The GOP and Guns

[Whateverist]

They should go further and advocate the legal ownership by civilians such weapons as rocket launchers and tanks.

I don't know how we can still claim to live free if I'm not allowed to maintain a supply of dirty bombs and bunker busters. I am so tired of the friggin' gov'ment tellin' me what weapons of mass destruction I can and can't have.

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When hunting one of these:




I really NEED a couple of these:



HEY, I don't want bambi to get the best of me do I ?!?

I know! I mean do they expect you to shoot it and then haul it to butcher to grind it into hamburger when you could just as easily grind it up with one of those weapons. Damned over-reaching nanny state.

[Anomalocaris]

Here Rhytym. You’re going to want a couple of these for your Bradley.

Undoubtedly to the infinite consternation of the National Rifle Association, pop guns shooting out of side ports have become passe in the world of mechanized infantry combat vehicles.

It appears even professional armies no longer thinks pop guns would cut it as a tool to fight other big governments.

[neilmarr]

[/quote]There was also a time in our country when it was unheard of that a Catholic could ever become president, until John F. Kennedy. You guys need to chill and to keep your noses in your own culture. Our individual rights in the U.S. are none of Europe's business.[/quote]

Forgive me if I disagree. The election of a new US president is, of course, down to you but -- unlike that of, say, a new first minister of Scotland -- what happens next impacts the entire world. And the greatest first effect on foreign shores is felt by the closest allies of the USA. It's everyone's business and it would be remiss of us not to take an active interest and make comment from afar.

Please don't think I'm trying to start a wee row in a coffee mug (there's already too much squabbling between nations), but your vote is so vital because you're casting it on behalf of billions around the globe as well as for domestic well-being. It's a huge responsibility. To a lesser extent, European political decisions have a ripple effect in America. No country is an island. We're in this together. Luck and bestests. Neil

[Whateverist]

You guys need to chill and to keep your noses in your own culture. Our individual rights in the U.S. are none of Europe's business.

Forgive me if I disagree. The election of a new US president is, of course, down to you but -- unlike that of, say, a new first minister of Scotland -- what happens next impacts the entire world. ... your vote is so vital because you're casting it on behalf of billions around the globe as well as for domestic well-being. It's a huge responsibility. To a lesser extent, European political decisions have a ripple effect in America. No country is an island. We're in this together.

Well said. I for one pledge to vote in such a way as to keep the party of adventurous foreign policy and reckless financial regulation out of office. Republicans have also become more and more vocal about not being responsible citizens of the world. The U. N. just becomes one more vehicle for exerting national will when doing so will be effective, but is completely ignored when it takes an unfavorable stand.

[Cinjin]

I have a solution Min,

We will concede to unlimited ammunition input, but only for this one type of weapon:

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[A Theist]

There was also a time in our country when it was unheard of that a Catholic could ever become president, until John F. Kennedy. You guys need to chill and to keep your noses in your own culture. Our individual rights in the U.S. are none of Europe's business.

Forgive me if I disagree. The election of a new US president is, of course, down to you but -- unlike that of, say, a new first minister of Scotland -- what happens next impacts the entire world. And the greatest first effect on foreign shores is felt by the closest allies of the USA. It's everyone's business and it would be remiss of us not to take an active interest and make comment from afar.

Please don't think I'm trying to start a wee row in a coffee mug (there's already too much squabbling between nations), but your vote is so vital because you're casting it on behalf of billions around the globe as well as for domestic well-being. It's a huge responsibility. To a lesser extent, European political decisions have a ripple effect in America. No country is an island. We're in this together. Luck and bestests. Neil

Notta 'tall mate! No wee row intended in this coffee mug either. My original response was not in reference to U.S. policy abroad. I was refering to our individual rights we have in this country, which is none of Europe's business....on the otherhand, despite any objections from Europe, who we elect as our president is also our individual privilage. You guys accross the pond will just have to adjust accordingly and work with whoever we elct as our president. There's nothing you guys can do about that, unless you want to become an American citizen, ( legally I hope).

[Anomalocaris]

I have a solution Min,

We will concede to unlimited ammunition input, but only for this one type of weapon:

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That's a silly weapon, aimed under the eyes of NRA members where the wound can potentially be nonlethal.

What's the point the Sacred Second Amendment (Peace Be Upon It) if does reliably kill anyone silly enough to advocate it?

