I was going to write a post pointing out that Adama Lanza obviously chose Sandy Hook Elementary School as the venue for his massacre in the full knowledge that he wouldn’t face any armed resistance and had any of the teachers at the school been armed, he might have been stopped before he killed 26 people. I was also going to point out that a ban on regular capacity magazines would have made no difference to the amount of people he killed because he fired off around 150 rounds, frequently changing magazines, and missing far more than he hit. And that a ban on semi-automatic rifles won’t prevent the next mass murderer from getting hold of one, or just as easily carry out a massacre with a shotgun, rifle, semi-automatic pistol or revolver.
I was also going to point out that Obama hasn’t lost any sleep over the Sandy Hook School massacre, he didn’t know any of the children or teachers who were killed, he has no connection to the area, and he bears no responsibility for what happened. If he really cared he wouldn’t be exploiting their deaths for cheap political gain. And that Wayne LaPierre is no better with his mental health register. Lanza was a sadistic, bitter, loser but he probably wasn’t crazy, he wasn’t diagnosed with any serious mental health condition, and most people who suffer from mental health conditions are no more threat to society than people who don’t. But LaPierre comment on armed guards at schools was just plain ludicrous – no one is going to send their children to a school patrolled by armed guards, who will search Is everyone as they walk through the gate. What will they do to kids who get caught fighting – send them down the hole? And will after school detention be replaced with chain gangs?
But I thought it would be far better to address the real issue: gun prohibition doesn’t work. Only frothing-at-the-mouth hoplophobes and sandal wearing pacifists think that a total ban on private ownership of firearms is an achievable goal in America. Firearms are always going to be readily available to the majority of American adults, so anyone who wants to get hold of firearm will be able to either legally or illegally because there are so many guns in circulation. Concealed carry prohibitions are equally ineffective because as long as the firearm can be concealed, it can be carried without anyone else noticing. Even banning a particular type of firearm doesn’t make it less available when the UK passed a handgun ban in ’97 the consequences were more handguns on the street and more gun crime. American gun prohibitionists tend to ignore that fact when they hold up the UK’s gun prohibition laws as a paradigm of virtue. They also neglect to mention that the majority of the UK police are unarmed, which has led to police officers being shot dead because criminals have no problem accessing firearms, including automatic weapons. Anyone who wants a firearm in the UK can easily buy one illegally. The same is true all over Europe. It’s not difficult to get hold of a Kalashnikov in continental Europe with open borders throughout the EU.
Well said.
Is this the post we can cross post at Blur Brain?
Yep, just emailed it to you.
Agreed Stefi. I posted this article at BlurB and will leave it here as well if you don’t mind. It is a piece published in 2009 re: crime rates in Australia after their “gun ban”.
AUSTRALIA: MORE VIOLENT CRIME DESPITE GUN BAN
April 13, 2009
It is a common fantasy that gun bans make society safer. In 2002 — five years after enacting its gun ban — the Australian Bureau of Criminology acknowledged there is no correlation between gun control and the use of firearms in violent crime. In fact, the percent of murders committed with a firearm was the highest it had ever been in 2006 (16.3 percent), says the D.C. Examiner.
Even Australia’s Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research acknowledges that the gun ban had no significant impact on the amount of gun-involved crime:
In 2006, assault rose 49.2 percent and robbery 6.2 percent.
Sexual assault — Australia’s equivalent term for rape — increased 29.9 percent.
Overall, Australia’s violent crime rate rose 42.2 percent.
Moreover, Australia and the United States — where no gun-ban exists — both experienced similar decreases in murder rates:
Between 1995 and 2007, Australia saw a 31.9 percent decrease; without a gun ban, America’s rate dropped 31.7 percent.
During the same time period, all other violent crime indices increased in Australia: assault rose 49.2 percent and robbery 6.2 percent.
Sexual assault — Australia’s equivalent term for rape — increased 29.9 percent.
Overall, Australia’s violent crime rate rose 42.2 percent.
At the same time, U.S. violent crime decreased 31.8 percent: rape dropped 19.2 percent; robbery decreased 33.2 percent; aggravated assault dropped 32.2 percent.
Australian women are now raped over three times as often as American women.
