Man carries assault rifle to Obama protest -- and it's legal

[hyz]

So you say know on can be 100% sure what a bullet will do, I agree totally, however earlier you stated you would feel safer if some one in the crowd was armed. Sorry but i'll take my chances with a trained professional doing the shooting rather than some one who just wants to exercise their right to carry a gun

[Dumbfounded]

I totally agree. I my job requires that I be in contact with law enforcement. There are good cops who do the job because they love it and like helping people, and then there are cops who do the job because they think it makes them a god and above everyone else. Those types of cops are what brings out the "cop haters".
I've always said that the police need to police themselves first, and weed out the bad apples. Then maybe their image with the public would improve. Unfortunarely, that 'Blue Line' you mentioned eariler seems to always get in the way of that.



Again, I don't think you quite understand the mechanics of what you're expecting these 'highly trained - best of the best' to do safely and perfectly each time they squeeze the trigger of a rifle.
Nobody - and I mean Nobody - can be 100% sure what that bullet is going to do, or how it will act or react, once it leaves the muzzle of that rifle.
A twig from a tree can cause a bullet to deflect or even blow-up. And believe me, when you're looking through a high-powered scope at a target, twigs and even saplings that are too close can disappear because of the magnification.
Bullets also ricochet, bounce, and will change direction if they hit a flat surface the wrong way... even a glass surface.

Then there is the mechanics of the equipment themselves. Each round of ammo has to be loaded almost perfectly so each and every round performs almost exactly the same. That means the projectile has to be manufactured the same with no defects, the powder charge as to be the same down the the hundredth of a grain, the primers have to work the same every time. The shell cases have to be necked, sized, trimmed the same and structurely sound. The bullet crimp has to be the same each time.

Then there's the rifle. The bore should be clean and clear of fouling. The barrel should be floated, especially with a wood stock, because that can swell and change the barrel alinement. (I've seen even floated stocks still swell enough in certain weather to do that). The spring working the firing pin could be weak, gunked up, or even froze and not working properly, thus causing a lag time.
Scopes can be knocked off during transport, or adjustment screws and crosshair springs broken, and you wouldn't know it until you squeeze the trigger and missed by a mile.

Way too many things that can go wrong even for a highly trained sniper.

And, you really shouldn't assume just because somebody is protesting for gun rights, that they are at a higher risk of 'snapping' and doing something stupid.
I could say the same thing about you having a driver's license and a car while being at a protest. How do I know you're not going to 'snap' then get into your car and drive it through the crowd at a high speed?
Is it silly for me to think that way, or should I trust you to have good judgment in regards to your responiblity with owning a car and the license to operate it?

Excellent points and I thank you for the reality check.

But my VERY REAL concern about one of these "patriots" snapping is based on current trends as mentioned in a recent article in 'The Journal Of Easily Influenced Imbeciles' citing the recent murder of Dr. Tiller and the Holocaust Museum shooting of a guard by two LOSERS who were influenced by the media and/or internet.
Dr. Tiller's murderer was strongly influenced by Bill Coward O' Reilly.

Given the CURRENT psychological milieu of the nation, it would NOT take much for one of these firearm-toting tools to pop because of something one of the trash-talking cowards on in the media said that "just makes sense" to them.

Insane times change normally stable people, many who purchased their firearms when they WERE mentally stable.

More admittedly circumstantial evidence would include all of the recent murder suicides (and other murders) tied to the horrible economy;People who lost their job and everything else and proabably thought that they "had nothing to lose"
so while it IS highly unlikely that one of these protestors will go off-
Given the TIMES, its MORE POSSIBLE than normal (calmer times)-

But again, gotta admit that there are far too many factors involved in predicting who and who will not "lose it" at any given place and time.

[Chant]

So you say know on can be 100% sure what a bullet will do, I agree totally, however earlier you stated you would feel safer if some one in the crowd was armed. Sorry but i'll take my chances with a trained professional doing the shooting rather than some one who just wants to exercise their right to carry a gun

Okay, again... I also stated with a .38, which is typically a pistol round, not a high-powered rifle round. Somebody within the crowd is going to be closer and not shooting from let's say 100 yards away. A pistol is a less powerful weapon, less likely to over penetrate and go through to harm or kill an innocent bystander. Pistol bullets come in a better varity, and some are purposely design to lessen the change of ricochet and over penetration (meaning they are better designed to stay within the human body).
Anybody who know anything about guns and shooting, pretty much knows that a "back of the head" shot would mean almost point blank range, which a person could find themselves positioned for within the crowd should a nutjob open fire. Anything further away and you go for center mass first, then a head shot (if you have to) once the attacker is down. Thus the rule, "double tap to the chest and then one to the head to finish."

And again, you're just assuming that the commom armed citizen is not trained. In many cases that's false, some armed citizens are just as highly trained if not better trained that the common police officer. There are many schools opened to the public that teach the same gun courses police officer take and more advanced ones.
And to tell you the truth, I know many police officers who never fire their gun except for qualification every year... on the other hand, most gun people fire and train with their weapons several times a month because they enjoy shooting and competing.

[WNYresident]

Just assumed that police or S.W.A.T. snipers are the elite;That they don't miss. Never claimed to be an "expert" on the topic.
We should not even be discussing armed idiots in public places watched over by snipers but the media as usual is giving the worst of the worst coverage to inspire more armed imbeciles.

What makes you think they are imbeciles? First off they are productive enough to earn enough money to buy a real cool rifle in the first place. THey are not cheap. Secondly.. Not that it could happen. But if the chinese decid to send 300,000,000 solders to take all our stuff, that imbeciles is going to be your newest best friend.

[Chant]

Excellent points and I thank you for the reality check.

