A thought.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The US Army fought the Nazis and the Japanese in WWII. The largest, most violent armed struggle in world history. And the GIs on almost every side had one rifle and maybe a hand gun.

[bobbo_the_Pragmatist]

You mean good guys with guns stopping the bad guys with guns?

...........or............ if everyone was armed, there would be more homicides???

Its a puzzler, so many directions to go.

[Matthew Ellard]

The US Army fought the Nazis and the Japanese in WWII. The largest, most violent armed struggle in world history. And the GIs on almost every side had one rifle and maybe a hand gun.

I just don't think we are going to get every American citizen to join the US army and I don't think we have enough Germans and Japanese left to shoot at legally.....

...have I missed the point again?....damn that....

[Gord]

...have I missed the point again?....damn that....

Yes. The point is, the war wouldn't have been as violent if they hadn't had so many guns.

[bobbo_the_Pragmatist]

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The point: We defeated the most significant threat to democracy ever without each soldier having dozens or hundreds of guns. My lunatic relatives have this informal club called "The Big Fifty", being the members with the most guns. They currently have over 7,000 guns between them. Why? "To defend American democracy!"

[Hex]

And you could classify the U.S. army as a well regulated militia.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

And you could classify the U.S. army as a well regulated militia.

As opposed to my red-neck relatives. They're Kluxers, Oath Keepers*, conspiracy nuts, skinheds, etc.





*Two of them went to Ferguson with long guns to "patrol and keep the peace." The cops hustled them out of there.

[digress]

How many people have your lunatic relatives gunned down?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

How many people have your lunatic relatives gunned down?

Inside their homes? Three that I know of, killed, three others, shot but not killed. Two were relatives, one was a guest that didn't know the house rules.

[Gord]

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

Slowly.

[TJrandom]

...and I don't think we have enough Germans and Japanese left to shoot at legally.....

Well, that is a relief. Well, that is a relief.

[TJrandom]

The point: We defeated the most significant threat to democracy ever without each soldier having dozens or hundreds of guns. My lunatic relatives have this informal club called "The Big Fifty", being the members with the most guns. They currently have over 7,000 guns between them. Why? "To defend American democracy!"

Just think of that warm fuzzy feeling you will have when they need to turn them all in....

[Gawdzilla Sama]

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

Slowly.

I used to swing .50 cal. machine guns, a pair of them. I could put, theoretically, 160+ pounds of lead in the air every minute.* That's over 1,500 rounds of ammo every sixty second. I've shot up a lot of jungle, killing who knows how many hostiles.

If I had been doing this in, say, 500 CE I'd be using a bow, 3-5 "rounds" a minute for sustained fire.


*Don't try this at home, kids!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The point: We defeated the most significant threat to democracy ever without each soldier having dozens or hundreds of guns. My lunatic relatives have this informal club called "The Big Fifty", being the members with the most guns. They currently have over 7,000 guns between them. Why? "To defend American democracy!"

Just think of that warm and fuzzy feeling you will have when they need to turn them all in....

Their funerals WILL be epic.

[Matthew Ellard]

...and I don't think we have enough Germans and Japanese left to shoot at legally.....

Well, that is a relief. Well, that is a relief.

I'm pretty weak when it comes to Japanese modern history. I believe there are some extremist "pro-return of the Japanese empire", groups in Japan, that even you may agree, need shooting.

To keep matters fair and equitable, I would invite the JDF to come shoot some of our Australian extremist idiots.

Perhaps Japan and Australia could start an "exchange program".

[TJrandom]

...and I don't think we have enough Germans and Japanese left to shoot at legally.....

Well, that is a relief. Well, that is a relief.

I'm pretty weak when it comes to Japanese modern history. I believe there are some extremist "pro-return of the Japanese empire", groups in Japan, that even you may agree, need shooting.

To keep matters fair and equitable, I would invite the JDF to come shoot some of our Australian extremist idiots.

Perhaps Japan and Australia could start an "exchange program".

Well, if it were an exchange program....

But I am pretty much against anyone shooting anyone - at least to deadly effect, for any reason. Maybe paint guns.... And yes, we do have some `Emperor is a living God` believers, riding around blasting out military music (if it can be called music), but they are generally accepted as just part of the fringe nutters that any free society must endure. Fortunately they are few.

