read this article, non biased
the point ... taking guns away from law abiding folk has no effect on crime.
A columnist! When will you learn to validate sources????
Here are the actual statistics for the UK (as the article mentioned the UK) covering from 1969 to 2011. All kinds of numbers you may want - number of gun crimes, what they were, what kind of firearms, whether they were fired or not, etc. What it doesn't detail is if the 'gun violence' was gang related, domestic (which often is under 'other'), etc. I'm sure there are other statistics which can detail that (and I think we may be surprised with them!). Overall gun related crime is on the serious decrease. I also believe the source is valid
What I see in the UK is that since Dublane (when gun laws changed), there has been only one other incident someone going on a rampage with a shotgun and a rifle (no handguns). Maybe stricter controls are needed there? Just this year, the US had 23 mass shootings... hmmm..... 1 firearm rampage with multiple deaths in 16 years or 23 in 7 months..... a no brainer really...
I've been reading through this thread but not posting much no time it's a busy summer. Let me understand something here....it appears MOST here including myself DO NOT want to ban guns or take away gun rights in any way. However, I see no problem in having stricter laws in buying guns, rifles without background checks and doing so over the internet. You appear to be saying that the laws that are on the books in most states are tough enough. nI disagree.
Did you you see the laws in Colorado where we just had our last mass shooting that was posted earlier....do you think the CO laws are strict enough? Do you own a gun? From what I've read i don't think so yet you crusade on and on about how guns protect yet you yourself appear to not own one....walking the fence again. Practice what you preach if you don't own a gun.
Thrity plus years ago i was very familiar with guns especially rifles in that i planned on becoming a sniper after several years on my rifle team while in school and the military. I changed my mind but now I would like to get back into shooting once again just to see IF I can shoot as well as I once did. Once I do get this 22 caliber smallbore rifle I won't even bring it home it will stay at the gun club. I'm amazed though I can order this rifle without ANY background check over the internet...I just need my credit card and it'll be at my door in 6 days.
That needs to change... a 15 year old can order in the same way just as long as he has a credit card...something is truly wrong in America if it's THAT easy to get a rifle.
Peace
Can you ask a question without judgmental personal insulting and derogatory words?
Unnecessary...
I said I personally do not own a gun ...
I did not say I was unprotected.
It appears, from your statement about me, that you must agree with another's beliefs and
their choices for you to support them.
That is not me, I can recognize the needs and wants of others...
I can support them, I can understand them.
I will not work to remove the rights of others to own a gun, if they so choose,
based on the fact that I do not personally own one.
I would never impose that upon another who could very well have their lives saved
because of a gun.
Yes, I think these laws, if enforced are sufficient.
The laws in place did not stop the Colorado shooter, none would have.
He is most likely an ill person with a delusion and a purpose.
It was a very good thing a bomb was not the weapon of choice seeing as he had the
know how... as many do with a quick google and a legal purchase on the internet.
The death rate would have been far worse... Oklahoma City
devastating all the theatres, killing thousands ...
it could have been much much worse. There is no defense against a bomb.
Human contact allows a chance at least of survival.
My point? bad things will happen we can not control everyone all the time,
to think so would be ridiculous.
But we can be prepared and we can own a gun if we so choose to protect ourselves.
pandora, what about the well regulated militia vs the free for all on weanpon ownership that we have now? any thoughts on that?
how about if you own a gun, you have to join a militia to defend your state? and if you don't you go to jail. that would get people who own guns illegally off of the streets...
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
.....that you must agree with another's beliefs and
their choices for you to support them.
....... That is not me, I can recognize the needs and wants of others...
I can support them, I can understand them. I will not work to remove the rights of others to own a gun, if they so choose,
based on the fact that I do not personally own one. I would never impose that upon another who could very well have their lives saved
because of a gun..
Norm... where is your little guy banging his head against the wall when we need it?
G under P is a 'shooter'. He IS buying gun.... But he seems he will be RESPONSIBLE and is speaking responsibly as a person familiar with guns and ease to purchase them.
Can we just say this one more time.... People are calling for STRICTER laws not taking away your precious guns. If one looks at the Colorado laws, there is NOTHING to enforce!
