sounds. Or maybe I'll pretend to point it at my head and wonder about reincarnation or oblivion.
They are fascinating. I like them better than I like myself.
I bought a riot gun (short-barreled shotgun) when a crack dealer moved into the apartment across from mine. Ended up pawning it for books in law school. Gun are therefore multipurpose objects. For adults, thankew.
Eight- and ten-year-olds should handle BB guns and air rifles, not guns with bullets. It's just a bit too young. At that age they really should have total supervision and should just be learning. A few years later, sure, fine, if they want to go out and hunt and they have been trained well, why not?
We don't let children drink or see certain movies yet we let them handle firearms at age eight? Can anyone say NRA stranglehold?
@BookishLookish: It depends on the kid, I know 8 year olds that would be fine shooting a .22 alone, and I also know 8 year olds who shouldn't even be near a toaster. Education is key to safe gun ownership.
@bourgeoisie: That's very true, education is huge, but that's just the emotional development you're referring to when you say some eight-year-olds are capable? There is the physcial side, too: still a lot of fine-tuning by way of neurological development going down ages eight to eleven. Little fingers slip and little hands lose control.
The world will have to forgive me for being a bit overprotective of the babies, as I am a mom--I would rather err on the side of caution and my kid is not picking up a gun till he is at least twelve.
@BookishLookish: Well, I learned to shoot by about 8, I think, but in defense, it was always supervised by daddy, was only allowed to shoot at paint cans set in a six foot high pile of woodchips, and so on.
We lived out in the country-country, and coyotes and wild dogs were a real issue, so were taught how in case we needed to rescue one of the animals from getting attacked or mauled.
@BookishLookish: Totally agreed. My family is full of academic eggheads for whom the outdoors is used for tramping and kayaking. My little brother is slightly different in that he is obsessed with symbols of 'masculinity' (which in itself says something about my family that we consider that odd) such as guns, and when he expressed an interest in going hunting, my father had to ask around all our family, friends and everyone he works with until my brother's friend's dad finally offered to take him.
I don't care how many times you gun-loving Yanks explain your gun-loving ways to me ... I will just never, ever, ever, ever understand it, and believe you have been brainwashed over history into believing you need one because big bad bogeymen are coming to get you. It is fucking bizarre. That is all.
@Trixie from Toronto: Sentiment seconded. Hunting is one thing, but this paranoia that Americans need weapons because they might have to overthrow their government at a moment's notice? Really?
@bjonston: Now, that's just as far removed from Earth logic as anything could be. Which is a nice way of saying OMG STOOPID.
@haguenite: And this ridiculous argument that people would use knives instead of guns -- Jesus. Someone comes at you with a knife and you might be able to fight. Killing someone with a knife is a messy, brutally physical battle (I'm talking to you, O.J.!)
Standing 20 feet away from someone and pulling a trigger? A lot easier, requires much less time to think it out, and is more likely to be done if there's a gun under your mattress and you're suddenly enraged about something. Why tempt fate?
And how often are gun homicides just a matter of protecting yourself and your home from government agents?
Some weird kind of brainwashing has gone on in the U.S. on this front. Plenty of countries have violent histories involving overthrowing governments 200 years ago. But the U.S. has the highest gun homicide rate in the world and the highest incarceration rate in the developed world, and many of those in prison are there on weapons/gun offences.
If Johnny is too fucking stupid to know better than to think Obama's going to "take his guns," then he's too fucking stupid to own one in the first place.
@Sweetie: Wait. Didn't anyone tell you that Obama is going to personally perform abortions and break into people's homes at night to take their weapons while they sleep?
@drunkexpatwriter: Well i was personally told that Obama was going to ruin the sanctity of marriage by letting people marry their HORSES! I told the sender of such email that I would sing at the wedding.
@drunkexpatwriter: But with Obama, we'll all be on metric time...so it becomes a piece of cake. (A piece of cake that we'll carve with a hammer and sickle.)
@drunkexpatwriter: He's going to perform the abortions with the weapons! He's going to shoot the babies right out of the ladies' bellies! He is a hell demon!
"Today, the chances of a child being killed in a firearm accident are less than one in a million."
And when that kid who soooooooo beat those extraordinary odds gets killed, we blame the kid, not the gun! Stupid kid. At least his Constitutional right to bear arms is still alive!!!
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Also, prolly less actual deaths with knife vs. gun.
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Personally I hope and think the man is smart enough to realize that there are bigger issues our country faces at this time than gun control.
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I usually clean one at my desk while waiting for the next open caption. Take this small pistol I have right now... I'm pretty sure its not loaded and I like to aim it about my room making small 'percgg percgg' sounds. Or maybe I'll pretend to point it at my head and wonder about reincarnation or oblivion.
They are fascinating. I like them better than I like myself.
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We don't let children drink or see certain movies yet we let them handle firearms at age eight? Can anyone say NRA stranglehold?
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The world will have to forgive me for being a bit overprotective of the babies, as I am a mom--I would rather err on the side of caution and my kid is not picking up a gun till he is at least twelve.
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We lived out in the country-country, and coyotes and wild dogs were a real issue, so were taught how in case we needed to rescue one of the animals from getting attacked or mauled.
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Trixie, I'm getting your hiney to a gun range so you can find out firsthand how fun it is.
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@bjonston: Now, that's just as far removed from Earth logic as anything could be. Which is a nice way of saying OMG STOOPID.
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Standing 20 feet away from someone and pulling a trigger? A lot easier, requires much less time to think it out, and is more likely to be done if there's a gun under your mattress and you're suddenly enraged about something. Why tempt fate?
And how often are gun homicides just a matter of protecting yourself and your home from government agents?
Some weird kind of brainwashing has gone on in the U.S. on this front. Plenty of countries have violent histories involving overthrowing governments 200 years ago. But the U.S. has the highest gun homicide rate in the world and the highest incarceration rate in the developed world, and many of those in prison are there on weapons/gun offences.
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It's a common amateur mistake.
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And when that kid who soooooooo beat those extraordinary odds gets killed, we blame the kid, not the gun! Stupid kid. At least his Constitutional right to bear arms is still alive!!!
- the NRA
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I can't get my head around the love affair between Americans and guns; our police force isn't even armed!
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