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Author Topic:   Gun Control III
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 600 of 1184 (842788)
11-08-2018 11:40 AM
Reply to: Message 596 by Percy
11-08-2018 7:23 AM


Re: Another Mass Shooting
Another day, another pile of the needlessly dead.
Another chance for the slathering gun lobby, obese with cash, to argue for yet looser gun controls, and for the profitable sale of yet more guns to untrained teachers/bar staff/ hell, everyone - because then every John Wayne there would (naturally) be able to stop the murderer (even though in this case, two highly trained and experienced police officers on the scene were not able to). Because the gun lobby gives not the slightest crap about anyone's life - deaths are just another opportunity to make yet more money.
I give it half a day before sombre faced hypocrites spout the trite "thoughts and prayers."
Empty words, that come in pairs.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 596 by Percy, posted 11-08-2018 7:23 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 602 of 1184 (842848)
11-09-2018 8:15 AM


What happens in the rest of the world.
Melbourne attack: Man shot dead after fire and fatal stabbing - BBC News
This is a link to a story of how a terrorist in Melbourne has been killed by police after stabbing three people - one, regrettably, fatally.
Of course, had he had free and easy access to semi-automatic weapons, he wouldn't have killed anywhere near so many as 1.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

Replies to this message:
 Message 604 by Phat, posted 11-09-2018 9:10 AM vimesey has replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 605 of 1184 (842852)
11-09-2018 9:18 AM
Reply to: Message 604 by Phat
11-09-2018 9:10 AM


Re: What happens in the rest of the world.
I like the BBC. They have well-written articles.
Absolutely. And (for my money) fairly well balanced.
They do get attacked by the alt-right for not being sufficiently bigoted and fascist, but I can get past that.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 604 by Phat, posted 11-09-2018 9:10 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 609 of 1184 (843184)
11-14-2018 8:54 AM
Reply to: Message 608 by Percy
11-14-2018 7:35 AM


Re: Doctors Take a Stand
I read the NRA’s tweet, suggesting that doctors’ voices should effectively be silenced.
Interesting the NRA is so adamant about rights under the Second Amendment, but is totally opposed to people’s rights under the First.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 608 by Percy, posted 11-14-2018 7:35 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 612 of 1184 (843314)
11-16-2018 9:25 AM
Reply to: Message 611 by Pressie
11-16-2018 4:41 AM


Re: Another Innocent Victim
Or maybe if it had been a semi-automatic rifle. They're so much better at preventing deaths.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 611 by Pressie, posted 11-16-2018 4:41 AM Pressie has not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 696 of 1184 (848946)
02-19-2019 7:22 AM
Reply to: Message 695 by Theodoric
02-18-2019 9:44 PM


Re: Are you sane and stable? How do you know?
The problem with people like marc, who think that Facebook is the source of all truth, is that it's like a Gish Gallop on steroids.
You debunk one lie like that, and in the meantime, he's read and believed a hundred others. So in his mind, the one lie is outweighed by a hundred truths (technically, of course, a hundred lies that will take further time and effort to debunk) that he desperately wants to hear.
No amount of reasoned logic will convince him that Facebook has no basis whatsoever for authoritative positions on the truth.
On the plus side, we have patient campaigners for reason, such as yourself and others here. Hopefully a difference is being made somewhere :-)

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 695 by Theodoric, posted 02-18-2019 9:44 PM Theodoric has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 702 by marc9000, posted 02-19-2019 8:18 PM vimesey has replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 708 of 1184 (848983)
02-20-2019 2:05 AM
Reply to: Message 702 by marc9000
02-19-2019 8:18 PM


Re: Are you sane and stable? How do you know?
And then there are those who think liberal atheist message boards are a source of truth, or have much of anything to do with mainstream thinking in the U.S.
Nah, we think that official statistics (such as the ones posted by Theodoric in message 705 above) are orders of magnitude more likely to be a source of truth than a random, unsubstantiated post on Facebook.
To believe otherwise is the irrational approach of a desperate self-deluding intransigent, who so desperately wants to believe they are right, that they won’t do any fact checking with official sources. The world you believe is real ain’t real - take the red pill...
Edited by vimesey, : No reason given.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 702 by marc9000, posted 02-19-2019 8:18 PM marc9000 has not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 735 of 1184 (849613)
03-16-2019 9:30 AM
Reply to: Message 734 by Tangle
03-16-2019 4:23 AM


Re: “Our gun laws will change”
Indeed. New Zealanders are generally sane, and their PM has committed to changing the law.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 734 by Tangle, posted 03-16-2019 4:23 AM Tangle has not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 740 of 1184 (849786)
03-21-2019 2:38 AM


Sanity and evil
What sane people do:
New Zealand will ban all types of semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles following the Christchurch attacks, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said.
Christchurch shootings: New Zealand to ban military style weapons - BBC News
Causing evil people to lie:
National Rifle Association (NRA) spokeswoman Dana Loesch:
""The US isn't NZ," she tweeted. "While they do not have an inalienable right to bear arms and to self defense, we do."