I've been reading through this thread but not posting much no time it's a busy summer. Let me understand something here....it appears MOST here including myself DO NOT want to ban guns or take away gun rights in any way. However, I see no problem in having stricter laws in buying guns, rifles without background checks and doing so over the internet. You appear to be saying that the laws that are on the books in most states are tough enough. nI disagree.
Did you you see the laws in Colorado where we just had our last mass shooting that was posted earlier....do you think the CO laws are strict enough? Do you own a gun? From what I've read i don't think so yet you crusade on and on about how guns protect yet you yourself appear to not own one....walking the fence again. Practice what you preach if you don't own a gun.
Thrity plus years ago i was very familiar with guns especially rifles in that i planned on becoming a sniper after several years on my rifle team while in school and the military. I changed my mind but now I would like to get back into shooting once again just to see IF I can shoot as well as I once did. Once I do get this 22 caliber smallbore rifle I won't even bring it home it will stay at the gun club. I'm amazed though I can order this rifle without ANY background check over the internet...I just need my credit card and it'll be at my door in 6 days.
That needs to change... a 15 year old can order in the same way just as long as he has a credit card...something is truly wrong in America if it's THAT easy to get a rifle.
Peace
Can you ask a question without judgmental personal insulting and derogatory words?
Unnecessary...
I said I personally do not own a gun ...
I did not say I was unprotected.
It appears, from your statement about me, that you must agree with another's beliefs and
their choices for you to support them.
That is not me, I can recognize the needs and wants of others...
I can support them, I can understand them.
I will not work to remove the rights of others to own a gun, if they so choose,
based on the fact that I do not personally own one.
I would never impose that upon another who could very well have their lives saved
because of a gun.
Yes, I think these laws, if enforced are sufficient.
The laws in place did not stop the Colorado shooter, none would have.
He is most likely an ill person with a delusion and a purpose.
It was a very good thing a bomb was not the weapon of choice seeing as he had the
know how... as many do with a quick google and a legal purchase on the internet.
The death rate would have been far worse... Oklahoma City
devastating all the theatres, killing thousands ...
it could have been much much worse. There is no defense against a bomb.
Human contact allows a chance at least of survival.
My point? bad things will happen we can not control everyone all the time,
to think so would be ridiculous.
But we can be prepared and we can own a gun if we so choose to protect ourselves.
So because he might have been able to make a bomb we should make it easy for him to get assault rifles and 6,000 rounds of ammo in a short period of time?
This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
if people want a real laugh they should go over and check out the comments by faux news listeners on the issue of gun control... it's a scary world indeed.
I'm just flying around the other side of the world to say I love you
Sha la la la i'm in love with a jersey girl
I love you forever and forever
Adel 03 Melb 1 03 LA 2 06 Santa Barbara 06 Gorge 1 06 Gorge 2 06 Adel 1 06 Adel 2 06 Camden 1 08 Camden 2 08 Washington DC 08 Hartford 08
how about if you own a gun, you have to join a militia to defend your state? and if you don't you go to jail. that would get people who own guns illegally off of the streets...
not sure why y'all are still feeding the nonsense but hey, have fun! :P
Thanks Norm. Don't know either - compulsive behaviour? Or just can't bear false info being spread? **goes to call her analyst** **Damn... doesn't have one**
not sure why y'all are still feeding the nonsense but hey, have fun! :P
Thanks Norm. Don't know either - compulsive behaviour? Or just can't bear false info being spread? **goes to call her analyst** **Damn... doesn't have one**
well, you're not the one that needs the analyst :P
not sure why y'all are still feeding the nonsense but hey, have fun! :P
Thanks Norm. Don't know either - compulsive behaviour? Or just can't bear false info being spread? **goes to call her analyst** **Damn... doesn't have one**
well, you're not the one that needs the analyst :P
Christ almighty it's gotten a little dense around here. I am a gun owner, but I'm not about to lump myself in with these maroons... In fact, I'm about ready to get rid of them so nobody mistakes me for one. Hell, I'm dangerous enough with my bare hands... and my bear.
