ChrisWeigant.com

For The 250th Time This Year...

[ Posted Monday, August 5th, 2019 – 17:07 UTC ]

In 2017, immediately after the Las Vegas shooting, I wrote a column titled "A Sad New Normal." It began:

Here we are again. We all know the drill by now. We all know pretty much what the eyewitnesses will say, what the talking heads on the television will say, and what the politicians will say. None of it ever seems to change, and none of it seems to change anything going forward, either. We go through the cycle of "mass gun attack" and hear the same words over again. We go through the cycle of grief which will then fade, right up to the time when it happens anew all over again. This is, sadly, the new normal for America.

It was a pretty pessimistic article, as you can see. There was ample reason for such pessimism, since even after the most horrific acts of gun violence imaginable, nothing ever seems to change. The debates are trotted out, there's a lot of fury and indignation, and then there is no concrete result and everything returns to normal until the next outrage committed by a mass shooter.

Four years earlier, after the Newtown school shooting shocked the country, President Barack Obama tasked Vice President Joe Biden with coming up with some answers on what could possibly be done. The title of the article I wrote back then was taken from Biden's lead-in quote: "There is no silver bullet." This article ends by outlining the reasonable expectations both sides in the gun control argument should have (but usually don't):

There is, as Vice President Biden pointed out, no silver bullet legislation that will fix the problem quickly and permanently. The pro-gun folks can rest assured that not a single gun will be confiscated as a result of any of these laws. The pro-gun-control folks need to realize that no matter what gains they make, tragic gun violence is not going to magically disappear like the morning dew. Those are the real margins of this debate. Both sides should enter into the debate with reasonable expectations of the outcome, even though they probably won't. New gun control laws will almost assuredly have only a limited effect in the real world. Perhaps over time, things will get better, but it's going to take a while to even see this positive effect. Perhaps a powerful weapon will be kept out of the hands of a sociopath in the future, which is indeed a worthy goal to attempt.

Biden is right. There is no silver bullet. But both Biden and Obama are also right to make the attempt at chipping away at the problem of mass gun violence. "The problem is too big" should no longer been seen as an excuse to do even the marginal things which Obama is now proposing. Marginal gains are better than no gains, magic bullets aside.

And yet, here we are again. In actual fact, we've been here many, many times between when these two articles were written and now. The Dayton shooting was the 250th such mass shooting this year alone. The past week's violence, however, was notable for the multiple mass shooting events which happened in quick succession. A garlic festival was attacked in Gilroy, California. A massacre happened in a store in El Paso, Texas. Within 24 hours of the Texas massacre, a nightclub shooting happened in Dayton, Ohio. It can happen anywhere, and last week, it did. That garlic festival is a short drive from where I live, I should mention, and that bar-hopping district in Dayton is where many of the people I went to college with would go to unwind (those who had a car -- a short drive from the campus was necessary to get there). Last week's shootings did not affect me personally, but they were pretty close to home in a very literal sense.

Looking back at what I wrote after Newtown and Las Vegas, I have to admit that the outcomes were rather ironic. After Newtown, I was very cautiously optimistic that something might indeed get done by the politicians. The entire article is what I would call starkly realistic about what to expect, which would only be an incremental solution at best. But with Obama and Biden pushing such an effort, perhaps the National Rifle Association could be defeated in Congress due to public pressure.

This, obviously, did not come to pass.

After Las Vegas, I was even more pessimistic, since if dead six-year-olds didn't move the political needle, I sincerely doubted anything would. However, President Donald Trump, to his credit, instructed his administration to make a rather drastic change in federal gun law. This was achieved by reinterpreting the existing laws, so congressional action was not needed.

This effort actually succeeded, much to my amazement. Only Nixon could go to China, I suppose.

What was even more astonishing was how far-reaching Trump's action was. I spent a large part of the article I wrote after Newtown discussing automatic weapons and the two laws that were passed to regulate them. Both had "grandfather clauses" which meant that all guns manufactured before the law went into effect were still legal. I summed this up towards the end of the article, while discussing a possible ban on assault rifles (which was a real possibility, after Newtown):

Gun laws are always going to change incrementally, at best, but that doesn't mean they aren't worth the effort of passing. Gun crimes with fully-automatic weapons are (mostly) a thing of the past, and that can directly be traced to laws passed in 1934 and 1986. There are fewer of them out there, no new ones can be bought, and the value of the guns themselves has grown so high that they're seen now (mostly) as collector pieces. Perhaps one day -- decades from now -- "assault rifles" will likewise be too valuable to contemplate using in criminal activity. But for the time being (even if a ban passes) there are over a million of them out there. That is not going to change overnight, even if Obama got everything he wanted from Congress. In fact, the only change that will likely happen is a bonanza for the manufacturers of such weapons, as people scramble to buy them before laws are passed. Who knows, maybe the number will top two million before Obama signs any such law? Even one of the best ideas in Obama's proposal -- closing all the loopholes to avoid background checks -- isn't going to change the total of guns that are already out there one bit.

I went into slightly more detail after Las Vegas, because the initial reports (based solely on the audio recordings of the slaughter) seemed to indicate that the shooter had fully-automatic weapons.

The gun control advocates will fight for change, but even when this change is (rarely) achieved, any new law will likely have a "grandfather clause" contained within it which allows anyone owning any weapon up to a certain date to continue to legally possess it. It's a little-known fact, but owning a fully-automatic Thompson submachine gun is still perfectly legal in this country. There are hoops to jump through to buy one, but they are usually not insurmountable. It will cost you a lot of money to buy a Tommy gun, because they are rare and historic. But there's no outright law banning you from buying one. Or any fully-automatic weapon made before the mid-1980s. And if you don't have the money or the time to deal with the red tape, you can just purchase a brand-new semiautomatic rifle and then buy a separate kit to transform it into a fully-automatic weapon (legal kits must also have been manufactured before the mid-1980s, but illegal kits are also available for a fraction of the price of a legal one).

I say all this because from the first (audio) reports, it seems the shooter in Las Vegas was using a fully-automatic weapon or weapons. And fully-automatic weapons are the most tightly regulated weapons around. But all the regulations didn't prevent him from what he did. Any law passed with a grandfather clause or other loopholes (like the conversion kits) means it is guaranteed not to be effective, in the end.

But Trump's action -- astonishingly -- completely avoided the "grandfather clause" problem. The shooter, it turned out, was using a "bump stock," which was a device invented recently to mimic fully-automatic gunfire from a rifle while still keeping within the legal boundaries of a semiautomatic weapon. It wasn't a conversion kit (which changes the actual shooting mechanism to fully-automatic fire), it was a legal dodge, essentially. This dodge worked for a number of years, which is why the Vegas shooter had multiple rifles fitted with bump stocks.

But then the Trump administration announced that it was classifying bump stocks as "machineguns" (the term used in the original 1934 law). Because of this reclassification, it was now illegal to manufacture or sell bump stocks. But the legal dodge of bump stocks was utterly defeated by a legal dodge from the regulators. The letter of the grandfather clause states that machineguns which are manufactured before the law went into effect in 1986 are still legal to possess. However, bump stocks weren't invented until years later -- meaning that all bump stocks are now considered illegal machineguns. Anyone possessing one was supposed to either turn it in or destroy it. In other words, no grandfather clause at all -- bump stocks are now completely banned and illegal for anyone to even possess. That's the most impressive change in gun law since 1986, and -- again, to his credit -- it came from Donald Trump's administration.

However, the ease of solving the bump stock problem was really a one-time opportunity that is not likely to be repeated in any way. It's not going to be anywhere near as easy to make any other gun control laws better, because all of them will have to go through Congress.

The House of Representatives under Nancy Pelosi has already acted. They've passed a universal background check bill and sent it over to the Senate. So the ball is squarely in Mitch McConnell's court, at this point. Further legislation, such as a federal "red flag" law that would indeed allow for confiscation of weapons after a judge ruled the owner was dangerously unstable, are also under consideration. But it's all up to Mitch, really, because if he doesn't allow the Senate to act, then nothing will change.

There has been a pendulum swing within the Democratic Party on gun control (or, as they now prefer to use, "gun safety laws"). This pendulum has historically gone back and forth. In the 1990s, Democrats passed an assault rifle ban, but then paid a heavy political price for doing so. This led Democrats to shy away from the issue for the next decade or so. It wasn't really until Newtown that Democrats began to move back towards being in favor of changing gun laws for the better, really. But the failure to get anything enacted back then was dispiriting, and many Democratic politicians began shying away from the issue once again.

Then the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida changed the political dynamic once again, after the survivors began to lead a new gun control movement. Since then, Democrats are increasingly speaking out on the issue once again. Gun control had remained a fairly minor issue in the presidential race up until last week, although Cory Booker had showed some real leadership on the issue. Most of the candidates were content to go with the bland "I'm for it if it happens someday" sort of lukewarm endorsement of the idea, except for a few notable exceptions like Booker.

