Gun Control thread (merged many)

[Oberon]

Gun control is heresy, heresy is punishable by death, keep moving citizen.

[Armistead]

Last night went to the corner store late to get coffee. Came out, sat in car and saw a man take a pistol from his waistline, just sort of walking. Heard guys yell at him from a SUV parked to my left and he walked over showing it to them, then back to his car, shoved it down into his sagging pants, then back, walked near the store with it back in his hand, turned around and walked to his buds. I love the old man that works in there, thought they may gonna rob him. I have a AR in my extended cab, but didn't bring my phone. I did get it, stepped out when his back was turned and drew down on him. He was probably 20ish. I did say I was police for effect. He did turn when I yelled, but followed commands and I was being very very forceful. I was more worried about a car load of friends, but had cover. Anyway, police were called, turned out to be a damn pellet pistol, although very real like. However, the SUV had a few guns in it and I think most had warrants.

Not sure it was so smart of me or not. Anyway, a detective supposed to come talk to me today, hopefully I won't have to get further involved as I don't need my name out.

[Aktungbby]

Not sure it was so smart of me or not

As with me pulling over a drunk young lady ( Neal's Trucker thread; post #667) using my security shield when her deflated spark-showering wheel rim threatened the bone-dry hillsides and livestock, be sure to apologize for 'personating a peace officer'. As a citizen you did good and the detective will probably say what the CHP humorously said to me "ya gotta do what ya gotta do." The matter was highly suspect; got handled; and you handled it. and kept it out of the headlines!!! The police make bad mistakes with authentic looking toy guns and your action did no harm and was not unreasonable both in practice and the fact that, as a legally armed citizen, you are the well ordered militia with power to detain 'till the gendarmes arrive...in my case: nearly an hour! Occasionally that puts you 'on point' as the only difference between nothing happening and severe consequences- If the detainee has issues, he can always sue you civilly. Well done.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

I hope you didn't!
There is no problem in owning guns at all, if the laws in my country would be a tiddy tad more lax, I'd probably be on the range now and then, for now it is too much a pain in the bum to do shooting over here.
However, I think there should be limits to who owns them and how easily they are distributed/obtained though. Why would that hurt? Why are so many people reacting sensitive to stricter gun laws, if they actually have nothing to fear?
As we can see in other countries, that helps a lot bringing the numbers of gun related victims down. Not sure why this is a bad thing...

I won't argue with stricter background checks. As long as you will go along with my proposal: stricter, longer mandatory sentencing when someone commits a crime with a gun, assault (with or without a gun), robbery, burglary, battery, arson, DWI, domestic violence, and rape, to name a few. If you can agree to 20 years minimum, no parole, I would be happy to go along with stricter limits and checks.

Originally Posted by Armistead

Last night went to the corner store late to get coffee. Came out, sat in car and saw a man take a pistol from his waistline, just sort of walking. Heard guys yell at him from a SUV parked to my left and he walked over showing it to them, then back to his car, shoved it down into his sagging pants, then back, walked near the store with it back in his hand, turned around and walked to his buds. I love the old man that works in there, thought they may gonna rob him. I have a AR in my extended cab, but didn't bring my phone. I did get it, stepped out when his back was turned and drew down on him. He was probably 20ish. I did say I was police for effect. He did turn when I yelled, but followed commands and I was being very very forceful. I was more worried about a car load of friends, but had cover. Anyway, police were called, turned out to be a damn pellet pistol, although very real like. However, the SUV had a few guns in it and I think most had warrants.

Not sure it was so smart of me or not. Anyway, a detective supposed to come talk to me today, hopefully I won't have to get further involved as I don't need my name out.

That happened last night? Whew, well, you may get some heat from the law for impersonating a cop. I think I would have called the police and waited and watched. My training is pretty clear, citizens should not attempt to use their concealed carry weapons unless their safety or property is in jeopardy. Pretty brave of you, none the less.

[August]

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

I think there should be limits to who owns them and how easily they are distributed/obtained

There are such limits already.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/blnoguns.htm

The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits certain people from possessing a firearm. The possession of any firearm by one of these "prohibited persons" is a felony offense. It is also a felony for any person, including a registered Federal Firearms Licensee to sell or otherwise transfer any firearm to a person knowing or having "reasonable cause" to believe that the person receiving the firearm is prohibited from firearm possession. There are nine categories of persons prohibited from possessing firearms under the Gun Control Act:

• Persons under indictment for, or convicted of, any crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding on year;
• Fugitives from justice;
• Persons who are unlawful users of, or addicted to, any controlled substance;
• Persons who have been declared by a court as mental defectives or have been committed to a mental institution;
• Illegal aliens, or aliens who were admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa;
• Persons who have been dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces;
• Persons who have renounced their United States citizenship;
• Persons subject to certain types of restraining orders; and
• Persons who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

With limited exceptions, persons under eighteen years of age are prohibited from possessing handguns.

