The Persistent Stupidity of the Gun Control Movement

Townhall.com ^ | April 7, 2021 | Bob Barr

[Kaslin]

What makes a mass shooter capable of emotionless, indiscriminate killing remains largely a mystery. Such a depraved act is not within the normal programming of a human being, not even for most hardened criminals. We may never truly understand all the factors, both physiological and environmental, that turn angry people into mass killers, but there is much we do know and can figure out, if common sense is our guide.

Since the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, the mass shooting phenomenon has been intensively studied by experts in a number of disciplines, from law enforcement to sociology and psychiatry. The research has revealed patterns and understandings that have led to life-saving techniques for responding to mass shootings, such as law enforcement confronting the shooters quickly rather than waiting for a tactical approach, and implementing threat assessment protocols to identify at-risk individuals and get them needed help before reaching a tipping point.

Noticeably absent from this school of research is any evidence of a pattern regarding the firearms used to commit these killings – a point hopelessly lost on Democrats. Rather than attempt to tackle the far more complex cultural and social issues at the root of mass shootings, the answer for Democrats is always more gun control; even when such crimes occur, as often they do, in jurisdictions that already have in place extremely restrictive gun control measures. Democrats’ persistence on gun control as a response to mass killings is not just perplexing, but counterproductive and downright stupid.

What makes a mass shooter capable of emotionless, indiscriminate killing remains largely a mystery. Such a depraved act is not within the normal programming of a human being, not even for most hardened criminals. We may never truly understand all the factors, both physiological and environmental, that turn angry people into mass killers, but there is much we do know and can figure out, if common sense is our guide.

Since the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, the mass shooting phenomenon has been intensively studied by experts in a number of disciplines, from law enforcement to sociology and psychiatry. The research has revealed patterns and understandings that have led to life-saving techniques for responding to mass shootings, such as law enforcement confronting the shooters quickly rather than waiting for a tactical approach, and implementing threat assessment protocols to identify at-risk individuals and get them needed help before reaching a tipping point.

Noticeably absent from this school of research is any evidence of a pattern regarding the firearms used to commit these killings – a point hopelessly lost on Democrats. Rather than attempt to tackle the far more complex cultural and social issues at the root of mass shootings, the answer for Democrats is always more gun control; even when such crimes occur, as often they do, in jurisdictions that already have in place extremely restrictive gun control measures. Democrats’ persistence on gun control as a response to mass killings is not just perplexing, but counterproductive and downright stupid.

What we do know about mass shootings suggests the biggest factor in limiting their damage is how quickly shooters are confronted, either by police or citizen bystanders. The FBI concluded exactly this after surveying 50 active-shooter incidents from 2016 to 2017. In its report, the Bureau stated that, “the enhanced threat posed by active shooters and the swiftness with which active shooter incidents unfold support the importance of preparation by law enforcement officers and citizens alike.”

By disarming law-abiding citizens in the name of preventing mass shootings, Democrats are directly contradicting what the FBI suggests needs to happen in order to minimize the carnage, and also could potentially make these tragedies far less common as potential mass killers, being the cowards they are, realize that what they thought to be soft targets are actually anything but.

Republicans need to discard their normal default position on the firearms policy debate, which is conflict avoidance, and call out Democrats for just what they are doing by pressing for gun control as the solution to mass shootings -- making the problem worse not better.

[glimmerman70]

Generally when a shooter is confronted by another person with a gun they either give up or kill themselves. Cowardly act just like the act of shooting unarmed people. They go after soft target rich environments. Which are schools and places guns aren’t allowed. There is for sure a mental problem. The Columbine killers were all on a psychotropic drug. Would like to know how many of the other shooters were taking these type of drugs.

[King_Corey]

The sheer stupidity of liberals thinking that any firearm could be stopped from being made is moronic. Guys in caves in Afghanistan can make AK-47s, and Copies of Colt 1911 pistols are made in the Philippines and exported around the world. You can download the files to 3d print a single shot handgun and have it on your desk overnight. Any reasonably smart machinist can make a full auto submachine gun with a 30 round magazine in a day or even more complex and better rifle or shotgun. For 12 dollars in parts at the home depot you can make a working 9mm single shot pistol or a 12ga. zip gun. Ammunition is hidden everywhere around the world. Stockpiles of guns in every corner along with magazines and ammo out the wazoo. Untraced, unstoppable, and uncontrolled. The mental disorder of being so stupid you don’t think that a simple law will make it all go away, is like rainbow unicorn farts.