But my VERY REAL concern about one of these "patriots" snapping is based on current trends as mentioned in a recent article in 'The Journal Of Easily Influenced Imbeciles' citing the recent murder of Dr. Tiller and the Holocaust Museum shooting of a guard by two LOSERS who were influenced by the media and/or internet.
Dr. Tiller's murderer was strongly influenced by Bill Coward O' Reilly.

Given the CURRENT psychological milieu of the nation, it would NOT take much for one of these firearm-toting tools to pop because of something one of the trash-talking cowards on in the media said that "just makes sense" to them.

Insane times change normally stable people, many who purchased their firearms when they WERE mentally stable.

More admittedly circumstantial evidence would include all of the recent murder suicides (and other murders) tied to the horrible economy;People who lost their job and everything else and proabably thought that they "had nothing to lose"
so while it IS highly unlikely that one of these protestors will go off-
Given the TIMES, its MORE POSSIBLE than normal (calmer times)-

But again, gotta admit that there are far too many factors involved in predicting who and who will not "lose it" at any given place and time.

Okay, and here's another point... unstable people have been with us since the beginning of time... what are you going to do about it?
The rest of society should be punished for the acts of a few mental cases? And as a result, be placed in a position to be a even more helpless future victim?

Once a person, stable or unstable, decides to commit murder, they're going to find a way to carry out their plans regardless if a firearm is available or not. They can use the aforementioned car, a baseball bat, a piece of rope, a gas bomb, any one of a thousand improvised weapons can be used to do the deed. Hell, with my training I'm just as dangerous to you with a stick, that length of rope, or a blade, as I would be with a gun.
Disarming the law abiding, and placing your faith in the police - who can't be eveywhere at once - is not the answer.
The police are a nice concept, but the bottom line is that your first line of defense should be relying upon yourself for protection.

[Surfing USA]

The police are a nice concept, but the bottom line is that your first line of defense should be relying upon yourself for protection.

Especially considering police are under no obligation to protect your life if it means putting their life in danger to do so.

[Chant]

Especially considering police are under no obligation to protect your life if it means putting their life in danger to do so.

That is also true. I do however think they are obligated to make a report about it though... something about a paper usage quota.

[DR_GONZO]

Looks like that fool was a nut bag after all. Anyone else catch the news report on this cretin today? He's a loony. All his buddies(some panther militia) are locked away for planning out a bigger bang then Lockport's own, Timmy McJackass.

[WNYresident]

This is the internet.. give us the link to the story..

[FMD]

I still say, in people are armed, with even a hand gun, I am talking 90% of the population, crime over all would go down. Sure there will be some who get killed with their own gun and what not, but over all, we as a people would be safer.

On top of that, those police officers who feel they are god, will realise that 'hey, this guy I am about to bully around has a bigger gun than me'.

[FMD]

ill put it this way...

Id FEEL safer around armed citizens than I would around a bunch of armed cops at a 'protest'

[Chant]

Yes... we are having problems with all these whackjobs because modern unarmed society has allowed them breeding room.

[raoul duke]

I'd say you're missing the point completely, FMD. I see where you are coming from, but part of it is built on falsehoods and the other part is a philosophy I do not understand in a country where a lot of misguided people believe it to be a Christian nation. Not oddly, a lot of those same people support some pretty contradictory and asinine ideologies, if their faiths are to be believed.

But arm yourself, for a gunfight you'll never have. I hope you don't bare out to be a somewhat not unlikely statistic and use the gun against someone you know or had no business shooting.

[Chant]

But arm yourself, for a gunfight you'll never have. I hope you don't bare out to be a somewhat not unlikely statistic and use the gun against someone you know or had no business shooting.

"Its better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it."

And never fool yourself into thinking it can never happen to you. There are people out there who will place you in that situation wheather you want to be in it or not. Be it over the money in your pocket, your car, your new coat or shoes, or they just feel like having fun and popping a cap into a complete stranger.

I'm alive today because I had a gun when I needed it. The other guy (who wasn't even suppose to be in this country, let alone here and carrying a gun) thought it be a great idea for him and his friends to go out to rob some places and shoot a person or two. Well, it must not have dawned on them that maybe their victims just might be armed too. Thankfully, for all his possible future victims, it was the last lesson he ever learned.

I can never stress this enough to anyone - IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU AT ANYTIME! ANYWHERE!... and for any reason.

[Dumbfounded]

Okay, and here's another point... unstable people have been with us since the beginning of time... what are you going to do about it?
The rest of society should be punished for the acts of a few mental cases? And as a result, be placed in a position to be a even more helpless future victim?

Once a person, stable or unstable, decides to commit murder, they're going to find a way to carry out their plans regardless if a firearm is available or not. They can use the aforementioned car, a baseball bat, a piece of rope, a gas bomb, any one of a thousand improvised weapons can be used to do the deed. Hell, with my training I'm just as dangerous to you with a stick, that length of rope, or a blade, as I would be with a gun.
Disarming the law abiding, and placing your faith in the police - who can't be eveywhere at once - is not the answer.



Christ. I wish that I COULD place my faith in the police but experience has taught me that they're RARELY there when you REALLY need them (or NEVER for some of us).




The police are a nice concept, but the bottom line is that your first line of defense should be relying upon yourself for protection.

When I USED to listen to Sandy Beach, he repeated MANY TIMES, "the police are our last line of defense," which sounds a bit extreme.

In theory, relying on oneself or those we can FULLY trust for personal protection makes perfect sense but the sad thing is, not everyone can own or afford a SERIOUS weapon and some people just have no one to protect them.

Hell. Using an improvised weapon for self-defense purposes ONLY and I'm speaking of just keeping whatever the hell weapon in one's RESIDENCE, is a great idea, one which can get someone who DEFENDED themselves from a predator could get ARRESTED FOR owning/using.