[Onkel Neal]

Well, there you go. Problem solved, now on to stricter enforcement and incarceration of criminals and social misfits.

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Then again, I've owned guns for 40 years and haven't killed anyone.

I can say the same.
Oh! Wait! There was a few Cubans but I was in the Army at the time so does that count?

[August]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

I can say the same.
Oh! Wait! There was a few Cubans but I was in the Army at the time so does that count?

We had a couple of Urgent Fury vets at my Paratrooper Reunion last week.

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

I can say the same.
Oh! Wait! There was a few Cubans but I was in the Army at the time so does that count?

In that case I'd split hairs and say that the firearm you used was property of the US government also you where following orders given by said government to kill Cuban soldiers. I say it only counts if you owned the firearms and then killed with them of your own free will while not following orders.(lawful given orders as opposed to crazy person microwave transmitted orders)

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

you where following orders given by said government to kill Cuban soldiers.

No.
I was under orders to achieve my objectives.
Rules of Engagement were not to fire unless fired upon.
Nobody said anything about Cubans.

[Oberon]

NOBODY EXPECTS THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS!!

[Buddahaid]

Originally Posted by Oberon

NOBODY EXPECTS THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS!!

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Oberon

NOBODY EXPECTS THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS!!

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

the Castro brothers:"¡Aye Raul!"... "What Fidel?"... "We've been recognized by the imperialist Yanqui pigs after 50 years! The revolution's a success!"... "you senile idiot they just want to import our Cohíba cigars legally"..."well then I'll be rich! that's my personal brand"...'So much for socialism Bro'"

two months after President Obama announced in December that he planned to loosen some of the US-Cuba restrictions, including the easing of the decades-long trade embargo. Under an easing of travel restrictions between the US and Cuba, American visitors will be able to buy up to $100 worth of cigars and bring them home... no longer violating the Trading with Enemy Act

When you're the president of the United States, you can get just about anything you'd like. What the 35th president, JFK, wanted in early 1962 was a bunch of Cuban cigars, 1,000 Petit Upmanns to be exact. He gave his press secretary, Pierre Salinger, less than 24 hours to round them up. Short notice for such a big request, but then JFK had a pressing reason for procuring the stash in such a timely fashion. He was about to sign an embargo prohibiting any Cuban products from entering the country, including his beloved cigars. The embargo was born of a nasty spat that the United States was having with Cuba and its fears that Fidel Castro represented a growing threat to America's security. But before Kennedy could act, he needed Salinger to complete his assignment. The press secretary didn't let him down, as he managed to scrounge up 1,200 cigars. Kennedy then signed the embargo, and Cuban tobacco has been off-limits to Americans ever since.

[Lionclaw]

I don't usually post in these kinds of threads, maybe it's Off Topic for this thread.


What is the American view of all the continued incidents regarding shootings?


Can something be done about it, or has it become a part of the American culture, like the firearm itself is a fundamental part of your culture?


It's like when I see on the news that there's been a shooting. I think to myself before clicking the link: "In America?"

When I click the link and see that it indeed happened over there. I just shrug it off since it happens so often over there.

You get numbed by the number of news reports of the events.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Oberon

NOBODY EXPECTS THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS!!

Day-um, that missile has a sharp point

Lionclaw, you'll get a lot of varied opinions on this. I've said before (so now I am repeating myself), the guns have been part of American culture for centuries. It's who we are, having the freedom to own reasonable firearms. The govt and the opponents to gun ownership have no right to say otherwise, it's the 2nd Amendment in our Bill of Rights. And why not? Tens of millions of gun owners such as myself, August, Armistead, Jeff and Aktungbby are responsible members of society and there is no problem with our behavior.

Now, there are thousands of individuals who break the law and misbehave, how do we keep them from obtaining firearms with laws? Only by removing all gun ownership? Yes, that might help, but at what cost? Why punish me for the bad deeds of others?

Again, I say if one examines the cases where someone uses a gun in a crime, he will find that person is likely to have a long criminal record (not always, but in most). It's my belief that our criminal justice system is far too lenient. Why is this guy on the street? After convictions for distribution of narcotics, second-degree assault, fourth-degree burglary, trespassing....for example, he should not be in the population at all. Longer periods of incarceration would not solve all gun related deaths, But I think it would help.

You know, there are 35,000 people who die by traffic accidents. There are a lot of things we as a society could do to impact that, but it does not seem to get the same attention as shootings.