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How Much Firepower Do You Need?(CT)
blogs.courant.com ^ | 24 March, 2011 | Rick Green

Posted on 03/25/2011 5:33:10 AM PDT by marktwain

I don't really care if you have a gun for hunting or a pistol to give you some sense of protection at home. It's your right.

But what's the point of ammunition magazines that allow the shooter to fire dozens of bullets at a clip? I stopped by a legislative hearing Wednesday at which a roomful of gun enthusiasts was irate about a bill that would make it a felony to own a "large-capacity magazine" that uses more than 10 bullets.

The shooter in the Tucson attack on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords earlier this year that killed six and wounded 13 used a legally purchased semiautomatic Glock pistol with an ammunition clip holding more than 30 bullets. Large-capacity magazines like this, illegal from 1994 to 2004, were used in the mass shootings in East Hartford, at Virginia Tech and in Fort Hood, Texas, to name a few.

Cops such as Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett see "no reason whatsover" for anyone to have these ammo clips. "The large-capacity magazines put not only the general public at risk, but especially the men and women of Connecticut's police departments," Gaudett told the General Assembly's judiciary committee in testimony Wednesday.

Banning these magazines isn't going to magically stop deranged killers. But it's an important start and it certainly might help police -- and prevent the next Jared Loughner from going into Walmart to buy a 33-bullet ammunition clip.

As I listened to opponents and read through their testimony, I realized how little I know about the violent wild-west-of-a-world some of these folks inhabit, a place that doesn't reflect the reality of Connecticut.

"Anyone who knows anything about firearm self-defense knows that you want as many bullets loaded as you can carry in a practical manner,'' Robert Crook, director of the Connecticut Sportsman's Alliance, said in his testimony. "He who throws the most lead wins."

A doctor from Guilford, Daniel Vining, said in his testimony that criminals will ignore the law while law-abiding citizens "will be hindered."

"As a practicing ER physician, I have seen many shooting victims with as many as 6 separate bullet tracks who are not seriously injured. Consider then, trying to defend your family with a 10-round magazine against two home invaders ... five shots per attacker, even with 100 percent accuracy might not be enough."

Michael Fifer, CEO of Sturm, Ruger & Co., a gun manufacturer in Southport, explained further. "In defensive situations, magazines in excess of 10 rounds provide ... private citizens the ability to deal with multiple offenders ... one-third of aggravated assault and robbery victims are attacked by multiple offenders."

We should not let these views distort a sensible response to these recent mass killings. Instead of throwing lead at marauding home invaders, I keep thinking more what Dallas Green, grandfather of shooting victim Christina Taylor Green, said not long after the Tucson attack.

"Even though I'm a hunter and I love to shoot and love to have my guns, I don't have a Glock or whatever it is and I don't have a magazine with 33 bullets in it. That doesn't make sense to be able to sell those kind of things,'' Green said. "I just don't understand that."

Neither do I.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: ban; banglist; ct; giffords; magazine
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To: cgchief

I agree with your statement if you’ll allow me to say it this way. The 2nd Amendment is our God given right which the consittuition and bill of rights spell out as an individual right. It is a personal God given right like the first, which guarantees we can speak or worship as we(indivuals) choose.


41 posted on 03/25/2011 6:21:36 AM PDT by 1stIowa
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To: marktwain
Q: How Much Firepower Do You Need?

A:
Something along these lines would be good for home defense.
42 posted on 03/25/2011 6:22:10 AM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
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To: marktwain
How Much Firepower Do You Need?

Here are some questions for you Rick:
How much Free Speech do you need?
How much Freedom of the Press do you need?
How much Freedom of Religion (or freedom from religion) do you need?
How much Freedom of Assembly do you need?
How much right to property do you need?
How much Privacy do you need?
How much Freedom from Unreasonabl Search and Seizure do you need?
How much Freedom from self-incrimination do you need?
How much right to legal representation do you need?
How much right to a trial by jury do you need?

I could go on, but if you don't get my point by now you are a helpless idiot.

43 posted on 03/25/2011 6:23:54 AM PDT by VRWCmember (Veritas vos Liberabit)
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To: marktwain

People need to keep pointing out the elitist attitude of our would-be “rulers”.

I’ve pointed it out to some hardcore, yet very shallow thinking leftists with some interesting results.

They AFFIRMED the right of the “ruling class” to have different rules than everyone else.

Well, at least I got down to the nub of the issue - now we can talk about if that is the right view of things or not instead of arguing about surface issues that are just the symptoms of the worldview problem.


44 posted on 03/25/2011 6:24:51 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter knows whom he's working for)
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To: marktwain
A police officer does not prevent a crime. They're only good after the crime by placing blame and the courts place punishment. It up to the individual to protect themselves and their property. Gun control only makes people easy prey. Photobucket
45 posted on 03/25/2011 6:25:33 AM PDT by baddog 219
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To: marktwain
Never been in a shooting situation have we.... First and foremost is that it is MY RIGHT under the Constitution of the United States, the intended reasons are multiples among which would be the defense of the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Just like all the other parts we should not be looking to compromise the true meaning and intent.
46 posted on 03/25/2011 6:26:24 AM PDT by 95B30 ( The Professional Left: "Their morals are crooked, their take logic is flawed, their honor is stolen)
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To: cgchief

I don’t hunt. I don’t like putting bullets in animals. No problems with people, though, which is why I can reach out a hand anywhere in the house and come back with a handgun :)).