Christ almighty it's gotten a little dense around here. I am a gun owner, but I'm not about to lump myself in with these maroons... In fact, I'm about ready to get rid of them so nobody mistakes me for one. Hell, I'm dangerous enough with my bare hands... and my bear.
you and the late, great hunter thompson are the only ones that should be allowed to own guns
not sure why y'all are still feeding the nonsense but hey, have fun! :P
Thanks Norm. Don't know either - compulsive behaviour? Or just can't bear false info being spread? **goes to call her analyst** **Damn... doesn't have one**
As a general commentary, when you find a group of people responding to you in a similar manner across a variety of situations...it's rather diagnostic.
"I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
Will you be my analyst CBG? You seem to make sense (and you have cats and find owing 30 pairs of shoes for the sake of owing them normal).
of course! We share a like- minded masochism as well it seems :P
Damn right.. this thread is going nowhere, is it? Maybe when we know a bit more about the state of mind of the shooter, his motives, what happened prior to the shooting and all, we could try and have another discussion. Same with the Sikh Temple shooting.
Maybe by the time this happens and due to the very lax gun laws and incredible ease of obtaining firearms in the US, some other nutter will have bought an arsenal over the internet and gone on a spree. We may be able to discuss him/her as well and go through all the 'drama' of this thread again.
i avoided this topic because the gun control debate is mind boggling to me ...
Do you have some insight in mental illness and crime? CBG's posts were interesting because it's her domain. Would be interesting to hear from people who know about these things 'professionally'.
Gun control debate is very interesting, when it can be properly debated....
i avoided this topic because the gun control debate is mind boggling to me ...
It's an interesting discussion though and will be interesting to see what role mental illness played in this situation. Seems like we're getting more pieces of information about it, but just bits at a time
"I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
Do you have some insight in mental illness and crime? CBG's posts were interesting because it's her domain. Would be interesting to hear from people who know about these things 'professionally'.
Gun control debate is very interesting, when it can be properly debated....
definitely not an expert although i do like to fancy myself a critical thinker ...
many people involved in mass shootings have been diagnosed with mental illness = perhaps we should look into it
Will you be my analyst CBG? You seem to make sense (and you have cats and find owing 30 pairs of shoes for the sake of owing them normal).
of course! We share a like- minded masochism as well it seems :P
Damn right.. this thread is going nowhere, is it? Maybe when we know a bit more about the state of mind of the shooter, his motives, what happened prior to the shooting and all, we could try and have another discussion. Same with the Sikh Temple shooting.
Maybe by the time this happens and due to the very lax gun laws and incredible ease of obtaining firearms in the US, some other nutter will have bought an arsenal over the internet and gone on a spree. We may be able to discuss him/her as well and go through all the 'drama' of this thread again.
It definitely seems to be going in circles
It will be really interesting to discuss these 2 situations since they seem to have very different motives. Sadly, if things stay the same, it seems we're likely to have yet another situation to add to the discussion
"I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
Do you have some insight in mental illness and crime? CBG's posts were interesting because it's her domain. Would be interesting to hear from people who know about these things 'professionally'.
Gun control debate is very interesting, when it can be properly debated....
definitely not an expert although i do like to fancy myself a critical thinker ...
many people involved in mass shootings have been diagnosed with mental illness = perhaps we should look into it
Yet, even after being diagnosed have no trouble buying guns. But we've been around and around...
This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
Yet, even after being diagnosed have no trouble buying guns. But we've been around and around...
don't you realize that 92% of the threads on the AMT are the same issue rebranded and that the same views and opinions will continue to be recycled!?? ...
Yet, even after being diagnosed have no trouble buying guns. But we've been around and around...
don't you realize that 92% of the threads on the AMT are the same issue rebranded and that the same views and opinions will continue to be recycled!?? ...
92% seems lIke a low number to me.
This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
Yes, you can shutup about Colorado and keep your opinions on gun control to yourself
I moved to Colorado about ten months ago.And though I am a native Texan, Colorado is my adoptive state. In my 31 years, 18 were in Texas and 12 were in Illinois, so that should tell you something. I love this state and the people in it. Just as the people of Texas are my people, the people of Colorado are my adoptive people. Recently, my Colorado people have suffered through forest fires. And now they’ve suffered through an horrific tragedy. My upbringing has been between one of the most conservative states in the union and one of the most liberal, as far as gun laws go. So I have a lot of friends on both sides of the gun issue that want to share their thoughts. And you know what? You can shut up about gun control for a day or two.