That has now changed, obviously. Last week's carnage was so disturbing that once again gun safety is a major campaign issue. Democrats are already leading a charge to force Mitch McConnell to call the Senate back from their August recess to vote on the House bills they've already passed. Or to do something else on their own, such as passing a "red flag" bill. This is all entirely appropriate, since the Senate has been blocking all such action. But it will now resonate a lot stronger out on the presidential campaign trail as well. Denouncing Trump for fanning the flames of hatred is one thing, but pushing for better gun regulation is by far the more important, so it'll be interesting to hear each candidate's solid plans for doing so.

Perhaps last week gave the pendulum swing a big push. Perhaps the 250th mass shooting this year will change some minds. Perhaps something will actually happen as a result. As always, I prefer to stay cautiously optimistic, but that also means accepting yet another round of nothing at all happening. After Las Vegas there actually was a legal "magic bullet" that fixed the bump stock problem, but this time around there won't be. For anything to change, Congress is going to have to act. Will they? It's doubtful. Will the public outrage sustain itself farther than next week? That's the real question, because if everyone just moves on to fresher news stories, then the likelihood of nothing happening at all goes way up. If, however, it becomes a huge issue in all the town halls happening where congressmen have to face their constituents, then perhaps the political pressure will mount on Mitch McConnell to act. It could go either way, at this early stage, but the signs are somewhat encouraging so far.

-- Chris Weigant

 

Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant

 

103 Comments on “For The 250th Time This Year...”

  1. [1] 
    Kick wrote:

    Setting aside all the typical political palaver that perpetually accompanies a discussion of gun control, there is quite simply absolutely no reason whatsoever that civilians in America should be able to purchase firearms and accessories that were designed for the sole purpose of killing large amounts of people in a short amount of time. Full Stop.

  2. [2] 
    neilm wrote:

    The genie is out of the bag, and the gun nuts and the twisted view of the second amendment that they have foisted on the country is going to be with us for a long time.

    I know I sound like a broken record, but a gun registry, mandatory insurance, and forced responsibility is the only solution I can see.

    Another round of band aids on the massive wounds that high power weapons inflict on people is just what the NRA and the killers want - pretend we are doing something but let them get on with profits for bodies.

  3. [3] 
    neilm wrote:

    In another amusing but sad demonstration of Trump's complete mastery of stupidity, he has forced the Treasury to declare China a currency manipulator.

    This is because they let their currency weaken over the weekend. Of course, the action wasn't the problem for the old fool, it was the fact that they (very deliberately) insulted him in the process.

    China has some serious financial structural problems. The real value of their currency is probably 40% lower than it is now, so if they let the market set rates it would drop precipitously - they are in fact manipulating their currency - they are keeping it stronger.

    The beauty of this for China is that it allows them to have a mini-meltdown and blame it on Trump and let some of the more egregious zombie enterprises restructure while keeping their population ginned up on blaming Trump and America.

    Trump will try to get America all wound up with China, but the base don't really get worked up over China - they get off on hating female democrats and brown skinned people, China is not the bogeyman despite Trump's efforts.

    Beijing seem to have decided to ride out the next 18 months until they get somebody intelligent to deal with in D.C.

    You can't blame them. Trump is destroying America and our economy with his stupidity.

  4. [4] 
    Patrick wrote:

    Don't expect anything to happen on the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8)
    National Rifle Association lobbyists gave the reelection committee of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky $4,950 in June.
    Also the National Rifle Association spent $1.6 million during the first half of the year lobbying Congress against laws that would enact stricter background checks for people looking to buy guns.

  5. [5] 
    neilm wrote:

    Patrick [4]

    The money is a problem, but the real problem is a small, but single minded and electorally aggressive cadre of 2nd amendment true believers who make any Republican politician's life hell if they deviate from their extreme interpretation.

  6. [6] 
    dsws wrote:

    I don't want to pay the political costs of antagonizing normal gun owners. If I could wave a magic wand to make the second amendment go away and eliminate gun culture, sure, I would do it. But there are other issues I care more about.

  7. [7] 
    neilm wrote:

    Paula FTP [332] neilm: how does your filter work?

    It is a server side programs that looks for the author of a comment, identifies if it is in a spam list, and snips the comment out. It then displays the spam free version of the html.

    I just got bored trying to find real comments in the spam blast that seems to be getting worse.

  8. [8] 
    neilm wrote:
  9. [9] 
    TheStig wrote:

    Governor Dewine spoke (the usual platitudes) at the Oregon Vigil today and received a mixed reception from the crowd, many of whom joined into a "Do something NOW!" chant which drowned the Gov. out.

    Trump sent his regrets about the shooting to Toledo by mistake. That was not entirely surprising and actually completely in character. He's not a detail guy or overly burned by facts, cause and effect etc. These are not Constitutionally required of a President.

    Trump condemning racism was a surprise, you might even say he swallowed his dog whistle. There is no room for racism said Mr. Trump. That is technically true, because there is no building large enough to contain all his supporters.

    The Shooter chose a relatively hardened target for his attack. The Oregon District is always heavily policed, because there is a lot of alcohol being served to a mostly youngish crowd. The Police had the shooter mostly dead on the ground 48 seconds after he had fired his first round. A couple seconds later and the perp would have been inside the crowed bar he was rushing and you can imagine the consequences of that. There is a lot of security camera footage of action, and it something to behold. You really can't heap enough praise on the police response...or the medical response.

    I've had a load calls from my mostly East Coast relatives. They knew that none of the family were fatalities, but they couldn't or didn't eliminate the chance that some of us might have been hospitalized or traumatized. Same thing happened after the last tornado.

  10. [10] 
    neilm wrote:

    TS - it was the same last weekend in Gilroy - there were three layers of cops to get in - the last layer was very heavily staffed with cops with hand held metal detectors.

    Walking around the festival there were groups of cops, and also cops on horseback.

    This is probably why the number of people killed was higher in El Paso with a lower police presence.

    All we need is a gun/bullet tax to make sure there are dozens of cops on every street on every town in America at all times to ensure that the death toll stays below double digits - I'm sure gun owners will be happy to pay a $100,000 tax per weapon and $5,000 per bullet to make sure the rest of us are OK.

  11. [11] 
    Patrick wrote:

    Good article on repub bullshit.

    Politicians Keep Blaming Mass Shootings on Mental Health Issues. Doctors Say They're Wrong.

    Other countries have the same kind of mental health issues we have, the same kind of violent video games we have, the same religiosity that we have. All that stuff is just a distraction” from the need for better gun control.

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/mentalhealth/politicians-keep-blaming-mass-shootings-on-mental-health-issues-doctors-say-theyre-wrong/ar-AAFnp8a?li=BBnb7Kz

  12. [12] 
    Steedo wrote:

    CW refers to the restrictions on full-auto weapons known as a Class 3 license. This allows the advanced collector to own traditional machine guns but only in a highly regulated manner. The license itself is costly with a thorough background check and the guns are often in the $10K range to buy. The cost and hassle discourage all but the most serious owners.
    Perhaps such a license could be implemented for so-called assault weapons with a commission of military and police experts to help Congress arrive at a proper definition and determine which weapons would be banned from public sale. This would remove the common military weapons (AR-15, AK-47, Mini-14, SKS and similar) from the civilian market but still allow the serious collector to own these weapons under a heavily regulated class of ownership.
    This won't stop mass shootings but it could put a dent in the body counts. With 2 minutes training your grandmother could kill a whole room full of folks with an AR-15 because it is a well designed military weapon and is easy to operate. Skill with a handgun requires practice and very few deer rifles and hunting shotguns have high enough capacity magazines to kill dozens at a time.
    As a bonus, it is fully compatible with the 2nd Amendment mandate that firearms be "well-regulated" by the government. Seems a practical first step.

  13. [13] 
    Michale wrote:

    Looking back at what I wrote after Newtown and Las Vegas, I have to admit that the outcomes were rather ironic. After Newtown, I was very cautiously optimistic that something might indeed get done by the politicians. The entire article is what I would call starkly realistic about what to expect, which would only be an incremental solution at best. But with Obama and Biden pushing such an effort, perhaps the National Rifle Association could be defeated in Congress due to public pressure.

    This, obviously, did not come to pass.

    And it was DEMOCRATS who defeated the measures..

    Chew on that for a while..

    But Trump's action -- astonishingly -- completely avoided the "grandfather clause" problem. The shooter, it turned out, was using a "bump stock," which was a device invented recently to mimic fully-automatic gunfire from a rifle while still keeping within the legal boundaries of a semiautomatic weapon. It wasn't a conversion kit (which changes the actual shooting mechanism to fully-automatic fire), it was a legal dodge, essentially. This dodge worked for a number of years, which is why the Vegas shooter had multiple rifles fitted with bump stocks.

