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For the First Time in Two Decades, a Majority of Americans Oppose Banning Assault Weapons!

Pong Messiah

By Pong Messiah,
in The Lyceum

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Pong Messiah Member

Pong Messiah

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Terrorists are terrorising you into buying bigger badder guns?

More like Obama terrorizing people.

 

Major paranoia that he was going to be a gun-grabber when he was first elected. Despite repeated promises that he wasn't after anybody's guns, and despite a lack evidence that he was actively pursuing such an agenda, his presence in the White House correlates with a spike in gun sales (I think certain types of guns and ammo, specifically -- don't remember). Now that he's talking about executive action, I'd imagine there's another run on guns going on.

 

There is both anecdotal and empirical evidence to back up the "Obama Effect," but as fun as it is to say, it has been overstated (e.g. calling him "God's greatest gift to gun manufacturers"); the overall trend in gun sales has been going up for quite some time.

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Tex Member

Tex

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Maybe it's the redneck in me but kinda see the point of gun nuts. I've never been a fan of them, but I can see the logic of having one just in case you need it (minus the countless hours and money spent at the local range, of course).

 

If I had it my way all guns would be banned, but I think we Rubiconed the whole thing a long time ago and it's too late for that. Banning guns is just gonna piss off too many people, and these happen to be the same people who want an excuse to shoot someone.

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The Kurgan Member

The Kurgan

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Maybe it's the redneck in me but kinda see the point of gun nuts. I've never been a fan of them, but I can see the logic of having one just in case you need it (minus the countless hours and money spent at the local range, of course).

It's about way, WAY more than that to gun nuts, though. This is almost like a religion to them. Guns are more than a tool for last ditched self defense or even a hobby, none of which any reasonable person would have a problem with IMO, as far as they're concerned. The gun is blown up into a quasi religious totem at the center of a civic mythology, representing freedom, virulent masculinity, heroism (or at least the capacity therefore) and all things Mom, Chevrolet and apple pie, as it were. Yeah, they do make a point. Sort of. But the unreason that is so much the mark of so many gun nuts, the far right, paranoid conspiracy theorists among them especially, makes them hard to like.

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Darth Kid Member

Darth Kid

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For those that are legitimately interested in why the founding fathers felt it necessary for us to even have a second amendment and "assault" weapons, here is a 20-something page scholarly paper on it:

 

http://bit.ly/1ko47E4

 

TL;DR version of the paper:

 

The purpose of the 2nd amendment is two-fold:

 

1) Every person deserves the right to protect themselves on a personal level. (Handguns take care of this.)

 

2) The founders and their fellow colonists overwhelmingly believed that governments can't be trusted not to stomp on the people's rights, and citizens as a whole deserve the right to be armed and organized in a manner that acts as a deterrent to tyranny. Together, freedom of the press combined with the right to organize into "well-regulated militias" compromised of the body of the people and not funded/controlled by government were designed to prevent government (both state and federal) from exceeding their powers granted through the constitution. In order for a "well-regulated militia" to stand a fighting chance against a modern professional military force, assault weapons are required.

 

On a personal note, I believe that freedom of speech is complementary to the right to bear arms for personal defense while freedom of the press is complementary to the right to form militias. The latter are extensions of the former designed to amplify their effects through unified action.

 

Also, IMHO: the right to form "well-regulated militias" is not utilized properly, and is currently being high-jacked by the ignorant and/or under-trained, which is why we see so many gun fatalities in America. People want the freedom without the accompanying responsiblities.

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The Kurgan Member

The Kurgan

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We should start our own nightly militia

 

Standard issue guns that look like blaster rifles and stormtrooper armor for everybody

 

Admins get mandalorian armor and vibroblades

Would we get imperial stormtrooper marksmanship training as well? As in, "only Imperial storm troopers are so precise" training?

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