An introduction to what you’re about to read
I wrote this article around midnight last Saturday. I live 20 or 30 minutes from Aurora. I know the theater. What happened wasn’t a piece of news, it was an event where live. By midnight, Saturday, my friends in Illinois and Texas had already decided the fate of gun control for this country. I was fed up.
I am a web developer by trade. My blog averages 30 or 40 hits a week and suddenly, I was getting hundreds of views on this article. Business Insider picked it up and wanted to interview me. Because I am weary of what the media will write, I wrote the follow up article “I’m a hypocrite…” where I explained the reason I own an AK-74 was for fun and proposed that mandatory training should be the only regulation we need. Fox News emailed me this morning and posted my blog post on their site (with an incorrect title). And now I’m averaging 150 hits a minute.
What I wrote was a reaction to both the arguments for gun control and for concealed weapons. Both arguments have flaws and I wanted to rationalize the issues with both. If you’re looking for my position, it’s the one where I have a 9mm Sig on my hip and an AK-74 in my hands.
And yes, I know an AK isn’t an assault rifle. I’m not an expert.
My wife served six years in the Air Force, including time in wartime Bosnia. I applied to three different branches; I am unable to serve due to a medical condition. Saying that I don’t love the country, 2nd amendment, or freedom isn’t nice and it isn’t true. Now… please put yourself in the context of a Saturday night in a suburb of Denver and keep reading.
[end of edit]
You can shutup about gun regulations and gun bans
I own an assault rifle, two handguns, and a shotgun. And of course, I purchased them all legally. I have a college degree and I don’t have any criminal history beyond speeding tickets. If you’re looking at a background check, I’m no different than James Eagan Holmes. Compare resumes and you’ll pick him; he had a better GPA than I did and actually pursued a higher education than I have.
The difference between James Holmes and me is that one of us walked into a theater and murdered people. One of us wanted to make our home into a giant bomb to kill our neighbors. One of us values human life. There’s no law on the planet that will change how a man values the life of another. Outlaw online sales, assault rifles, guns, liquids over 3 ounces, and he still would find a way to murder.
You can shutup about how concealed carry fixes everything
Colorado isn’t much different from Texas as far as gun laws are concerned. In fact, Texas is the only state in the union where open carry is illegal ( the ability to carry a gun in public for all to see). Concealed carry is legal and fairly easy to obtain in the state of Colorado. In fact, my wife and I went through the class. Our course was taught by a police officer and firearms instructor; he was rarely qualified to educated us on conceal carry rules and the actual gun laws in Colorado.
So here’s a few things you should know:
■It is perfectly legal to conceal a firearm in a movie theater in Colorado if you have a license
■Colorado concealed-carry classes aren’t required to be taught by law enforcement
■Colorado concealed-carry classes don’t require that you demonstrate proficiency with a fire arm
■Colorado concealed-carry classes don’t require that you even shoot a firearm
You can shutup about how things would have been different if someone had a gun
I’ve fired and used guns my whole life. I don’t claim to be an expert or even overly proficient. And though I have shot a few thousand rounds in my life, I don’t think that would matter for me or others in this situation. So here’s what you soon-to-be heroes with conceal weapons permits should know:
■You’re not Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer, or Bruce Wayne. Situational awareness takes training that you don’t get as a civilian. You won’t recognize a threat until it’s too late.
■Unless you’ve trained with the exact weapons system you’re carrying, you’ll you could miss. It takes hundreds of hours with a firearm to really be proficient. Do you know what you’d do if it jams? Can you reload before the last round leaves your chamber? How many rounds in your magazine? Have you even practiced drawing your weapon if it’s concealed? Now think about doing this in a firefight.
■Proficiency deteriorates without practice. When was the last time you fired your gun? Police and military practice regularly for their jobs. You do it irregularly for fun.
■A thousand hours on the range aren’t the same as a hundred seconds in a real shootout. Can you recognize the threat, obtain a site picture, and neutralize the target with a gun pointed at you? Police and military don’t just learn how to do this once, they actually train in these situations.
■There’s a solid chance you won’t even pull the trigger. There is huge psychological trauma associated with taking a life. Estimates are that between 1/3rd and 1/4th of guns on the battlefield in WWII were never shot. There are even police officers and soldiers who have been killed because they didn’t have what it took to kill.