[Spok]

Investigating the use of psychotropic medication by mass shooters is taboo and politically prohibited. It’s the equivalent of saying we need to analyze drunk driving but we can only discuss the automobiles involved, and that we must affirmatively ignore alcohol consumption as a possible cause. It’s preordained that a solution will never be found. Of course, it makes perfect sense if your real objective is to only punish car owners and manufacturers.

[marktwain]

The major media in this country has blood on its hands. They know that mass murderers are incentivized by media coverage that gives a form of immortality to the deranged killers. The pattern is clear. Many of the killers are open about their desire for infamy. The Port Arther murderer asked his lawyer, again and again: “Did I break the record?”.

Link to article

[Little Ray]

The name of each mass shooting suspect should be immediately changed to “Some Asshole” and that is how he should be referred to in media.

[Paleo Pete]

Dylann Roof walked n to a South Carolina church and opened fire. I think he killed 11 people. He originally intended to go to a college not far away, when he went there to take a look around, he found they had armed campus police patrolling, so he decided that was a bad idea.

A guy in Lafayette, LA walked into a theater and opened fire. Can’t remember how many he killed, he drove past another theater that DID NOT have a “Gun Free Zone”sticker on the door.

Military recruiting center in Chattanooga TN was the target of a mass shooter, the first thing I noticed about the original news story was the “Gun Free Zone” sticker on the door. CNN only showed that once, after that they made sure that sticker was not in their video. Probably he same for all the rest, except Fox, and they discussed it.

Most of these inidents were in gun free zones, and for a reason. Nobody can shoot back. Same reason criminals in Florida prefer to rob older couples with out of state license plates. Most likely unarmed tourists, with money, and unable to fight back like the 30 year old local carpenter with a gun rack in his truck.

An article I read a few years ago was the same. This journalist went to a coupel of federal prisons and interviewed inmates convicted of burglary and armed robbery. He found out two interesting things..

The one thing burglars fear the most is the sound of someone racking a shell into a pump shotgun. With a pistol, you’ll most likely be shaking like crazy, lucky to hit the wall from inside the room. With a shotgun you don’t have to be a good shot, just point in his direction, at inside the house range of no more than 20 feet, it’s hard to miss.

And number two, he gave them a hypothetical situiation. If you wanted to plan a robbery, you could choose New York or Houston. In Houston anyone 18 or over with no criminal record can buy a gun, in New York guns are almost totally illegal. Which would you choose? (this was years before NY lightened up on the gun control)

The answer was unanimous. New York.

Then, I’ve lso seen several articles that bring up another factor. Mind altering drugs. Prozac, Valium, Ritalin...others I’m pretty sure...

Most of the mass shooters in the past 20 years have been taking these drugs or recently stopped taking them. Columbine - Yep. first one noticed.

https://www.naturalnews.com/039752_mass_shootings_psychiatric_drugs_antidepressants.html

https://truthinmedia.com/reality-check-mass-shootings-psychiatric-drugs/

https://www.whiteoutpress.com/list-of-45-mass-murders-and-pharma-drugs-they-were-on/

And still, nobody is taking a closer look at the connection betweent hse drugs and mass shootings. Instead, democrats scream gun control.

Two problems are obvious. Gun Free zones and psychotropic drugs. The gun is just an inanimate object, it cannot jump up and kill anyone on its own, some maniac has to pick it up and puill the trigger. I’ve been ridiculed every time Itry to het the=at opoint across to liberals, but it’s true. Yu can load a gun, lay it on a table, and your great, great, great grandkids will STILL be waiting for it to get up and kill someone. One guy told me that was the most stupid analogy he had ever seen. But my shotgun has been leaned up beside the bed loaded for 30 yrars, stilll hasn’t killed anyone yet. My pistol, same thing. Always loaded, always ready to go, has never lkilled anyone yet.

In fact the shotgun has only been fired twice in the past 15 years, a couple of weeks ago when I fired 2 shots into sheets of posterboard to compare the pattern between modified and full choke barrels.

And liberals want gun control...

OK well, I do practice gun control. Keep a wide footed stance, hold it with a tight grip, squeeze the trigger, and hit my target. 1st time Ifired my new mm, the 1st 5 shots stayed inside a 3 inch circle. That’s gun control.

[Paleo Pete]

See post # 7

[goodnesswins]

Yes...and the electric chair should be used within 30 days, when the perp was witnessed in the act

[AZJeep]

The main reasons for Columbine (and the Connecticut and... ) were that the shooters wanted to be famous. They dreamed somebody makes a movie about them and they discussed which actor will play whom. Mike Moore granted them the wish. I cannot swallow him since!

