The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[Kevy Baby]

If he doesn't like the magazine, he shouldn't read it!

[alphabassettgrrl]

Head-shot.

And yeah, I probably wouldn't have been able to keep quiet overhearing that conversation, either. The president is not to blame for some moron going off the deep end.

[Alex]

He was also wearing a ballistic helmet so even a head shot wasn't a guarantee. In the dark, tear gas, surrounded by panic.

The "if everybody was armed" argument always seems to assume an amazing amount of tactical training and preturnatural calm.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Alex

He was also wearing a ballistic helmet so even a head shot wasn't a guarantee. In the dark, tear gas, surrounded by panic.

The "if everybody was armed" argument always seems to assume an amazing amount of tactical training and preturnatural calm.

I believe the reasoning is that if you knew the audience was full of gun weilding patrons even a psychopath would think twice before starting that sh

!

t.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

I believe the reasoning is that if you knew the audience was full of gun weilding patrons even a psychopath would think twice before starting that sh

!

t.

Because psychopaths are known for their reasoning?

[alphabassettgrrl]

At least if everybody's armed, you have a chance if you can get a breath and collect yourself. Plus, people who carry tend to be more comfortable around guns (though not usually about being shot *at*) and may be able to pull themselves together once they realize what's going on.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Or...

An armed moviegoer sees a dark figure, dressed in black and holding a gun slowly make their way through the smoke-filled haze half-blinded. They take that headshot only to find out they killed a police officer. Or, the police officer (who does have the proper training) sees their raised weapon and takes his own head shot.

Nah, still not comfortable with having a bunch of armed vigilantes running around, even in light of this tragedy. Some have proper training, many do not.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Lived in an area where anybody with a pickup truck had guns in the back window. Very very little actual gun violence. No vigilante mindset, either. Much more chill than here in LA.

[Alex]

To me there's a pretty significant difference between rifles in the truck with an actual purpose and being so afraid of society that you feel the need to be armed while sitting in your seat at the movies, while sitting in class at school, while getting your hair cut at the salon, while eating at the local chain buffeteria. That's a mindset I can't quite get to, feeling so at risk that one feels the need to be able to kill other people at a distance at all times.

If everybody in that theater had had a rifle in the back window of their cars, I suspect just as many people would be dead.

Now, I don't really have that much of an issue with guns as a recreational toy. But while if there had been 200 more people with guns in that theater it might be true that fewer people would have died (though I don't know how true with the combination of the circumstances and his speed in shooting about 70 people in a minute or two), it is also true that if there had been one less person in that theater with guns then it is definite that a lot fewer people would have died.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Real -world level of carrying a gun? I didn't see fear of being attacked, mostly what it would be is being on your way to target shooting or something, would be why you'd have it with you. You're right that even in a carrying environment, people probably wouldn't have it with them inside the theater.