■Even if you train with your gun, you do it until you get it right. Police and military do it until they don’t get it wrong. You’re just not ready like they are to use your gun. Your reaction may not be the same as someone who’s trained for this.
I really don’t care what you think could have been different
Real people died. This isn’t the time to run your mouth about politics and gun control. And while my friends are alive and well, some of their friends and family aren’t so lucky. This is real to me.
So yeah…I’m betting that 100% of people getting shot would like to have a way to protect themselves. Not one person there was thinking, “I wish it were harder to get an assault rifle…maybe we should repeal the 2nd amendment.” They were running for their lives and praying for deliverance. Every person there wanted a way to end the violence. This is about surviving a shootout, not repealing guns.
I don’t give two craps what you think you would have done if you were there. You weren’t. Hundreds of others were. They could have been armed, and maybe some were. Just a gun isn’t enough. Even if you’re police or military, there’s a difference between training for this and experiencing it. Unless you’ve experienced a fire-fight, shut up.
Just shutup about Colorado
I live in the Denver area, and not very far from Aurora. On July 20th I woke up with the news and was scared for the lives of my church family. I’m not affected nearly in the same way these victims are. But I may meet these victims and their families. My wife may go to work with people who were there. Families of victims may visit my church. This isn’t something that happened on the news. This is something that happened where I live.
I could have been there. I could have had a gun. I could have done something.
But I wasn’t there.I wouldn’t have had a gun (because I don’t have my license yet), and I don’t have a clue what I would have done.
So all I can do is shutup and pray. So should you.
So all I can do is shutup and pray. So should you.
except he didn't did he? ... ... everyone has an opinion - seems absurd to write a piece telling people to shut up and post it for the world to see ...
Comments
Here are the actual statistics for the UK (as the article mentioned the UK) covering from 1969 to 2011. All kinds of numbers you may want - number of gun crimes, what they were, what kind of firearms, whether they were fired or not, etc. What it doesn't detail is if the 'gun violence' was gang related, domestic (which often is under 'other'), etc. I'm sure there are other statistics which can detail that (and I think we may be surprised with them!). Overall gun related crime is on the serious decrease. I also believe the source is valid
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca ... euBL5-QsZg
What I see in the UK is that since Dublane (when gun laws changed), there has been only one other incident someone going on a rampage with a shotgun and a rifle (no handguns). Maybe stricter controls are needed there? Just this year, the US had 23 mass shootings... hmmm..... 1 firearm rampage with multiple deaths in 16 years or 23 in 7 months..... a no brainer really...
Comebackgirl made several very pertinent posts.
Unnecessary...
I said I personally do not own a gun ...
I did not say I was unprotected.
It appears, from your statement about me, that you must agree with another's beliefs and
their choices for you to support them.
That is not me, I can recognize the needs and wants of others...
I can support them, I can understand them.
I will not work to remove the rights of others to own a gun, if they so choose,
based on the fact that I do not personally own one.
I would never impose that upon another who could very well have their lives saved
because of a gun.
http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystat ... aws_co.htm
Yes, I think these laws, if enforced are sufficient.
The laws in place did not stop the Colorado shooter, none would have.
He is most likely an ill person with a delusion and a purpose.
It was a very good thing a bomb was not the weapon of choice seeing as he had the
know how...
as many do with a quick google and a legal purchase on the internet.
The death rate would have been far worse... Oklahoma City
devastating all the theatres, killing thousands ...
it could have been much much worse. There is no defense against a bomb.
Human contact allows a chance at least of survival.
My point? bad things will happen we can not control everyone all the time,
to think so would be ridiculous.
But we can be prepared and we can own a gun if we so choose to protect ourselves.
I don't know if this has been posted...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnA_Cq_ ... re=related
education, training, knowledge = power
how about if you own a gun, you have to join a militia to defend your state? and if you don't you go to jail. that would get people who own guns illegally off of the streets...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
So because he might have been able to make a bomb we should make it easy for him to get assault rifles and 6,000 rounds of ammo in a short period of time?
Sha la la la i'm in love with a jersey girl
I love you forever and forever
Adel 03 Melb 1 03 LA 2 06 Santa Barbara 06 Gorge 1 06 Gorge 2 06 Adel 1 06 Adel 2 06 Camden 1 08 Camden 2 08 Washington DC 08 Hartford 08
not sure why y'all are still feeding the nonsense but hey, have fun! :P
That would make this interesting....