    Anyone who knows ANYTHING about guns know that bumpstocks are only good for making a lot of noise and putting a LOT of lead in the air way way WAY above the target..

    It's a GOOD thing that the Vegas scumbag used bumpstocks.. The death rate would have been triple if he had not..

    The House of Representatives under Nancy Pelosi has already acted. They've passed a universal background check bill and sent it over to the Senate.

    We already HAVE universal background checks.. The only thing not covered under those checks is gifts between family members..

    The gunshow loophole is a myth..

    There is not ONE single Crowd Based Mass Shooting that would have been stopped by a background check..

    I'll ask again but I know ya'all simply can't answer..

    Give me a law that will prevent or help prevent Crowd Based Mass Shootings and is allowable under the 2nd Amendment.

    You can't..

    And here we are..

  14. [14] 
    Michale wrote:

    Perhaps such a license could be implemented for so-called assault weapons with a commission of military and police experts to help Congress arrive at a proper definition and determine which weapons would be banned from public sale.

    The "definition" has already been established..

    "Assault Rifle" are weapons that LOOK scary.. :eyeroll:

    https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iwO6lAbqJD8/maxresdefault.jpg

    Identical firepower..

    Identical ammunition..

    Identical capacity..

    Identical muzzle velocity..

    Identical range..

    Yet Democrat morons who are ignorant of guns want to ban the bottom one, but the top one is perfectly acceptable..

    So, you're solution is to ban all of the guns that similar specs..

    Guess what, sunshine..

    That's ALL guns..

    You CAN'T have your gun ban.. The 2nd Amendment won't allow it..

    It's THAT simple...

  15. [15] 
    Michale wrote:

    This won't stop mass shootings but it could put a dent in the body counts.

    Yea??? You can get similar body counts with a handgun and a good sized clip?

    You going to ban handguns next??

    The TOOL used is irrelevant..

    That's the point you people simply refuse to understand..

  16. [16] 
    Michale wrote:

    As a bonus, it is fully compatible with the 2nd Amendment mandate that firearms be "well-regulated" by the government. Seems a practical first step.

    Actually, the "well regulated" part refers to the militia, NOT to the "arms" themselves..

    You don't get to rewrite the 2nd Amendment to suit your hysterical gun-hating agenda..

    Sorry dood.. Not allowed..

  17. [17] 
    Michale wrote:

    Skill with a handgun requires practice and very few deer rifles and hunting shotguns have high enough capacity magazines to kill dozens at a time.

    Totally factually not accurate..

    MANY Hunting rifles have the EXACT capacity as your fantasy "assault rifles" have..

    You're really just showing your ignorance here..

  18. [18] 
    Michale wrote:

    Good article on repub bullshit.

    Good propaganda from a Left Wing Source here

    There.. Fixed it for you..

    Yer welcome...

  19. [19] 
    Michale wrote:

    All we need is a gun/bullet tax to make sure there are dozens of cops on every street on every town in America at all times to ensure that the death toll stays below double digits - I'm sure gun owners will be happy to pay a $100,000 tax per weapon and $5,000 per bullet to make sure the rest of us are OK.

    All we need is a free speech tax to make sure that we can hire more cops to police the riots and protests..

    I am sure those who want to exercise their free speech will happily pay $1000 per word for their speech to make sure the rest of us are OK..

    You really are a sad simple creature, aren't you neil..

    :eyeroll: moron

  20. [20] 
    Michale wrote:

    Trump sent his regrets about the shooting to Toledo by mistake. That was not entirely surprising and actually completely in character. He's not a detail guy or overly burned by facts, cause and effect etc. These are not Constitutionally required of a President.

    Joe Biden sent his regrets to Houston and Michigan by mistake..

    That was entirely not surprising and actually completely in character..

    You didn't whine and complain about Biden's faux pas...

    THAT is also not surprising and completely in the character of a Party slave and bigot..

  21. [21] 
    Michale wrote:

    @DSWS

    I don't want to pay the political costs of antagonizing normal gun owners.

    Once again, the voice of logic and reason..

    EXACTLY...

    According to the CDC, guns are used in self-defense an average of 1.5 MILLION times a year... That means at LEAST 1.5 million Americans PER YEAR are alive because of the 2nd Amendment.. CDC estimates the high end of that stat to be around 3 MILLION times a year.. That DOUBLES the lives saved.. Add in to that the fact that it's more than likely that MULTIPLE LIVES were saved in each incident and it's likely that approximately 5 MILLION lives each year are saved by the 2nd Amendment..

    Are you SURE you would want to wave your magic wand and be responsible for their deaths??

    Guns are a fact of American life...

    When we moved from the horse and buggy to the automobile, 30,000 automobile deaths became the new normal.. Americans had to accept that as the price freedom..

    A third of that number is gun violence deaths... Americans have to accept that as the price of freedom..

    It's sad, true.. But it's also factual..

    The alternative is to take away guns from law-abiding Americans and have an EXTRA 5 million deaths a year from people who were unable to defend themselves or their loved ones..

    I am pretty sure that's not what you want.. I know it's not what I want..

    The rest of these people?? I am not so sure about.. It's probable that they would rejoice at all those Trump supporters being killed.. :^/

  22. [22] 
    Michale wrote:

    In another amusing but sad demonstration of Trump's complete mastery of stupidity, he has forced the Treasury to declare China a currency manipulator.

    That's off topic.. Try to stay on topic, mister...

  23. [23] 
    Michale wrote:

    I know I sound like a broken record, but a gun registry, mandatory insurance, and forced responsibility is the only solution I can see.

    Yea.. You do.. Quit SPAMMING..

    Registry and insurance are not permissible under the 2nd Amendment any more than registry and insurance are permissible under the 1st Amendment..

    Further, it's BLATANTLY obvious that registry and insurance would have ZERO effect on Crowd Based Mass Shootings..

    All you have is WOULDN'T IT BE NICE laws that will do nothing to stop CBMSs, are NOT allowable under the 2nd Amendment and is ONLY designed to serve the Democrats hysterical gun hating agenda..

    That's all you have..

  24. [24] 
    Michale wrote:

    After Las Vegas there actually was a legal "magic bullet" that fixed the bump stock problem, but this time around there won't be

    And how well did that "magic bullet" prevent subsequent Crowd Based Mass Shootings??

    Had absolutely NO EFFECT...

    And therein lies the perfect object lesson for all of ya'all if you were open-minded enough to learn it..

    There is no law you can come up with that will stop or help stop CBMSs and is allowable under the 2nd Amendment..

    The bump stock ban is ludicrous. Mass shooters who use bump stocks will cause LESS deaths than those who do not..

    I know it's utterly useless for ya'all to learn this lesson..

    And you won't learn this lesson because ya'all's goal is a gun ban..

    And, unless you can get rid of the 2nd Amendment, you will never get what you want.

    EVER...

  25. [25] 
    Michale wrote:

    Setting aside all the typical political palaver that perpetually accompanies a discussion of gun control, there is quite simply absolutely no reason whatsoever that civilians in America should be able to purchase firearms and accessories that were designed for the sole purpose of killing large amounts of people in a short amount of time. Full Stop.

    And you are completely and totally wrong..

    EVERY semi-automatic firearm, rifles AND handgun, can fit your politically-spun definition..

    A Glock 19 can carry up to 31 rounds in it's clip, 32 if combat loaded..

    And, if yer facing a gang who is bent on killing you or your family, the ability to "kill large amounts of people" is a real plus.. Wouldn't you say??

    "That gun takes a 14 shot clip. You expecting an army?"
    "No. Just a division."

    -SERPICO

    Let's face reality here.. The ONLY criteria for banning is something looks scary...

    The firepower, capacity, muzzle velocity... all of it is completely irrelevant..

    Because ALL of it is similar in lethality...

    Democrats want to reduce things to you can own a gun but you have to have it locked in one safe and a single bullet allowed is locked in another safe..

    And THAT will never happen under the 2nd Amendment..

    It's THAT simple..

    You people have had all the laws possible..

    No more restrictions are allowed under the 2nd Amendment..

    Get used to that fact...

  26. [26] 
    Michale wrote:

    The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.

    The Amendment’s prefatory clause announces a purpose, but does not limit or expand the scope of the second part, the operative clause. The operative clause’s text and history demonstrate that it connotes an individual right to keep and bear arms.

    The prefatory clause comports with the Court’s interpretation of the operative clause. The “militia” comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense. The Antifederalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved.

    The Court’s interpretation is confirmed by analogous arms-bearing rights in state constitutions that preceded and immediately followed the Second Amendment.