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 804 of 1184 (852901)
05-20-2019 12:44 PM
Reply to: Message 803 by Percy
05-20-2019 8:21 AM


Re: T-Shirt Opportunity
One response I've always thought would be useful to promote is this:
Guns don't kill people - people kill people.
Maybe, but guns sure do make it a whooooooole shit load easier to do so.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 803 by Percy, posted 05-20-2019 8:21 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 814 of 1184 (859882)
08-04-2019 3:19 AM


My condolences, once again, for the latest mass shooting.
My prediction for the responses from the right wing:
1. Thoughts and prayers for the victims (at least they'll say there are - there won't be many in practice).
2. Allow a brief period of time for the calls for gun control to be made, without shouting them down too early, to avoid appearing too insensitive.
3. Against every iota of logic, sanity and reason, argue that what is needed is for every citizen to be armed to the teeth with assault weapons so as to "prevent this happening again".
4. Pretend it is only the clinically insane who could ever be tempted to pull the trigger on a gun out of anger.
5. Not worry about this one too much, because hey, they were mainly Hispanic people who were killed.
I would put some money on the above, but I'm guessing no one will give me decent odds.
Update : 2 mass shootings in the space of 24 hours - has that happened before ?
Edited by vimesey, : Even sadder.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 823 of 1184 (861797)
08-27-2019 9:04 AM
Reply to: Message 822 by Percy
08-27-2019 7:37 AM


Re: Think you're safer with a gun in the house? Think again.
Very true. But then you get the flawed reasoning of "yeah, but that's them other folks who are mentally ill - that's not me and my family." The NRA knows how to package for that audience, sadly.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 822 by Percy, posted 08-27-2019 7:37 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(3)
Message 842 of 1184 (869914)
01-08-2020 11:46 AM
Reply to: Message 841 by Percy
01-08-2020 11:28 AM


Re: Licenses Should be Required of All Guns Owners
Reasonable person: "This case is a spectacularly good argument for the introduction of, at the very least, licensing for guns."
Gun nut: "No way - that's Commie big state - we want absolute freedom to do what the hell we want ! Land of the free, and all that."
Reasonable person: "So what do you propose doing about shootings by people who are not mentally competent?"
Gun nut: "Hell, they should have been picked up by mental health checks and locked up !"
Reasonable person: "So you're saying the state should be conducting regular and extensive mental health checks on all our citizens, and locking up those who aren't mentally competent ?"
Gun nut: "fzzbt bzzzt - DOES NOT COMPUTE - fzzbt bzzzt"

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 841 by Percy, posted 01-08-2020 11:28 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(5)
Message 872 of 1184 (886241)
05-11-2021 5:16 PM
Reply to: Message 869 by jar
05-11-2021 4:02 PM


Re: Violence and root causes.
Banning AR-15 style rifles is an easy but stupid tactic that has absolutely no effect on the root causes of violence.
Violence exists everywhere, in every society. It always has, and always will, for the foreseeable future.
Guns make it spectacularly easier for that violence to result in deaths - even more so in mass deaths.
Expecting an end to human violence is not a realistic expectation. Expecting a reduction in the numbers of deaths from violence, through a reduction in the availability of the means of ready death, is a realistic expectation - look at the way things are over here.
Give it a go.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 869 by jar, posted 05-11-2021 4:02 PM jar has not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 912 of 1184 (894644)
05-25-2022 2:09 AM
Reply to: Message 911 by Tanypteryx
05-24-2022 8:44 PM


Re: When is enough enough?
A quotation from the BBC news article about it:
But Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, rejected the calls for gun control. He said restricting the rights of "law-abiding citizens... doesn't work. It's not effective. It doesn't prevent crime."
Of course it doesn't - but to extrapolate his simplistic, vote-winning garbage: (a) having citizens armed doesn't prevent crime either (and in fact it increases the rates of murder); and (b) the lack of general availability of guns reduces hugely the occurrence of mass shootings of innocent targets (the last one I remember over here was in 1987).
The Repugnant Party should at least agree to make a start with semi automatic rifles.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 911 by Tanypteryx, posted 05-24-2022 8:44 PM Tanypteryx has seen this message but not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 913 by Percy, posted 05-25-2022 7:32 AM vimesey has not replied

  
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