Thanks Norm. Don't know either - compulsive behaviour? Or just can't bear false info being spread? **goes to call her analyst** **Damn... doesn't have one**
Classic Norm ...
Christ almighty it's gotten a little dense around here. I am a gun owner, but I'm not about to lump myself in with these maroons... In fact, I'm about ready to get rid of them so nobody mistakes me for one. Hell, I'm dangerous enough with my bare hands... and my bear.
you and the late, great hunter thompson are the only ones that should be allowed to own guns
"I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
"I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
cool ... i don't need to get involved then ...
i avoided this topic because the gun control debate is mind boggling to me ...
Damn right.. this thread is going nowhere, is it? Maybe when we know a bit more about the state of mind of the shooter, his motives, what happened prior to the shooting and all, we could try and have another discussion. Same with the Sikh Temple shooting.
Maybe by the time this happens and due to the very lax gun laws and incredible ease of obtaining firearms in the US, some other nutter will have bought an arsenal over the internet and gone on a spree. We may be able to discuss him/her as well and go through all the 'drama' of this thread again.
Do you have some insight in mental illness and crime? CBG's posts were interesting because it's her domain. Would be interesting to hear from people who know about these things 'professionally'.
Gun control debate is very interesting, when it can be properly debated....
"I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
definitely not an expert although i do like to fancy myself a critical thinker ...
many people involved in mass shootings have been diagnosed with mental illness = perhaps we should look into it
It will be really interesting to discuss these 2 situations since they seem to have very different motives. Sadly, if things stay the same, it seems we're likely to have yet another situation to add to the discussion
"I need your strength for me to be strong...I need your love to feel loved"
Yet, even after being diagnosed have no trouble buying guns. But we've been around and around...
don't you realize that 92% of the threads on the AMT are the same issue rebranded and that the same views and opinions will continue to be recycled!?? ...
92% seems lIke a low number to me.
Yes, you can shutup about Colorado and keep your opinions on gun control to yourself
I moved to Colorado about ten months ago.And though I am a native Texan, Colorado is my adoptive state. In my 31 years, 18 were in Texas and 12 were in Illinois, so that should tell you something. I love this state and the people in it. Just as the people of Texas are my people, the people of Colorado are my adoptive people. Recently, my Colorado people have suffered through forest fires. And now they’ve suffered through an horrific tragedy. My upbringing has been between one of the most conservative states in the union and one of the most liberal, as far as gun laws go. So I have a lot of friends on both sides of the gun issue that want to share their thoughts. And you know what? You can shut up about gun control for a day or two.
An introduction to what you’re about to read
I wrote this article around midnight last Saturday. I live 20 or 30 minutes from Aurora. I know the theater. What happened wasn’t a piece of news, it was an event where live. By midnight, Saturday, my friends in Illinois and Texas had already decided the fate of gun control for this country. I was fed up.
I am a web developer by trade. My blog averages 30 or 40 hits a week and suddenly, I was getting hundreds of views on this article. Business Insider picked it up and wanted to interview me. Because I am weary of what the media will write, I wrote the follow up article “I’m a hypocrite…” where I explained the reason I own an AK-74 was for fun and proposed that mandatory training should be the only regulation we need. Fox News emailed me this morning and posted my blog post on their site (with an incorrect title). And now I’m averaging 150 hits a minute.
What I wrote was a reaction to both the arguments for gun control and for concealed weapons. Both arguments have flaws and I wanted to rationalize the issues with both. If you’re looking for my position, it’s the one where I have a 9mm Sig on my hip and an AK-74 in my hands.
And yes, I know an AK isn’t an assault rifle. I’m not an expert.
My wife served six years in the Air Force, including time in wartime Bosnia. I applied to three different branches; I am unable to serve due to a medical condition. Saying that I don’t love the country, 2nd amendment, or freedom isn’t nice and it isn’t true. Now… please put yourself in the context of a Saturday night in a suburb of Denver and keep reading.
[end of edit]
You can shutup about gun regulations and gun bans
I own an assault rifle, two handguns, and a shotgun. And of course, I purchased them all legally. I have a college degree and I don’t have any criminal history beyond speeding tickets. If you’re looking at a background check, I’m no different than James Eagan Holmes. Compare resumes and you’ll pick him; he had a better GPA than I did and actually pursued a higher education than I have.
