Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[The Oracle]

These fucking people think we're stupid

Can't imagine why for the life of me.

[Kapture1]

[Dr. Strangelove]

Wouldn?t they need to show Saudi/Emirate interference in the election as a predicate? I mean, at least with Russia you have a predicate finding.

I believe it's unclear if "collusion" can EVER be established as a crime no matter how much evidence there exists. But certainly, if foreign nationals and especially agents of a foreign government were directly involved in helping a political campaign or donated money to an American political campaign, that is illegal, is it not?

[Jeff Buchanan]

This piece appeared shortly after the Texas HS shooting incident and says a bit about how journalists have managed, through their reporting in this country, to normalize savagery. Certainly, I've become numb to the HS shootings. You?

I tend to agree with those here who believe these kinds of shootings, among others, aren't about the "gun culture" in America or whatever catch phrase of the moment is used to describe why these profoundly inhumane events perpetrated against children by other children occur.

I also agree this is mostly an unaddressed mental health issue. While these are horrible acts, the use of a firearm in perpetrating crimes of this nature by young people who either own or have access to firearms are but a tiny fraction of responsible gun owners overall. This is not meant to be an excuse for these terrible acts.

I can also see why, from the perspective of gun owners on the right, calling for "gun control" means just more unnecessary exercise of government control. But, as the author points out, advancing this argument or the 2A argument v. any policy intended to reduce the possibility of firearms being obtained by crazy fuckers who then go into schools and murder kids just going to school that particular day, and calling the argument about gun control over, abandons attempts for a wide ranging approaches to eliminate these unacceptable events.

It also tends to let gun owners off the hook in explaining why owning large capacity feeding devices - “a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device…that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition” is OK.

Yes, the crazy fucker that killed 10 people In TX just being in school at the time, used a Remington 870 shotgun and a .38 pistol in the shooting. Not sure how many rounds the Remington was equipped to fire but my guess is that had an extended capacity funnel feeder for up to 10 rounds. That would account for his ability to take down a bunch of people quickly.

So, yeah, I can see why gun owners on the right get squirrely about measures aimed at controlling, in any way, their guns but I also believe gun owners who advocate for unrestricted ownership and are a willing to fight state level legislation to control access to, for example, large capacity feeding devices, are acting irresponsibly.

Personally, I'd like to see big dollars being spent, both on the federal and state level, on expanding community mental health resources and allowing law enforcement and schools broader powers in investigating people who are potential threats to use firearms to carry out acts like we have seen in the last 6 months. In every case, and it's not yet known about the most recent one but it will be soon, there are signals that the perpetrators were planning or thinking about planning a shooting. I'm supportive, when an individual is identified to be at risk, that they be legally remanded for mental health evaluation and treatment and if this requires coercive means, so be it.

...... and oh, BTW, enforce the gun control laws already on the books now.

http://theweek.com/articles/774000/how-america-normalized-murder-schoolchildren

[The Oracle]

This piece appeared shortly after the Texas HS shooting incident and says a bit about how journalists have managed, through their reporting in this country, to normalize savagery. Certainly, I've become numb to the HS shootings. You?

I tend to agree with those here who believe these kinds of shootings, among others, aren't about the "gun culture" in America or whatever catch phrase of the moment is used to describe why these profoundly inhumane events perpetrated against children by other children occur.

I also agree this is mostly an unaddressed mental health issue. While these are horrible acts, the use of a firearm in perpetrating crimes of this nature by young people who either own or have access to firearms are but a tiny fraction of responsible gun owners overall. This is not meant to be an excuse for these terrible acts.

I can also see why, from the perspective of gun owners on the right, calling for "gun control" means just more unnecessary exercise of government control. But, as the author points out, advancing this argument or the 2A argument v. any policy intended to reduce the possibility of firearms being obtained by crazy fuckers who then go into schools and murder kids just going to school that particular day, and calling the argument about gun control over, abandons attempts for a wide ranging approaches to eliminate these unacceptable events.

It also tends to let gun owners off the hook in explaining why owning large capacity feeding devices - ?a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device?that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition? is OK.

Yes, the crazy fucker that killed 10 people In TX just being in school at the time, used a Remington 870 shotgun and a .38 pistol in the shooting. Not sure how many rounds the Remington was equipped to fire but my guess is that had an extended capacity funnel feeder for up to 10 rounds. That would account for his ability to take down a bunch of people quickly.

