# Stupid Gun news of the day (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729 "2013-01-29T19:01:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 316
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6301 "2015-10-27T17:46:25Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Then unless you’re an imbecile you identify the potential target first. How do you propose to prevent imbeciles from owning guns? Because it seems to me from perusing the pages of this very posting (“Stupid gun news of the day”), that there are a LOT of imbeciles out there with guns. These imbeciles regularly shoot without identifying their targets, leave loaded guns where children can get them, shoot friends by mistake, look down the barrels of loaded guns, are shot by their dogs, drop loaded guns by accident, etc. etc. The problem with unfettered gun ownership is that there are a LOT of imbeciles out there. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6302 "2015-10-27T17:51:35Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > The problem with unfettered gun ownership is that there are a LOT of imbeciles out there. The problem, then, is imbeciles not guns. Regulate imbeciles. Somebody who can’t safely own a gun can’t safely own or do a great many things. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6303 "2015-10-27T18:14:07Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The problem, then, is imbeciles not guns. Regulate imbeciles. Somebody who can’t safely own a gun can’t safely own or do a great many things. I thought that was the intent of the background checks, which the NRA is fighting. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6304 "2015-10-27T18:21:15Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The problem, then, is imbeciles not guns. Regulate imbeciles. Somebody who can’t safely own a gun can’t safely own or do a great many things. Falling on the “If you can’t solve all the problems, you don’t get to try to solve _this_ problem” fallacy again, I see. The problem is that it doesn’t take an “imbecile” to mistake a family member for a burglar-it just takes a drunken kid trying to sneak in after midnight, and a parent that has just been half-woken from a solid sleep by a noise heard in the distance, a noise interpreted by that half-woken mind. I know-you are one of those exceptional superhumans that snap to full awareness within seconds of waking(btw, if you _are_ one of those very rare individuals, I know several people that would like to study you!), but most people greatly overestimate their cognitive abilities when it comes to waking up unexpectedly. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6305 "2015-10-27T18:27:20Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The problem, then, is imbeciles not guns. Regulate imbeciles. Somebody who can’t safely own a gun can’t safely own or do a great many things. Ah, but we do “regulate imbeciles” in many, many aspects of our lives. We require that someone prove, via written and practical test that they are capable of driving a car. More advanced modes of driving require even more stringent exams. We put regulations in place to ensure that only those who are not imbeciles can purchase and use toxic chemicals and pesticides. In fact, this is done in pretty much every aspect of our society where there is a chance that imbeciles might get ahold of dangerous objects and harm others. Except in the case of guns. These are special. And everyone must have a right to them. And no barriers like licensing or training or regulations must intefere with the rights of imbeciles to own and operate them. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6306 "2015-10-27T18:41:25Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > We require that someone prove, via written and practical test that they are capable of driving a car. More advanced modes of driving require even more stringent exams. We put regulations in place to ensure that only those who are not imbeciles can purchase and use toxic chemicals and pesticides. > > In fact, this is done in pretty much every aspect of our society where there is a chance that imbeciles might get ahold of dangerous objects and harm others. We don’t do those things with the goal of reducing car ownership or just because we want to make it as inconvenient as we possibly can to own pesticides. This is where things fall apart for the gun control side when they want to negotiate. You have enough people on your side who have openly stated their goal is to eliminate private gun ownership that people on my side have absolutely no reason to trust you. Pick any random gun thread you like here and you’ll almost certainly find antis who are very enthusiastically in favor of anything that restricts and punishes gun ownership. You propose we handle guns like we do other things, but guns are unique because there are people whose agenda is specifically to criminalize gun ownership. Talk cars and pesticides to me when there are people trying to eliminate them. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6307 "2015-10-27T18:44:25Z")
When you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of an intruder, do you grab your gun, then try to become coherent enough to handle it while going towards the “intruder”, or do you try to become as coherent as possible first before trusting yourself to handle a something that can kill another human being? ---
