Dear Connecticut...

nofi · December 30, 2012, 08:47:22 AM

observing the goings on at local gun stores i see a lot of newbies, young and old. i see sales people explaining to people who have probavly never owned a handgun the ins and outs of their new sig sauer or berreta pistol. these guns are expensive and complicated for a new gun owner.imo this is asking for trouble. that's why i don't shoot at indoor ranges, i'm afraid of the people next to me.

rahock · December 30, 2012, 09:18:14 AM

I spend a bit of time at a nice local range and over the last year or so I have been amazed at how many women, both young and old, are spending time and money there. Friday night seems to be a popular date night at the range too.
Rick

Dave W · December 30, 2012, 10:12:19 AM

Quote from: uwe on December 30, 2012, 07:45:59 AM
I destill from the more recent posts that Obama should not be allowed to discuss gun control because that drives gun sales up? And this coming from people who think they should be more or less unrestricted. Don't drown in your own crocodile's tears, guys.
....

Not at all, just an observation about what happens when he speaks about it. He's the salesman of the year for the gun industry. It started when he was elected to his first term, because of his "clinging to their guns and religion" comment during that campaign. Now it's in hyperdrive, helped also by a coordinated agenda-driven media campaign.

Pilgrim · December 30, 2012, 10:14:22 AM

Quote from: uwe on December 30, 2012, 07:45:59 AM
I destill from the more recent posts that Obama should not be allowed to discuss gun control because that drives gun sales up? And this coming from people who think they should be more or less unrestricted. Don't drown in your own crocodile's tears, guys.

You are an excellent provacateur! (Pro'lly goes with the profession.)

I was just saying that for every action, there is a reaction. This as true in politics as in physics.

The reaction is not always what we want to observe, but that's another issue.

Obama is a bit of a special case, because many of the extreme Conservatives seem to think that he's Karl Marx and the Antichrist bundled together. And many of them were sure from the day he was nominated that the first thing he would do is confiscate all guns. Of course, the NRA and militia groups did their best to feed this frenzy.

patman · December 30, 2012, 10:27:03 AM

The local hardware store (aka local internet gun seller-don't know if they sell much hardware anymore) stokes the anti-Obama feeling by posting the most outrageous comments on their sign out front. Good for business.

Pilgrim · December 30, 2012, 10:30:36 AM

Quote from: patman on December 30, 2012, 10:27:03 AM
The local hardware store (aka local internet gun seller-don't know if they sell much hardware anymore) stokes the anti-Obama feeling by posting the most outrageous comments on their sign out front. Good for business.

That's pretty much true with any gun store. Just based on personal observation, every one of them has stoked the fire by assuming that Obama's agenda includes confiscation.

dadagoboi · December 30, 2012, 12:08:31 PM

Quote from: Pilgrim on December 30, 2012, 10:30:36 AM
That's pretty much true with any gun store. Just based on personal observation, every one of them has stoked the fire by assuming that Obama's agenda includes confiscation.

I wonder how much of the extended unemployment compensation given away by Obamacommie to the 47% has been spent on ammunition by illegal beaners who smuggled their American made firearms back into the US. I think I saw a segment on FOX while I was drunk on Jameson's.

Pilgrim · December 30, 2012, 12:23:14 PM

Quote from: dadagoboi on December 30, 2012, 12:08:31 PM
I wonder how much of the extended unemployment compensation given away by Obamacommie to the 47% has been spent on ammunition by illegal beaners who smuggled their American made firearms back into the US. I think I saw a segment on FOX while I was drunk on Jameson's.

I'm not surprised if it was on Fox. You may want to look up some definitions of "ad hominem"... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

dadagoboi · December 30, 2012, 01:25:24 PM

Quote from: Pilgrim on December 30, 2012, 12:23:14 PM
I'm not surprised if it was on Fox. You may want to look up some definitions of "ad hominem"... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

Well aware of the meaning of ad hominem, learned it in 9th grade Latin class...along with quite a bit from Mad Magazine and other satirical pursuits. Any personal attack was as intended as the last two slurs on the President before Dave locked the other gun thread. He can lock or strike this but I wanted my say. Sorry if my sense of humor offends. Why should Micks get to be the only ones who can slur Blacks and Mexicans? I'm part both, I gotta right.