    The Second Amendment’s drafting history, while of dubious interpretive worth, reveals three state Second Amendment proposals that unequivocally referred to an individual right to bear arms.

    Interpretation of the Second Amendment by scholars, courts and legislators, from immediately after its ratification through the late 19th century also supports the Court’s conclusion.
    -Supreme Court Of The United States
    DC v HELLER, 2008

    Oh, and just as an aside to Neil, my handy dandy stats keeper..

    There is NOTHING in the SCOTUS ruling that would indicate Registry and Insurance requirements would be allowable under the 2nd Amendment..

    Once again..

    Ya'all have hysterical bullshit..

    And I have FACTS...

    Class dismissed... :D

  27. [27] 
    Michale wrote:

    Denouncing Trump for fanning the flames of hatred is one thing,

    While ignoring Warren for fanning those same flames of hatred...

    Which PROVES it's nothing more than partisan politics.. No one really CARES about those people who were killed..

    It's SOLELY about pushing a Party agenda.. :eyeroll:

  28. [28] 
    Michale wrote:

    The Dayton shooting was the 250th such mass shooting this year alone.

    This is simply not factually accurate..

    And using such an inflated and hysterical stat is indicative of the problem..

    Fear-mongering SOLELY for the purposes of pushing a Party agenda..

    I would ask for the source of your stat, but it would only be another Anti-Trump source that really has no bearing in reality..

    Until people can lose the hysteria and lose the Party agenda, NOTHING will ever get done..

  29. [29] 
    Michale wrote:

    That's the most impressive change in gun law since 1986, and -- again, to his credit -- it came from Donald Trump's administration.

    I need to repeat that in BOLD..

    That's the most impressive change in gun law since 1986, and -- again, to his credit -- it came from Donald Trump's administration.

    Thank you CW....

    The most impressive gun law, from a DEMOCRAT'S view, since 1986, came from President Donald Trump's Administration...

    Thank you, CW... Thank you, Thank You, Thank You...

    You just HAVE to know yer probably gonna regret saying that, right?? :D

  30. [30] 
    Michale wrote:

    "The 'good guy with a gun' is a myth."
    -Neil

    June 14, Winston, Missouri: Several civilians, one of whom was legally carrying a firearm, came to the defense of a wounded female police officer after the restrained inmate she was transporting seized her service weapon, shot her, and commandeered the vehicle. The civilians witnessed the attack and followed the police vehicle until it came to a stop, where the armed civilian held the inmate at gunpoint while the other men pulled him out of the car. One witness later recounted, “If the Good Samaritan hadn’t threatened to use deadly force, the situation could have ended very differently [for the police officer].”

    A police officer's LIFE was saved by "good guys with guns"...

    I'll continue to post the FACTS regarding the bullshit claim until it's retracted...

  31. [31] 
    Michale wrote:

    OK, let's play with some numbers here..

    Yearly, approximately 10,000 people are killed by gun violence.. It's unknown how many of those 10,000 people DESERVED to die due to committing crimes and such..

    But let's say, for this sake of this comment, that each and every one of those 10,000 were completely innocent and did NOT deserve to die..

    So, we're at 10,000 innocent victims..

    OK, in order to pad the fear-mongering stats, some people like to throw in gun suicides.. I don't.. "Violence" connotates actions against other people.. But, hay.. For the purposes of this comment, we'll add suicides to the gun violence stat..

    That brings the total of gun violence deaths to approx 30,000 per year..

    Note that I am giving the anti-gun crowd the benefit of EVERY doubt here..

    OK, now lets take a look at the CDC stat regarding gun use in self-defensive purposes..

    CDC estimates that anywhere from 500,000 times to 3 million times a year, guns are used in self-defense.. It's also reasonable to predicate that, since deadly force was employed that loss of life would have been the result if deadly forced had not been applied..

    And, once again, giving the gun hating crowd the benefit of the doubt, we will use the absolute LOWEST number by the CDC...

    500,000 times a year, a gun is used to save a life.. Or 2.. or 3... or more.. But, again, giving the anti-gun crowd the benefit of the doubt, we'll just go with 1 life is saved...

    Now, as you see, I have bent over backwards to give the anti-gun crowd EVERY advantage when it comes to interpreting the numbers..

    And, even with this HUGE advantage, the numbers paint the factual picture..

    30,000 "innocent" lives are taken by gun violence every year..

    BUT....

    500,000 TRULY innocent lives are SAVED every year...

    SIXTEEN times the number of lives are SAVED every year..

    And, if I were to AVERAGE the numbers and exclude suicides, which is more than reasonable, the disparity would be MUCH larger...

    The numbers don't lie, people..

    16 times more people are saved than are killed, thanx to the 2nd Amendment..

    Now, does anyone here want to condemn those 500 THOUSAND Americans to death simply to push their Party's agenda??

    Anyone??? Anyone??? Buehler???

    Once again, if there is a fault in my logic... By all means..

    Point it out...

    DSWS, JL, I am looking at ya'all for that.. :D

  32. [32] 
    Michale wrote:

    "This is a president who has said things no other president has said since Andrew Jackson. Nobody said anything like the things he's saying."
    -Joe Biden

    "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin"
    -Barack Hussein Obama

    "The cops acted stupidly"
    -Barack Hussein Obama

    'nuff said...

  33. [33] 
    Michale wrote:

    EXCLUSIVE: Man who drove with Dayton mass shooter and sister before massacre was his best friend - who Dayton Scumbag then shot and is now cops' best hope of finding motive for murders

    The man who drove to Dayton with Dayton Scumbag shooter before his mass shooting can be revealed as Charles 'Chace' Beard, 24, the gunman's best friend

    Beard was shot and critically wounded outside the Ned Peppers Bar - where Betts also gunned down his own sister Megan

    The three had driven from their family homes in Dayton suburb of Bellbrook to the Oregon District before scumbags' mass shooting early Sunday morning

    Beard and Megan are not believed to be romantically involved; he is said to be in a relationship with another woman but was friends with scumbag at high school

    Confusingly, Beard was also on 'kill list' of targets he drew up when he was at the school

    Revelation will deepen mystery over motive for scumbags' mass shooting, which cops do not believe was linked to the El Paso shooting the previous day

    Beard will be key witness but it is unclear if he has been able to help police yet; his parents spoke to officers Monday

    I can't link the above article, as the URL contains the scumbag's name and I refuse to post the name of scumbag mass shooters..

    Google it if you want to read the whole article..

    But it's interesting who this Warren supporter targeted.. It's going to be fascinating to find out how Warren's constant spewage of hate against Trump, Trump voters and corporations ties in to the Dayton massacre...

  34. [34] 
    Michale wrote:

    It's interesting to note that the Dayton scumbag shooter exhibited signs of mental instability for a decade before he went on his rampage...

    Once again, the mental health system broke down and allowed this scumbag to continue on the path that ultimately lead to the massacre...

    NO gun law compatible with the 2nd Amendment would have prevented the Dayton massacre..

    But stronger mental health laws would have...

  35. [35] 
    Michale wrote:

    https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/preview/mol/2019/08/05/2368343322889505764/636x382_MP4_2368343322889505764.mp4

    That's what heroism looks like... Good guys with guns stopping the bad guy with a gun...

  36. [36] 
    Michale wrote:

    Neil, my little stat-keeper, Neil...

    "Meg, Meg, Meg my little NUT, Meg.."
    -Hades, HERCULES

    Yunno, if you are complaining about my percentages being so high, you DO have an option that is actually under your control..

    Asking me to post less is a no-brainer and simply won't happen..

    So.... To get my percentages down, the ONLY logical response would be for ya'all to post MORE...

    What?? Ya'all don't any facts to post??

    Well, hay.. That's not MY fault.. ;D

    Keep posting my stats... I love to see the raw numbers on how I am kicking all ya'all's asses.. :D

  37. [37] 
    Michale wrote:

    In actual fact, we've been here many, many times between when these two articles were written and now. The Dayton shooting was the 250th such mass shooting this year alone.

    TIMELINE OF MASS SHOOTINGS
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/recent-mass-shootings-in-the-us-a-timeline/ar-AAFkzcy

    There have been 3 this year.. That's a tad lower than 250...

    I'm just sayin... :^/

  38. [38] 
    Michale wrote:

    El Paso Mayor Dee Margo told reporters at an afternoon news conference that Trump would visit the city on Wednesday. The mayor asked that the visit amid a divisive gun control debate not be politicized.
    http://news.trust.org/item/20190805223505-y7gd4

    Too late...

    Democrats are already politicizing the visit..

    :eyeroll:

  39. [39] 
    Michale wrote:

    Joe Biden compares Donald Trump to the Ku Klux Klan as Democratic front-runner claims president's rhetoric proves he has 'abandoned the theory that we are one people'
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7324427/Biden-compares-Trump-Ku-Klux-Klan-claims-president-abandoned-national-unity.html

    This is ironic since Biden belongs to the Party that created the KKK..

