Comments on: Wayne LaPierre and the NRA – pissing on the graves of the Sandy Hook dead http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/ A look at all things northern...and some of the myths behind them. Tue, 07 May 2013 09:34:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andybob http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2128 Andybob Tue, 25 Dec 2012 13:52:07 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2128 You can't reason someone out of a position they haven't reasoned themselves into. People seek gun ownership for visceral reasons. Feelings of protection, power, virility and social image are all important factors. If there was a constitutionally guaranteed right to rat poison, it probably wouldn't result in much more rat poison in the community. We buy rat poison to do a job, guns we (or rather, Americans) buy for other reasons. Some of those reasons are ... oddd. It is genuinely believed by many in the USA that owning a gun is of some assistance in preventing governmental tyranny. Which sort of begs the question, when exactly can you shoot a representative of the government and thereby prevent tyranny. It seems a bit late to leave it until 3:00 am in the morning when they're knocking on your door. This kind of worry, that the government is taking over the country, led to Tim McVeigh and Waco etc. It keeps people distracted from improving and monitoring the checks and balances in the political system that actually can do something to prevent tyranny. If America is to be cured of its longstanding fetish for guns, it has to start looking at how it socializes young males and the role guns play in that. The 'lone gun' cowboy, a man of few words, writing wrongs with his fists, horse and guns, has a lot to answer for. You can’t reason someone out of a position they haven’t reasoned themselves into. People seek gun ownership for visceral reasons. Feelings of protection, power, virility and social image are all important factors. If there was a constitutionally guaranteed right to rat poison, it probably wouldn’t result in much more rat poison in the community. We buy rat poison to do a job, guns we (or rather, Americans) buy for other reasons.

Some of those reasons are … oddd. It is genuinely believed by many in the USA that owning a gun is of some assistance in preventing governmental tyranny. Which sort of begs the question, when exactly can you shoot a representative of the government and thereby prevent tyranny. It seems a bit late to leave it until 3:00 am in the morning when they’re knocking on your door. This kind of worry, that the government is taking over the country, led to Tim McVeigh and Waco etc. It keeps people distracted from improving and monitoring the checks and balances in the political system that actually can do something to prevent tyranny.

If America is to be cured of its longstanding fetish for guns, it has to start looking at how it socializes young males and the role guns play in that. The ‘lone gun’ cowboy, a man of few words, writing wrongs with his fists, horse and guns, has a lot to answer for.

]]> By: Bob Gosford http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2127 Bob Gosford Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:24:09 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2127 I'm surprised at the "estimated 25k" illegal firearms in Australia - thought that figure would be much higher. This very interesting report from Australia ABC's Background Briefing broadcast in February 2012 has a lot of good background about gun ownership in Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/guns-are-back/3725866#transcript I’m surprised at the “estimated 25k” illegal firearms in Australia – thought that figure would be much higher. This very interesting report from Australia ABC’s Background Briefing broadcast in February 2012 has a lot of good background about gun ownership in Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/guns-are-back/3725866#transcript

]]> By: no_party_preferred http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2126 no_party_preferred Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:16:08 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2126 Does anyone actually think in a country where there are 8 firearms for every 10 people that a ban on "assault rifles" (hard to define) is going to be; Possible Feasible Affordable Practical Effective In Australia there are an estimated 25000 illegal fire arms and only about 2000 of them are attributable to thefts from gun shops gun clubs or private owners. And that is in a country with quite strong and robust gun laws. In the US in many states there is no registry, no licensing, no nothing. And they cant afford a buy back. I think that ship has sailed. Does anyone actually think in a country where there are 8 firearms for every 10 people that a ban on “assault rifles” (hard to define) is going to be;

Possible
Feasible
Affordable
Practical
Effective

In Australia there are an estimated 25000 illegal fire arms and only about 2000 of them are attributable to thefts from gun shops gun clubs or private owners. And that is in a country with quite strong and robust gun laws. In the US in many states there is no registry, no licensing, no nothing. And they cant afford a buy back.

I think that ship has sailed.

]]> By: مكينSultanofAustralisTerraNullius http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2125 مكينSultanofAustralisTerraNullius Mon, 24 Dec 2012 03:51:33 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2125 what a strange comparison. people in war zones Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan where you can't have control over but only resignation, to your own people living in the land of the free where you can change the situation and it needs more than just security guards and police in school but also needs gun-law reform and a cultural change in the American psyche away from resolving everything with guns. it's not just mentally ill people they need to worry about, many mass shootings occur by people go mad with aggression and use gun to resolve their griefs. what a strange comparison. people in war zones Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan where you can’t have control over but only resignation, to your own people living in the land of the free where you can change the situation and it needs more than just security guards and police in school but also needs gun-law reform and a cultural change in the American psyche away from resolving everything with guns. it’s not just mentally ill people they need to worry about, many mass shootings occur by people go mad with aggression and use gun to resolve their griefs.

