Gabby Giffords Gun Violence Initiative

[Yossarian]

As I have said before in my 67 years I have never felt the need to carry a weapon....

The feeling in the US by many that you have the right to be armed all the time and that is a right stated in the 2nd amendment is crazy. People today now say the 2nd amendment was put in the constitution to protect them from the government. They are crazy enough to actually say the 2nd gives them the right to use those arms against the government. I think that is called treason.

Free, I missed the part where someone asked you to carry anything. Does your support for civil rights really depend on your own personal use of that right?

The talk about treason is a red herring. The Supreme Court decided the Second Amendment protects a right of self defense. The Seventh Circuit decided that right extends outside the home. People have the right, but not the obligation, to use a weapon to defend themselves.

[Gregg]

Criminal background checks on all gun sales

I also support this.

Ban sales of semi-automatic weapons except to individuals

Strike "except", I understand. What I am not sure of is whether you mean assault rifles or all semi-automatic weapons. If you could clarify that bicker it would be easier to make sure we are talking about the same thing.

Ban sales of high-capacity magazine clips

Alan said that it only takes a few seconds to switch out magazines if someone is untrained and obviously less if they have practiced. I have 100% confidence in his training and experience, but still wanted to see for myself. I do not have any high capacity magazines, but did go through the motions of changing out standard capacity examples to satisfy my own curiosity. If I simply let the empty magazine fall to the floor, which is what I would assume anyone in a combative situation would do, it quite literally took me one second to expel the empty and snap in what would be a full, new magazine (it was empty when I tried this) and less time than that to work a new round into the chamber. Keep in mind that while I am proficient in the use of this firearm speed reloading is not something I had ever practiced before.

If I apply that experience to what was going on in the most horrific situations (Newtown, Aurora, Blacksburg, etc.) the time it took me to reload would not give even the most highly trained, battle hardened people we have time to rush me before I could start shooting again. It MIGHT give someone who had intense training AND a suitable weapon on hand time to shoot me, but what are the chances of that person being in my very immediate area? Innocent bystanders who were terrorized by what was going on would likely never know I temporarily ran out of ammunition. It would be nothing more than a pause between shots. My experiment led me to the conclusion that, had I been a shooter, there would be no difference in the outcome of my actions based on the capacity of my magazine(s). With that in mind I am guessing these magazines are being offered as a political sacrificial lamb. If we get rid of them it would help make those opposed to them feel better even if in reality it did nothing to help solve the problem. It would not be the first time politicians took that road.

Expand laws prohibiting carrying concealed weapons

"Expand laws" is too vague to be able to comment one way or the other because it could mean almost anything. Are you willing to provide a little more detail regarding what you have in mind to facilitate discussion?

(Better) regulate sales of bullets (such as Assembly Bill 48 in California

I'm not in CA so don't know what the proposals out there are. When I googled this one it came up as the "Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act". I'm guessing that's not the one.

[Alan]

It is a discussion forum. Your denying that I have expressed my perspective, and completely, is offensively disrespectful. It's you trying to claim that you get to dictate what constitutes a substantive perspective on the issue - conveniently applying your bias to justify labeling anything that disagrees with what you want as insubstantial - just like you're trying to dictate what is and isn't the correct approach for our nation. You don't get to dictate that. You keep trying to rationalize your questioning of value judgments, qualitative appraisals of the facts, the importance of one life, the actual rights people have, etc., but that's all based on your perspective which I disagree with, and yes, I disagree with them as a reasonable person disagreeing with your perspectives. And I will repeat that every single time you try to deny it, because your opposition doesn't deserve an unrebutted soapbox.

Besides, your are a partisan. You are biased against the perspective I support, so your qualitative appraisals of my perspective are literally worthless, because they're tainted by that bias. So the only purpose you could have for posting them is to be offensively insulting, or to distract attention from perspectives you don't like, because you want your perspective to be the only one voiced. Tough. Get over it.

LOL, I can see already that you're gonna be....interesting. Welcome to the forums.

[Gregg]

Free, I missed the part where someone asked you to carry anything. Does your support for civil rights really depend on your own personal use of that right?

+1 It's an important question in the big picture.

[Gregg]

*** MOD HAT ON ***

Just a friendly reminder for old salts and a heads up for our newer members: Personal attacks, inflammatory language, etc. directed at other members is against our forum's mutually agreed upon rules of etiquette. Everyone kindly take a breath and consider your words before hitting the post button.

[freein05]

Free, I missed the part where someone asked you to carry anything. Does your support for civil rights really depend on your own personal use of that right?

The talk about treason is a red herring. The Supreme Court decided the Second Amendment protects a right of self defense. The Seventh Circuit decided that right extends outside the home. People have the right, but not the obligation, to use a weapon to defend themselves.

I am looking to protect myself from those who yearn for the Wild West days. I hope we live in civilized country. The need people feel to carry heat comes from comic books and the NRA.

[Alan]

I am looking to protect myself from those who yearn for the Wild West days. I hope we live in civilized country. The need people feel to carry heat comes from comic books and the NRA.

I don't remember any weapons in my old Archie comics and have never been an NRA member. I did like The Wild Wild West though, James West was cool, and he had a train.

[bUU]

So why not try discussing something instead of just stating conclusions?

I have been. I respect your right to try to make it seem otherwise.

LOL, I can see already that you're gonna be....interesting. Welcome to the forums.

Thanks. I will likely continue to discuss things based on criteria other than your own.

[Alan]

Thanks. I will likely continue to discuss things based on criteria other than your own.

Great! That's what makes a discussion forum interesting.

[Yossarian]

I am looking to protect myself from those who yearn for the Wild West days.

What is the crime rate for licensed concealed carry holders?