    It's doubly ironic because President Trump is the ONLY one who wants to bring together ALL Americans..

    It's the Democrat Party who is the Party that wants to allow illegal immigrant criminals (Crimmigrants) into our country...

    It's the Democrat Party who places Crimmigrant welfare before Americans welfare...

  40. [40] 
    Michale wrote:

    The second shooting was carried out by a political liberal who expressed admiration for socialists in Congress.

    Funny that NO ONE here wants to talk about THAT shooting, eh??

    Talk about your inconvenient facts, eh?? :eyeroll:

  41. [41] 
    Michale wrote:

    'Nobody's said anything like the things he's saying,' Biden claimed, without quoting Trump. But he said the president's words serve to 'legitimate' the views of bigots and give them safe harbor to 'speak out and be more straightforward.'

    'We went through this before in the '20s with the Ku Klux Klan,' he said, '50,000 people walking down Pennsylvania Avenue in pointed hats and robes because they in fact decided they didn't want any Catholics coming into the country.'

    Don't forget to mention that they were ALL Democrats, Joe.

    'We went through it after the Civil War in terms of the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacy.

    Yep... Once again, ALL Democrats..

    'This is about separating people into the good and bad in his mind.'

    Why, yes it is, Joe..

    Good: American citizens..

    Bad: Crimmigrants...

    That is the ONLY divisiveness that comes from President Trump..

    That's WHY he was elected President...

  42. [42] 
    Michale wrote:

    According to gun hating fanatics:

    https://www.ammoland.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Marlin-model-60-17-rd-magazine-600-e1564928679139.jpg

    This is an "assault rifle".... :eyeroll:

  43. [43] 
    Michale wrote:

    Since Neil established that off-topic is OK.. :D

    Remind me again how minimum wage increase will be good for business...???

    New York City businesses struggle after minimum wage increase
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-city-businesses-struggle-to-keep-up-after-minimum-wage-increase

    I seem to have forgotten, what with all the FACTS to the contrary.... :eyeroll:

  44. [44] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hay Neil...

    Can you post the stats of the percentage of FACTS to ya'all's bullshit??

    A down and dirty estimate is 73.81% Facts (mine) 26.19% Bullshit (ya'all)

    Does that sound about right?? :D

    This was a really good idea, you tracking my comments.. I guess that's how you "ignore" me, eh?? :D

    Keep up the good work.. :D

  45. [45] 
    TheStig wrote:

    Neilm-9

    There was nothing special going on in the Oregon District, it was a nice night and there was a typical crowd of diverse people (race, sex and age) enjoying a night out at the restaurants and pubs. I have not heard of any special security precautions. No barriers, wands etc. The area is always heavily and visibly patrolled by police, because it is an obvious potential flash point. Six officers responded at the run to the first shots. The shooter was identified and neutralized within 30 seconds according to the Chief of Police. Rapid, rapid coordinated response by a well prepared professionals (police and medical) minimized the body count. A few more seconds delay and the carnage would have been a lot worse.

  46. [46] 
    neilm wrote:

    Hi:

    If you want some insight into the currency situation with China, and why Trump is being particularly stupid this time round, there is an article about Kyle Bass that is interesting.

    I don't align with Kyle Bass from an investment perspective, but his analysis is sound.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-05/kyle-bass-warns-yuan-could-sink-another-40-if-pboc-pulls-support

  47. [47] 
    Michale wrote:

    Rapid, rapid coordinated response by a well prepared professionals (police and medical) minimized the body count. A few more seconds delay and the carnage would have been a lot worse.

    Yep.. Good guys with guns win every time...

  48. [48] 
    Michale wrote:

    I don't align with Kyle Bass from an investment perspective, but his analysis is sound.

    TRANSLATION: I don't agree with him unless he is bashing President Trump.. Then I love him!!

    Yer welcome....

  49. [49] 
    neilm wrote:

    The coordinated activity over the weekend:

    1. Letting the yuan drop below the emotionally significant level of 7.0, plus
    2. Announcing that all Ag products purchases from the U.S. would stop

    were so blatantly designed to elicit this response from Trump that it even surprises me, somebody who thinks he is as dumb as a bad of rocks, that he fell for it.

    As I state earlier, Beijing have given up on this round of negotiations. They have decided to hurt our farmers even more and mitigate tariffs by letting their currency slip (and the market will take it a lot further if the Chinese slow down their support of the yuan).

    This is a really special kind of stupid.

  50. [50] 
    Michale wrote:

    This is a really special kind of stupid.

    Yea.. You keep saying that..

    And yet, you are ALWAYS wrong...

    Your analysis would be more valuable if it weren't influenced SOLELY by Party bigotry..

    But, then again, you HONEST analysis would be beneficial to President Trump..

    And you simpy CAN'T have that...

    I get it..

  51. [51] 
    Michale wrote:

    Jesse Watters: 'No way' democratic socialist convention disruption 'could've been real'
    https://www.foxnews.com/media/jesse-watters-democratic-socialist-convention-disruption

    Yea.. Sad thing is, it was likely VERY real.. :eyeroll:

  52. [52] 
    Michale wrote:

    THIS IS A DISGRACE
    White House slams Dems for making shootings about Trump, fundraising off tragedy

    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-slams-dems-for-making-shootings-about-trump-fundraising-off-tragedy

    Democrats LOVE these crowd based mass shootings..

    It's simply another avenue that ya'all can attack President Trump over..

    I betcha when Dumbocrats get together, they high-five each other. "Awesome!!! Another mass shooting!! Let's hope it's a REALLY HIGH body count!!!!"

    That's today's Democrat Party... :eyeroll:

  53. [53] 
    Michale wrote:

    The White House hit back Tuesday at Democratic presidential candidates who have faulted President Trump’s rhetoric and even branded him a racist in the wake of the weekend's back-to-back mass shootings, accusing them of grandstanding while doing little to solve the problem.

    Counselor Kellyanne Conway, in an interview on "Fox & Friends," said Trump is “trying to bring the country together and heal a nation.” And she slammed Democrats for fundraising off the shootings that left 31 people dead.

    “There is a huge difference ... between running your mouth and running for president, and being the president and trying to bring together a nation,” Conway said on “Fox & Friends.” “The president did not respond in kind. They politicized this over the weekend. They all blamed him and I want to name and shame them now. ... They want to be president? He is the president. And he is trying to bring the country together and have bipartisan, bicameral steps.”

    Democrats are simply disgusting Political creatures who see EVERYTHING thru the prism of their Party slavery...

    They are completely and utterly disgusting..

    "Never let a serious crisis go to waste"
    -Rahm Emanuel

    "We MUST politicize these tragedies"
    -Barack Hussein Obama

    THAT is the Dumbocrat frame of mind....

    Utterly and unequivocally disgusting..

  54. [54] 
    Michale wrote:

    WSJ: The Dayton killer was a left-winger, but don't blame Elizabeth Warren
    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/dayton-killer-left-winger-elizabeth-warren

    Fair enough..

    As soon as the Hysterical Left stop blaming President Trump for El Paso..

    Yea.. Like THAT will ever happen.. :eyeroll: morons..

  55. [55] 
    Michale wrote:

    Classmate Says Dayton Shooter Targeted Her in High School: ‘We Predicted He Would Do This’

    Jessica Masseth said she called police on Connor Betts about his list of people he wanted to kill. A decade later, he committed a massacre.
    https://tinyurl.com/yxnfc4fk

    The Dayton scumbag shooter was identified as a potential shooter a DECADE before he killed..

    But Democrat Policy of coddling criminals and protecting privacy and social justice prevented this scumbag from being stopped..

    The blood of every Dayton victim is on the hands of the Democrat Party...

  56. [56] 
    Michale wrote:

    “He basically got a slap on the wrist. If he was only held accountable, this shooting would have never happened because he wouldn’t have been able to buy any firearms. There are levels of failure here.”
    -Classmate of Scumbag Dayton Shooter

    Thank you Dumbocrat Party for coddling this scumbag and allowing him to kill...

  57. [57] 
    Michale wrote:

    Since Neil insists on going OFF TOPIC... :D

    Trump Doubles Down On The China Trade War

    If 1989 was the historical moment to squeeze the Soviet Union, then 2019 is the historical moment to squeeze China.
    https://nationalinterest.org/feature/trump-doubles-down-china-trade-war-71561

    President Trump knows more about business than Neil could EVER hope to know..

    President Trump is going to do to China what Reagan did to the USSR... :D

    And it's gonna be glorious!! :D

  58. [58] 
    Michale wrote:

    House Democrats passed two bills this year that dealt with guns. One extended background checks to include gun purchases made at gun shows and on the Internet. The other ­extended the waiting time for those flagged by the national check system to 10 days, from the current three, giving the FBI more time to research gun buyers.