While this doesn’t prove that more guns would impact crime rates, it does prove that gun control is a flawed policy. Furthermore, this highlights the most important point: gun banners promote failed policy regardless of the consequences to the people who must live with them, says the Examiner. (emphasis mine)
Source: Howard Nemerov, “Australia experiencing more violent crime despite gun ban,” D.C. Examiner, April 8, 2009.dated
Pingback: Gun Prohibition Doesn’t Work
Hands are always available to criminals on the Black market
And longs. It always makes me laugh when they say guns are less accessible in Europe than they are in America. What they mean is less legally accessible.
Has it ever occurred to the Brady bunch that a semi automatic rifle isn’t the best choice of weapon for a school massacre. I would take a combat shotgun like the Beretta TX4 Strom, Benelli M4 or Franchi SPAS-15 over combat shotgun over a semi auto rifle any day in a house-to-house or home defence situation. The fact that the stupid cunt couldn’t hit a barn door at 12 paces tells me that if he was firing an SMG he would have run out of ammunition long before he killed 26 people. The Beretta PM12-S2 and the Heckler & Koch MP5 both hold 32 round mags. On full auto you’re not firing any less than 3 rounds on a short burst, and Lanza would have probably emptied a mag in 3 or 4 bursts. The best use for an SMG is subpressive fire in my opinion.
@ Rob
Do you think full autos should be legal?
Full auto guns already are legal, provided you pay the $200 transfer tax. I know several folks who own them and I’ve fired them. Frankly, they’re fun to shoot, but as practical weapons they’re a wretched waste of ammo. At those ranges shotguns rule. The US military no longer issues SMGs to combat troops preferring pump action shotguns instead. Even the M4 rifles are no longer full auto, but rather 3 shot burst.
@ Whoopie
They seem to be favored more by the police and used in semi auto mode. I’ve always preferred a combat shotgun or lupara for close combat and I’m not that keen on the three shot burst either. You’re still losing power and accuracy, and wasting two rounds every time you pull the trigger. I don’t mind wasting ammo down the range – a cocaine habit would be cheaper than what I spend on ammo – but in a combat situation I don’t want to empty the magazine any quicker than I need to.
@ Heather
I don’t see why they shouldn’t but I thought they were legal in America? To be honest they are less lethal and less accurate.
full auto used to be legal anyone could buy a BAR or any other military automatic, and yes for “practical accuracy” what so many people think is target shooting, its not full auto and machine guns put out such a volume of fire up close against more than one target full auto is the way to go. you need a class 3 FFL to own a machine gun or actual assault rifle that means a full auto. I hate it that the media with there agenda as well as politicians use the term “assault rifle” when talking about an AR15 its such bullshit, its ignoring the fact that a full auto M4 is classified as an Assault rifle by the ATF and an AR-15 is a modern sporting rifle. In the realm of actual combat, full auto is king, the volume of fire can put people down and keep others heads down so you can overpower and dominate any opposition. look at 20′s gangsters they loved tommy guns and BAR’s cut down, becasue they overwhelmed police armed with revolvers shotguns and rifles, outnumbered 3 to 1, Full auto Dominates the CQB world, unless your a swat member but even then they run MP5′s silenced full auto with subsonics and a supressor they can put 3 rounds in the same hole from across the room on a 2″ target. the bad guys face, so volume of fire does make a difference. I really dont have a problem with Full auto being so highly restricted, yes it doen matter, I am all for Gun rights some people really dont understand why im not all for full auto just as easily as semi, well you know what I have shot an illegal AK with a 100rd drum full auto. no its not very accurate full auto but just tapping the trigger I could shoot pretty well, the point is Rock and Roll setting on guns do make a big difference in what you can do and changing over a gun to full auto has some serious consequences if your caught, I mean look at the damage its doing in mexico right now, its insane. Cartels with RPG’s and Soviet AK’s running wild now Im not saying that that would happen here. Basically I dont have a problem with the assault weapons control if it was done properly this crazy pricetag on these “rare” weapons is stupid, issue licences but dont drive the cost up so high. the system now is stupid.
the deadliest school attack in US history happened in 1927 and it was with homemade explosives not an easily bought BAR or any other military rifle
@ Aaron
I agree about subpressive fire but I can’t agree that the SMG is “king in combat”, most armed forces rarely use them because of lack of lethality, range, inaccuracy and the speed they expend rounds. I can clear a room with a Beretta TX4 Storm or Benelli M4 as quickly as I could with a Beretta PM12-S2.
