Las Vegas Strip - Deadliest Mass Shooting in US

[frank ryan]

Meh. It's not always full of action on a horse. They're self-driving, so it's easier and safer than typing replies while I drive. Also, the talk to text function has come a long way.


Hah! I took a picture of a horse's butt that I'll sketch and give to your wife so she'll have a sketch of her husband.

Getting back to my opinion on guns protecting us from oppression, I think it's all about the numbers. While the 'gun behind every blade of grass' quote is likely a myth, the principle remains solid. If Texas gun owners were conscripted, they would comprise a militia almost 50% larger than China's entire army. We have the world's strongest military, but even if we didn't no country has the physical resources to overthrow a potentially 100 million man army that is already armed with 3 guns per person. Granted, the probability of anyone attempting such a thing is minuscule, but it does provide a measure of security against a crazy despot thinking he could try it. I'm not saying the threat of overthrow currently exists, but I believe the sheer size of our potential militia protects us from it if the threat ever develops.

The same goes with an internal government takeover and declaration of martial law. Let's suppose Trump is some sort of Manchurian Candidate that strikes a deal with Russia and China. No dictator rises to power over an armed population, and ours would be no exception. Martial law against our will would be impossible because of the vastness of the undertaking of disarming our population.

All of this supposes only one threat, a military one, to our freedom, which I realize is not the course a dictator or group would take. We would be led slowly and stupidly into giving up our rights and freedoms if such a thing were to happen. From that perspective, guns aren't protecting us because military conflict is not really a threat. However, things change, and if they change to the point that we become embroiled in a conflict on our own soil, I think the number of guns and gun owners in this country that could be immediately called upon to act in our defense (if they are all fighting on the same side) make it impossible for any military to defeat our collective state militias.

This isn't very well written because I'm distracted (though in an office this time) and in a hurry, but I hope it conveys my opinion. I recognize I may be wrong, and that many disagree, but this is my opinion following a considerable amount of thought to my position after PAC originally questioned it.

I'm not in favor of sweeping gun control. I'd like to see some things, including making any purchase of a firearm require background checks.

I used to be a lot more in the camp you are in when it comes to believing that armed populaces stop dictators from coming to power. I don't think that is always or maybe even frequently true. Frequently dictators have risen to power in places like West Africa of SE Asia when guns were easily had. Outside of North Korea and Venezuela, many of the most unstable and corrupted countries have guns easily available, Libya, Pakistani Frontier, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria etc. I do agree dictators usually favor tight guns restrictions on their subjects.
Early in our countries history you had armed insurrections like the Whiskey Rebellion. The government has always put them down.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Nailing something with a SABOT round from 2+ miles away.

Shooting a deer.

You’re probably the only dude in rural Idaho who has never experienced that.

[Uncle Ted]

Gun owners/lovers are all in favor of gun buyback programs. Anyone with simple tools and basic mechanical ability can fabricate a working single shot "gun" for a few bucks that they can sell to the government through a bun buyback program for several hundred dollars. Guy buyback programs are fantastic for raising funds to go out and stock up on ammo or more guns.

The guy in this video has access to a CNC machine and can make a gun with $5 of materials: https://youtu.be/nyp9YPlaoow

The rest of us with basic shop tools can fabricate buy-back eligible guns with a piece of pipe and a 2X4: https://youtu.be/Q8cWsjnSAc4

LOL... Build a $5 gun and sell it to the dumb government for $100+. Brilliant!

The gun buyback program in Australia did wonders and was worth every dime of the $500M+ the Aussie government spent on it:

The Australian Firearms Buyback and Its Effect on Gun Deaths

Abstract
The 1996-97 National Firearms Agreement (NFA) in Australia introduced strict gun laws, primarily as a reaction to the mass shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania in 1996, where 35 people were killed. Despite the fact that several researchers using the same data have examined the impact of the NFA on firearm deaths, a consensus does not appear to have been reached. In this paper, we re-analyze the same data on firearm deaths used in previous research, using tests for unknown structural breaks as a means to identifying impacts of the NFA. The results of these tests suggest that the NFA did not have any large effects on reducing firearm homicide or suicide rates.

https://www.researchgate.net/publica..._on_Gun_Deaths

[hostile]

Shooting a deer.