With the media, being crazy like they are, and the politicians exploiting every occasion to make hay, the easiest way to became famous is to spend $1000 on guns and shot some kids in school.
Millions of great, hard working, honest people will never achieve anything close to their fame.
I would say, stop reporting and analyzing. That would be more effective than any other idea!

[glimmerman70]

What’s the pistol you got. Been looking for a new carry gun. Looking at the sig P320. Want something with a manual safety. Have glocks but I always carry with one in the chamber. In the heat of the moment I don’t want to accidentally give myself a new butt crack. Likely wouldn’t happen. Been carrying a Taurus 709 slim for years but hate the trigger break. And when I got it it was the most off target gun I have ever pulled from the box and shot. From 15 yards it wasn’t even on the paper.

[AZJeep]

There is also a problem with schizophrenics and similar mental disorders. Keeping guns out of their hands would ho pretty far too.

[AZJeep]

Yes...and the electric chair should be used within 30 days, when the perp was witnessed in the act

---

They often commit suicide, they do not want to be caught and dragged thru the court system. It also help to create the aura of unknown and wild speculations. All what they really want.

[Little Ray]

Yes...and the electric chair should be used within 30 days, when the perp was witnessed in the act

I would prefer a public hanging on the town square, but whatever makes him dead.

[Paleo Pete]

What’s the pistol you got. Been looking for a new carry gun.

**************************************

Taurus G2C.

I did some checking, had my eye on a couple including a Ruger, and the Taurus had some good reports and reviews. When I picked one up, I really liked the way the wider bodied model (12 round mag) felt. the really aggressive non skid grips are nice. They recently released an upgraded G3Cmodel, I looked at it a couple of days ago. It got some good comments in a magazine article fom last fall, also seems like a good pistol. Comes with 3 mags and a trigger guard mounted laser sight. Or I think that's what it was, didn't pay too close attention to that part.

I hope this comes out right, I've never been able to get the resize thing to work right. Sorry if this is a huge picture.



That's my 1st 6 shots. So far, I lie it pretty well. I've only fired about a full box of target rounds, didn't manage to make it tot he range much before the ammo crunch hit, now it's way too expensive to shoot up 25 rounds or so and can't find any at all to replace it. Did see one box uyesterday, 50 JHP115 gr rounds, $50. No thanks. Last ones I got were $12. Same rounds, different brand. They had some 20 round boxes of .380 JHP too, $32. Afew weeks ago I spotted some .45 JHP rounds, box of 25 for $45. So I'm not going to the range lately...

Not that concerned though, ever since I learned to shoot a pistol in the 70's I've been able to hit my target with good consistency. I hunted squirrels with a Ruger .22 Single Six pistol back then. I wouldn't try it now, not quite that good any more but I can still hit a target the size of a sheet of typewriter paper every time at 20 yards. Including with a gun I've never picked up before. My 1st target with a Heritage .22 looks about like that one, but it seems to shoot an inch low. Armadillos don't have much of a chance though. 18 shots, all within a 3 inch group. Day I bought it, never picked it up before. Don't have that pic posted on line though. The only other one posted is my .22 rifle target, but bench rested.

[SJackson]

I'll add to that the lefts practice of social shaming. Record guns sales year after year since the Obama regime, surging (nothing to do with insurgents) under Biden. Don't you think liberals are participating?

I was driving through an affluent liberal Chicago suburb, one with an assault weapon ban, the other day and noticed a new store opening in a large strip mall. Good news in this enviornment. Liberty Safe. I recognize you can store things other than firearms in a Liberty, but gun safes are their core business. Affluent area, they'll be able to afford Liberty. Can tell their friends it's for jewelry.

[Paleo Pete]

Wow my proofreading really sucked out loud that time, sorry about all the typos.

[maxwellsmart_agent]

With all the ‘sensible’ gun control laws they have passed from the beginning of the movement, how much gun violence have they prevented and what will new laws produce?

[elteemike]

Oh how right you are!

We buy the finished firearms we like and want because they have been plentiful, relatively affordable and available to us...NOT because those arms are difficult to make or purchase is the only way to legally obtain them...

Firearm manufacture remains a straightforward process, and the quality of end product is dependent only upon materials and machine processes employed, and the ideas and engineering skill of the humans involved...

Now imagine that all goes away, and as individuals and small groups we’re left to our own devices...The mind boggles at the innovation we’ll see when the average handy Joes have a pile of steel, a CNC mill and some novel ideas...

[Still Thinking]

Democrats’ persistence on gun control as a response to mass killings is not just perplexing, but counterproductive and downright stupid.

Unless their stated and actual goals differ and this is just the best excuse they can dig up.