47 posted on 03/25/2011 6:28:38 AM PDT by Hardraade (I want gigaton warheads now!!)
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To: NFHale

rick green has a small, marxist penis...


48 posted on 03/25/2011 6:29:39 AM PDT by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: marktwain
I need at least one more bullet than the bad guys.

Large-capacity magazines like this, illegal from 1994 to 2004...

Blatant lie. About what we've come to expect from the Left.

49 posted on 03/25/2011 6:30:11 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (explosive bolts, ten thousand volts at a million miles an hour)
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To: School of Rational Thought
Are they preparing for an eventuality the citizen would never encounter?

They're preparing to encounter the citizens.

50 posted on 03/25/2011 6:31:10 AM PDT by Hardraade (I want gigaton warheads now!!)
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To: 95B30
We all know how the left operates. They never give up. If the rounds are limited to 20 this year they will be back next year to limit them to ten. Then, the next year to five and so forth until before you know it the limit is 0. The left works on the premise of death by a thousand cuts.
51 posted on 03/25/2011 6:31:18 AM PDT by Russ (Repeal the 17th amendment)
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To: marktwain

THE POINT IS THAT MY RIGHT UNDER THE SECOND AMENDMENT “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED”... ANYONE THAT WANTS TO INFRINGE MY RIGHT... FU and YOUR MOMMA!

LLS


52 posted on 03/25/2011 6:35:42 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!!!)
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To: marktwain

The Constitution does not specify any limitations on the 2nd amendment based on some bureaucrat’s assessment of what a citizen theoretically needs to protect themselves or to harvest wild game. In fact it does not mention either.

I wonder what the author’s thoughts are on limiting certain technologies in the exercise of free speech? How many people does an average citizen really need to reach anyway? Lookup the Fairness Doctrine and how it is (attempted to be) applied today. These issues are children of the same parents.


53 posted on 03/25/2011 6:38:23 AM PDT by Damifino (The true measure of a man is found in what he would do if he knew no one would ever find out.)
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To: marktwain
How much control do you need Mr. Liberal control freak? My rights mean nothing to you!
54 posted on 03/25/2011 6:44:00 AM PDT by mountainlion (America land of the free because of the Brave.)
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To: pnh102

</s>


55 posted on 03/25/2011 6:44:36 AM PDT by sasquatch
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To: marktwain

Cant this guy say what he needs to say within a ten word limit?

Does he think the 1st amendment says he can use more than ten words at a time?


56 posted on 03/25/2011 6:54:25 AM PDT by Crim
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To: marktwain
Change the topic from High Capacity Magazines, ooops, 'CLIPS' /s, to Cars and see how dumb this sounds.
How Much Horsepower Do You Need? (Rick Green)

I don't really care if you have a car for commuting or an SUV to give you some sense of protection on the highway. It's your right. But what's the point of cars with large engines that allow the driver to go from 0 to 60 in four seconds?

Cops such as Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett see "no reason whatsover" for anyone to have these fast cars. "The large-capacity, high Horsepower engines, put not only the general public at risk, but especially the men and women of Connecticut's police departments," Gaudett told the General Assembly's judiciary committee in testimony Wednesday.

Banning these high Horsepower cars isn't going to magically stop deranged drivers. But it's an important start and it certainly might help police -- and prevent the next 'irresponsible Rich Citizen' from going into a Chevy dealer to buy a 500 Horsepower, 180 mph Corvette.

"Even though I'm a driver and I love to drive on Sunday afternoons and love to have my cars, I don't have a Corvette or whatever it is and I don't have a car with 500 Horsepower in it. That doesn't make sense to be able to sell those kind of things,'' Green said. "I just don't understand that."

Neither do I.

Sounds pretty STOO-PID now and DANGEROUS. These anti-gun nut leftists can't grasp the concept of 'need' vs 'want'. To them if THEY don't 'need' something, then nobody else should have 'it' either. Whether that person 'wants it' or not.

Just like it was in the Soviet Union!

(of course this Rick doesn't 'understand it', he's a liberal nut case.)

57 posted on 03/25/2011 6:57:38 AM PDT by Condor51 (Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Congressman. But I repeat myself. [Mark Twain])
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To: Condor51

The “Chief” is such a Putz. The fool should resign immediately and drive slowly to a retirement home. I feel he is more of a danger to citizens with his low IQ than someone driving a high powered car.


58 posted on 03/25/2011 7:01:47 AM PDT by hal ogen (1st amendment or reeducation camp?)
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To: marktwain

My formula is twice as much as the bad guys.


59 posted on 03/25/2011 7:02:06 AM PDT by crosshairs (You can say what you want about the South, but you never hear of anyone retiring and moving north.)
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To: bk1000
Trying to decide today between .40 with 13 rnd capacity, or a .45 that will only hold 10 +1. I’m thinking the .45 just because its a .45. Then hope for less than 11 zombies.

Don't forget your backup mag. That doubles the number of zombies you can bounce bullets off of.
60 posted on 03/25/2011 7:06:04 AM PDT by crosshairs (You can say what you want about the South, but you never hear of anyone retiring and moving north.)
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