[Matthew Ellard]

But I am pretty much against anyone shooting anyone

In all seriousness, I really don't advocate the shooting of anyone either. Never have. Never will.

And yes, we do have some `Emperor is a living God` believers, riding around blasting out military music (if it can be called music), but they are generally accepted as just part of the fringe nutters that any free society must endure. Fortunately they are few.

There is a famous film about a post war Japanese nationalist who committed suicide. I simply can't remember his name. I haven't actually seen the film, but have read about it.

[Gord]

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

Slowly.

I used to swing .50 cal. machine guns, a pair of them. I could put, theoretically, 160+ pounds of lead in the air every minute.* That's over 1,500 rounds of ammo every sixty second. I've shot up a lot of jungle, killing who knows how many hostiles.

If I had been doing this in, say, 500 CE I'd be using a bow, 3-5 "rounds" a minute for sustained fire.

The Klingons say, "Four thousand throats may be cut in a single night by a running man." I find it hard to believe that Klingons would say such a thing about a Schwarzenegger movie, though. And I also find it hard to believe that four thousand throats would just sit there waiting to be cut.

[TJrandom]

But I am pretty much against anyone shooting anyone

In all seriousness, I really don't advocate the shooting of anyone either. Never have. Never will.

And yes, we do have some `Emperor is a living God` believers, riding around blasting out military music (if it can be called music), but they are generally accepted as just part of the fringe nutters that any free society must endure. Fortunately they are few.

There is a famous film about a post war Japanese nationalist who committed suicide. I simply can't remember his name. I haven't actually seen the film, but have read about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Mishima

[Gawdzilla Sama]

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

Slowly.

I used to swing .50 cal. machine guns, a pair of them. I could put, theoretically, 160+ pounds of lead in the air every minute.* That's over 1,500 rounds of ammo every sixty second. I've shot up a lot of jungle, killing who knows how many hostiles.

If I had been doing this in, say, 500 CE I'd be using a bow, 3-5 "rounds" a minute for sustained fire.

The Klingons say, "Four thousand throats may be cut in a single night by a running man." I find it hard to believe that Klingons would say such a thing about a Schwarzenegger movie, though. And I also find it hard to believe that four thousand throats would just sit there waiting to be cut.

I have a hard time believing you quoted a Klingon proverb.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

As insomniacs and impulse shoppers around the world can attest, home television shopping networks can make people covet never-before-contemplated purchases. So it’s worth asking whether a new channel dedicated to showcasing firearms could tempt Americans to buy more guns.

Gun TV (GTV Live Shopping) is set to debut in the US in January, the Guardian reports. The channel, founded by television home shopping industry veterans Valerie Castle and Doug Bornstein, will sell guns as well as ammunition, firearms accessories, and related gear. Gun TV plans to start with an initial six hours of programming a week and expand to a 24/7 lineup within its first year.

The channel’s forthcoming debut might seem remarkably ill-timed, given recent shootings at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs and at a social services center in San Bernardino, California. But given the frequency of gun violence in the US, which in 2015 has seen more mass shootings than calendar days in the year, it’s difficult to imagine timing that would seem appropriate.

http://qz.com/566733/gun-tv-a-channel-t ... n-america/

[bobbo_the_Pragmatist]

Matthew Ellard wrote:

TJrandom wrote:
But I am pretty much against anyone shooting anyone

In all seriousness, I really don't advocate the shooting of anyone either. Never have. Never will.

So.... what would you have done to stop the rampage in San Bernadino? And you can build up from there. Some people.... really deserve to be shot, if not worse.

Its not that you misspoke....its that you emphasized it.

simplistic doesn't approach the nadir.

[TJrandom]

Matthew Ellard wrote:

TJrandom wrote:
But I am pretty much against anyone shooting anyone

In all seriousness, I really don't advocate the shooting of anyone either. Never have. Never will.

So.... what would you have done to stop the rampage in San Bernadino? And you can build up from there. Some people.... really deserve to be shot, if not worse.

Its not that you misspoke....its that you emphasized it.

simplistic doesn't approach the nadir.