Pilgrim · December 30, 2012, 03:40:27 PM

I think the Connecticut situation is kind of a "societal" thread, not just a gun thread. There are many pieces in this whole issue, but to me the most problematic issue is that firearms are definitely going to remain available to people in the US. I increasingly feel that focusing on the firearm is the easiest thing to do, but not the most helpful.

The people involved are the most challenging problem. When people lose it or decide to start plotting mass murder, there's no nutso yardstick we can hold up to people, nor is there a handy nutball detector we can walk them through. But the mental health network in the US needs to be strengthened, and people need to be more willing to talk about others they know who are voicing weird and destructive sentiments.

It won't hurt to limit the size of magazines in semi-auto weapons, but to me the type/design of weapon is not that material. Maybe the AR-15 style attracts nuts - OK, if so, how do we deal with the fact that it's one of the most popular firearms in the US?

There are no easy answers, and IMO there are absolutely NO solutions. The best we can strive for is mitigation.

patman · December 30, 2012, 04:09:10 PM

The problem is, and I have no solution...

I grew up in a working class family...education was highly valued...the only way to increase one's lot in life is to become highly educated and work hard. Period.

My parents apparently transferred that to me. Not becoming educated was not an option. Hopefully I reciprocated the favor to my children. So far so good...I have been blessed so far.

If you weren't blessed with parents that gave you the tools to be a success in life, you can't make the correct decisions. Period.

Some people can be a success on their own intuition...they are rare.

Sorry for the rambling here, but...a gun is a tool for certain things...for hunting, for law enforcement...a huge amount of people that don't possess the tools to be a success in life in even the most minimal sense are buying them. They won't take care of them....won't keep them locked up. Hell they won't even clean their own kitchen or cut their own grass, let alone responsibly taking care of a gun. This is a problem.

It's Sunday, yes I've had a few beers...be kind.

Pilgrim · December 30, 2012, 05:16:34 PM

Quote from: patman on December 30, 2012, 04:09:10 PM

Sorry for the rambling here, but...a gun is a tool for certain things...for hunting, for law enforcement...a huge amount of people that don't possess the tools to be a success in life in even the most minimal sense are buying them. They won't take care of them....won't keep them locked up. Hell they won't even clean their own kitchen or cut their own grass, let alone responsibly taking care of a gun. This is a problem.

Patman, I think you are quite right. There are far too many irresponsible gun owners, and too many who still think life is a western movie.

Dave W · December 30, 2012, 10:52:13 PM

Quote from: patman on December 30, 2012, 04:09:10 PM

Sorry for the rambling here, but...a gun is a tool for certain things...for hunting, for law enforcement...a huge amount of people that don't possess the tools to be a success in life in even the most minimal sense are buying them. They won't take care of them....won't keep them locked up. Hell they won't even clean their own kitchen or cut their own grass, let alone responsibly taking care of a gun. This is a problem.

The great thing about the relatively free society we have is that you don't need to justify your purchases or prove that you need them for specific purposes.

Some people are irresponsible and this is a problem, but it's one we are willing to accept. In the immortal words of Yakov Smirnoff, what a country!

uwe · December 31, 2012, 03:08:08 AM

"Maybe the AR-15 style attracts nuts - OK, if so, how do we deal with the fact that it's one of the most popular firearms in the US?"

Making a pink fin of it mandatory as well as the caption "my owner is gay", perhaps? Second Amendment says nothing about the color of the arms borne by the militia.

gweimer · December 31, 2012, 05:39:07 AM

Quote from: uwe on December 31, 2012, 03:08:08 AM
"Maybe the AR-15 style attracts nuts - OK, if so, how do we deal with the fact that it's one of the most popular firearms in the US?"

Making a pink fin of it mandatory as well as the caption "my owner is gay", perhaps? Second Amendment says nothing about the color of the arms borne by the militia.