The NRA

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SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
1,002
126
Not all rights are true human rights.
For much of history, certain people fought viciously and brutally for the right to own slaves. Or to beat their wives and children. Or to steal or unfairly tax. Or to do all sorts of horrible things they felt were natural, god given rights.
I would say the right to own certain weapons and blow your neighbors brains out is probably one of the more questionable human rights proposed.

I'd argue that this IS a basic human right, the right to defend your self. The government is armed, so citizens can be armed. That is what the forefathers wanted, the NRA helps protect that. Do I have the right to own a bow and arrow to pierce my neighbor's head? Do I have the right to own car to run over my neighbors head? Do I have the right to own a sword so I can chop my neighbor's head off? My neighbor has the same rights I have, btw.
 
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cytg111

Lifer
Mar 17, 2008
26,189
15,599
136
Small correction. Guns are made for shooting bullets. That is ACTUALLY what they do. Where that bullet goes, what that bullet does is up to the user. Guns can certainly be used very effectively to kill. But that isn't what their purpose is, and it isn't what almost every gun in private ownership has ever been used for. It is such an extreme opinion that guns are made for killing when the percentage of them that have ever killed is a rounding error away from zero. How can you say "killing is what they do" will killing is what they almost never do?
I get it but I will argue semantics though, guns dont kill people, people kill people. Reminds me of Oppenheimer "I am become death, destroyer of worlds" - OR we can make powerplants for cleanish energy and interstellar spaceship drives with it...
 

NetWareHead

THAT guy
Aug 10, 2002
5,847
154
106
Not all rights are true human rights.
For much of history, certain people fought viciously and brutally for the right to own slaves. Or to beat their wives and children. Or to steal or unfairly tax. Or to do all sorts of horrible things they felt were natural, god given rights.
I would say the right to own certain weapons and blow your neighbors brains out is probably one of the more questionable human rights proposed.

We are not blowing out our neighbor's brains on a whim. On this point I would agree that murder is reprehensible.

I am supporting the right to own & carry guns for the purposes of self defense. Justifiable homicide committed in self defense is not a crime.
 
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zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,857
31,346
146
Small correction. Guns are made for shooting bullets. That is ACTUALLY what they do. Where that bullet goes, what that bullet does is up to the user. Guns can certainly be used very effectively to kill. But that isn't what their purpose is, and it isn't what almost every gun in private ownership has ever been used for. It is such an extreme opinion that guns are made for killing when the percentage of them that have ever killed is a rounding error away from zero. How can you say "killing is what they do" will killing is what they almost never do?

The technology of the gun was designed for the purpose of shooting at trees. Yeah, that makes sense. Killing is what they were absolutely meant to do, and do so effectively. They simply would not exist otherwise, or you are just being silly with yourself.
 

zanemoseley

Senior member
Feb 27, 2011
530
23
81
You are such an incredible idiot... You could argue the same point about nukes, they are safer than firearms since they have killed less people so why not let everyone have one of those?

Why do you own guns? Target practice? An air rifle will do that just fine so no problem relinquishing your firearms in exchange for an air rifle?
I'm gonna guess you've never shot in a sanctioned target match. Here's a SHORT list of what you can't shoot with an air pistol or rifle. And yes I own an olympic quality air pistol, Steyr brand if you're curious.

Skeet
Trap
Sporting Clays
High Power Rifle
F Class Rifle 600/1000 yard
Bullseye 2700
3 Gun
IPSC
Bianchi Cup

What can you shoot with air rifles and pistols, 10 meter precision is about it.

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,857
31,346
146
You won't be hearing from him again in this thread... guys like him are scurry away from fact as fast as they can.

Still, at 6.2 with our weather, we are a resilient fucking kinda people, aren't we... I'd have thought it would be higher.

A pickled liver merely preserves the husk, so if it isn't really dead, it's not considered a suicide.
 

NetWareHead

THAT guy
Aug 10, 2002
5,847
154
106
Why do you own guns? Target practice? An air rifle will do that just fine so no problem relinquishing your firearms in exchange for an air rifle?

An air rifle is not an acceptable substitute for a real firearm. Can you hunt with an air rifle?
 

Pipeline 1010

Golden Member
Dec 2, 2005
1,974
794
136
You are such an incredible idiot...

Likely true. But I am an idiot savant so you would be wise to carefully consider my words.

You could argue the same point about nukes, they are safer than firearms since they have killed less people so why not let everyone have one of those?

Got it: nukes = guns so if guns then nukes. I feel less idiotic after learning your lesson.

Why do you own guns? Target practice?

YES! That is why I, Pipeline the idiot, owns guns. That is what I do with them. It is super fun. I have never killed anyone. I don't bother anybody or hurt anybody. I don't think I should have to choose between giving them up and getting assfucked in prison. You think I should. Careful: you are starting to sound like the idiot.

An air rifle will do that just fine

Now that you mention it, I also have an air rifle. I don't kill people with my air rifle, either. Although I suppose that it could be used for that purpose, I am uninterested in using any of my possessions to do so. It does a fine job at target practice. Just like my rifles do. Thank you for noticing and commenting on the internet about it.

so no problem relinquishing your firearms in exchange for an air rifle?

I don't wish to relinquish anything that will never be used to hurt anybody. You shouldn't wish me to either. I don't wish it for you.

