Wattup with theatlantic.com? Every day this week they’ve published a pro-gun control post from a writer who thinks he’s thinking “out of the box” when he is, plainly, out of his mind. Yesterday, a former marketing guy from Barnes & Noble proposed a FOPA-busting database of all gun and ammo purchases with an intelligent program to mine the info for potential psycho-killers. Today, a brand strategist semi-seriously suggests privatizing gun buybacks. Here’s the punchline: “there are more than a million guns in sickening circulation in New York, patiently waiting for victims to find their hapless and tragic ways in front of them.” Who knew guns were that devious? Perhaps tomorrow’s Atlantic will feature some bright spark recommending that we microstamp gun owners’ nipples. Not to give them any ideas . . . Anyway, here are some more firearms-related thoughts from around the net . . .
Cheaper The Dirt still struggling with its “process.” Still not selling firearms. Still losing business.
salon.com reckons that Meet The Pressmeister’s David Gregory’s televised transgression—possession of an illegal-in-DC 30-round AR-15 magazine—proves that gun laws are too . . . weak. Go figure.
“We probably would get more out of our criminal-justice system if it were not so heavily populated by criminals . . . which is why we have a second amendment.” A DHS rip crew? I wonder if they’re armed. national review.com
Never mind the h/t to Hunter Thompson; “deadly models made for murder” sounds like the voice-over promo for an old black-and-white detective film. Good news from Russia, anyway. As above.
NYC: homicides down, crime up. Bloomberg blames iPhones. Chicago’s homicide total tops 500. Wait! Not yet. LA at 297. Three cities with strict gun control. Or not.
“School safety experts and school board members say there’s a huge difference between a trained law enforcement officer who becomes part of the school family — and a guard with a gun.” Police figure that schools need police, not guards or, God forbid, armed civilians. Who saw that one coming? officer.com
Talking to yourself can be a sign of mental illness. “An effort led by Vice President Joe Biden to find ways to reduce gun violence after the Connecticut school massacre so far has not included talking to the National Rifle Association, the president of the gun rights group said on Friday.” reuters.com
Megan McArdle thinks proposals to require gun owners to buy liability insurance are, ultimately, designed to do something about “our criminal gun problem.” Sorry Megs. The only “problem” an insurance requirement is designed to fix is that of people buying guns. Period. thedailybeast.com
Shows that you cannot trust media who are liberal Democrat lapdogs trust. NRA and good media online.
engrish!
They’re right about one thing. There IS a difference between an armed civilian and a police officer. I’ve met many cops that were not “gun people”. They shoot every 3-6 months and not a round more than necessary. And they shoot NOWHERE near as well as any “gun person” I’ve met that enjoys the process and works on their skills. I’m sure any CCW holder who practices at least twice a month, has taken a few shooting-skills classes, or shoots competitively could outperform at least 80% of all US police behind the trigger.
But it’s the shiny piece of metal in the wallet that proves to sheeple that they can handle the scary thing.
I’ve often wondered what would have happened if CC holders instead of cops winged innocent citizens in NY. Where was the liberal outcry? Like you said, most of us can do better than that, Randy
Oh, I know what would happen. It would lead to a large-scale assault on CCW laws. “Untrained citizens that can accidentally hurt scores of innocent bystanders get to shoot away like it’s the wild wild west… blah blah blah feelings blah blah blame blah ingorance blah allpraiseobamablah”
Or something like that.
Most gun enthusiasts don’t want to be police. Until that changes, don’t expect too many changes in qualification scores. I’m trying to organize an off duty shooting group locally, but it’s difficult. So far only a few regulars… and shockingly, we’re the ones who regularly post better scores on qual day.
Maybe this is another question that could be discussed, why is it that despite the hundreds of comments about how police should be more interested in firearms training, safety, tactics, etc, made by people who honestly are likely to be more skilled with firearms than the average officer, so few frequent shooters want to put on the badge?
I’d argue that’s because more and more gun owners realize that the police are not on our side and do not want to support our opponents by joining them.
I’ve tried to respond to this twice, but it won’t post. Unfortunate.
Sad but true. Went to the range some years back with a friend who had been a LEO for about a year at that point and me and another guy who was with us were stunned by our LEO friends lack of ability. Im talking just plain awful. The outdoor range we were at has target stands for handguns at 25 and 50 feet. We were using the 25 foot range. He was so bad I couldnt figure out how they let him carry a gun. Hittin the dirt in front of the target, next shot a foot to one side, then another maybe in the paper, then hitting the target frame. Almost twenty years later, he hasnt improved much. Still only hits the range when he has to. That was when I stopped believing the “trained expert” line of crap.
After looking at a few of the products that they are still willing to sell, I’m wondering if “CTD” must now stand for Crazier Than Dirt.
C-Mag Beta Mag 100 for the bargain price of $599.97
Lake City M855 5.56 NATO 1000rd bulk for the bargain price of $999.00
Colt AR-15 USGI 30 round magazine for the bargain price of $99.97
Its just CTD showing their true colors. Hopefully the gun community will simply stay away and watch them wither and die an internet death.