**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 27, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6308 "2015-10-27T18:46:17Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are burglars, rapists, and rioters really more plausible than kids coming back late from a party? Where the fuck do you live?? How does anything I wrote imply that? I was refuting the sarcastic posts about elephants and graboids ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6309 "2015-10-27T18:47:53Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > We don’t do those things with the goal of reducing car ownership or just because we want to make it as inconvenient as we possibly can to own pesticides. This is where things fall apart for the gun control side when they want to negotiate. You have enough people on your side who have openly stated their goal is to eliminate private gun ownership that people on my side have absolutely no reason to trust you. Pick any random gun thread you like here and you’ll almost certainly find antis who are very enthusiastically in favor of anything that restricts and punishes gun ownership. You propose we handle guns like we do other things, but guns are unique because there are people whose agenda is specifically to criminalize gun ownership. Talk cars and pesticides to me when there are people trying to eliminate them. Translation: You hear all conversations as “Gungrabber! Gungrabber! Gungrabber!” This relieves you of answering any question directly by pointing somewhere else and saying “Because of what that person said, this thread is really about GUNGRABBING!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6310 "2015-10-27T19:40:38Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > We don’t do those things with the goal of reducing car ownership or just because we want to make it as inconvenient as we possibly can to own pesticides. This is where things fall apart for the gun control side when they want to negotiate. You have enough people on your side who have openly stated their goal is to eliminate private gun ownership that people on my side have absolutely no reason to trust you. Pick any random gun thread you like here and you’ll almost certainly find antis who are very enthusiastically in favor of anything that restricts and punishes gun ownership. You propose we handle guns like we do other things, but guns are unique because there are people whose agenda is specifically to criminalize gun ownership. Talk cars and pesticides to me when there are people trying to eliminate them. Very convenient. When you don’t want ANY regulations at all on guns, you just create a definition that regulation = elimination. Yes, that’s YOUR definition. Not mine. Then you easily ignore any argument about regulations. Because, by your definition, we’re talking about elimination. And that’s bad. So you reject the premise. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6311 "2015-10-27T20:04:44Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Talk cars and pesticides to me when there are people trying to eliminate them. [469 Reasons We MUST Eliminate Automobiles](http://www.carsstink.org) [Standing Together to Outlaw Pestucides](http://stop-oregon.org) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6312 "2015-10-27T20:05:54Z")
Avoidance tactics like that are based on fear. Fear of a lot of things in his case, but pretty much all of them are in his imagination only. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6313 "2015-10-27T20:15:44Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Regulate imbeciles. Somebody who can’t safely own a gun can’t safely own or do a great many things. You could try _self_-regulating, as a show of non-imbecility. Turn in the guns you can’t safely own. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6314 "2015-10-27T22:14:56Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The problem, then, is imbeciles not guns. Regulate imbeciles. Somebody who can’t safely own a gun can’t safely own or do a great many things. So you are saying that you DON’T consider gun ownership to be an inalienable god-given right guaranteed by the Constitution? That there can in fact be limits and restrictions placed on it? Duly noted. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6315 "2015-10-27T22:49:04Z")
> [@kenetic](#): > > So you are saying that you DON’T consider gun ownership to be an inalienable god-given right guaranteed by the Constitution? That there can in fact be limits and restrictions placed on it? > > Duly noted. No, I didn’t say that at all. You should check out antibiotic therapy before the spirochetes devour what little is left of your brain. Congenital syphillis is especially tragic because it really isn’t your fault. ---
**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 27, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6316 "2015-10-27T23:07:05Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The problem, then, is imbeciles not guns. Regulate imbeciles. Somebody who can’t safely own a gun can’t safely own or do a great many things. > [@kenetic](#): > > So you are saying that you DON’T consider gun ownership to be an inalienable god-given right guaranteed by the Constitution? That there can in fact be limits and restrictions placed on it? > > Duly noted. I think **Scumpup** was saying that if you’re too imbecilic to own a gun, then you should be under guardianship and not be allowed to vote, drink, drive or sign contracts either. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6317 "2015-10-27T23:11:01Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > I think **Scumpup** was saying that if you’re too imbecilic to own a gun, then you should be under guardianship and not be allowed to vote, drink, drive or sign contracts either. Thank you, **Lumpy**. ---
**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 28, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6318 "2015-10-28T01:32:33Z")
This just in: Amid massive refugee influx, Austrians strip shelves of guns: > **[Shotguns have 'virtually sold out' in Austria amid migrant fears](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3291978/Shotguns-virtually-sold-Austria-citizens-rush-buy-arms-amid-fears-massive-influx-migrants-dealers-claim.html)** > > In a country of 8.5 million people, there are now an estimated 900,000 firearms in homes, with gun dealers report that it is women driving the sales rush. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6319 "2015-10-28T02:17:10Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > This just in: Amid massive refugee influx, Austrians strip shelves of guns: > > [Shotguns have 'virtually sold out' in Austria amid migrant fears | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3291978/Shotguns-virtually-sold-Austria-citizens-rush-buy-arms-amid-fears-massive-influx-migrants-dealers-claim.html) News flash: Australians no smarter than Texans… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729/6320 "2015-10-28T02:29:22Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > News flash: Australians no smarter than Texans… Austria and Australia are pretty far apart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729.md?page=315) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-gun-news-of-the-day-part-1/648729.md?page=317)