I don’t know why these school massacres happen more often in America but it has nothing to do with gun availability or they would be happening all over Europe, the Middles East, Africa and Asia but they aren’t. My guess is Lanza never liked playing contact sports and probably couldn’t run more than 400m without puking up and collapsing on the floor wheezing. In the UK Rugby and football are compulsory for every boy in state run schools. And when my old man, uncle and Grandad were at school, boxing was compulsory. But American football and wrestling are compulsory in American high schools. Most state run high schools don’t even make the kids do P.E.
I’m so glad I didn’t vote for Obama. We don’t need any more gun control. In New York I didn’t feel safe walking around at night. I do in Daytona Beach because I can carry. I haven’t had to use it but it feels good knowing it’s there if I ever did.
I voted for him the first time, I wanted the “anti bush” I got it just not the way I intended. I didnt vote for him against Romney, I hate romney but A greedy Moron is better than a clever well financed Marxist. This whole state run society is exactly that. he spent more than Bush did in 8 years, in just over 3. what happened the first term? Not much just a bunch of “consolidation” to “cut spending” but we have more government agencies that before? wtf? And healthcare, you know what if done properly its great. I was a visiting US citizen in canada and broke my arm, But because I have Canadian family I got treated quickly and very well all for free. Thats great it wasnt a bunch of BS like our healthcare system. Obama went for more government involvement instead of Hospital Autonomy, and the Government foots the bill, thats the way the Canadian System works. There are controls of course but The hospital runs itself and the costs are picked up, but in other counties in the World a doctor doesnt make 500k a year. “well they have bills” well medical school doesnt cost nearly as much there as it does here. So they dont graduate with up to a million in debt. or more depending on the school. so the system as a whole in those national healthcare programs isnt all about money. Again back to political corruption. The company that makes oxycontin and MS contin the basically concentrated pharmicutical heroin that exploded onto the drug scene in 2000 routinely “lost” billions of pills, but of course made record profits….. And they donate big money to politicians that can ensure and protect there interests in exchange for “contributions” and or a job or maybe just a paycheck when they are out of office. That is the crap that needs to end, And its in all major industries, lobbyists are pure criminal, your exchanging money for service from the people that effect massive national policy. Its pure corruption. and it should be criminal, what happened to best product for the lowest price? thats the way the United States used to work, massive manufacturing at home massive exports of food and materials, but now we either build this stuff overseas and import it back to ourselves or pay for someone else to do it. Our country had a booming industry just before and of course during the run up for WW2 , partly because of The New Deal, and cottage industry after the depression fixed our mainly “commodity” exchange based market, just like we have today. well that crashed, it always does, for that system to work there is always inflation, until it bursts. why? Greed, that buys political corruption.
I haven’t been around in a while but it’s good to see y’all posting again and to see Heather is now able to legally carry in her new state.
It’s all politics. Yes, agree that the shotgun is a more appropriate weapon for 99% of defensive situations.
Lanza could have used a machete in each hand and probably killed as many people. Likewise, a bomb or numerous other improvised destruction devices. Started a fire and locked all the doors from the outside. The list of things he could have done is endless.
Glad to see this post. Thanks.
I’m not going to the Shot show but have several friends who are. I’ll be doing some updates next week on the rumors and stories of the US firearms industry.
@ El Fishing Musician
Good to see you here again. I’m able to legally carry and drink a large soda. I so don’t miss NYC.
@ Whoopie
Okay, they are legal but only if they were made before 1985. I don’t want one but if I did I think I should be allowed to buy a new one, no?
@ Heather
If you vigilante do they let you have automatic rifle or you still not allowed this one. In Italy police catch you with this one they try to steal them and you have to pay 1000 euro bribe or go to court. I no like these rifles so much.
@ Pietro
You can’t be a vigilante over here and the Feds would never let you have a full auto if you told them that’s why you wanted it.
If Obuma ty to steal guns from American people and he no go to senate or the other one he a bastardo son of she wolf fascist like Musolini.
Truer words have never been spoken, my friend.