    Though neither undermined the Second Amendment, both were dead on arrival in the GOP-majority Senate after a Trump veto threat.

    Trump should publicly tell Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he wants the bills enacted, while also stating his support for some form of red-flag legislation, aimed at keeping guns away from the mentally ill.

    OK.. Fair enough...

    We already have background checks for 99% of gun purchases across the country.. If you want to 100% background checks, even though it's a fact that no background check would have prevented ANY Crowd Based Mass Shooting, you can have your 100% Background Checks..

    In exchange you agree to Universal Nationawide Reciprocity for Concealed Weapons permit holders..

    Deal???

  59. [59] 
    Michale wrote:

    Remind me again of the "peace" and "tolerance" of the Left Wing???

    FAR-LEFT PROTESTERS DESCEND ON MITCH MCCONNELL’S HOME, THREATEN TO “STAB THE MOTHERFUCKER IN THE HEART” Disgusting harassment caught on camera.
    https://tinyurl.com/y4k5vjmk

    I seem to have forgotten, what with all the FACTS that prove otherwise..

    :eyeroll:

  60. [60] 
    Michale wrote:

    “Far-left protesters are at Mitch McConnell’s Kentucky home,” tweeted Ryan Saavedra. One person says they hope someone uses a “voodoo doll” on McConnell. Another says they want someone to “just stab the mother f*cker in the heart”. These are the people who want to take your guns.”

    I'll be happy to give them my guns.. One bullet at a time.. :^/

  61. [61] 
    Michale wrote:

    The person who made the threats is part of a Facebook group that are Elizebeth Warren supporters..

    I guess Warren sure attracts a lot of violent scumbags...

    :eyeroll:

  62. [62] 
    Michale wrote:

    “We’re at McConnell’s house. This bitch think he about to get some rest … Fuck Mitch! … He’s in there nursing his little broken arm, he should have broken his little raggedy wrinkled ass neck,” said another protester.

    Yea... Peaceful.. Respectful... Tolerant..

    THAT describes Dumbocrats :eyeroll:

  63. [63] 
    Michale wrote:

    "Fuck yo neck, bitch. ... Must be nice to have healthcare, bitch. ... Murder Turtle! Murder Turtle! Murder Turtle! ... Thoughts and prayers, bitch. ... Fuck yo thoughts and prayers ... Fuck you, fuck yo wife, fuck everything you stand for"

    Ahhh yes... The typical Democrat... :eyeroll:

    Yunno.. That sounds like Paula!!! :D

  64. [64] 
    Michale wrote:

    Galveston officers on horseback seen leading handcuffed man with rope
    https://abc13.com/5445603/

    HA!! Gotta love Texas!! :D

  65. [65] 
    Michale wrote:

    You have to wonder if anyone here has actually read the El Paso scumbag's Manifesto...

    Not only does it make clear that his actions had NOTHING to do with President Trump, but there are very clear and obvious references to Left Wing agendas..

    Right off the bat..

    “The Inconvenient Truth About Me.”

    Hmmmmmm Sounds like Al Gore and his "Inconvenient Truth"....

    So, obviously Al Gore is to blame for El Paso.. :eyeroll:

    But there's more.. The manifesto goes on and on about how the evil corporations are destroying the environment.. Sounds like Occasional Cortex and Elizabeth Warren are to blame for El Paso..

    So, if someone wants to spin things, as ya'all do incessantly, it could easily be spin'ed to "prove" that Al Gore and Occasional Cortex are to blame for El Paso..

    It's already a given that Warren is to blame for Dayton..

    Once again.. Ya'all have hysterical bullshit..

    And I have facts...

    Probably about 80% Facts (me) and 20% Bullshit (ya'all)...

    Right, little stat-boy!?? :D

    heheheheheheehehehehhehehe

  66. [66] 
    Michale wrote:

    "Do they have a name for what's wrong with you?"
    -Will Robinson, LOST IN SPACE

    Apparently, there IS a name for what ya'all suffer from..

    Hoplophobia is a political neologism coined by retired American military officer Jeff Cooper as a pejorative to describe an "irrational aversion to weapons." It is also used to describe the "fear of firearms" or the "fear of armed citizens."
    Hoplophobia - Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoplophobia

    Learn something new every day... :D

  67. [67] 
    Michale wrote:

    More info on the Dayton Left Winger that shot up the street in front of a popular bar...

    This scumbag was a fanatical Left Winger.. Always railing against cops and President Trump.. Always cheering on the socialist Democrats. A rabid Occasional Cortex and Warren fanatic..

    Funny how the Left simply ignores that guy...

    #sad

  68. [68] 
    Michale wrote:

    The Dayton Murderer Is Proof We Need To Take Left-Wing Violence Seriously
    https://forward.com/opinion/428960/the-dayton-murderer-is-proof-we-need-to-take-left-wing-violence-seriously/

    The Left won't do that.. If they can't beat President Trump over the head with it, they'll simply ignore it..

    And more people will continue to die..

  69. [69] 
    Michale wrote:

    Apparently, the Dayton scumbag was AntiFa...

    “Kill every fascist,” {Scumbag} tweeted a year ago, commenting on the anniversary of the Charlottesville far-right rally. He also retweeted “Punch a Nazi”-type tweets that celebrated street violence against white supremacists. And this past May, {Scumbag} shared a tweet by a prominent Antifa account, “Antifash Gordon,” identifying people “confirmed or likely to be at the KKK rally in Dayton,” with the comment, “Know your enemies.”

    So much for the claim that AntiFa terrorists haven't killed anyone... :eyeroll:

  70. [70] 
    Michale wrote:

    But there is also an extensive record of lower-level violence linked to the left and specifically to Antifa, long before the attack on Ngo. Protests have turned to riots and physical assaults on Trump supporters. Innocent bystanders, too, have become victims. Last year, two Marines visiting Philadelphia for a Marine Corps ball were punched and kicked by an Antifa mob that mistook them for participants in a far-right rally. (In a grimly ironic twist, the Marines were Hispanic and were reportedly pelted with racist slurs by the alleged assailants, who include prominent Washington, D.C. Antifa activist Joseph Alcoff.)

    AntiFa scumbags beat up on US Marines...

    And Democrats label AntiFa as "courageous Americans"...

    :eyeroll:

  71. [71] 
    Michale wrote:

    Of course, even if the Dayton shooting is eventually confirmed as an act of far-left terrorism, the far right still has the far higher body count—for now. But that could easily change. As we know from 20th Century history, including the history of terrorism in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, there is nothing about the far left that makes it inherently more peaceful. The biggest loss of American civilian life to political violence before September 11, 2001 was the 1978 murder-suicide spree in the “People’s Temple” of the Rev. Jim Jones, a communist cult leader who enjoyed the support of quite a few notables on the left, from California Governor Jerry Brown to academic and activist Angela Davis. (The “socialist paradise” left a total of 918 people dead, a third of them children.)

    Jim Jones was a Democrat... Why am I not surprised..

  72. [72] 
    Michale wrote:

    Even worse... Jim Jones was a SAN FRANCISCO Democrat..

    Just like Nancy Pelosi...

    :eyeroll:

  73. [73] 
    Michale wrote:

    WOW...

    Jerry Brown was a Jim Jones supporter...

    Once again... I wish I could say I was surprised...

  74. [74] 
    Kick wrote:

    neilm
    45

    Hi

    Awrite.

    If you want some insight into the currency situation with China,

    Ay, a wee bit.

    and why Trump is being particularly stupid this time round,

    This time? Heh.

    there is an article about Kyle Bass that is interesting.

    Thank ye :)

  75. [75] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    And yet nothing Michale can post changes the fact that the President is a white nationalist bigot who stirs up resentment towards anyone who doesn’t sing glory to his every whim! Strange that he failed to post anything about the El Paso shooters political views...actually, it isn’t strange; it’s his typical M.O.

    As for Michale’s rant in [30]…

    The numbers don't lie, people..

    16 times more people are saved than are killed, thanx to the 2nd Amendment..

    Now, does anyone here want to condemn those 500 THOUSAND Americans to death simply to push their Party's agenda??

    Anyone??? Anyone??? Buehler???

    Once again, if there is a fault in my logic... By all means..

    Point it out...

    Where to start?!?! First, the author of the paper chose to claim national statistics when the survey he conducted was only administered in 15 states. Those states make up only 22% of the nation’s total population.

    Next, Michale is trying to compare the number of confirmed deaths by gun violence to the number of respondents that claimed they used their guns in defense of their lives (meaning at the minimum that the gun was shown by respondents in the alleged event).

    Why didn’t Michale include the number of individuals who are injured by gun violence?