[neilmarr]

Fair enough, A Theist. Do bear in mind, though, that had Europeans kept their noses out of the New World over the past five centuries, there wouldn't be an America at all and the continent would still be populated by scattered tribes and nomads, the remnants of which are referred to as 'Native' Americans. Correspondents on this board would certainly not communicate in an Indo-European language now known as English.

Since the advent of cinema and, particularly, television, it's quite amazing how your internal policies, politics and culture now affect even the popular mindset in the remotest corners of the globe in very subtle as well as more obvious ways. Not by any means always a bad thing. Europe and the US, Europeans and Americans, are -- like it or not -- joined at the hip. To paraphrase; a butterfly flutters its wings in Montana and there's a hurricane in Monaco.

I've lived and worked (yup, quite legally) in the US and worked with US publishers for over forty years. Love the country. Love its people. Dislike common ownership and enthusiasm for guns. I also have a thing about universal gun ownership by the Swiss. That OK or is an aversion to compulsory gun ownership in Switzerland also off limits? Switzerland, of course, is not an EU country. Does that make it none of my business? Should I avoid criticism of North Korea, China, Pakistan, Mecca and Vatican City?

When I signed up here just this week, I was encouraged to see an international community in healthy and open debate, AT; I didn't realise there should be national demarcation on some subjects and taboos as to which correspondent was allowed to freely comment on what subject. Apologies if I got that wrong. Bestests. N

[A Theist]

Fair enough, A Theist. Do bear in mind, though, that had Europeans kept their noses out of the New World over the past five centuries, there wouldn't be an America at all and the continent would still be populated by scattered tribes and nomads, the remnants of which are referred to as 'Native' Americans. Correspondents on this board would certainly not communicate in an Indo-European language now known as English.

Since the advent of cinema and, particularly, television, it's quite amazing how your internal policies, politics and culture now affect even the popular mindset in the remotest corners of the globe in very subtle as well as more obvious ways. Not by any means always a bad thing. Europe and the US, Europeans and Americans, are -- like it or not -- joined at the hip. To paraphrase; a butterfly flutters its wings in Montana and there's a hurricane in Monaco.

I've lived and worked (yup, quite legally) in the US and worked with US publishers for over forty years. Love the country. Love its people. Dislike common ownership and enthusiasm for guns. I also have a thing about universal gun ownership by the Swiss. That OK or is an aversion to compulsory gun ownership in Switzerland also off limits? Switzerland, of course, is not an EU country. Does that make it none of my business? Should I avoid criticism of North Korea, China, Pakistan, Mecca and Vatican City?

When I signed up here just this week, I was encouraged to see an international community in healthy and open debate, AT; I didn't realise there should be national demarcation on some subjects and taboos as to which correspondent was allowed to freely comment on what subject. Apologies if I got that wrong. Bestests. N

That's true, N. European adventurers braved the hardships for a myriad of reasons to establish colonies in the 'New World'. Their descendants eventually broke away from England and founded an independent nation and a constitution that gave us indidvidual rights. Sure, we're joined at the hip but we're no longer subject to European authority. My genealogy traces back to England, Wales, and as far back to the Normans. My family's roots also traces back to some predecessors who fought in the Revolutionary War, (one of whom was a prisoner of war taken by the British), and in the Civil War, (on the Union side under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman). I'm an American. Our nation fought hard for our individual liberties. Europe may not like some of the freedoms we enjoy here, but still, our individual liberties, including gun ownership and who we choose to elect as our president are none of Europe's business.

Europe and America for the most part have been able to maintain a good relationship and have worked together despite our differences....and I'm sure that relationship will still continue even after American citizens excercise their individual rights to cast votes for our next president, again, which is none of Europe's business.

...and the best to you as well.

[neilmarr]

Thanks, AT. We're not talking 'authority', though, just fair comment among peers in an online community we all chose to join for an exchange of diverse views from every country and every POV under the sun (gosh - even evangelical Christians have their say here). Broadens the mind as the globe shrinks. If the 'real' world could adopt a similar approach to open debate and iron out perceived difference with some exchange of banter understanding, who'd need guns? Cheers, mate. N

PS: Can you help me out, A Theist? As I was typing this response, I must have pressed a bad button and the text displayed has shrunk to the extent that I need a magnifying glass now to read anything here. You or any other older hands here know how to fix that? Ta. N