So, yeah, I can see why gun owners on the right get squirrely about measures aimed at controlling, in any way, their guns but I also believe gun owners who advocate for unrestricted ownership and are a willing to fight state level legislation to control access to, for example, large capacity feeding devices, are acting irresponsibly.

Personally, I'd like to see big dollars being spent, both on the federal and state level, on expanding community mental health resources and allowing law enforcement and schools broader powers in investigating people who are potential threats to use firearms to carry out acts like we have seen in the last 6 months. In every case, and it's not yet known about the most recent one but it will be soon, there are signals that the perpetrators were planning or thinking about planning a shooting. I'm supportive, when an individual is identified to be at risk, that they be legally remanded for mental health evaluation and treatment and if this requires coercive means, so be it.

...... and oh, BTW, enforce the gun control laws already on the books now.

http://theweek.com/articles/774000/h...schoolchildren

You disagree that good, responsible gun owners allow their kids to take their guns without consent and not locked up?

I'm all for gun ownership, but you can't be a good guy with a gun and let their kids take them and shoot a school up. You're a pos gun owner.

[CGVT]

Just ban doors at schools. Problem solved! Oh yeah, and More Guns!

Washington (CNN)Texas GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said after the nation's latest school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, that teachers need guns, parents should secure firearms safely at home, and schools should eliminate some of their entrances.

[AlabamAlum]

Cougar kills one biker, injures another.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/20/us/washington-cougar-attack-leaves-mountain-biker-dead/index.html

I have a good friend who lives on the outskirts of the Cascades and just got through exchanging a few texts with him. He is 11 miles from where these guys were mauled. He loves to fish and hike there. He says he would never, ever consider going up there without his pistol. Too many bear, elk, coyotes, and cougars - with the occaisional wolf. Of all the ways to die, being mauled by a cougar while riding a bike just doesn't happen a lot.

[Da Geezer]

I wonder why the FBI, if they had an informant in the Trump campaign to protect Trump, didn't give the same protection to Hillary's campaign?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________

I believe it's unclear if "collusion" can EVER be established as a crime no matter how much evidence there exists. But certainly, if foreign nationals and especially agents of a foreign government were directly involved in helping a political campaign or donated money to an American political campaign, that is illegal, is it not?

I believe I can help you there. "Collusion" can never be established as a crime no matter how much evidence exists. That's because it is not a crime within any state's criminal code, nor within the US Code. Espionage and conspiracy, as Hillary did them, are crimes, but collusion is never a crime.

Elements of Conspiracy:
Conspiracy first requires a showing that two or more people were in agreement to commit a crime. This agreement does not have to be formal or in writing. All that is required is that the parties had a mutual understanding to undertake an unlawful plan. Second, all conspirators must have the specific intent to commit the objective of the conspiracy. This means that someone who is entirely unaware that she is participating in a crime cannot be charged with conspiracy. For instance, if two sisters agree to rob a bank and ask their brother to drive them to the bank without informing him of their intent to commit a crime, he cannot be charged with conspiring in the robbery. This specific intent requirement does not require that each individual knows all the details of the crime or all of the members of the conspiracy. As long as an individual understands that the act being planned is a criminal one and proceeds nonetheless, he can be charged with conspiracy.

Finally, in most states, conspiracy requires an “overt act” taken in furtherance of the crime. This overt act does not have to be the crime itself, nor does it have to be an act that is illegal. Rather, the act must merely be a step taken in furtherance of the criminal objective, such as buying a weapon or holding a meeting to plan an attack. The act must also take place after the group of individuals has agreed to conspire. Actions taken before the agreement do not fulfill this requirement. While an “overt act” implies an affirmative action, some courts have held that silence can be an overt act where it is intentional, planned, and done in furtherance of the conspiracy.

[Kapture1]

There already is a law in texas dealing with safe storage. The father will likely face charges. I dont see anyone arguing for unregulated gun ownership. What i see is that our gun laws aren't getting enforced. I see every school shooting, 8-9 laws get broken and i ask why we need another 4 or 5 laws that wouldn't have stopped the last shooting and won't stop the next one? Why would i give up my rifle, when those are banned and someone uses a .38 revolver and Remington 870, the left will just insist thst "no, we dont want to take your hunting rifle, but no one needs a shotgun". Then it will be "that's not a deer rifle, that's a high powered military sniper rifle. No one needs that". Then they will argue that handguns are used in over 8000 murders per year, we need to get rid of those.

