Why

is the NRA so paranoid?

Why can't they support universal background checks, as they did a a decade or so ago, despite the fact that (according to recent polling) 90%+ of the general public and 70% +/- of NRA members support this legislation? And this majority opinion exists in "pro gun" states as well but yet their Senators vote against a bill that will not, in any way, restrict responsible gun ownership.

Why do we accept the fact that a father can buy his five year old child a rifle (as a birthday present) and he ends up killing his two year old sister because the rifle was sitting in a corner and was loaded? And it barely makes the news and treated as another insignificant "tragedy".

Also learned that gun manufacturer's are producing "kiddy" rifles in various colors including pink.

It's all about our culture and our obsession with using the Second Amendment well beyond its initial purpose and intent.

The NRA, and its advocates will say, "we must protect our Second Amendment" rights.

Who's responsible for protecting the life of the two year girl that was killed by his five year old brother? Forget the parent's responsibility. That's merely a charade and a deflection of the real reason that this sh.t happens.

Empathy for the parents? Not here.

Very scary and very sad.

GG

The fight makes money for the sellers.



J

Is it really that simple?

Gordon Gray said:

Is it really that simple?

Click to expand...

Maybe - any publicity is good publicity as they say......

Gordon Gray said:

is the NRA so paranoid?


...Also learned that gun manufacturer's are producing "kiddy" rifles in various colors including pink. ...
GG

Click to expand...

Scary and sad, indeed. I hope someday the NRA will run out of the soap they use to wash these tragedies from their hands.

I guess the "kiddy" rifles are called "crickets". How cute.

Googled one on line store for some crickets. They were all sold out.

Last night in Florida, a thirteen year old boy shot his six year old sister playing "hide and seek"

I played that game alot when I was a kid. Never realized it was so dangerous.

HMMMMMMMM. Do I sense a pattern?

And the folks who attended the NRA convention this weekend in Texas applauded the defeat of universal background check bill in the Senate.

GG

I believe you are really quite English in your viewpoint, Gordon.

That's a complement, BTW.

TBH I think the US attitude to guns is idiotic. Pathetic, even. Though I appreciate many US citizens realise it.

Couldn't agree more Justin. To take it a step further, I find it interesting that with one exception, those who have replied to this thread thus far at least, have all been from outside the US. BTW Gordon, bravo for having the guts to put your opinion out there on this topic. It's more polarizing that any of our pointless conversations on vinyl vs digital, tubes vs solid state, etc. What baffles me is how so many people feel that their rights are being taken away. Does anyone here know anybody who has lost their rights? Has anyone had a gun taken from them? If a person has nothing to hide in a background check, why all the concern?

So what's the logic? The right to kill someone with a gun, or the right to defend yourself against someone else with a gun?

No guns doesn't stop murder. But they do facilitate it. They were designed for the purpose after all.

2nd amendment? BS - get over it

User211 said:

The right to kill someone with a gun, or the right to defend yourself against someone else with a gun?

No guns doesn't stop murder. But they do facilitate it. They were designed for the purpose after all.

2nd amendment? BS - get over it

Click to expand...

I agree. Honestly, if myself and EVERY other person I know has gotten along fine without ever needing a gun, are they even neccessary for Joe Average? Hand guns are, IMO, an obscene novelty that have no real use other than law inforcement. I understand that some people enjoy hunting, and I have no issue with that. Owning a rifle or two, capable of repeating 3 or 4 times is sufficient to facilitate that. I don't buy the "I hunt Grizzlys, I need a .50 hand gun" argument. The polarization around this topic goes back a long time though; like North/South long time.

If you in a rut, you've gotta get out of it.

That's what the US doesn't seem able to do. Too ingrained in the culture - unable to escape it.

However, I believe the gun situation will change in the US given time. The simple logic is that cultures always do change over time.

The only question is how many more children need to die, since that seems to spur the continued discussion on this issue nationwide, before the culture changes.

Thanks Justin for your perspective.

And thank you Tim for your support. It is, as you said, far more important that the trivial discussions we have on the "minutia" of sonic differences that dominate audio websites.

This is absolute madness.

Gordon

User211 said:

2nd amendment? BS - get over it

Click to expand...

I wouldn't even say it's BS - it just needs updating for 2013, as in its present form it is stuck in 1791.

The way some Americans get so emotional - you'd think it has been suggested to ban all guns. Nobody has ever suggested that! But there is nothing wrong with a little more control, banning military assault guns, high powered guns, registries, licencing, and above all - background checks to ensure the guns don't get into the hands of known criminals and the mentally ill / unstable.

Australia has some tough gun laws - and they are reasonably effective (of course, gun crime does exist, and will always do). But people all over the country still enjoy owning / using guns and going hunting.

What is wrong Gordon, couldn't get enough replys from your last thread a few days ago.

If you have something intelligent to add to the issues raised and discussion thereof, please do so.

Otherwise, hold the bbq sauce.

Slippery slope.

My "background check" of my buddy I sell an old shotgun to is far superior to any bureaucrat's.

goodwinaj said:

My "background check" of my buddy I sell an old shotgun to is far superior to any bureaucrat's.

Click to expand...

Fine, but can you say with any confidence that the overwhelming majority of gun owners "perform" the same due diligence that you do when selling a firearm? And really, you speak of selling a shotgun like it's a baseball card.

And a car is any different? Far more kinetic and chemical energy and no one looks twice. It's the person, not the object.

goodwinaj said:

And a car is any different? Far more kinetic and chemical energy and no one looks twice. It's the person, not the object.

Click to expand...

Yes, cars are very different. Most notably, a car has been designed solely as a means of transportation. Great pains are taken to make them as safe as possible for both the occupants and those around the vehicle, including, but not limited to, Airbags, Seatbelts, Back up Sensors to alert the driver to anything they are about to run over, such as a person, Bumpers are designed in such a way as to reduce injuries to pedestrians when hit, Tires designed to reduce stopping distance, etc.....

Firearms, on the other hand, are designed solely to kill. They fire a projectile at a high rate of speed into a living target with the intent to cause damage. There really is only the one safety feature, right? A trigger lock. Not much time and effort put into making them less deadly should an accident occur, such as a child getting a hold of one . That would really defeat the whole idea of a firearm, wouldn't it?

Look, you could have used a rock, bat, chain, shovel or whatever to try to bolster your argument, but you can not change the fact that all of these items have been created with an intended purpose of something other than killing.

It's very true that "People kill people", at least it works as a slogan. However, guns do afford one the ability to kill A LOT of people very quickly from a safe (for the shooter) distance.