# A new record! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 2, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804 "2017-10-02T13:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/461 "2017-10-07T11:13:25Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > QFT “The Rifle on the Wall: A Left Argument for Gun Rights” > So no, no one wants to ban _all_ guns; Bloomberg will continue to accompanied by armed bodyguards everywhere he goes; because he’s, you know, **important**. Thank you, for sharing that; a fascinating read. Seriously; I’m not snarking. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/462 "2017-10-07T12:12:30Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > QFT “The Rifle on the Wall: A Left Argument for Gun Rights” > So no, no one wants to ban _all_ guns; Bloomberg will continue to accompanied by armed bodyguards everywhere he goes; because he’s, you know, **important**. What’s the point again? ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/463 "2017-10-08T00:14:40Z")
Straight outta Bill O’Reilly: These massacres are the “price of freedom” here: > **[Bill O'Reilly On Las Vegas Massacre: 'This Is The Price Of Freedom'](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bill-oreilly-las-vegas-shooting_n_59d29fa5e4b048a4432481eb)** > > "Americans have a right to arm themselves for protection," he wrote. "Even the loons.” ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/464 "2017-10-08T00:59:34Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > CNN is making a noble yet futile effort to keep from saying the shooter’s name. They want the names of the victim’s to be remembered, not his. But let’s face it, it’s always the shooter’s name that’s remembered. His name is one that I recognize if it is mentioned; but if you asked me what his name is, I would not remember it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/465 "2017-10-08T01:33:44Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Thank you, for sharing that; a fascinating read. > > Seriously; I’m not snarking. So is it an actual left argument, or just an argument that pro-gun folks think liberals should be making but aren’t, for some unaccountable reason? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/466 "2017-10-08T02:15:10Z")
If the victims of these shootings are “paying the price for our freedom”, then they should be treated like any soldier killed during wartime. I also like the term “Second Amendment Martyrs”. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/467 "2017-10-08T04:51:01Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > His name is one that I recognize if it is mentioned; but if you asked me what his name is, I would not remember it. It’s almost a comical name, like something out of Douglas Adams. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/468 "2017-10-08T05:52:45Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Straight outta Bill O’Reilly: These massacres are the “price of freedom” here: > > [Bill O'Reilly On Las Vegas Massacre: 'This Is The Price Of Freedom' | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-oreilly-las-vegas-shooting_us_59d29fa5e4b048a4432481eb) tbf, he calls it “American freedom”. Which is appropriate because 310 million guns in the hands of the general public is no kind of freedom I’d understand. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/469 "2017-10-08T11:33:39Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > If the victims of these shootings are “paying the price for our freedom”, then they should be treated like any soldier killed during wartime. Absolutely. Let’s bury them in military cemeteries (including Arlington National Cemetery) if their survivors wish it, and give their surviving relatives the same benefits that the survivors of soldiers killed in the line of duty receive. And same for those who are wounded: they should get the same care that soldiers who are wounded in action get, including lifetime VA benefits. Seriously, this is something the Dems ought to propose. As a wiser man than I once said, “let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.” ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/470 "2017-10-08T12:25:54Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Straight outta Bill O’Reilly: These massacres are the “price of freedom” here: > > [Bill O'Reilly On Las Vegas Massacre: 'This Is The Price Of Freedom' | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-oreilly-las-vegas-shooting_us_59d29fa5e4b048a4432481eb) The massacres aren’t the price of ‘freedom’, because, well, you guys ain’t free, at least not freer than any other first-world country. I would argue less free in many respects, except with regards to guns and porn (be proud USA!). The massacres are the price of having lax gun laws, which I said on this board maybe about 10 years ago. I’m not saying it’s good or bad, but that’s the reality. It seems USA is OK with the massacres. That’s fine, but it’s not the price of freedom. