Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[hack]

Seems to me that drawing distinctions as a whole is nitpicking. Religions dislike unconventional approaches. Why argue about which are the most draconian? Might as well discuss the nuances between different shades of black.

[iam416]

Really disagree with that. Religions are very disparate.

When it comes to gay folks, I reckon throwing them off a building vs. letting them be is worth nitpicking over. I imagine gay folks would choose the US over Russia and Russia over Saudi Arabia and it wouldn't really be nitpicking.

[Da Geezer]

A Labor MP was shot twice outside a library in England this morning. A 52-year-old man has been arrested. She (the MP) seems to have stepped into an argument between a "leave" and a"stay" supporter and the "leave" fellow shot her with a pistol. Both campaigns, (leave and stay) have suspended their campaigns.

My friends in Britain say this is "unheard of" and that pistols are outlawed. I'm not sure how rare this is. Does anyone know?

[Ghengis Jon]

Mike, the current generation, Gen Whatever, is addicted to public domain internet usage. Nothing is too flaky or too personal to post on social media. Gone are the days of true lone wolves like McVeigh. Today's political/religious psychopaths cannot function without using the internet. The only way these insignificant pieces of shit can attempt to validate their worthless selves is through making their presence known. (Look at the political screech boards today. Its a competition of who can be most extreme.) The radicalized don't need to compete, they need to associate - that's human nature - no man is an island. That's where you catch them. Websites where they self radicalize and forums where they establish like minded contacts to meet off-line.

The Balkanization of our country, geographic areas where ethnic groups close ranks against outsiders is another strong factor, not in our favor. People need to turn these not-so-hidden lunatics in. This is a problem that is not new. You can look at some black communities - even though a horrific murder may have occurred, no one will talk to the police. There is nothing to encourage cooperation - we have assholes like Trump spewing shit that does nothing for law abiding moslem Arab Americans to come forward. Just being "the right thing to do" is not enough. There is a perceived and possible real danger of retribution.

Since the US gov't owns most internet routers and gateways, perhaps it should block/take out jihadist websites, existing and as they pop up. Eliminate the easiest method that extremists use to recruit, radicalize and communicate with. Sure, it will be whack-a-mole. But you cut nutjobs off from their regular sites, you can find them as they look for new ones.

[Ghengis Jon]

My friends in Britain say this is "unheard of" and that pistols are outlawed. I'm not sure how rare this is. Does anyone know?

It is very rare. Firearms are kept at gov't installations. Removing them for shooting competitions and hunting is strenuously regulated. Very limited types of firearms are authorized.

My Brit friends tell me that most of the illegal firearms that have trickled in have a history from the IRA wars or are leftovers/war booty from WWII. But, like America, there is a black market and access is only restricted by the amount of money you have.

[THE_WIZARD_]

So is this Talent's way of coming out of the closet?

[Prime2]

Stop baiting OP.

Nice Hack, great choice, your color too. Perfect for announcing your "Coming-Out" of the closet party, with a bang!

So is this Talent's way of coming out of the closet?

Very Hack-like and creepy. Expected Talent to collect Stamps rather than gay countries.

[Mike]

UK has the lowest gun-related death rate in the world behind only Japan and Hong Kong.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate

[Dr. Strangelove]

A Labor MP was shot twice outside a library in England this morning. A 52-year-old man has been arrested. She (the MP) seems to have stepped into an argument between a "leave" and a"stay" supporter and the "leave" fellow shot her with a pistol. Both campaigns, (leave and stay) have suspended their campaigns.

My friends in Britain say this is "unheard of" and that pistols are outlawed. I'm not sure how rare this is. Does anyone know?

Reports say the mans gun appeared homemade. And she has now died. Not sure its right to call it an assassination if she stepped into a dispute between total strangers, but I can't recall a time when a British political figure was killed like this. Maybe during the IRA bomb waves of the 80's?

[Da Geezer]

Mike said:

As far as I can tell over the last several hundred posts since the Orlando shooting we have collectively come up with exactly zilch. Or at least no suggestions that won't encroach on constitutional and civil rights to varying degrees. This forum has a greater amount of intelligence than Congress so I'm not hopeful that Washington will get anything done.

Well, there have not been any "legislative" or top-down suggestions that have appeal. Prime2 said that he would like to see what would have happened if there had been a few armed patrons at Pulse. Last night, on CNN, a guest said that there had been only two "mass shootings" outside of gun-free zones since 1950. I don't know what that means, and the CNN talking head didn't follow up. Can anyone name a large scale shooting that took place in a location that allowed handguns? I can't see why allowing a licensed person to have a handgun would in any way violate any constitutional or civil right.

I thought Rocky had the best approach. He basically said that he had a right to defend himself and his family, and the bureaucrats be damned. Self-defense is a natural right of man. Period.

So, on a macro scale, profiling should be allowed. When Professor Gates was "profiled" by a neighbor, the media took that neighbor to task. Did the hubbub influence the neighbors of the San Bernardino killers? I say it did.

AG Lynch should stop threatening businesses with federal lawsuits if they fire a Muslim. There needs to be better communication within law enforcement, but this has not changed since 9/11, and it won't until our AG cares more about dead Americans than she does about political correctness.

And, as Trump tries to fashion a deal ("no fly-no buy"), for goodness sake ask yourself how a person gets on the no-fly list in the first place. Some bureaucrat just includes his name. You have to move heaven and earth to get off the list. This is like saying "Scalia is corrupt. Now prove he isn't". The adjudication of being put on the list should be before a person's inclusion, not after.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Looked it up. Ian Gow. Conservative MP killed by an IRA carbomb in 1990.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Gow

Before him, Lord Mountbatten. Uncle of Prince Phillip. Also killed by the IRA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Mountbatten,_1st_Earl_Mountbatten_of_Burma#Death

[hack]

Pages and pages of posts with nothing because there's one solution, and a loud, well-funded and resolute faction of the country won't hear it. But that's gonna change. McChrystal reduced it all to ``because people want what they want''. You'll get me to tune in to Fox only after prying the remote from my cold, dead hands, but apparently somebody there yesterday said it too. In addition to Bill O'Reilly talking about some form of control. Read the signs, folks. It's not going to be next week or next year, but there will be change.

[iam416]

LOL @ "solution" when roughly 80% of homicides are committed with guns illegally procured.

Some change may come, but the as long as the 2nd Amendment exists, we won't ever ban guns. Thank god.

Fortunately, the Founders provided a mechanism to address the 2nd Amendment.

[Da Geezer]

Pages and pages of posts with nothing because there's one solution, and the country won't hear it.

.....and that would be.....?

The editor of National Review said last night that yesterday's lead editorial in the NY Times was "the dumbest editorial in the history of the Times". Now, that covers a lot of ground! The Times editorialized that the fault for the shooting lay with the Republican Party and with anti-gay bigotry (being the same thing, apparently). What I do admire, grudgingly, is the left's ability to turn an act of terror into a gun-rights issue.

[iam416]

UK has the lowest gun-related death rate in the world behind only Japan and Hong Kong.

Venezuela....holy god...and apparently, it's become even worse over there...Jebus.

Re gun-deaths and Japan, e.g. -- suicides account for the majority of gun deaths in the US. The US rate for gun death suicides dwarfs Japan's, but Japan has more suicides and a much higher rate of suicide. Stats.

Another "stat" -- approximately 75% of gun-related homicides take place in 5% of the nation's zip codes. Where gun ownership is most prevalent, gun-related homicides are lower -- a result of economic factors, to be sure.