You’re probably the only dude in rural Idaho who has never experienced that.

Harsh!

[cowboy]

I'm not in favor of sweeping gun control. I'd like to see some things, including making any purchase of a firearm require background checks.

I used to be a lot more in the camp you are in when it comes to believing that armed populaces stop dictators from coming to power. I don't think that is always or maybe even frequently true. Frequently dictators have risen to power in places like West Africa of SE Asia when guns were easily had. Outside of North Korea and Venezuela, many of the most unstable and corrupted countries have guns easily available, Libya, Pakistani Frontier, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria etc. I do agree dictators usually favor tight guns restrictions on their subjects.
Early in our countries history you had armed insurrections like the Whiskey Rebellion. The government has always put them down.

I'm good with background checks as well.

The difference between ours and the countries you mention is the number of guns already in the population. As for the Whiskey Rebellion, I was more thinking about the government against the majority of the population rather than a small faction. Granted, I may be wrong, but there's really no way to know.

Shooting a deer.

You’re probably the only dude in rural Idaho who has never experienced that.

At the risk of ruining some of the clearly overblown opinions of my manliness here, I don't hunt because I hate to kill things. I know I'm a walking contradiction as a cattle rancher, but just the other day I shot a mangy fox staggering through the yard and it made me kind of sad. Coyotes and wolves are the only exception; after seeing what they do to cattle, I'm fine with killing them.

[Jeff Lebowski]

At the risk of ruining some of the clearly overblown opinions of my manliness here, I don't hunt because I hate to kill things. I know I'm a walking contradiction as a cattle rancher, but just the other day I shot a mangy fox staggering through the yard and it made me kind of sad. Coyotes and wolves are the only exception; after seeing what they do to cattle, I'm fine with killing them.

Good grief. It is not a joy of killing, it is the thrill of the hunt. There is a difference.

[creekster]

Good grief. It is not a joy of killing, it is the thrill of the hunt. There is a difference.

Then why dont you shoot them with a paint ball?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Then why dont you shoot them with a paint ball?

I like to eat them.

[creekster]

I like to eat them.

If you like to hunt them, and you like to eat them, I am not sure why you shy away from saying you like to kill them. It all sort of goes together, doesnt it?

[smokymountainrain]

lol @ goatnapper. its fun to be reminded he's from rural Idaho and has never shot a deer.

[Jeff Lebowski]

If you like to hunt them, and you like to eat them, I am not sure why you shy away from saying you like to kill them. It all sort of goes together, doesnt it?

Faulty logic.

[creekster]

Faulty logic.

Jeff Leboswki: The Reluctant Carnivore.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Jeff Leboswki: The Reluctant Carnivore.

Killing animals doesn't particularly bother me. But I don't hunt for the joy of killing.

Maybe you should throw a few peanuts at cowboy. He hates killing animals but makes a living raising animals to be slaughtered.

[creekster]

Killing animals doesn't particularly bother me. But I don't hunt for the joy of killing.

Maybe you should throw a few peanuts at cowboy. He hates killing animals but makes a living raising animals to be slaughtered.

You are so touchy! And again with the peanuts thing? smh. As to Cowboy, thats not fun to poke him as he already acknowledged the contradiction.

[Goatnapper'96]

Shooting a deer.

You’re probably the only dude in rural Idaho who has never experienced that.

Deer hunt starts today. Most of the boys miss school and we have I-15 like traffic through our lil valley-OH.

I do find it humorous that Cowboy and myself, the only two who get filthy lucre from authentic cattle and agricultural operations don't hunt. While we are out there delivering salt lick to lonely herds living the ol code of the West we will let the rest of your department store cowboys hunt and attend vain country music festivals. We got chores to do.

Saying that I have shot birds and other varmints. Trust me when I say this nothing compares to the feeling of supreme power when one grabs the commander override in an Abrams MBT and sends the economy of a third world country downrange. Coming up out of the tank commanders cupola to view the sights and smells of the battlefield...to have your spirit feel at one with Patton, Guderian, Rommel and even HR McMaster. Truly those are the days never to be forgotten!