Who Needs Assault Weapons?

NY Times ^ | August 18, 2004 | NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

[neverdem]

What a load of BS! Expect to hear more of this nonsense.

[MarkeyD]

I live only a mile from Meridian. Guess I'd better go check it out!

[Phantom Lord]

About 100 times as many Americans are already dying from gunfire in the U.S. as in Iraq.

Let me get this straight. In the past year in Iraq about 650 soldiers were killed (not the 1000 number, that is for a year and a half).

So, by simple math, 65,000 americans a year are killed by firearms. Is this true? And even if it is, what number of them are killed in self defense or by law enforcement by a justified shooting?

[MarkeyD]

"I've got a ton of customers shooting squirrels with AK-47's,"

So a gun salesman said this, and they believe it?

[an amused spectator]

Oh, gee - what a surprise. Nicholas Kristof doesn't like guns.

[MarkeyD]

And I believe a large portion of those deaths are suicides.

[Phantom Lord]

Further, since it seems that most troops are actually kiled by IED and mortar attacks, what is the number who are "shot" to death with a firearm? And since 99% of the people who read this article will not seperate out IED and mortar deaths and only think of firearm deaths in Iraq, isn't the author purposefully misleading his readers knowing that they will consider ALL deaths in Iraq when looking at his "100 times" statement?

[flashbunny]

so many lies in so few paragraphs.

Does this guy moonlight as a kerry campaign writer?

[Lexinom]

The air groweth crisp.

The dusky night rides down the sky

And ushers in the morn

The hounds all join in glorious cry

The hounds all join in glorious cry

The huntsman winds his horn

The huntsman winds his horn

Chorus:

A-hunting we will go, a-hunting we will go

We’ll catch a fox, put him in a box, and then we’ll let
him go

The clever fox escapes at last

The hounds can’t stop his flight

Then hungry homeward we return

Then hungry homeward we return

To feast away the night

To feast away the night

[endthematrix]

"assault weapons, while amounting to only 1 percent of America's 190 million privately owned guns, account for a hugely disproportionate share of gun violence precisely because of their macho appeal."

Do the math! Looks like they want MACHISMO CONTROL!

[Texas Eagle]

I'm convinced. If anybody ever burglarizes my home and threatens my wife and children I'll defend my family with a copy of the New York Times.

[Rennes Templar]

"President Bush promised in the last presidential campaign to support an extension of the ban, which was put in place in 1994 for 10 years. "It makes no sense for assault weapons to be around our society," Mr. Bush observed at the time."

GW changed his mind as he realized there's the possibility Kerry could win the election, and the populace may need to protect themselves from UN thugs in their backyards.

[Taxbilly]

So, by simple math, 65,000 americans a year are killed by firearms. Is this true? And even if it is, what number of them are killed in self defense or by law enforcement by a justified shooting?

Well that can't be because if you look higher up the page you'll see:

But consider the cost: 29,000 gun deaths in America each year.

[neverdem]

But consider the cost: 29,000 gun deaths in America each year.

That's all firearms, not just ugly guns. The majority are suicides. I don't recall the exact numbers, but the number of justifiable homicides by civilians in self defense is usually 4 - 5 times the number killed by law enforcement.

[Poohbah]

Still, assault weapons, while amounting to only 1 percent of America's 190 million privately owned guns, account for a hugely disproportionate share of gun violence precisely because of their macho appeal.

Nicholas Kristof must have been Jayson Blair's mentor.

[Eastbound]

"Mr. Bush needs to live up to his campaign promise and push to keep the ban on assault weapons."

"Mr." Bush???? Mr. Bush did not make a promise to push to keep the ban on assault weapons. Nor did President Bush.

[endthematrix]

Remember that the life of the predator (who kicks in your back door attempting to rape you wife and kill you) "lost" by self-defense is just a statistic used to further the agenda. All the numbers of thugs killing one another over drug turf are lumped into data with the Innocent bystanders who are shot in their cross fire.

[basil]

We, the gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment have our work cut out for us. The media is certainly not our friend, as most of us know. We must be ever vigilant, and keep pressing our CongressCritters to let this abomnible ban sunset!

[Snuffington]

Liberals once again turn inanimate objects into powerful fetishes.

I can easily explain why high capacity magazines are desired. Because it means more time shooting, and less time reloading. It doesn't matter if you're at the shooting range, hunting, or defending your home - that's a desirable thing.

As for "assault" rifles, even though I'm opposed to a ban, I could at least respect the opposing point of view if they attempted to go about it rationally. But starting with the meaningless and emotional term "assault rifle," they go about this almost exclusively through emotional appeal. ASSAULT RIFLES equal SCARY DEATH MONSTERS. CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND SAY EEEEEK!

On few other issues do I see attempts at reasoning through the merits come only after the legislation is passed in such an egregious manner as on anything gun related.

[ampat]

That's right. Just roll it up into a cone and poke the intruder in the eye.