Professor Bill Quigley: Two Unasked Question in Tucson Mass Murder

[marmar]

January 9th, 2011 5:56 PM
Guns and Terrorism: Two Unasked Question in Tucson Mass Murder

By Bill Quigley


Question: How does a mentally unstable man who was kicked out of school and had run-ins with the law buy an assault weapon?

.......(snip).......

The US has well over 250 million guns in private hands according to the National Rifle Association. That is more, according to the BBC, than any country in the world. In one year, guns murdered 17 people in Finland, 35 in Australia, 39 in England and Wales, 60 in Spain, 194 in Germany, 200 in Canada, and 9,484 in the United States according to the Brady Campaign.

Does the US really need tens of millions of assault weapons and hundreds of millions of other guns? We already put more of our people in prison than any country in the world and we spend more on our military than all the rest of the world together. How fearful must we be?

.......(snip).......

Apparently when a mentally unstable white male is accused, terrorism is not the first thing that comes to mind.

When Clay Duke, a white male, threatened Florida school board members with a gun and shot at them before shooting himself, in December 2010, he was mentally imbalanced.

When Michael Enright, a white male, was arrested for slashing the throat of a Muslim NYC cab driver in August of 2010, his friends said he had a drinking problem. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/guns-and-terrorism

[hobbit709]

1. Mistake there: A Glock 19 is NOT an assault weapon.

[Schema Thing]

4. correction: in this case it certainly was.

[hobbit709]

10. In that case a baseball bat could be called an assault weapon.

But it's not one according to classification of weapons..

[Zoeisright]

17. Oh please. I am so sick of that stupid "argument".

Like that guy could have used a baseball bat to seriously wound 20 people. When will you gun lovers get over yourselves? Owning a gun is not proof of masculinity. In fact, it's the exact opposite.

[hobbit709]

19. I am not a gun lover

But calling a pistol an assault weapon is incorrect.

[Hoyt]

24. Maybe that needs to be changed. Sure doesn't look like a defensive weapon.

In fact, defensive looking weapons really aren't that popular among gun lovers. If it doesn't have that killing pizzaz, it'll be a slow seller.

[Deep13]

16. Being used in a crime is not what term "assault" means...

...when describing weapons. The term refers to the kinds of weapons used in military campaigns: compact, automatic, long guns.

[Schema Thing]

27. don't be pedantic when you've just seen a violent, gruesome assault

with a weapon tailor made for said assault.

[Deep13]

30. It's definitely a deadly weapon. ...

but I'm not being pedantic. The term "assault weapon" is a term used to create a specific impression in people's minds in order to manipulate their opinions in pursuit a specific political agenda. It's rather like how we say "estate tax" while RWers say "death tax." The RW term is inaccurate and designed to create a specific impression. A service pistol is not an assult weapon. And it was not tailor-made for mass murder, although it obviously can be used for that purpose.

[Dappleganger]

33. News flash: guns are made for shooting!

[benEzra]

28. All automatic weapons have been as tightly controlled as bombs since 1934.

No Title 1 civilian guns, including "assault weapons," are automatic.

Nor was the Glock ever considered an "assault weapon" 1994-2004, nor is it considered such now in any state, including California. Normal-capacity pistol magazines for full-sized pistols were considered "high capacity ammunition feeding devices" during the non-ban, but were not "assault weapons."

[ProgressiveProfessor]

25. False as to fact. Glock 19 doesn't fall into even the bogus definition

of assault weapons used by the Brady Bunch et al

[walldude]

34. Ok... then the question would be

How did this loony get his hands on a pistol?

You seem to be missing the point.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

35. That can be readily answered

Because no one in a position to get his mental illness on the record chose to do it. Fear of lawsuits, HIPPA, hassle factor, etc. those that could have reported it chose not to. Perhaps he could have gotten a firearm another way, but even so they bear some responsibility.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. How fearful, indeed.

[Bandit]

11. "Home of theBrave"

A LIE just like most everything relating to America..

[AspenRose]

3. In America, white people can't be terrorists. Only patriots.

:sarcasm:

[Desertrose]

5. ANswers #1. This is ARIZONA......#2 Duh this is Amerika

:shrug:

[dynasaw]

6. Loughner’s gun

was a 9mm Glock, a weapon "that is extremely easy to fire over and over, and it can carry a 30-bullet clip. It is “not suited for hunting or personal protection,” said Paul Helmke, the president of the Brady Campaign. “What it’s good for is killing and injuring a lot of people quickly. . .the law restricting their sale expired in 2004 and Congress did not have the guts to face up to the National Rifle Association and extend it."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/opinion/10collins.html?src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB

[TheKentuckian]

12. What the hell is "unsuitable for personal protection" about a semi-auto 9mm?

The Brady campaign is full of idiots that know less about firearms than I do about rocket fuel.

Just like the dumbass "assault weapons" ban that had no understanding and did jack apple shit to even address the supposed issue.

[Deep13]

20. The first stage of the Saturn V burned kerosene...

...which produced that bright, orange flame. The second and third stages relied on liquid hydrogen. All three stages used liquid oxygen. The space shuttle uses liquid hydrogen on the orbiter's main engines and an aluminum oxide in the solid fuel boosters.

:evilgrin:

My personal weapon of choice is a semi-auto Sig 239 in 9mm which sadly cannot hold a 30-round magazine.

[TheKentuckian]

32. See, I knew that too. hehe

[Remmah2]

14. Quoting the Brady camapign on firearms technology is like quoting Octomom on birth control. nt

nt

[Deep13]

18. That would surprise the tens of thousands of civilians...

...and police officers who use Glocks for personal protection and shooting sports (though not hunting so much).

[benEzra]

29. Not tens of thousands. Millions.

The Glock has been one of the most popular civilian pistols (both LEO and non-LEO) for over two decades now.

[immoderate]

22. Asinine -- No gun can protect you.

I have a 9mm and I even own a 30 shot magazine. I don't hunt, and I don't go to places where I think I need protection.

I shoot at paper targets, rotten fruit, clay pigeons, tin cans, twigs. I used the 30 round clip only once (and I know it's technically not a clip) because it is cumbersome and throws the balance of the gun off.

The Glock is favored by police departments. It's a dependable weapon. but any 9mm semi could have been used.

--imm

[ProgressiveProfessor]

26. More tripe from the Repuke Helmke

[Kingofalldems]

7. Look out--

:popcorn:

[Deep13]

8. He had no record.

One needs to be adjudicated incompetent for a legal weapons disability.

BTW, it was a pistol, not an assault weapon.

[old mark]

9. Yet more bulshit...nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Simple answer: white male murderers are humanized.

Everyone else is demonized. It's discrimination to the core.

[Deep13]

21. For the record, he should get the chair. nt

[immoderate]

23. It's cheaper than therapy.

--imm

[Deep13]

31. Four days ago, I would have been all for therapy. nt

[femrap]

15. Plus he was denied entry into the

military....and they take felons now. If he was denied due to 'mental issues,' that should raise a huge Red Flag and immediate mental assistance.

[LisaL]

36. No, he was denied because he admitted using pot.

[femrap]

37. I read he was tested. nt