CTD can get bent. Their prices are a total slap in the face to their customers. I don’t like to see any business in the shooting sports fail but I’d shed no tears for CTD if they did. Midway USA all the way!
They need to change their name to Dumber Than Dirt.
I vote for “Lower Than Dirt.” It’s got a ring to it, dontcha think?
Priceless!
Nailed, center of the X-ring.
holy jumping jesus.
My credit card is in trouble now… the part of my brain which handles “reloading math” noticed the skyrocketing ammo price and now upgrading to a Dillon XL650 is looking better than ever. (I currently use a press limited to straight-wall pistol calibers: Dillon Square Deal B.)
CTD is genius. Give it another week and everyone will be completely dry. Then they will have “figured out their process” and will be the only ones with guns to sell. Then they can charge the new (jacked up) market price. People who were to slow over the last week will buy them.
Their prices overall haven’t been too bad (pre-gouging) that is, but their shipping prices have always been an insult.
When or if these people could begin to see the world through the eyes of the un-documented committed criminal, the felon, the clinically mentally handicapped*, then they may begin to see who it is they are punishing in hope of creating utopia. (Hint its a very large segment of the population).
*I am not in any way shape or form vilifying the mentally handicapped; Many people following the Sandy Hook incident have implied that stripping the mentally ill from exercising the 2A, and thus self protection rites should be the preferred approach to managing the aftermath and hysteria crisis.
There are studies that suggest the mentally ill are actually more likely to be victims of violent crime.
http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=208825
SHAMELESS PLUG – I manage Mid America Arms’ website. I know the guys who own and run it personally. Great guys, great place to shop for what you need to enjoy shooting sports. If you are in the St. Louis metro area, you’l be hard pressed to find a better gun shop.
What’s the basic prob with the McCardle analysis again? She comes down against gun liability insurance and concludes with:
” The people who will buy insurance will, by and large, be the people who have assets and social respect to lose by breaking the law . . . which is precisely why they’re quite unlikely to commit a gun crime. The people who are most likely to use the guns to a bad end will simply do without. ”
I fail to see a point in needless hostility toward journalists who, though they may not share all your passionately-held beliefs, are using their brains rather than simply responding in knee-jerk fashion.
The usurpers only want the police, gangbangers, and Hollywood armorers to have guns.
Gun control only affects the law abiding and they know it.
What is the big problem with the McCardle piece? She comes down against gun liability insurance and concludes with:
“The people who will buy insurance will, by and large, be the people who have assets and social respect to lose by breaking the law . . . which is precisely why they’re quite unlikely to commit a gun crime. The people who are most likely to use the guns to a bad end will simply do without.”
Does needless hostility against journalists who are using their brains rather than being knee-jerk, even if they don’t share all your passionately-held beliefs and opinions, really accomplish anything?
News for liberals: Being helpless does not make one safe and being lawfully armed does not make one criminally insane any more than removing smoke detectors protects one’s home from fire or wearing a seat belt makes one a reckless driver.
Ya catch that ya liberals? Hello, liberals?
Seems like there aren’t too many libs around here at the mo’. They’re all off reading Marx, warring on Christmas, or doing advance recon for the upcoming UN invasion… or else reading that communist Megan McCardle’s piece on the Daily Beast arguing that gun liability insurance is pointless and stupid.
+1 Mark… Great logic Sir…
Two recent deaths by subway in NYC. Is Bloomberg going to ban subway trains or a new stop and frisk policy to identify “people” with the mental trait that causes them to push people in front of moving subway trains. Future updates as they occur.
Nah, he says ‘nothing to see here’:
Yes, Michael, let’s keep things in perspective. Let’s focus on overall safety…
2 murders-by-subway this month in a city of 8.3 million people. In New York City, and just in December 2012, a 1-in-4.15 million chance of being killed by a crazy person who shoves you in front of a subway train.
42 high-profile murders-by-“assault weapon” in the USA in recent months:
• 12 in Aurora, CO – presuming all 12 were killed with the rifle
• 2 at the Clackamas Town Center mall in OR
• 26 in Newtown, CT – presuming all 26 were killed with the rifle
• 2 in Webster, NY
Out of a population of 315 million. And in six months, not one. A 1-in-7.5 million chance of being killed by a crazy person with one of these semi-automatic rifles.
Bloomberg is quite right – we need to keep things in perspective: 2 per month out of a population of 8.3 million is a statistical anomaly. We shouldn’t base public policy on such exceedingly rare incidents; instead, we should “focus on . . . overall safety”.
For years there wasn’t a peep about gun control while the wars, taxes, healthcare and free shit was all you heard about. Now that we are facing a fiscal cliff it’s the only thing on liberals minds. I think we see the answer to the question: What are you going to do when you run out of other people’s money?
In the data-mining article, I love how they make much of this:
I have a pack of 48 rolls of toilet paper in my closet. Do you suppose it’s because I’m an incipient mass shitter planning the most epic spree shitting in the history of shitting? Or could there be a more reasonable explanation?