Focus On The Wielder, Not the Wielded

[peristaltor]

Every time a shooter pulls a gun nowadays and uses it with lethal force, donations to political organizations dedicated to restricting firearms in some way skyrocket. No one can blame the donors; they see an out-of-control situation and seek a means to staunch the bloodshed

Comments

[fizzyland]

I've always embraced guns. These days I think the best place to focus is the development of smaller and smarter drones that can target individuals without collateral damage so shooters can be quickly identified and terminated.

[peristaltor]

Or we can raise taxes on the super-wealthy and reduce income inequality. That would save a lot of money on drone research, and would have the same outcome (reducing gun incidents).

[fizzyland]

I'm a realist and hence, it's shanty towns & drones. Or as some would call it, austerity & military preparedness.

[peristaltor]

Speaking of which, have you seen Dredd? One of the better shanty town and guns movies out there.

[dexeron]

Most liberals have embraced, or at least accepted guns. Thing is, the NRA won the fight over whether guns would be allowed. Guns are not going anywhere. Having won that fight, they unfortunately (for them) kind of "won" themselves out of relevance, which Maddow has opined (and I agree) is the reason they have gotten more and more extreme in what they keep fighting for. They're no longer about responsible gun ownership, but are now against any HINT of possible regulation of gun ownership. When NRA folks are talking about legislation to MANDATE gun ownership in certain areas, you know that the pro-gun side of the debate is searching for reasons to remain relevant.

[peristaltor]

If I and Baum are right, the NRA still has a job to do. Specifically, it is funded as lavishly as it is simply to make sure liberal gun owners never, ever decide to act on their liberal proclivities.

As long as someone wants to keep his/her guns, and as long as liberals are there as a boogie man ready to take them, liberals-along with all they support, such as access to medical care without danger of bankruptcy, higher taxes on the extremely wealthy, and strengthened unions that would all benefit the gun owners-is off the table.

Just as some elements of the religious have branded liberals as atheists, the NRA keeps those who feel threatened (thanks to economic inequities that abound) clinging irrationally to their guns and away from liberal politics.

[usekh]

As much as I think it has helped most countries, due to the USA's insane relationship with guns I don't think the tight restrictions which have worked in Australia and the UK would ever work there. I don't know what the solution is, but yeah the NRA has effectively won. People dying regularly is the price y'all pay.

[peristaltor]

I think Baum's quote was pertinent here. People are holding on to their guns so tightly because of the unease of a society so incredibly unequal.

Ease the inequity, and the guns might follow. Baum in fact (in sections I chose not to highlight for brevity's sake) cites clues that this is already happening, though not for reasons relating to inequity.

[luzribeiro]

So, you're a trained trooper. You see a mad man advancing toward you, knife in hand. You taze them, but that fails. Then you pull your gun

[peristaltor]

Dad was just such a trained trooper. He informed me why one goes for the kill shot. It's the same reason the tazer may not have worked; some people, keyed up on mental illness (with or without chemical assistance) do not respond to extreme pain, the kind that stops a normal person cold.

As was commonly said, if you go for a "warning" (as opposed to a kill) shot, make sure you have a smooth gun. That way it won't hurt you much as the assailant takes it from you and shoves it up your ass.

[luzribeiro]

Severing the muscles in the arm that's holding the knife (by shooting said arm), makes that knife useless, doesn't it?

Or disabling either of his two legs. He may remain as insensitive to pain as he wants. He just won't advance any further, and he won't use that knife.

Is it really that hard to shoot someone in a non-lethal part of the body? Especially if you're a trained trooper shooting from a close range?

[peristaltor]

The best people to ask would be the troopers. One died just a few years ago when his weapon was used against him. By a naked man. In the street. In front of witnesses.

He thought he could fight off a naked man in the street without using his weapon, and was proven wrong. I'm told that story shakes up trooper trainees.

[ddstory]

Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger

Some countries with highest social equality in the world: Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Czech Republic.

Some countries with lowest homicide rates in the world: Japan, Norway, Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg...

It's been recently argued over here that, while correlation may not necessarily equal causation, it sure does wink at it. Vehemently argued by gun advocates, by the way. Perhaps they should own their words - you know, for a change.

[peristaltor]

My point exactly. We may not understand why this is, but hoo boy, is the evidence in abundance.

[kylinrouge]

Some might say it has to do with their homogenous culture aka not a lot of immigrants.

[htpcl]

Immigrants cause gun violence?