My Facebook Activism

[Machete]

I have a few rabid anti-gun people as friends on Facebook. One guy in particular that I get along with pretty well as an online friend is extremely vocal about his feelings on the subject. Every so often I write my own little diatribe. I just posted this earlier on my Facebook page. Disclaimer, reading my post might make you think I support banning handguns. I don't I'm just taking that angle to make a point.

As an aside, I convinced that super anti-gun guy that big game hunting in Africa is actually good for overall population of game animals. So, little victories.

Anyway, here is my Facebook post:

"Why are gun grabbers so fixated with "assault rifles"? The amount of people killed by "assault rifles" every year is infinitesimal compared to those killed with handguns. More people are killed with blunt objects, bare hands, or even shotguns than with "assault rifles". Not to mention the FBI doesn't separate "assault rifles" from regular vanilla rifles in their statistics, so who knows what the real stat is? Point is, if your going to ban weapons, ban them in order of documented deadliness. So yeah, ban handguns, but then you have to go in sequential order. So next comes knives or cutting tools, then blunt objects, then hands and feet, then shotguns, then rifles, then fire.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8"

 

[Black Knight]

As I understand it form a CDC study years ago the category that kills most people (even more than guns) is accidents in the home. Why not have the banners ban accidents in the home. Lets see how far they get with that.

 

[Trent]

I managed to get one of those devoutly anti-gun fellows I argued with on facebook to the range once, and won us a nice convert. He's gone through my concealed carry class now too.

It's the little victories that matter.

 

[230RN]

I got in an e-mail debate back in the late nineties (I should have known better) with an Australian (call him John) I met on line.

("He started it, Mommy !" No, really, he did.)

After I kept demolishing his points in a sequence of back and forth e-mails, I got an e-mail from "a friend of his" who said that John had unfortunately passed away, and that he was advising people who'd sent John e-mails of John's passing on John's computer as a favor to John's memory.

Yeah, sure.

I didn't even send back condolences.

That's one way to shut me up.

Pretend you're dead.

Terry

 

[mnrivrat]

Why are gun grabbers so fixated with "assault rifles"? The amount of people killed by "assault rifles" every year is infinitesimal compared to those killed with handguns.

Your warning was correct. I think you should have kept handguns out of that comparision as there are many other things to compare it too. Such as the 100,000 deaths per year due to medical treatment errors. (not to mention the ones crippled by medical errors - like me).

While handguns are used more often than long guns in crime, neither are near the top for causes of premature death in this country.

 

[Theohazard]

Why are gun grabbers so fixated with "assault rifles"? The amount of people killed by "assault rifles" every year is infinitesimal compared to those killed with handguns.

When arguing against gun control I think it's important to use correct terminology, but it seems like you're confusing the terms "assault rifle" and "assault weapon". The term "assault rifle" is a completely valid technical term that describes a rifle with a specific set of characteristics. However, the term "assault weapon" is a political term that refers to a made-up class of scary-looking firearms that are banned based on cosmetic features.

 

[Zach S]

Most of my few anti-gun friends have unfriended me because they got tired of me countering their emotional cries for gun control with facts and logic.

I was unfriended and blocked by one that was complaining about the NRA wanting to put guns in school... My reply was something along the lines of "Last week you wanted armed security in every school, and now you're demonizing the NRA because they agree, and are offering to train them for free?"

 

[GBExpat]

Keep in mind that when we buy/own them, many in the government refer them as Assault Weapons ... BUT ... when that same government's agencies/departments orders them for their employees they are Personal Defense Weapons (PDWs).

 

[doc2rn]

The most dangerous gun out there is the nail gun. It injures more men than any other implement in the home.

 

[scaatylobo]

Fbi = ucr

I question STRONGLY the fact that the FBI UCR [ uniform crime report ] does NOT list "good shootings" from police & citizens.

Justified shootings by police & citizens should NOT be included in the UCR,at least if they are they NEED to be listed in a different place.

I too go wackadoodle on FB about the RIGHT to keep & bear arms,all arms including knives.

 

[buck460XVR]

"Why are gun grabbers so fixated with "assault rifles"?

Probably the same reason so many folks are fixated with Facebook and the posting of rants there, along with the incessant pictures of cats with clever little anecdotes.


Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family and is what is is. Far too many folks think it's a clothesline.

 

[pockets]

Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family and is what is is. Far too many folks think it's a clothesline.

Absolutely correct! Thank you.


.

 

[Trent]

But I like pictures and videos of cats with clever anecdotes!

This thread has derailed.

The problem with social media is we get to see how mundane and uninteresting our society really is. Or maybe, the people that we THOUGHT were interesting, turn out to really not be all that interesting.

Kind of like putting lipstick on a pig.

I do like my "unfiltered" friends who speak their minds, though. There's a lot of angst out there against the powers that be.

If you tried it and think facebook sucks, find better groups to join.

 

[Sam Cade]

I question STRONGLY the fact that the FBI UCR [ uniform crime report ] does NOT list "good shootings" from police & citizens.

It does.


Homicides anyway.

Justifiable homicides with firearms by private citizens are incredibly rare, only about 200 a year. (Per capita that is one for every 1.6 million people, roughly)

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/uc....-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-15

 

[ZeSpectre]

Ya want a kicker, look up the death rate for stairs.

 

[lxd55]

Ya want a kicker, look up the death rate for stairs.

another kicker. machines people use everyday, anytime they want or need, for all things.
cars.