(I will humour an answer - but my statement was in reply to a hypothetical of trading rabid nationalists so that they could shoot each other.)

The police of course did exactly the right thing - shooting the criminals when they were fired upon. That is how the rampage was stopped.

But if I had my druthers, they wouldn`t have had guns in the first place, since gun ownership would be severely restricted, guns would be hard to come by, and no rampage (with guns) would have been possible. In that case, even the police would not have needed guns.

[bobbo_the_Pragmatist]

Its not that you misspoke....its that you emphasized it.

I didn't see any humor in your answer either.

Do you ever recognize and find humor in your own misspeaking? It will keep you regular.

[Matthew Ellard]

In all seriousness, I really don't advocate the shooting of anyone either. Never have. Never will.

So.... what would you have done to stop the rampage in San Bernadino?

Fair point. In regards to stopping a clear and present danger to others, shoot the baddies. In regards to sentencing the baddies, rehabilitation.

[TJrandom]

Its not that you misspoke....its that you emphasized it.

I didn't see any humor in your answer either.

Do you ever recognize and find humor in your own misspeaking? It will keep you regular.

My humour is usually dry. But my use of `humour an answer` may be incorrect - in that I wasn`t trying to be humorous, even to myself - but instead meant - `I will answer, even though I think it not necessary`. Did you understand it this way?

And yes, I frequently laugh at myself – there being too many serious issues around, it is a means to preserve sanity.

[Gord]

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

Slowly.

I used to swing .50 cal. machine guns, a pair of them. I could put, theoretically, 160+ pounds of lead in the air every minute.* That's over 1,500 rounds of ammo every sixty second. I've shot up a lot of jungle, killing who knows how many hostiles.

If I had been doing this in, say, 500 CE I'd be using a bow, 3-5 "rounds" a minute for sustained fire.

The Klingons say, "Four thousand throats may be cut in a single night by a running man." I find it hard to believe that Klingons would say such a thing about a Schwarzenegger movie, though. And I also find it hard to believe that four thousand throats would just sit there waiting to be cut.

I have a hard time believing you quoted a Klingon proverb.

Oh. Sorry, here's a link: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Klingon_proverbs

Now do you believe?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Oh, I believe they exist, I've seen "Paul". I just never met a nerd on that level before.

[scrmbldggs]

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

Slowly.

I used to swing .50 cal. machine guns, a pair of them. I could put, theoretically, 160+ pounds of lead in the air every minute.* That's over 1,500 rounds of ammo every sixty second. I've shot up a lot of jungle, killing who knows how many hostiles.

If I had been doing this in, say, 500 CE I'd be using a bow, 3-5 "rounds" a minute for sustained fire.

The Klingons say, "Four thousand throats may be cut in a single night by a running man." I find it hard to believe that Klingons would say such a thing about a Schwarzenegger movie, though. And I also find it hard to believe that four thousand throats would just sit there waiting to be cut.

Spoiler:

[Gord]

Oh, I believe they exist, I've seen "Paul". I just never met a nerd on that level before.

Oh yes you have. You just didn't know it.

And yet there were bloody genocides/wars before guns. How did that happen?

Slowly.

I used to swing .50 cal. machine guns, a pair of them. I could put, theoretically, 160+ pounds of lead in the air every minute.* That's over 1,500 rounds of ammo every sixty second. I've shot up a lot of jungle, killing who knows how many hostiles.

If I had been doing this in, say, 500 CE I'd be using a bow, 3-5 "rounds" a minute for sustained fire.

The Klingons say, "Four thousand throats may be cut in a single night by a running man." I find it hard to believe that Klingons would say such a thing about a Schwarzenegger movie, though. And I also find it hard to believe that four thousand throats would just sit there waiting to be cut.

Spoiler:

That's not me, I was never there.

[ElectricMonk]

I prefer my Vulcan sayings: "Only Nixon could go to China".


Soooo - if someone could convince Ted Nugent to support gun control, that might actually get the ball rolling.

[Gord]

I prefer my Vulcan sayings: "Only Nixon could go to China".


Soooo - if someone could convince Ted Nugent to support gun control, that might actually get the ball rolling.

Maybe you could do it at gunpoint?