]]> By: Jeff Willson http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2124 Jeff Willson Mon, 24 Dec 2012 03:31:55 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2124 American here, Im saddened by the fact many of you choose to make conclusions from such propaganda. The proposed solution by the anti-gun lobby is an assault weapons ban. Which would really do a lot of good, as Connecticut had a more restrictive assault weapons ban already. While I don't support tax payer money going to guards in every school, schools should no longer be gun free zones. They are magnets for these cowards. Gun free zones in the US should be renamed "free fire zones". American here, Im saddened by the fact many of you choose to make conclusions from such propaganda. The proposed solution by the anti-gun lobby is an assault weapons ban. Which would really do a lot of good, as Connecticut had a more restrictive assault weapons ban already.
While I don’t support tax payer money going to guards in every school, schools should no longer be gun free zones. They are magnets for these cowards. Gun free zones in the US should be renamed “free fire zones”.

]]> By: Bob Gosford http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2123 Bob Gosford Mon, 24 Dec 2012 01:31:20 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2123 Emma - i took my quotes from the Scribd doc and didn't "check against delivery" so you may be right. I also note that in his live spray he said that "27" children had died, which is of course wrong. Emma – i took my quotes from the Scribd doc and didn’t “check against delivery” so you may be right. I also note that in his live spray he said that “27″ children had died, which is of course wrong.

]]> By: notmensa http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2122 notmensa Mon, 24 Dec 2012 01:26:56 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2122 Other transcripts and quotes have him saying the NRA remained "respectably" - not "respectfully" - silent. It was all about them, not the victims. Other transcripts and quotes have him saying the NRA remained “respectably” – not “respectfully” – silent. It was all about them, not the victims.

]]> By: Peter Wills http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2121 Peter Wills Mon, 24 Dec 2012 00:56:20 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2121 @Trevor I would much rather you talk about birds as you obviously have no clue as to the implications and ramifications of remarks made by LaPierre in the context of preventing further mass shooting tragedies and the loss of innocent young lives. @Trevor I would much rather you talk about birds as you obviously have no clue as to the implications and ramifications of remarks made by LaPierre in the context of preventing further mass shooting tragedies and the loss of innocent young lives.

]]> By: Saugoof http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2120 Saugoof Mon, 24 Dec 2012 00:48:42 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2120 My first thought, when I read about Wayne LaPierre's press conference was that this would have to be an article by The Onion. Truth be told, I'm happy he came out, well, guns blazing, like that. I think what this has done is show America what a bunch of lunatics are running the NRA. While the NRA can probably, in the short term, point to having a few extra nutcases sign up for membership, the country's mood about gun control has been on somewhat of a tipping point and I think LaPierre has just pushed it over towards more gun control. My first thought, when I read about Wayne LaPierre’s press conference was that this would have to be an article by The Onion.

Truth be told, I’m happy he came out, well, guns blazing, like that. I think what this has done is show America what a bunch of lunatics are running the NRA. While the NRA can probably, in the short term, point to having a few extra nutcases sign up for membership, the country’s mood about gun control has been on somewhat of a tipping point and I think LaPierre has just pushed it over towards more gun control.

]]> By: Rod Zegar http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/12/22/wayne-lapierre-and-the-nra-pissing-on-the-graves-of-the-sandy-hook-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-2118 Rod Zegar Sat, 22 Dec 2012 21:27:43 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/?p=7972#comment-2118 I don't see how you justify gun ownership. As long as everyone with guns is just defending themselves, it can theoretically work. But it doesn't work in a society where mental illness is poorly identified and violence is not well policed. Then it's just adding fuel to the fire. As for the NRA, their position doesn't make sense at all. See this satirical piece on the NRA's illlogic: http://sorrysods.com/an-apology-from-the-nra-on-recent-mass-shootings. I don’t see how you justify gun ownership. As long as everyone with guns is just defending themselves, it can theoretically work. But it doesn’t work in a society where mental illness is poorly identified and violence is not well policed. Then it’s just adding fuel to the fire. As for the NRA, their position doesn’t make sense at all. See this satirical piece on the NRA’s illlogic: http://sorrysods.com/an-apology-from-the-nra-on-recent-mass-shootings.

]]>