In conclusion, please allow me to give you some advice. You are incredibly abrasive and you come across as angry and possibly drunk. Give people the benefit of the doubt. They might disagree with you and it might be for non-idiotic and non-evil reasons.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
An air rifle is not an acceptable substitute for a real firearm. Can you hunt with an air rifle?

Small game sure. My Dad and I hunted squirrels and rabbits all the time with .22 air rifles. You aren't taking down anything bigger than a raccoon though.
 
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Pipeline 1010

Golden Member
Dec 2, 2005
1,974
794
136
I get it but I will argue semantics though, guns dont kill people, people kill people. Reminds me of Oppenheimer "I am become death, destroyer of worlds" - OR we can make powerplants for cleanish energy and interstellar spaceship drives with it...

You're right, we are arguing semantics. We probably agree on a couple of things: (1) Guns are very effective at killing people (2) The percentage of guns in private ownership used to kill people is within a rounding error of none. (3) Saying that something was intended to do something that it is almost never used to do (and that it is used to other things far far more often), is probably illogical.
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
I'm not even sure what you are trying to argue at this point. Do you?

Do I what? Know what I'm arguing? Yes I do. Mostly the same point I made before.

Since the US' gun deaths are mostly due to suicides, Europe should consider that it has a comparable suicide rate despite having a tiny fraction of the gun ownership that the US does before criticizing the US for Nonsensical Rifle Addiction.

Relative to gun ownership per capita, the US has less suicides than many European nations do. Denmark has a tenth of the gun ownership but three quarters of the suicide rate. Is Denmark also addicted to guns?
 

cytg111

Lifer
Mar 17, 2008
26,189
15,599
136
An air rifle is not an acceptable substitute for a real firearm. Can you hunt with an air rifle?

Yup, I got a highpowered 4.5mm, its qualified for birds hares squirrels, that sort of thing... Never had though, just for practise in the backyard and not scaring the neighbors to death.
 
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NetWareHead

THAT guy
Aug 10, 2002
5,847
154
106
Small game sure. My Dad and I hunted squirrels and rabbits all the time with .22 air rifles. You aren't taking down anything bigger than a raccoon though.

Yup, I got a highpowered 4.5mm, its qualified for birds hares squirrels, that sort of thing... Never had though, just for practise in the backyard and not scaring the neighbors to death.

point taken about air rifles/pistols. Never knew you could hunt with air but makes sense that they work for small critters.
 

cytg111

Lifer
Mar 17, 2008
26,189
15,599
136
You're right, we are arguing semantics. We probably agree on a couple of things: (1) Guns are very effective at killing people (2) The percentage of guns in private ownership used to kill people is within a rounding error of none. (3) Saying that something was intended to do something that it is almost never used to do (and that it is used to other things far far more often), is probably illogical.
Yea and plus, in the case of nuclear, since little boy and fat man you could argue that the a bomb is in fact a peace keeping bomb.. Shit gets confusing like this.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Do I what? Know what I'm arguing? Yes I do. Mostly the same point I made before.

Since the US' gun deaths are mostly due to suicides, Europe should consider that it has a comparable suicide rate despite having a tiny fraction of the gun ownership that the US does before criticizing the US for Nonsensical Rifle Addiction.

Relative to gun ownership per capita, the US has less suicides than many European nations do. Denmark has a tenth of the gun ownership but three quarters of the suicide rate. Is Denmark also addicted to guns?

This line of argument feels like this...

giphy.gif
 

Pipeline 1010

Golden Member
Dec 2, 2005
1,974
794
136
The technology of the gun was designed for the purpose of shooting at trees.

You're right (in your sarcasm). It was however, designed for the purpose of shooting bullets.

Yeah, that makes sense. Killing is what they were absolutely meant to do, and do so effectively. They simply would not exist otherwise, or you are just being silly with yourself.

Can you tell me why, if is was designed to kill, that almost none of them (percentage wise) has ever been used to do so? Is it just shitty at it's purpose? Are the people who use them just shitty at killing? Could it be that people who build them and buy them and use them don't actually have that purpose in mind?
 
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cytg111

Lifer
Mar 17, 2008
26,189
15,599
136
point taken about air rifles/pistols. Never knew you could hunt with air but makes sense that they work for small critters.
Haha dude, Ill hook you up with a video a lil later, high powered 5.5 air used to hunt boar.. no retarded hillbillies either
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
This line of argument feels like this...

giphy.gif

I don't see why. It's a minor amendment to my original argument, that Europe has a higher suicide rate than the US. It doesn't, but it's awfully close, 11.9 to the US' 12.6.

Yet Europe has hardly anywhere near the number of guns per capita that the US does. That seems relevant to me.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Im curious, boar need power to take them down. And you can do it with air?!? Yes please i will need to see this

Holy shit...I didn't even know these things existed. .357 and 800fps. That is definitely lethal. Very lethal.

http://www.crosman.com/airguns/benjamin-airguns/bulldog-synthetic

Funny story...when my wife and I lived in IL my firearms owner card had expired. I wanted to get a new air rifle. I needed to get a new card to buy one. Both my wife and I went ahead and applied. She got hers processed in a week. Mine took 3 months. She ended up buying the rifle on her card.

:p
 

mdram

Golden Member
Jan 2, 2014
1,512
208
106
Funny story...when my wife and I lived in IL my firearms owner card had expired. I wanted to get a new air rifle. I needed to get a new card to buy one. Both my wife and I went ahead and applied. She got hers processed in a week. Mine took 3 months. She ended up buying the rifle on her card.
:p

firearms card for an air rifle? thats kinda stupid