JohnRich 4 #1 July 15, 2007 News:Obama Bemoans 'Epidemic of Violence' "Standing before a church congregation that has witnessed inner-city violence firsthand, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Sunday that too many young lives are being claimed by violence and more must be done to combat the problem. "He said the government needs to permanently reinstate an assault weapons ban... "He later added, 'There's a reason they go out and shoot each other, because they don't love themselves. And the reason they don't love themselves is because we are not loving them enough.'" Source: My Way News So let me get this straight: The reason that young people shoot others is because they're not loved, and the solution to that problem is to ban so-called "assault weapons"? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DZJ 0 #2 July 16, 2007 Fair point to speak against violence, but I'd have thought that black market handguns would be a more relevant target than 'assault weapons'. What are these 'regulatory loopholes' of which the article speaks? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #3 July 16, 2007 Yes, but "assault weapons" look scary, and people confuse them with full automatic machine guns, so it's easier to ban them and pretend you're making a diffreence and geting tough on crime, even though "assault weapons" are used in so few crimes that it's a joke to anyone who reads up on the subject. See pictures below for how "assault weapons" are defined. The ban is based on cosmetic features, not on rate of fire or strength or utility of ammunition. To illustrate the point, consider the three following posts. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=983475#983475 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=984085#984085 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=984172#984172witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squarecanopy 0 #4 July 16, 2007 I don't think that banning any kind of weapon (icicles have been used in murders as a weapon, should we ban ice making machines?) will resolve the real problem. Violence is the SYMPTOM of a problem, not the problem itself. Obama is at least correct on that point, but the popular leftist cry of "eliminate guns, eliminate the problem" is dead wrong. It has been proven wrong in every country that has effectively eliminated guns for the majority of law abiding citizens, and the crime and violence histories remain basically unchanged, because almost anything can be used as deadly weapon. We cannot ban everything. Maybe part of the answer is banning idiotic politicians. Crap, that would be all of them in both parties.... Just burning a hole in the sky..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DZJ 0 #5 July 16, 2007 Thanks, but I'm aware of the strangeness of the 'assault weapons' definition. Do you know what 'regulatory loopholes' the article was referring to? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #6 July 16, 2007 QuoteDo you know what 'regulatory loopholes' the article was referring to? He's referring to the "Tiahrt Amendment", which prevents public release of BATF crime gun trace data. There are good reasons for that, with police organizations behind it. But the anti-gun folks want the data so they can scream about nothing and get headlines over irrelevant stuff. That's a topic for another whole thread... The fact that Obama is in favor of both of these things tells me that he's poorly informed on the issues, and is just out there jumping on every liberal bandwagon that passes by. And someone who would jump on a bandwagon without bothering to educate themselves about the truth of an issue before speaking out for or against it, is someone whose intellectual capacity is insufficient to be President. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #7 July 16, 2007 The violence is there, and the pop culture idiolizes gun violence. Would a ban help prevent this? No idea. But I don't support any form of suppression of our rights....yet this won't be a topic that causes me to either vote/not vote for him._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #8 July 16, 2007 QuoteFair point to speak against violence, but I'd have thought that black market handguns would be a more relevant target than 'assault weapons'. 22% of American households own handguns. Statistics aren't as easy to come by with respect to "assault weapon" ownership, although before the Clinton ban IIRC sport utility weapons constituted 1-2% of the suspected-crime-gun traces and were believed to be over-represented. By offending only a couple percent of the voters, Obama may be more likely to get elected. OTOH, Clinton's insistance on including his ban in the 1994 crime bill arguably cost the Democrats control of the House (formerly 56-57%, decreased to 46%) and Senate (59%, decreased to 47%). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #9 July 16, 2007 QuoteOTOH, Clinton's insistance on including his ban in the 1994 crime bill arguably cost the Democrats control of the House (formerly 56-57%, decreased to 46%) and Senate (59%, decreased to 47%). The tax hikes had a lot more to do with that transition in 1994. The gun issue was one of many that could have made the difference for Gore in 2000, and why the Democrats have largely hidden from gun control since. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zipp0 1 #10 July 16, 2007 I have a feeling that gun laws will suffer a crackdown no matter who wins in 08. With that in mind, what's the best SHTF assault rifle to pick up, that doesn't cost over $1000, and has a ready supply of cheap ammo? I am thinking maybe an AK-47 is in the cards, but I think the ammo prices have been going up due to all the wars. I do like the old COMBLOC stuff. So far I have a Mosin Nagant and a Makarov...... I can out shoot pretty much any new small/med frame auto with the Mak. The fixed barrel makes a big difference. I get a chuckle watching the guys with the new auto standing 10 feet from the target and not hitting a damn thing. -------------------------- Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #11 July 17, 2007 try an AK74 chambered in 5.45mm ammo is very plentiful and cheap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zipp0 1 #12 July 17, 2007 Quotetry an AK74 chambered in 5.45mm ammo is very plentiful and cheap. Can you find them surplus online and get them sent to your local firearms dealer? I just can't resist the surplus prices. -------------------------- Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #13 July 17, 2007 try numrich, or CDNN also century international arms. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #14 July 17, 2007 www.cheaperthandirt.com or www.ammoman.com for the ammoMike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
