Stand your ground, concealed carry, infantile infatuation with mythical cowboy culture.

[Warren Stupidity]

I've had enough. How about you?

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. but what could possibly go wrong? n/t

[Walk away]

2. You can thank the NRA for all of this....

What is their agenda? To have open and regular armed conflict in every neighborhood in America?

[Dragonfli]

4. Much simpler: to promote profit by enabling the sale of as many weapons as possible to as many as

possible. If they could swing it the would get the sale of tanks and flamethrowers on their agenda.

They basically work for those that cash in on the open sale of weapons that are so beloved by people with issues.

The more that are sold to as many as possible in as many flavors as possible (including the militarized stuff that has nothing to do with sport). The more they cash in as the lobbyists for said arms dealers.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. Flamethrowers are sold pretty openly.

They are used in agriculture all the time.

If you're going to rant about weapons, you might consider learning something about them first.

Given the number of companies involved, firearms are only a 2bn dollar industry. Ford takes bigger shits than the entire firearms industry. Wierd that the 'gun lobby' is so allegedly powerful, isn't it?

[Dragonfli]

13. I honestly didn't know you could legally buy a military flame thrower, nord torch maybe.

Where do you get that jellified napalm like stuff they use?

Do we really need military grade flamethrowers in the arms of any wanna be cop who thinks he is neighborhood hall monitor?

Edited to add: I hope the answer is no, but can one buy a light anti-tank weapon as well to go along with having a flame thrower in ones personal arsenal?

[AtheistCrusader]

15. There are a couple different fuel methods.

I believe the propane-propelled diesel method is preferred for this purpose. I've only seen it done, I've never participated. As far as I know, 'military grade' is only interesting in that they might have a coat of OD green paint.

(our military stopped using them the year I was born)

As far as I know, the only state in the US in which they are controlled in any way, is California. The last crime committed with one that I am aware of was in Ireland, in the 90's, and resulted in no deaths.

Despite the lack of controls, walking around with one on your back, in an inner city, is likely to be interpreted as brandishing a deadly weapon.

Anti-tank weapons, such as recoiless or rocket type weapons are all classified as destructive devices, not firearms. Unless you are in the business of manufacturing or repairing them for the military, you pretty much aren't eligible to purchase them in the US.

[Dragonfli]

17. That's good to know, about LAWs, as far as flamethrowers,

If they have a useful purpose I imagine they are fine as used, if I remember correctly, my dad (WWII and Korea) said it was the way the gel fluid stuck to you that made them so frightening to be on the wrong end of, like napalm, it was a weaponized fuel.

That was the vision in my mind when I posted, I know shit all about guns, you got me there. They are weapons designed to kill however and as such I would rather they were not so prolific.

My Dad used archery or shotguns for sport hunting, but many of these weapons are designed to kill men, kinda creepy to me for some one to want to be in a people killing tool club.

Hell my dads police service pistol was locked in a safety deposit box when he retired, he never needed it again (certainly not to hunt with)

[Dragonfli]

16. Here is data from a 14 year old report from SAAMI, the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers

Institute. They set the benchmark standards for the industry.
http://www.reloadbench.com/gloss/impact.html

One would expect the industry to have grown in 14 years. Back in 1998:
Almost a million people employed.
32 million hunters and sport shooters (believed to be another 30 million gun owners who don't actively shoot)
31 billion dollars per year in the industry
1100 manufacturers, but that includes accessories

For knowing so much, your numbers are completely HUGELY off.

Many things aren't even on this list as this is sporting weaponry only, not flamethrowers and military weapons that can be purchased here.

The NRA may be a whore, but she is a hard worker and deserving of more respect from you regarding her lobbying efforts.

in 1998, it was a 31 billion dollar a year industry, has it really shrunk since then to 2 billion dollars?

[AtheistCrusader]

20. Firearms.

That 30bn number includes all ammo produced for the 300 or so million guns in play in the US (and possibly military ammo contracts as well, which are so enormous they can dry up supplies in the US civilian market at times) all the way down to hunting trips, which can range in the thousands of dollars for a few days.

Actual civilian firearms manufacturing (new weapons) is about 2bn per year, last I checked. (about half the firearms/ammo number quoted in that article (5bn)) It may have gone up a bit in the frenzy of post-election buying we just saw.

I don't see a link between lobbying for hunting, and firearms manufacture, as the market is already saturated with some 300+ million firearms. Most NRA members aren't even sportsmen or women. So the production of new firearms for the civilian market seems a distinct issue to me. (and where most gun control legislative efforts are aimed)

I hope you will accept that I was being literal when I specified 'firearms', as I did intend to exclude ammo, and all the ancillary firearms-related industries. I certainly could have made that more clear, and for that I apologize.

[petronius]

3. Posts about "mythical cowboy culture" belong in the History Group. "Infantile infatuation"

seems like a topic for the Parenting Group. The rest seems right on topic for GD...

[teewrex]

5. Sounds like Arizona where anyone can carry a concealed weapon and they all think they are cowboys

[lonestarnot]

9. Did the same shit pass for concealed weapons at ASU?

[lastlib]

6. We need to end the culture of vigilante justice

NOW!! Before more people die!!

[samsingh]

7. absolutely. it's idiotic

and lots of innocent people are getting killed because of it.

[jwirr]

10. Yes, as I was watching the coverage tonight that is exactly what was going through my mind. The

bunch of idiots that think we will forget this are in for a big surprise. I have been horrified that we are having to refight everything from the 60s. This is for me the last straw. They all need to be shown that we will not surrender and that we are not going to let them move us back to the era of backstreet abortions and lynchings. ENOUGH.

[lonestarnot]

11. And no surprise that a bushitler was behind the evil again.

[Hoyt]

12. I've had enough too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Yup

And it is these events that will finally lead to a backlash.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

22. yes. true.

most people still operate in reactive mode....hell we all do it to a greater or lesser extent.

BUT, too many social "taken-for-granteds" only change when they finally lead to an outrage of huge magnitude.

Trayvon's death might have been another heroic act--he already showed he is heroic, when he was 9... (if you believe in decisions made on a soul level...choices made prior to physical life.....)

[quinnox]

18. Everyone running around with guns half-cocked is a ridiculous situation

And so many people are dumb enough to want to pull their gun ASAP. Welcome to America. USA USA USA

[DevonRex]

19. I'm fucking sick of idiots playing John Wayne.

Or Playing Clint Eastwood or whoever it is. Bunch of babies scared of their own shadows and can't even go to the grocery store without a godamn gun.

They might as well wear little red cowboy hats and little brown vests and cowboy boots with little fake spurs attached.

[hifiguy]

21. The "cowboy" myth has done more damage

to American civil society than anything this side of slavery and Jim Crow. It is, as you say, infantile. Which is, I suppose, why so many people believe in it so devoutly.

[xchrom]

23. du rec. nt

[lib_wit_it]

24. K&R. Many of these "self defense" gunsters would be greatly disappointed if the crime dropped to

zero.

[TheCruces]

25. I have no problem with concealed or open carry

I have a problem with what happened in Florida.

[KG]

26. rec.