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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cnyndwllr who wrote (211753)	12/15/2012 11:40:50 PM
From: Cautious_Optimist	Respond to of 541118

Thanks for the civil discussion BTW. How many of these mass shootings are normal or unavoidable?? What statistical ratios?? At what point would you change your mind??

To: cnyndwllr who wrote (211753)	12/15/2012 11:46:49 PM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541118

I'm just glad more smart people aren't crazy people. And if there aren't guns, there are improvised weapons of all kinds and deadly things that can be made from items from the kitchen, garage, or hardware store. Gangs used to use "zip guns" - converted from starting pistols and other legal sources of gun-like hardware. Unless we make machine shops and tools illegal, a reasonably skilled person could make a weapon. There is even an open source weapon project that is sparking controversy. But, again, the thing that appears in my epitaph some (hopefully) long time in the future is more likely related to health disorders than gun violence - and personally I'm a rational spender. The budget for any item should be proportional to the intrinsic harm caused by that - right now, it is health and poisoning, automobile accidents, misadventure, etc. Terrorism is not likely to kill me - but global thermal nuclear war, and indiscreet military adventurism leading to it is. This recent tragedy IMO will run the course of outrage and indignation. It is sad but there is no clear solution yet we will debate and discuss it to death. The other day I bought an SUV AWD - I was talking to a friend about the couple here in CA in which the male ended up dying in a recent storm. They drove around a locked gate, went up a tertiary dirt road 2.5 miles in impending blizzard so he could "try out his new 4WD" only to get stuck in mud (no winch on new 4WD, apparently). My life long saw about this, proven by multiple experiences, both first and second hand is that "It's okay - we have four wheel drive..." is probably one of the last things spoken before such a misadventure. I've known, seen and avoided a number involving dry lake beds, steep canyons and deserts. Similarly, I'd expect a grim outcome for gun owners who say "It's okay - I'm carrying a firearm."