There is such a movement of what can only be described as terrorism in the United States, the Media telling you that Gun owners worship the devil (that was USA today) and all other “mass media networks” covering up and or flat out lying about other events where CCW permit holders save lives, Such as the Portland Mall shooting that happened 3 hours south of me, It took 6 days for me to hear about it and another 2 to get the whole story. According to mass propaganda networks “the shooter killed two people, and then because he heard sirens retreated and shot himself” So 30 seconds into a shooting spree there was already a police response? NOPE!!!! what actually happened was a CCW permit holder was there shopping for christmas heard the shots drew his gun, he was in a perfect flanking position but since people were laying on the ground behind the shooter he felt the risk to innocent people was too high so he moved into the line of fire to get a clar shot with a clear backdrop, the shooter was reloading, he saw the CCW permit holder move out gun up, he retreated and shot himself. They flat out lied about the event becasue it doesnt support the “guns cause all evil” message they have.
They are using the media to threaten and intimidate the american public towards a political position. By definition Terrorism. They completely under reported the 2 bombs that were found in a washington state high school summer 2012, The FBI evacuated a school (with 2 family members of mine in the group) the bomb squad disarmed 2 large bombs with shrapnel for maximum damage, that was set to a timer for “later that day” most likely during lunch. But noone heard about this either. Becasue the media is full of shit, they and the president, Senator Feinstein and others are so full of shit and have some agenda they are forcing on us they dont care how. We all should have known better, people have said this was coming from Day one of Obama’s first term. He repeatedly said that gun bans dont work that he would never vote for stricter firearms control using the disaster of chicago in many examples, when a look at his Chicago voting record on guns should have been a huge clue. But now since he doesnt have to worry about a second term he is repaying all of his “contributors” just like Bush did in his second term. All of the biggest bailouts occured during the last 2 months of Bush’s reign, and to companies who were all direct campaign “contributors” all of the companies where the CEO’s took bonuses and ran. Obama is doing the same thing, Only this push for a gun ban is far more damaging to this country than simple greed.
But now Chicago is so “racked with gun crime” stricter laws must be enacted. Bullshit either he is delusional, and must be stopped, or he is corrupt and must be stopped, or the scariest option, is he wants the United states to be a Military state. That sounds crazy but listen to this, Section 1021 and 1022 of the 2012 NDAA stated any american citizen deemed a “threat” could be detained permanently without trial. Thankfully We have congressmen who saw that as a direct threat to the constitution of the United states not to mention a warning of some Orwellian hell future. Those two sections were just struck down in a vote. He also wants to shut down Gitmo and not because he objects to the treatment of the captives he wants it to happen on US soil, so it will be easier for him to do that to us.
Senator Feinstein the Author of the 1994 “assualt weapons ban” and the updated total gun ban said she would have gone for a full ban in 1994 but the “votes werent there” this was the same time she was being targeted by a homegrown extremist group so she had a CCW permit in California in 1994, when it was impossible to get one, 6 CCW permits have been issued In California since 2000. and very few were issued between 1990 and 2000, but she got one, But now she has a posse of armed guards with Automatics and Armored cars, so she doesnt “need” a gun for herself and neither do you, Remind anyone of Animal farm? ” All animals are created equal, except some are more equal than others” She is an Elitist pig who must be removed from Office, Most of our politicians have been there far too long and Potomac Fever has become a plague. Thomas Jefferson said a little revolution from time to time is a good thing, it keeps the political process from stagnating and becoming poison. Well politics in the US have stagnated and become poisonous. Our “leaders” dont care about our Country they just care about what they get. This must be stopped.
We must all fight for every millimeter of ground on “Gun control” issues for the next 4 years, and then systematically replace everyone in Office who doesnt deserve to be there. And that is a large percentage of them. Our political scene has become a battle of “interests” and not the interests of the American People, it is the Interests of the Elite that run our Country, on one side the big business pure greed, and on the other I cant say what motivates the “progressive” side it seems as if its Marxism, so Ideology, either way its corrupt and its dangerous to our country. I will say thankfully a Marxist state is not in the best interest of those who make tons of money so they are fighting the “progressives” not out of love for country but for greed. But right now that is good enough as long as they protect our rights.
Write letters, write blogs, talk to friends and family get them politically active, its for our children, we must fight its for there freedom we must fight. Dont let these Terrorists take away everyhting, you would never bow down to the pressure of a terrorist with a sword so please dont bow down to the pressure of terrorists with a pen.
@ Aaron
Gun prohibitionists are pacifists right up until the police arrive.