"Firearms are 'fabulous' gifts"

[PaxVobiscum]

A Nevada Assemblywoman has wished America a 'Merry Christmas' with a picture of her, her family, and their guns.

Michele Fiore represents Clark County in Nevada for the Republican party. She said a lot of people are "painting firearms as bad" but she wants to do the opposite and promote them in a more positive light.

"America is the last country that allows its citizens to be the last line of defence", she said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast's Nicky Campbell, she added that a firearm "in a Christmas box" makes a "fabulous" gift.

Listen to this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03bkx39 if you can stand it.

Blessed are the peacemakers indeed. I despair.

 

[90sWereBetter]

Ah 'Murica, how you humour the civilised world. The country is a bit backwards really...

 

[Bletchleyite]

That picture is genuinely sickening.

I could almost understand if they were a rural family shown with some shotguns and air rifles used on the farm, or were competitive rifle shooters shown in the context of a rifle range, but that just shows guns that exist to kill people.

 

[TheNewNo2]

Welcome to US politics.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'm not sure I'd trust Lurch over on the right there with something as complicated as shoelaces, never mind a semi-automatic weapon

 

[GatwickDepress]

At least they haven't given the children weapons to hold. That's the only positive I can see...

 

[tsr]

At least they haven't given the children weapons to hold. That's the only positive I can see...

I hope my sarcasm meter is bust or something, or else you're looking at a lo-res pic, because if I look closely I'm pretty sure the kid in the middle is holding either a real or imitation firearm.

 

[DaleCooper]

I hope my sarcasm meter is bust or something, or else you're looking at a lo-res pic, because if I look closely I'm pretty sure the kid in the middle is holding either a real or imitation firearm.

You're right.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I hope my sarcasm meter is bust or something, or else you're looking at a lo-res pic, because if I look closely I'm pretty sure the kid in the middle is holding either a real or imitation firearm.

Ah, I was on my phone bouncing around in the car, so I didn't actually see that. So there are no positives !

The fetishisation and near worship of guns among some Americans is really quite worrying...

 

[Johnuk123]

My wife is from Kentucky and is well used to guns coming from a family who all own firearms.The last time I was there I remember a poll which came up with a statistic that 4% of Americans thought guns were a problem. Every time they have some gun outrage most Americans actually think guns are more essential not less.

Obama has made the same anti-gun speech now countless times and it largely falls on very deaf ears, hell will freeze over before any major changes to U.S. gun law

 

[me123]

She's another one of these bat**** crazy Republicans. I cannot comprehend the mind of someone who thinks that this is the kind of thing I'd like to see on a Christmas card. I cannot comprehend the mind of someone who will give a child a firearm, particularly after this horrific event in this politician's state. Sadly, this kind of nonsense doesn't surprise me.

I think some of her comments (in general) are even more repulsive than those of Trump. Here's a recent quote from her radio show.

I’m about to fly to Paris and shoot ‘em in the head myself. I am not OK with Syrian refugees. I’m not OK with terrorists.” ...“I’m OK with putting them down, blacking them out, just put a piece of brass in their ocular cavity and end their miserable life. I’m good with that.”

I wonder if she's aware of this wonderful infographic of gun crime in America to date? Each circle represents a mass shooting, with larger circles representing increasing numbers of casualties. The ones in red were perpetrated by Muslims (note - not necessarily in the name of Islam).

If you look at this graphic, would anyone still argue that guns keep Americans safe from Islamic terrorism?

 

[TheNewNo2]

From 2002 to present, 45 people have been killed in the US by Jihadi terrorism. 48 have been killed by right wing anti-government terrorism.

There has been more than 1 mass shooting per day this year.

 

[SS4]

When they did nothing over the shooting of children at Sandy Hook I realised nothing would ever happen to control firearms.

 

[GatwickDepress]

CATI Texas and DontComply.com, two gun rights groups, have announced a planned protest against gun-free zones by staging a mock mass shooting at the University of Texas campus during finals week with cardboard weapons, fake blood, and gun sounds played through megaphones.


Don't read the comments unless you like a healthy dose of anti-semitism, racism, homophobia, David Icke, Red Scares... you know, I think America is a beautiful place with a rich history and peoples, but I am so so very glad that I am not an American.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Having had some interesting conversations with 'real' Americans when I was in the Deep South last year, there were a lot of people who didn't want to own guns, but felt that it was their only protection from the other nutters with guns.

I can see their thinking in a way. If they give up their own weapons unilaterally, it won't stop the nutters with the guns, but would leave them defenceless.

 

[Bevan Price]

How much money does the US arms industry donate to political parties & candidates ?

And Mr Obama hopes he will get the elected politicians to vote for arms control. Fat chance.....

 

[me123]

When they did nothing over the shooting of children at Sandy Hook I realised nothing would ever happen to control firearms.

That's not entirely true. They tried to arm teachers to the teeth.

 

[WestCoast]

It's a cultural thing, deeply ingrained into society. The Swiss population is also heavily armed, with 46 guns per 100 of the population.

 

[Yew]

Non smoking table.

 

[PermitToTravel]

That's not entirely true. They tried to arm teachers to the teeth.

