Okay, let's ban guns.

Okay, let’s have a real world look at banning guns from private ownership in the U.S. How do we start?

Assume that the balloon goes up and the powers-that-be decide that no private citizen can own a firearm of any type.

The first problem will be convincing everyone that turning in their guns is “for their own good.” You know, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.” Stop and think, how do you really think that will go? Do you believe there will be no problems? Everyone will turn up at the collection center like good citizens? No one will hide their guns? In a recent “assault rifle” registration attempt in an eastern state, even some police officers refused to obey the new law. Reality?

It is estimated that there are something north of 300,000,000 guns in the U.S. I think I can say without fear of contradiction that many millions of them are stolen, unregistered, or otherwise untraceable. There are almost a million sworn police officers in the U.S. Even if you went full police state and started searching homes, businesses, and safety deposit boxes, you wouldn’t come near getting them all.

So, where would these illicit weapons wind up? Well, how about using an existing parallel item: Drugs. Heroin, cocaine, meth, marijuana are all almost totally outlawed these days. Every cop in the country is on the lookout for them, so why do we still have them? Reality?

Everyone is willing to disobey the law to some extent, some more than others. Oh, come on, you have never exceeded the speed limit? Unfortunately, there are a lot of people that will disobey almost any law. We label them “criminals.” Criminals, like normal people, like things. The problem for society is the extent to which they are willing to go to get those things.

I heard a police officer on TV discussing the effects of gun control measures. His comparison example was England where private ownership of guns is highly restricted. He pointed out that home break-ins in the U.S. are commonly done in the daytime after careful “casing” to make sure no one is home. This technique reduces the chance of getting shot by the home owner. In England, the incidence of “hot”—while the home owner is home--break-ins is way up because there is little worry that the home owners will be able to defend themselves. This, of course, means that, while gun violence is down, general violence is way up.

Guns are attractive to criminals because it gives them the power to intimidate victims into compliance. The strong possibility that anyone selected as a victim is unarmed is a dream come true for the criminal. It is the logic behind all but one mass shooting in the U.S. being done in a gun free zone.

In spite of the full court press by every law enforcement agency in this country, literally thousands of tons of illegal drugs are smuggled into this country every year. In fact, they can’t even keep illegal people from just walking across the border. How do they intend to stop a bag of weed or a kilo of cocaine?

The last time I researched the subject, there were over 700 firearm manufacturers in the world; the vast majority outside the U.S. Is it your belief that there will be no possibility that guns and ammunition will be smuggled into the U.S. and those that do will not be sold to criminals? Reality?

Another thing I looked at was the technology of firearms. The push by the major manufacturers is for slicker and safer weapons to handle. Well, if you set up your own machine shop with tools you can go to auctions and buy for pennies on the dollar and don’t worry about industry standards, you can make handguns without grip safeties, thumb safeties, or all those slick internal trigger safeties. All it has to do is shoot and chamber the next round. Basic semi-auto handgun technology is at the low end of the scale.

Actually, the hardest part of a gun to duplicate is the ammunition. Oh, sure, brass cases can be reloaded if you have the slugs, powder and primers. Well, the slugs can be just lead; bullet molds are everywhere or can be machined. Besides, plastic bullets are now on the market and I think plastic cases are either available or possible.

The real problem would be primers and powder. However, given the possible lucrative return, I’m sure someone could develop a substitute. Meanwhile, there are still trillions of rounds of ammunition that will be hoarded away. More than enough to last the criminal element for decades.

Just an odd thought, you know, there are air guns, too, don’t you?

The next push that gun control advocates are all for is the banning of high capacity magazines such as the 30 round magazine for the AR-15. Ah, people, have you heard that you can make perfectly serviceable 30 round magazines for the AR-15 on a 3D printer? Yes, plastic, and it works perfectly. For that matter, I saw a You Tube video of a guy testing an entire lower end—the part that houses the trigger mechanism—for an AR-15 made on a 3D printer and it held up for six rounds. It just needs a little more work. I bet it would be easy to make receivers for handguns on a 3D printer. Hell, I may be behind the times already.

We cannot stop people from getting what they want here in the U.S. if they are willing to pay the price, and we cannot stop what people are willing to pay for from getting into this country. That is already an obvious fact, and is probably true for the rest of the world. Guns are everywhere. You can’t get rid of them. They are too easy to manufacture and hide.

If you need a totally relevant example, just look at what happened with the prohibition of alcohol in the U.S. in 1920. That was a perfect example of what happens when fanatics chase a dream without a solid grasp of reality.