The difference between James Holmes and me is that one of us walked into a theater and murdered people. One of us wanted to make our home into a giant bomb to kill our neighbors. One of us values human life. There’s no law on the planet that will change how a man values the life of another. Outlaw online sales, assault rifles, guns, liquids over 3 ounces, and he still would find a way to murder.
You can shutup about how concealed carry fixes everything
Colorado isn’t much different from Texas as far as gun laws are concerned. In fact, Texas is the only state in the union where open carry is illegal ( the ability to carry a gun in public for all to see). Concealed carry is legal and fairly easy to obtain in the state of Colorado. In fact, my wife and I went through the class. Our course was taught by a police officer and firearms instructor; he was rarely qualified to educated us on conceal carry rules and the actual gun laws in Colorado.
So here’s a few things you should know:
■It is perfectly legal to conceal a firearm in a movie theater in Colorado if you have a license
■Colorado concealed-carry classes aren’t required to be taught by law enforcement
■Colorado concealed-carry classes don’t require that you demonstrate proficiency with a fire arm
■Colorado concealed-carry classes don’t require that you even shoot a firearm
You can shutup about how things would have been different if someone had a gun
I’ve fired and used guns my whole life. I don’t claim to be an expert or even overly proficient. And though I have shot a few thousand rounds in my life, I don’t think that would matter for me or others in this situation. So here’s what you soon-to-be heroes with conceal weapons permits should know:
■You’re not Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer, or Bruce Wayne. Situational awareness takes training that you don’t get as a civilian. You won’t recognize a threat until it’s too late.
■Unless you’ve trained with the exact weapons system you’re carrying, you’ll you could miss. It takes hundreds of hours with a firearm to really be proficient. Do you know what you’d do if it jams? Can you reload before the last round leaves your chamber? How many rounds in your magazine? Have you even practiced drawing your weapon if it’s concealed? Now think about doing this in a firefight.
■Proficiency deteriorates without practice. When was the last time you fired your gun? Police and military practice regularly for their jobs. You do it irregularly for fun.
■A thousand hours on the range aren’t the same as a hundred seconds in a real shootout. Can you recognize the threat, obtain a site picture, and neutralize the target with a gun pointed at you? Police and military don’t just learn how to do this once, they actually train in these situations.
■There’s a solid chance you won’t even pull the trigger. There is huge psychological trauma associated with taking a life. Estimates are that between 1/3rd and 1/4th of guns on the battlefield in WWII were never shot. There are even police officers and soldiers who have been killed because they didn’t have what it took to kill.
■Even if you train with your gun, you do it until you get it right. Police and military do it until they don’t get it wrong. You’re just not ready like they are to use your gun. Your reaction may not be the same as someone who’s trained for this.
I really don’t care what you think could have been different
Real people died. This isn’t the time to run your mouth about politics and gun control. And while my friends are alive and well, some of their friends and family aren’t so lucky. This is real to me.
So yeah…I’m betting that 100% of people getting shot would like to have a way to protect themselves. Not one person there was thinking, “I wish it were harder to get an assault rifle…maybe we should repeal the 2nd amendment.” They were running for their lives and praying for deliverance. Every person there wanted a way to end the violence. This is about surviving a shootout, not repealing guns.
I don’t give two craps what you think you would have done if you were there. You weren’t. Hundreds of others were. They could have been armed, and maybe some were. Just a gun isn’t enough. Even if you’re police or military, there’s a difference between training for this and experiencing it. Unless you’ve experienced a fire-fight, shut up.
Just shutup about Colorado
I live in the Denver area, and not very far from Aurora. On July 20th I woke up with the news and was scared for the lives of my church family. I’m not affected nearly in the same way these victims are. But I may meet these victims and their families. My wife may go to work with people who were there. Families of victims may visit my church. This isn’t something that happened on the news. This is something that happened where I live.
I could have been there. I could have had a gun. I could have done something.
But I wasn’t there.I wouldn’t have had a gun (because I don’t have my license yet), and I don’t have a clue what I would have done.
So all I can do is shutup and pray. So should you.
except he didn't did he? ...