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/471 "2017-10-08T15:28:28Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Absolutely. Let’s bury them in military cemeteries (including Arlington National Cemetery) if their survivors wish it, and give their surviving relatives the same benefits that the survivors of soldiers killed in the line of duty receive With 24 hour military honor guard, to be provided by, oh, let’s say a well-regulated militia. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/472 "2017-10-09T05:53:20Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > The gun-control folks, for some reason, from Sandy Hook to Orlando to Las Vegas, won’t or don’t have it in them to do the obvious: Try to repeal the 2nd Amendment. Maybe that’s quite true, but I always ask, what difference will it make, seriously? Colt bought the patents for the AR-15 back in 1960, the rifle was prototyped by Armalite all the way back in 1958! There are millions and millions of semi-automatic rifles in circulation in the USA. And they’re all capable of being used to do a mass shooting spree. An example: the Colt AR-15 SP1 Carbine used to commit the Port Arthur massacre was manufactured in 1976. So long as they’re looked after, SAR’s really are long lasting devices. And so, that’s the point really… repealing 2A is largely moot in circumstances where millions of SAR’s are already out there in the field. We’re talking turning the USA into one hell of a police state to get rid of them all, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/473 "2017-10-09T07:19:35Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > CNN is making a noble yet futile effort to keep from saying the shooter’s name. They want the names of the victim’s to be remembered, not his. But let’s face it, it’s always the shooter’s name that’s remembered. I’m not sure I agree. I actually don’t know the guy’s name. I’m sure it’s appeared in some of what I’ve read, but I’ve not remembered it. Granted, I don’t remember the victim’s names, either. But I think we can get half of that. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/474 "2017-10-09T12:32:14Z")
> [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](#): > > And so, that’s the point really… repealing 2A is largely moot in circumstances where millions of SAR’s are already out there in the field. We’re talking turning the USA into one hell of a police state to get rid of them all, I reckon. So if we can’t do everything, there’s no point in doing anything; is that it? _There’s_ the can-do spirit that made America great. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/475 "2017-10-09T16:19:59Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > So if we can’t do everything, there’s no point in doing anything; is that it? :rolleyes: There really are things where half-measures are worse than useless. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/476 "2017-10-09T16:36:02Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > There really are things where half-measures are worse than useless. By all means, please enlighten us as to which half-measures that would possibly only slightly lower gun deaths would be worse than doing nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/477 "2017-10-09T16:46:16Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > By all means, please enlighten us as to which half-measures that would possibly only slightly lower gun deaths would be worse than doing nothing. I’m tired; I decline to joust. Maybe later. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/478 "2017-10-09T16:48:14Z")
Yeah, thought so. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/479 "2017-10-09T17:03:58Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > By all means, please enlighten us as to which half-measures that would possibly only slightly lower gun deaths would be worse than doing nothing. The half measure which stopped his mother in law from getting shot? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804/480 "2017-10-10T04:26:03Z")
> [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](#): > > Colt bought the patents for the AR-15 back in 1960, the rifle was prototyped by Armalite all the way back in 1958! There are millions and millions of semi-automatic rifles in circulation in the USA. And they’re all capable of being used to do a mass shooting spree. An example: the Colt AR-15 SP1 Carbine used to commit the Port Arthur massacre was manufactured in 1976. So long as they’re looked after, SAR’s really are long lasting devices. > > And so, that’s the point really… repealing 2A is largely moot in circumstances where millions of SAR’s are already out there in the field. We’re talking turning the USA into one hell of a police state to get rid of them all, I reckon. Heck, most guns of any kind are long-lasting if they’re not abused and ill-cared for, or cheap crap to begin with. They just don’t wear out the way, say, vehicles do. I’ve got a target pistol manufactured in 1938 and it still shoots as well as the day it came on the market. So, yeh, I’m all for stricter controls, competency testing for licensing, mandatory registration and insurance, etc., but realistically this country is awash in lethal implements. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-record-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-s-a/797804.md?page=25)