    Where are the number of times a gun was used in the commission of a crime, but no one was injured?

    Michale says that guns saved the owners lives in every situation reported....but what proof is there that they were legally justified to draw their gun on another?

    Michale’s study would allow two neighbors who drunkenly drew their guns on each other in an argument over who the sexiest BackStreetBoy was to each claim their life was saved by pulling their gun!

    These are just a few of the flaws with this report...which is largely why the CDC did not bother to post the original portions of it from the early 90’s.

    Michale doesn’t care about gun violence or gun ownership, really. He is here to troll; nothing else.

  76. [76] 
    Kick wrote:

    Russ
    74

    Sexiest BSB? None of them. ;)

  77. [77] 
    Chris Weigant wrote:

    Michale -

    Too tired to dig through all of these, but hey, c'mon...

    I gave Trump some solid credit in this article. Something you've asked for from Dems repeatedly. So how about some appreciation? The bump stock "a loophole defeats a loophole" thing with the "machinegun" classification was indeed legally elegant and got the job done more than any other gun law change in my lifetime. Which I noted.

    Hmmph.

    -CW

  78. [78] 
    Michale wrote:

    @CW

    Not only did I gave you kudos..

    That's the most impressive change in gun law since 1986, and -- again, to his credit -- it came from Donald Trump's administration.

    I need to repeat that in BOLD..

    That's the most impressive change in gun law since 1986, and -- again, to his credit -- it came from Donald Trump's administration.

    Thank you CW....

    The most impressive gun law, from a DEMOCRAT'S view, since 1986, came from President Donald Trump's Administration...

    Thank you, CW... Thank you, Thank You, Thank You...

    You just HAVE to know yer probably gonna regret saying that, right?? :D

    I even posted it to my other forum...

    That's the most impressive change in gun law since 1986, and -- again, to his credit -- it came from Donald Trump's administration.
    -chrisweigant.com

    Color me gabber-flasted :D
    https://www.scottadamsfans.com/content/blog.aspx?id=348#disqus_thread

    That is indeed a watershed moment..

    But I always knew ya had it in ya to be one with reality.. :D

    Now if only someone else here would join ya.. :D

  79. [79] 
    Michale wrote:

    Ahhh The cockholster speaks!!! :D

    And yet nothing Michale can post changes the fact that the President is a white nationalist bigot who stirs up resentment towards anyone who doesn’t sing glory to his every whim!

    That's your opinion, unsupported by any real facts..

    Strange that he failed to post anything about the El Paso shooters political views...actually, it isn’t strange; it’s his typical M.O.

    Actually, that is not factually accurate..

    That is ALSO not strange.. It's your typical MO..

    Where to start?!?! First, the author of the paper chose to claim national statistics when the survey he conducted was only administered in 15 states. Those states make up only 22% of the nation’s total population.

    So?? It's a helluva lot more representative than much of the bullshit you pass off as fact..

    Why didn’t Michale include the number of individuals who are injured by gun violence?

    Because the topic is DEATHS, not injuries.. DUH...

    Where are the number of times a gun was used in the commission of a crime, but no one was injured?

    Again, because the issue is DEATHS.. Again DUH...

    Michale says that guns saved the owners lives in every situation reported....but what proof is there that they were legally justified to draw their gun on another?

    Because there was no arrest.. AGAIN.. DUH...

    Did you fall on your head recently???

    Michale’s study would allow two neighbors who drunkenly drew their guns on each other in an argument over who the sexiest BackStreetBoy was to each claim their life was saved by pulling their gun!

    Not factually accurate.. But again, your standard MO..

    These are just a few of the flaws with this report...which is largely why the CDC did not bother to post the original portions of it from the early 90’s.

    Actually, the CDC report was from 2014...

    But why let FACTS ruin your drunken bullshit..

    Michale doesn’t care about gun violence or gun ownership, really. He is here to troll; nothing else.

    Whatever you have to tell yourself to make it thru your sad and pitiful existence...

    Even if that were factually accurate (it's not), what does that say for the moron who keeps getting trolled??

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    What you call "trolling" is nothing me then me kicking ya'all's assess because you never have any facts to support your bullshit...

    All you have is hate and bigotry...

    #sad

  80. [80] 
    Michale wrote:

    For the record, C.H.

    I mention El Paso seven times... My little stat-boi can give you the percentage that is to my total comments..

    Regardless, I prove that you are a moron who never has ANY facts to back up his bullshit...

  81. [81] 
    Michale wrote:

    Interesting to note..

    Almost 90% of LEOs agree..

    Crowd Based Mass Shootings would be reduced or even stopped all together by the presence of legally armed citizens..

    Given the FACT that guns save a MINIMUM of 16 times more lives than they take...

    AND the fact that it's common knowledge amongst LEOs that armed citizens will reduce or eliminate Crowd Based Mass Shootings...

    These are the FACTS people.. FACTS that totally destroy any anti-gun argument you make..

  82. [82] 
    Michale wrote:

    Interesting opinions of Law Enforcement Officers..

    Do you think a federal weapons ban on so-called "assault weapons" will reduce violent crime...

    71% said NO...

    Do you think a ban on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds would reduce violent crime.

    95.7% said NO...

    Do you think a federal law stopping ALL gun transfers between non-dealers would reduce violent crime.

    79.7% said NO...

    Do you support a national database (gun registry) of all legal gun purchases.

    70% said NO...

    Do you believe that crimes where a gun is used should result in stiff penalties with mandatory jail time and no plea bargains..

    91.4% said YES...

    If you were Sheriff or Chief, how would you respond to more restrictive federal or state gun laws.

    44.9% said they would not enforce and join vocal opposition to said laws.

    Do you support conceal/carry for citizens who have not been convicted of a violent crime and have no mental health issues.

    91.3% said YES, without conditions or further restrictions..

    On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very important, how important do you think armed citizens are in the reduction of overall crime.

    54.7% said 5, VERY Important

    Considering the Crowd Based Mass Shootings of the last several year, what do you think the level of impact would have been had there been armed citizens in the area.

    80% said that casualties would likely have been reduced.

    Do you support armed teachers and school administrators if vetted and trained.

    70% said YES.

    There you have it, Weigantians.. From the professionals who KNOW the facts and KNOW the reality..

    Ya'all are barking up the wrong tree.. It's THAT simple..

  83. [83] 
    Michale wrote:

    Inquiries Into License To Carry Classes Up After Mass Shootings
    https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/08/05/inquiries-into-license-to-carry-classes-up-after-mass-shootings/

    This is a VERY good sign...

    Almost 90% of cops agree..

    The BEST way to stop a bad guy with a gun is good guys with guns..

    It's a bona fide fact..

    In the instances where there is a crowd based mass shooting and there is no armed citizen, the average death count is 11...

    In the instances where there is a crowd based mass shooting and there are one or more armed citizens, the average death count is 4...

    It's logical.. It's common sense... And it is conclusive..

    Armed citizens STOP Crowd Based Mass Shootings before they even get started.. At the VERY least, deaths are greatly reduced...

  84. [84] 
    Michale wrote:

    @CW,

    Too tired to dig through all of these, but hey, c'mon...

    Awww, com'on.. There are a LOT of good facts in there..

    The Scumbag Dayton shooter was AntiFa..

    Guns save 16 to 100 times more lives than they take, even if you allow for suicides as "gun deaths"..

    That's the stat from **Obama's** CDC, by the bi..

    Almost 90% of cops agree that the presence of armed citizens will stop Crowd Based Mass Shootings or, at least, reduce the number of dead...

    All these great facts..

    Guns are woven into the fabric of American life.. This is a fact that no amount of hysterical Party agendas will change..

    The law of the land is the individual's CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to own a gun.. While reasonable restrictions are permissible, they HAVE been fully implemented...

    When it comes to anti-gun laws, there is nothing left. The cupboard is bare...

    Now there is talk of bipartisanship when it comes to Red Flag laws, and THAT'S a good thing.. But those are predominantly mental health laws, which rational people have been calling for..

    I would like to see a compromise worked out where there is a federal red flag law put into place and a national CCW reciprocity law is also put into place..

    Does anyone here support such a compromise???

    Anyone??? Anyone?? Buehler...??? :D

  85. [85] 
    Michale wrote:

    Former Vice President Joe Biden has a small lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire, but Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) posted solid gains and are closing the gap on the front-runner, according to a new poll.

    The latest Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll finds Biden at 21 percent support, followed by Sanders at 17 percent and Warren at 14 percent. No other candidate has double-digit support in the Granite State.

    Personally, I would LOVE to see Warren get the nod..

    Because I know for a FACT that she will NEVER appeal to Independents, NPAs or Trump voters..

    So, Warren as the Dem nominee means a definitive President Trump re-election...

  86. [86] 
    Michale wrote:

    Interesting to note..

