Nightline on Obama, gun control

[unixronin]

Nightline broadcast a good and pretty balanced segment last night, discussing Barak Obama's gun control position and the massive gun buying rush that's going on across the US now by people concerned that if they don't buy them now, they won't be able to.

Particular points to note:

• The customer who keeps repeating to the reporter, "Never mind Obama's words, look at his actions."¹
• The gunshop owner reporting Obama supporters coming into his store wearing their Obama buttons, who just voted for him but are still afraid he'll ban guns.

[1]  You might have seen me say this once or twice.  Assuming you've been paying attention.

Comments

[laurarey.livejournal.com]

I could certainly see that having multiple rounds available when fending off coyotes or other predators would be very helpful. Certainly my father's family had to kill many rattle snakes on their ranch and I personally would not want to piss off a rattler by only grazing it with one shot...and then have to stop and reload.

Sorry, I don't keep up with events on the Mexican border. It didn't make the news up here in Toronto. However, and again, I'm not meaning to start any kind of flame war with this, I do think that dealing with the underlying issues of uneven prosperity in the world would go a long way toward easing tensions between, for example, the U.S. and Mexico.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

The odds are it would, but there are other problems. In the case of the US-Mexico border, many Mexicans remain firmly and unshakably convinced that Nuevo Mexico, parts of Tejas, and most of Alta California belong rightfully to Mexico.

In any case, it's far from a simple problem to solve.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

Certainly my father's family had to kill many rattle snakes on their ranch and I personally would not want to piss off a rattler by only grazing it with one shot...and then have to stop and reload.

okay, this kinda has me giggling. a lot.

had to ??? :)

rattle snakes tend to be shy, and sliter away and hide. they do not come at you in packs, and don't leap out from cover or from trees, or FLY at you (yah, there are snakes that can glide long distance - spooky).

rattlers are just unloved by ranch folk. poor things. all but extinct in new england. oddly enough, some WERE found in MA recently.

"shoot to kill! it's coming right for us!"

#

[laurarey.livejournal.com]

Point of order. I've kept my end of this conversation about gun control very open and civil. Please don't inflame things.

My father's family lived in west Texas. Ever hauled a rattle snake in with a load of firewood? That nice cold snake warms up fairly quickly by a wood stove, and then is a bit pissed off.

My father's dog saved my father's life at least once by jumping between him and a rattler and taking the bite.

My uncle had rattlers that liked to live under their front porch, which is kind of a scary place to have a rattler when one has children running in and out.

So yes, when encountered close to the house or where people walked regularly, like to the barn to care for the livestock, they had to be killed. It wasn't as infrequent as you might think.