The founding fathers were explicitly clear in the Federalist papers why we have the right to own guns. Those reasons as to why dont suddenly become irrelevant because tragedy happens.

[Kapture1]

I wonder why the FBI, if they had an informant in the Trump campaign to protect Trump, didn't give the same protection to Hillary's campaign?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________

Im from the FBI and I'm here to help

[Dr. Strangelove]

Glad you stopped by, Geezer. Here's another statute I've been meaning to inform you about.

You often bitch and moan that Mueller staffed his team with Democrats or people who've donated to Democrats. However, it's against Federal law (specifically Section 42.1(a) of 28 CFR Part 42, Subpart A) to make political allegiance a condition of hiring decisions. Bummer, huh? And as it turns out, the vast majority of proesecutors in NYC and Washington DC are Democrats. Shocking!!

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/42.1

[Dr. Strangelove]

Just ban doors at schools. Problem solved! Oh yeah, and More Guns!

Washington (CNN)Texas GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said after the nation's latest school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, that teachers need guns, parents should secure firearms safely at home, and schools should eliminate some of their entrances.

Yeah among the solutions to gun violence in schools being proposed by Texas Republicans that I've seen in the past 24 hours:

1) Eliminate the number of doors in school buildings. Make it very difficult to physically leave/enter the building. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory says hello

2) Students aren't religious enough. Bring back prayer in schools.

3) Give teachers guns and instruct them on how to return fire

[Jeff Buchanan]

You disagree that good, responsible gun owners allow their kids to take their guns without consent and not locked up?

I'm all for gun ownership, but you can't be a good guy with a gun and let their kids take them and shoot a school up. You're a pos gun owner.

See Kapture's post on the existing gun laws in Texas that require gun owners to keep their guns locked up to prevent such acts as those that occurred in TX.

A law was broken by the father of the shooter. Arrest and prosecute him. If you are a gun owner and I believe the facts will demonstrate there are far more responsible than irresponsible ones, follow the laws or pay the consequences.

I'm not sure where Kapture or others here (Jon?) that generally support responsible gun ownership stand on this but I think it is reasonable to ban the manufacture and sale of large capacity ammunition feeding devices. I think that is one reasonable step to take, among others:

Here's some background on such laws one of which was passed in 1994 but expired in 2004:

http://lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/policy-areas/hardware-ammunition/large-capacity-magazines/

I understand the slippery slope argument that Kapture advances here and others elsewhere on most subjects involving gun control. I think that argument has limits to wit: why does a responsibly armed citizen need such a magazine to defend his property or his person. NB, I'm not going to denigrate the slippery slope argument regarding firearms in general only high capacity magazines. This keeps us here free of squabbling over the highly contentious definition of an assault rifle present any time the issue of gun control comes up. There are actually laws in place to make the ownership of fully automatic rifles and pistols unlawful anyway. Enforce them.

...... and I'll repeat: among other measures to take now is improved funding of and access to mental health resources to deal with the aberrant behavior that is present in any citizen that takes up a firearm of any type to carry out the planned and purposeful killing of innocents in public places. To this end I'd also advocate for giving law enforcement and school officials broader powers to investigate behavior identified by legitimate individuals as indicative of a person who may perpetrate a crime in the setting of public institutions (e.g., schools, theaters, courts, etc.), to reduce the number of single act deaths (mass shootings) with firearms.

[Dr. Strangelove]

President Trump spoke late Saturday to South Korean President Moon Jae-in amid increasing concerns in the White House that North Korea is not serious about striking a deal on denuclearization, which has complicated planning for the upcoming Singapore summit.

On the call, which lasted less than 30 minutes, Trump sought Moon’s interpretation of Pyongyang’s shift to a harder-line position last week, a sharp contrast to the more positive and constructive tone after Moon met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un last month, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the conversation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.5db43228a0f7

Wait...what? Kapture has assured us that Kim and Trump reached agreement months ago and are just acting out a well-crafted script to entertain the masses. This article must be fake news. Why, it even says Trump was given no heads up at all by either North Korea or China when Kim went to Beijing for the first time ever. FAKE!

[AlabamAlum]

Man-eating cougars in the PNW, and you fuckers want to talk Asia-politic and the Trump regime?

Disappointing...