    On some forums, they are saying that the El Paso scumbag shooter (Take note, CH..) was not insane..

    Given my experience, training and expertise....

    ANYONE (not part of a military/LEO op) who goes out and kills 20+ innocent civilians???

    Is definitely insane as it is commonly defined..

    The Dayton AntiFa scumbag shooter was definitely insane as well..

  87. [87] 
    Michale wrote:

    Dayton shooter may be antifa’s first mass killer
    https://nypost.com/2019/08/06/dayton-shooter-may-be-antifas-first-mass-killer/

    Yep... So much for the claim that AntiFa has never killed anyone.. :eyeroll:

    Of course everyone here will argue this point...

    MUST protect the Democrat Party's Purity Enforcement Wing..

    Party Uber Alles

  88. [88] 
    Michale wrote:

    The unanimous rejection of the El Paso shooter’s beliefs, including by President Trump, once more demonstrated the nation’s resolve against hard-right hate. Yet when it comes to far-left violent extremism, there is a gaping blind spot in the mainstream discourse, and we are less safe because of it.

    Beyond banal condemnations of violence, politicians and leaders must work to uproot far-left militant beliefs from mainstream politics. The Dayton shooter promoted the same virulently anti-law-enforcement rhetoric that too many mainstream figures on the left flirt with. And yet it was courageous police officers who finally ended his carnage when they shot and killed him outside the Ned Peppers Bar in Dayton’s entertainment district.

    The Dayton scumbag was a virulent cop-hater..

    That's a dead giveaway as to his Democrat/Antifa bona-fides..

  89. [89] 
    Michale wrote:

    Last month, an antifa militant firebombed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Tacoma, Wash. Police say Willem van Spronsen was killed after he aimed a rifle at them during the attack. His gun had apparently malfunctioned before he could fire. In his manifesto, he called for his “comrades” to take up arms in confronting the ascendant fascism of the state. In one of {Scumbag's} tweets ­before he extinguished the lives of nine fellow Americans, he responded to a person asking if van Spronsen had been a “villain or martyr?”

    {Scumbag} flatly replied: “martyr.”

    Funny how there is ZERO condemnation from anyone here regarding Democrat/Antifa terrorism, whether it be in Tacoma or in Dayton.....

    But ya'all are ALL over anything that can be spin'ed to attack President Trump with...

    Funny how that is, eh? :eyeroll:

  90. [90] 
    Michale wrote:

    Yo!! Stat-boi....

    Where are the stats for this commentary!!!

    Don't make me replace you with another fanatical follower.. :D

  91. [91] 
    Michale wrote:

    :D

    When are you people going to learn??

    "You are not in control here.."
    -Bryce Dallas, JURASSIC WORLD

    :D

  92. [92] 
    Michale wrote:

    Interesting..

    As it turns out, it was DEMOCRATS who prompted the El Paso shooting, NOT President Trump...

    Once again.. Just the facts...

  93. [93] 
    Michale wrote:

    Yo!! Stat-boi....

    Where are the stats for this commentary!!!

    Don't make me replace you with another fanatical follower.. :D

    Oh hell, I'll do it myself.. Yer fired, stat-boi..

    18.68% of the comments here are ya'all's fact challenged bullshit..

    80.22% of the comments here are facts and fact-based opinions...

    Yunno, Neil.. I REALLY like the idea of these stats.. I have a Net-Friend who has algorithms that analyze word counts and other interesting stats.. I am going to investigate into getting some of his software that will analyze the comments, give me word counts and fact vs bullshit stats.. I can post these for all of Weigantia to see.. :D

    Thanx Neil.. You just gave me a WHOLE NEW avenue of comments to make here in Weigantia..

    Yer a peach!! :D

    BBBWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    You can't win, people.. :D

    Every time you try to slap me down, I just come back at you harder and faster...

    I'm gonna twist ya. I'm gonna flip ya. Frap your body till your bones hurt. When you squeal, I'm just gonna go faster and harder."
    -NASA Test Pilot, ARMAGEDDON

    Perfect description of the dynamic at play here in Weigantia.. :D

    It's gonna be a frabjous day!!! :D

  94. [94] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Ahhh The cockholster speaks!!! :D

    YOU claimed that you consider “cockholster” to be a homophobic slur when Kick bestowed it on you, and you’ve stuck by that claim anytime someone has referred to you as one. Based on your past comments, it seems obvious that you intended it as a homophobic slur when you called me by that word. It doesn’t matter that Kick and I have both told you that the word was not technically homophobic by definition, YOU maintained that YOU considered it to be homophobic; so that is how I will accept it!

    Someone finally grew a pair —congrats on that — but you picked the wrong person to test out your new boldness on! How do you spell that last name again...
    ”Whorely”?

    Bad decision on your part!

  95. [95] 
    Michale wrote:

    @CockHolster

    YOU claimed that you consider “cockholster” to be a homophobic slur when Kick bestowed it on you, and you’ve stuck by that claim anytime someone has referred to you as one.

    Actually, once again, you are not factually accurate..

    Hysterical Left Wing morons declared that cockholster was homophobic when Steve Colbert (or one of those other morons) used it..

    You and Daddy's Little Cockholster (Victoria) said that it wasn't homophobic, so I am abiding by ya'all's definition..

    Now that it's used against you, NOW you want to claim it's homophobic..

    Which simply proves beyond any doubt what a lying and hypocritical moron you are..

    You made the rules.. I simply kick your ass by them...

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    but you picked the wrong person to test out your new boldness on!

    OOooooooooo Are you going to go all keyboard commando on me, cockholster Russ??

    BBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    Or are you going to take a page from Steedo's manual and threaten me with real life violence??

    Bring it on, you cockholster'ing pussy!!!

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

  96. [96] 
    Michale wrote:

    How do you spell that last name again...
    ”Whorely”?

    Oh wow!!!! That REALLY hurt my feelings..

    Back when I was in 4th grade!!!!

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

    Yea, that's about your intelligence level, Cockholster..

    :eyeroll: MORON...

  97. [97] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Now that it's used against you, NOW you want to claim it's homophobic..

    No, I do not consider the word itself as being a homophobic slur....but you do! That has been made apparent anytime someone refers to you or Trump using that word. So why wouldn’t anyone believe that based on your comments that you intended the word as a homophobic slur?

    Best proof that I am right... you haven’t denied that was your intention.

    Or are you going to take a page from Steedo's manual and threaten me with real life violence??

    Only person who has mentioned violence is you. Not me. Mind you, I am a 5’8 245# power lifter with twenty years of ground fighting experience under my belt, so I’d rip you ten ways to Wednesday if need be without breaking a sweat... but I wouldn’t risk catching whatever that aged saggy husk of a neverbeen anything’s body might carry.

  98. [98] 
    Kick wrote:

    Russ
    93

    :)

  99. [99] 
    Kick wrote:

    Russ
    96

    but I wouldn’t risk catching whatever that aged saggy husk of a neverbeen anything’s body might carry.

    He's definitely a wannabe, Russ. Also, don't forget he's a confessed criminal.

    http://www.chrisweigant.com/2019/08/02/ftp536/#comment-141625

    That'll do for starters, but Whorely has got a whole lot more confessing to do. :)

  100. [100] 
    Michale wrote:

    @CockHolster.

    No, I do not consider the word itself as being a homophobic slur....but you do!

    Nope.. I really don't..

    Since you and Daddy's Little CockHolster (Victoria) throw around the term so much, I figured ya'all like it.. :D

    Best proof that I am right... you haven’t denied that was your intention.

    So, you are saying that SILENCE GIVES ASSENT??

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA

    So, by YOUR reasoning, everyone's silence on my comments mean that they know I am factually accurate...

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

    Mind you, I am a 5’8 245# power lifter with twenty years of ground fighting experience under my belt,

    Ooooo Yer scary..

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA

    so I’d rip you ten ways to Wednesday if need be without breaking a sweat..

    Bring it on, cockholster.

    Got no balls?? Oh, yea.. I forgot.. That's a given...

    I am curious... Are you Daddy's CockHolster too?? Like Victoria???

  101. [101] 
    Michale wrote:

    @Victoria

    That'll do for starters, but Whorely has got a whole lot more confessing to do. :)

    Dream on, Daddy's Little Cockholster.. :D

  102. [102] 
    Michale wrote:

    Cockholster,

    so I’d rip you ten ways to Wednesday if need be without breaking a sweat..

    In other words, you ARE threatening me with real life violence..

    I am laughing too hard to think about reporting this real life threat to the moderator.. :D

    But as I said..

    You ain't man enough to come after me... :D

    But if you somehow acquire the balls to try??

    Make sure yer will is current..

  103. [103] 
    Michale wrote:

    So, apparently, the cockholster has been neutered as is NOT man enough to make good on his real life threats..

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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