The same teachers who can't differentiate between clocks and bombs. Hmmmmmmm

 

[fowler9]

I understand that since 9/11 more Americans have been killed by dogs setting off legally owned firearms than have been killed by jihadis. I believe the score is 6-0 to the dogs. (That may have been just this year which means the US may may have more homicidal dogs than previously thought).

 

[asylumxl]

Having had some interesting conversations with 'real' Americans when I was in the Deep South last year, there were a lot of people who didn't want to own guns, but felt that it was their only protection from the other nutters with guns.

I can see their thinking in a way. If they give up their own weapons unilaterally, it won't stop the nutters with the guns, but would leave them defenceless.

You could draw a parallel between that and nuclear mutual assured destruction. Nobody will win either way.

 

[ExRes]

I understand that since 9/11 more Americans have been killed by dogs setting off legally owned firearms than have been killed by jihadis. I believe the score is 6-0 to the dogs. (That may have been just this year which means the US may may have more homicidal dogs than previously thought).

If I was a dog owning American I'd be stocking up with assault rifles in order to get them before they got me .........

 

[TheNewNo2]

I understand that since 9/11 more Americans have been killed by dogs setting off legally owned firearms than have been killed by jihadis. I believe the score is 6-0 to the dogs. (That may have been just this year which means the US may may have more homicidal dogs than previously thought).

Actually the death toll since 9/11 to jihadi terrorist attacks in the US is, I believe, 45ish. That includes the recent San Bernardino shooting. In the same time period, around 50 americans have been killed by radical right-wing terrorism. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/u...llenges-perceptions-of-top-terror-threat.html

There have been at least six Americans shot by their dogs in the past 5 years - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...shoots-a-person-almost-every-year-in-america/

In 2015 to date, 41 toddlers have been shot or killed while playing with firearms, and they have killed two other people - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...shot-by-toddlers-on-a-weekly-basis-this-year/

 

[miami]

Having had some interesting conversations with 'real' Americans when I was in the Deep South last year, there were a lot of people who didn't want to own guns, but felt that it was their only protection from the other nutters with guns.

I can see their thinking in a way. If they give up their own weapons unilaterally, it won't stop the nutters with the guns, but would leave them defenceless.

Generally a nutter with a gun
1) Knows it's a gun fight straight away, not just an argument over a parking space, so will have shot you before you have a chance to draw
2) Is willing to use the gun to shoot someone, which isn't as easy as you might think
3) Likely has more practice shooting guns at moving targets (rather than coke cans or static firing ranges)

A bullet proof vest would be "protection" from nutters with guns. Banning ammo sales would be better protection. Accepting the country has a problem with people shooting other people, and there aren't easy answers (like "banning guns", or "banning muslims", or "arming teachers").

 

[fowler9]

Actually the death toll since 9/11 to jihadi terrorist attacks in the US is, I believe, 45ish. That includes the recent San Bernardino shooting. In the same time period, around 50 americans have been killed by radical right-wing terrorism. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/u...llenges-perceptions-of-top-terror-threat.html

There have been at least six Americans shot by their dogs in the past 5 years - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...shoots-a-person-almost-every-year-in-america/

In 2015 to date, 41 toddlers have been shot or killed while playing with firearms, and they have killed two other people - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...shot-by-toddlers-on-a-weekly-basis-this-year/

Which are these 45 Jihadi gun killings in the states? As far as I am aware there are some serious questions being asked about the San Bernardino killings. People asking if it was actually these two people who did it and none of the major "Muslim" organisations claiming it. Not arguing by the way.

 

[TheNewNo2]

Which are these 45 Jihadi gun killings in the states? As far as I am aware there are some serious questions being asked about the San Bernardino killings. People asking if it was actually these two people who did it and none of the major "Muslim" organisations claiming it. Not arguing by the way.

I don't think that there were any major incidents in the 30ish non-SB deaths (possibly Boston Marathon? I'm not sure), just small-scale stuff.

 

[miami]

Which are these 45 Jihadi gun killings in the states? As far as I am aware there are some serious questions being asked about the San Bernardino killings. People asking if it was actually these two people who did it and none of the major "Muslim" organisations claiming it. Not arguing by the way.

I believe the way it works:

1) If a person shoots an abortion clinic up up saying "death to babykillers", it's nothing to do with the anti-abortion lobby, it's just a "mentally ill lone wolf"
2) If a person shoots his boss while saying "You should have given me a payrise you *******", but made the mistake of having brown skin, this is a jihadi attack.

 

[fowler9]

I believe the way it works:

1) If a person shoots an abortion clinic up up saying "death to babykillers", it's nothing to do with the anti-abortion lobby, it's just a "mentally ill lone wolf"
2) If a person shoots his boss while saying "You should have given me a payrise you *******", but made the mistake of having brown skin, this is a jihadi attack.

It is odd isn't it. White Christians become mentally ill, brown people become radicalised by their religion. Maybe it is genetic? (Probably more down to politics and the press though).

 

[me123]

Sounds about right.

I'd argue that the shootings at abortion clinics are often perpetuated by people as a result of, and often in the name of, their religious beliefs. This includes the shootings in Colorado, which are Christian terrorism. You never hear terrorists described as being "Christian terrorists", even though they clearly do exist. By contrast, Islamic terrorists are constantly described as such.

There shouldn't really be any distinction. Any such act is despicable, regardless of the motivation of the attacker. If we're going to distinguish these attackers by their motivation, then do it consistently and correctly.