Texas School shooting 19 children and 2 adults murdered

I gave you a link above which tells you this isn't true. There is no indication that having a gun in any way makes you more successful at defending your home, and lots of data that tells you that having a gun in your home is many, many times more likely to result in you or a family member being killed or seriously injured.

The data has been out there for years. Honestly, anyone who voluntarily keeps a gun in their home, knowing these facts, is an idiot. The equivalent of someone who still smokes because they think i's good for them.

If you like hunting, sport shooting, whatever, then statistically the smartest thing you can do is store it outside of your home, locked, unloaded and preferably dismantled.

You've provided no evidence that the use of weapons made any difference in any of these incidents.

The facts are not on your side. People who are armed are no more successful at defending their property or themselves than people who are unarmed.

I'll agree, it's closer to a military grade weapon but my point stands, it isn't a military grade weapon. By the way, you can licence AR15s here in Ireland. You can also get 10 round magazines for them here. In fact, it's illegal to use a 20 or 30 round magazine in one here in Ireland.

People continually say that the AR15 is a military grade firearm yet I don't know of any armies that they are issued to. Open to correction here obviously. They certainly aren't commonly issued to soldiers.

You are correct about the WWII guns mostly being semi-auto and not fully-auto or burst fire but you are talking about technology that's over 80 years old. Military technology has moved on. I don't understand the hate for the AR15 when there are hundreds of other guns that do exactly the same job and they aren't vilified in the slightest, e.g. Ruger Mini 14.

Regarding your question on bold action rifles, some AR15's come as a straight pull. They act similarly to a bolt action. The Ruger Precision is bolt action and to the untrained eye it might look like an AR15. In other words it's a scary black gun.

If there were universal health care in the US, death by guns would drop. First of all, the rise in suicide is impacting older males as they lose jobs, and as such, health care. This is something Irish in Ireland I don't think can fathom; if you lose your job in the US, you're not guaranteed any health care unless you go the absurdly low poverty line and face enormous bills. At "best" you can get emergency care, so you have to wait for that long. Lots of suicides by handgun as a result.

And the joke is, "You know what they call a millionaire in the US? 1 medical crises from poverty." Consider all the unvaxxed and what they run up in Covid hospital and pharmecutical care. On average, $20,000, and I wonder about that number, seems very low. But, poverty, crashed self esteem, anger at the 'other' stoked by various media... sure, beat the kid up a bit and kick him out. He'll be fine. Oh look, he's borrowed money to buy that nice AK-47 knockoff he saw on 'gunbroker.com.' No problem, he's 18.

But, take sonny to the shrink when he's been playing House of the Dead for 48 straight hours and lives in the basement (like the Buffalo shooter did, the basement bit anyway.) Can't afford it. Therapy? Nope. Nada. Be lucky to know where the next meal is coming from.

Likewise, the loss of 'good jobs' (thank you, Clintons and NAFTA) led to a plummeting self-esteem and as such more suicides.

There's just so much good to come with a single payer program in the US. Won't happen, you can't have nice things in the USA.

I'd guess they are paranoid and afraid that the Government are coming to get their guns.

That number is comical. Are they counting someone was looking shifty till they saw I had a gun or is the US effectively an active war zone at the moment?

@jmayo wrote:

I've got into this before with Americans and really any AR-15 style guns are just pretty normal mid-range hunting rifles in a macho package.

It's a VW Golf with the "sports" upgrade; bigger wheels, fancy skirts and a spoiler, fancy badge and a loud exhaust. It doesn't perform particularly well, certainly nowhere near an actual rally car, but it strokes the owner's ego and makes them feel like Billy Big Balls.

In the debate around weapons, it's a bit of a misdirection, as any similar rifle is just as dangerous even though they don't make the owner feel like Rambo.

These are laughable citations.

One claims 12 examples 'prove' arming civilians make situations safer (unsurprising 1+1=7 claim coming from the heritage foundation cesspit).

The other is a survey of gun owners admit that in over 80% of the times they claimed guns helped them no shot was fired. There is no evidence that the gun was of any benefit - it is all their 'feelings' again. It also admits that only a quarter were even in their own home, usually where one would claim the need to defend themselves (rather than escalating the situation). The evidence you're pointing to shows that guns are rarely shown to be any benefit nor used in situations where there is a true threat as most would perceive it. I'd also argue that a survey that shows an average gun owner having 5 guns would not be representative of a teacher in a classroom using a gun in self defense against someone with an AR15.

Ah come on anything with semi auto, that can take a military round or bigger, and has a 30 round magazine is not a fooking hunting weapon.

Well unless you count hunting people.

And your comparison to dollied up golf is wrong.

An AR15 is equivalent to an old Group N Rally car like the Scoobies or Lancer versions.

It is not quite the real thing, but it is reasonably close.

Ah but it is not military grade they argue because it has not been adpated by any current military.

Yet it is way more capable than what was a standard military grade weapon from 60 odd years ago.

You've a very bad view of gun owners.

According to you, if you don't want laws changed, you're a scumbag. If you want an AR15, you are Rambo etc.

NOOOOOOOOO! its a conspiracy of some kinds right