Humans are human; they do bad things. Deal with it. Taking away a pointy object from a madman still leaves a madman.

 

It will never work because a huge segment of the population, including large segments of the LE and military associate civil rights with the 2A and would resist any ban, seeing it as a prelude to losing other rights. Considering there are nearly 500 mil gun in the US in civilian hands, more than all the combined militaries and police forces in the world the unintended consequences of that ban and it's resistance would result in more lost lives than a ban was intended to save. The bans/registration measures imposed on 'assault weapons' in MA, NY and CT have been met with massive non-compliance by otherwise law abiding citizens despite the threat of high penalties.
The Dems are aware of the risk... it's why they have chosen to micro incrementally impose restrictions that minimize the chance of waking the slumber giant.

 

Many weapons used when Yugoslavia fragmented are still floating around parts of Europe though they are probably illegal. One could ban ammunition, but people would learn to make their own.

 

Huge cashes of WWII ordnance are still found in the EU and elsewhere.

 

Stephen Paddock, the Vegas Shooter, was a revolutionary, a soldier of the Anti-Trump, Progressive Democrats.

He chose his targets for political reasons just like other psychopaths like Dylan Roof, the San Bernardino and Orlando shooters did.

The Mainstream Leftist Media, that has been instrumental in beating drums and inspiring hate and intolerance for conservatives, Christians, Whites and Republicans, are rejoicing from the fruits of their labor. Even USA Today had the gall to encourage their readers not to worry about the motive for this massacre.

We don't know Stephen Paddock's motive. Does it matter?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...tephen-paddocks-motive-does-matter/727650001/

 

Interesting article:

People demonstrated this urge almost from the moment the tragedy unfolded. Several websites falsely stated that the gunman was anti-Trump and pro-Obama, Rachel Maddow and MoveOn.org, according to PolitiFact. Antifa was (wrongly) blamed. ISIS claimed responsibility, but law enforcement said there was no merit to that. A conservative commentator incorrectly claimed it was a Muslim terrorist attack. And that's nothing to the individuals flooding social media.

 

People do it every day. I know people that have ammo cans full of once-fired brass, boxes of primers, cans of powder, bullet molds, and tons of lead and linotype. They could continue loading new ammo for their guns for literally years to come.

 

Nope. And I STILL haven't heard anyone give any kind of adequate rebuttal to the inconsistencies of Las Vegas. Just one point: the guy supposedly fired literally HUNDREDS of rounds. The crime scene photos show no more than a couple of fistfuls of shell casings in the room. If he'd fired as much in that room as they claim, the floor would have literally been COVERED in brass. Nothing about any of this adds up.

 

He fired from 2 rooms with 2 different weapons. All you see is one small section of one room.

 

Complete nonsense. I saw one picture with brass pilled 4 inches high in a small area.

 

No you didn't.

 

Oh yes I did.

 

I can guarantee that you didn't see a section of a room covered in a 4 inch deep pile of brass.

 

I can guarantee you I saw a picture of brass pilled 4 inches high against the wall between another object that couldn't be made out.

 

It can be hard to identify someone intent on a body count while committing suicide.

 

I shall add this.

The enemy out there knows of our arms. I think they do not want to attack us right now. Wait till the Democrats disarm us.

 

Better yet; increase the divide and spark a civil war

 

Many years ago I had a talk with a young kid who grew up in “the projects” in Rhode Island. (Apparently there was a really bad neighborhood despite the insane cost of real estate) He said police would confiscate drugs from one drug dealer and turn around and sell them to another dealer. Everyone in the neighborhood knew what was going on.

 

You do realize there are no "projects" on Long Island, right ?

Long Island, includes both Nassau and Suffolk Counties and consists of enclaves of upper middle class citizens etc....

https://patch.com/new-york/northfor...ties-ranked-most-expensive-place-live-america

lol

 

It's okay, I caught my mistake before you posted.

(really hate how you can quote someone and then reply after they've already changed their original post)

Anyway, during my research into South Africa, I remember reading that police there do the same thing. A huge number of guns in police control "go missing" and wind up on the streets. It's a poor country so police often do not get paid much, so there is a lot of corruption, officers in charge of departments willing to look the other way, with the implied understanding that those working underneath them will also not say anything about his misdealings.

 

I spent lots of time driving around Long Island....... Lots of time........ Way Too much time, lol

 

Agreed to a large extent. There is no doubt in my mind the man was mentally ill. He was just never diagnosed or treated for it. Some people believe in "evil incarnate", but I believe that such "evil" actions are based upon a mental disorder.

Better mental health care, as part of an annual physical, might help people who begin to develop problems.