We will never know will we?Originally posted by Drowned Rat:<br />
How do amendments to the Constitution come to be? How does it start? It's a rhetorical question, but surely you see where I'm going. Isn't this how it starts? A group of diversified intelligent people discussing the pros and cons of different legislation. Maybe a change for the better is made or maybe it's just right the way it is. The Framers knew changes to the Constitution would need to be made and they even included a way to facilitate it. So far the "Agree with everything you see here or get the hell out" amendment hasn't been passed yet. Although it does have a nice ring to it. Maybe you can spearhead that one Kenny.
The day when the citizens of this great country roll over and never question authority is the day you and I both need to be worried.<br /><br />This is a little off topic, but a worthwhile discussion.<br /><br />Oh yeah, Woodrat, it's just a cartoon. Sorry, you're wrong about that. Far wrong. Columbia and Brazil are both substantially higher. So is Scotland, of all places. <br /><br />
Sure, and why not? They are more functionally "like any other gun" than you probably realize.<br /> <br />
No kidding...<br /><br />
I'm happy to see that you are interested in getting a gun and learning about it. I think that your assertions about the "need" for 10+ round magazines and availability to criminals are off base. This law did nothing to deprive criminals of any kind of gun, and most criminals were never interested in these guns anyway. Really, if you're into shooting up kids in school it would seem silly to assume that you would be stopped in your tracks because the gun you planned to use wasn't legal to purchase or possess or anything else.
Sorry again, mrb, but you're wrong about this as well. I really am not intending to slam you, but I think you aren't very experienced with guns. I used to shoot quite a lot in competition. I could slam five steel plates with my Glock 19 in 3.19 seconds. Because of the greater recoil, I do not think I could have done the same accurate fire ratio with my H&K SR9 (.308 calibre "assault rifle" if you will) Plus, you'd be shocked at how fast a magazine can be changed in most firearms (AR15s and glocks are good examples) 10 round magazines were an arbitrary, feel-good limit with no practical reasoning behind them.<br /><br />Furthermore, your assertion that patrolmen supported the ban is wrong. The police groups which are often referred to as supporting the ban are Chief's associations. In other word, Political Action Commitees. Liberal PAC's. Most patrolmen do not line up with that thinking and their jobs won't change one iota with the ban expiring.
An important consideration when wondering about this study is that of correlation. In other words, which is cause and which is effect? It's a fact, also "proven" by this study, that the more likely a person is to killed in his own home, the more likely he is to own a gun. For those who are not tracking, it means that if you live in a high crime neighborhood you are far more likely to put a high priority on owning firearms than you will if you live in a low crime neighborhood. Also, if you have scummy criminal "friends and associates" who are somewhat likely to kill you in your living room, there is a pretty good chance that you're going to want to have a gun around.
Here, here. I've fired numerous full-auto weapons and they all had three things in common. They were all:<br />1) ridiculously fun<br />2) hideously expensive<br />3) almost completely useless as guns, in the traditional sense.<br /><br />If you have need to lay down 'covering fire', as they say, they serve this purpose. If you are intent on hitting a specific target, good luck.
Well, really. Imagine that cartoon where the hijackers have guns instead of knives. I don't see the humor being a lot different. Still, I'm not sure I disagree with the "please don't perforate our compressed-air environment" rule aboard airliners.
Seamus, that is indeed a contributing factor albeit a small one. The study also includes people who commit suicide with a gun, children who shoot themselves or others, and all manner of accidental shootings. Of course it also includes those individuals who, in the defense of their home, are killed by an intruder's weapon, or thier own weapon that was taken from them by an intruder. <br /><br />Even if you are a gun owner with the best of intentions, the numbers are undeniable. Obviously experienced, responsible gun owners would be on the low end of the curve, but experience is not required to purchase a gun. Too many guns are owned by losers who buy a gun because they think it's "Cool" and then end up either hurting themselves or others.
<br /><br />Seamus: I wasn't trying to leave the rest of the states out... I'm sure there are other states that have their share of idiots in office too.<br /><br /><br />H.
