Comments by "Stephen Villano" (@spvillano) on "CNN"
channel.
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No, their signature is no more a guilty plea than one's gun in an armed robbery attempt is. Both are evidence against you, your plea comes from your lips, evidence comes from the totality of the case.
As an example, I see armed men preparing to enter the bank, with the fairly obvious intent to rob it. So, I grab my BFG 9000 and enter before the group can. I halt the robbery attempt, but the DA and police in confusion, charge me with attempted bank robbery.
The evidence could appear I was part of the robbery, save for my testimony and the bank video, which shows me rushing in and stopping the robbery.
Evidence against their crimes is lacking, but it's their right to plea not guilty and have the absolute defense possible, as our Constitution demands.
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First off, to possess a suppressor, you have to undergo a background investigation that is exhaustive, think Top Secret clearance kind of investigation.
Second, when you fire that thing, everyone knows where the shot came from, if unsuppressed and likely even suppressed. If you're in a school area, you're in a residential area, which is populated enough to hear the suppressed shot (it isn't a muffler, it simply changes the characteristics of the sound, it's still gunshot loud). The standard Barrett kicks up a lot of debris over ten meters around, so even Helen Keller could tell where a shot came from.
Add in the thing weighs between 25 and 45 pounds, plus optics and magazine (figure 10 pounds for both), add in around $10K - 15K for weapon, ammunition and optics, it's not getting used in any crimes.
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@happ-hobby so, saying someone is guilty after they plea guilty is unconstitutional?
With that last sentence, that's literally an end result of a guilty plea.
Just as finding someone guilty of fraudulently signing a document would be unconstitutional under that argument, legalizing fraud and counterfeiting money.
Perhaps, a rephrasing of that last sentence is in order?
Such as, "Saying someone is guilty without a guilty verdict is unconstitutional"?
After all, if I sign a document stating that I'm God and hence, via that document, requiring specific funding be paid by the receiving party, that remains fraud or I am indeed God. And if I become God, I'll be forced to become an atheist.
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MrJamesIkanov , as you said, criminals use concealable firearms first, gangbangers might try a drive-by with a semi-auto AK or something.
Long range, precision marksmanship firearms are beyond their class.
That said, I've heard of some who did manage to acquire unlawfully converted fully automatic firearms and even one who had a full blown Ma Deuce guarding his drug distribution facility (a house in Allentown, PA area). Those are vanishingly rare.
As for your description of an SSBI (that is what is performed for ownership of NFA firearms), "anal probing" is rather appropriate.
Everyone you've worked with, neighbors, former neighbors, etc, for the past decade are interviewed.
I know, I've passed such investigations a number of times for the military.
In the middle of the initiation of yet another, again for the government.
Interest in full automatic, despite my military proficiency with them?
Zero, I'd have to triple my income to be able to afford to fire in such abandon as recreation. Something I also have very little interest in doing anyway.
Dirties the weapon too much and wears the barrel.
Worse, there are three chances of my firing full automatic out of any of my national match barrels.
Slim, fat and none.
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Jar-Jar Binks , while I personally lack interest in competing in this class, I know men and women who to compete in one mile and longer competition precision shooting.
Indeed, this rifle is short, compared to other competition models that have longer barrels.
I'm not into it due to the weight and punishment to the shoulder and spine it delivers, too many years in the Army.
I'll stick with .308 long range and 5.56 intermediate and short range competition.
Then, there are those who want to own one because our military uses them. Frankly, to me, it's a waste of money, but I'm not one to tell another person how to spend their hard earned money.
The final type who would want one is the one who earnestly believes that they can fight "tyranny", a ridiculous notion, as one puny rifle against artillery, MLRS, B-52's, various fighter aircraft, tanks, smart bombs, dumb (iron) bombs, AC-130 gunships, helicopter gunships and Special Operations, plus infantry, just isn't happening.
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MrJamesIkanov , actually, I've researched it. As one who argues with both militant pro-second amendment types and anti-firearms types, getting facts straight is super important if I don't want to lose my point by making an ass of myself.
There have been no civilian crimes committed with a .50 BMG in living memory. There has been one case I am personally aware of (and verified via restricted means) of a DEA raid in Allentown, PA where the drug dealer (senior type) had a fully functioning and loaded M2 .50 BMG machinegun that was stolen from the military some time before.
Zip otherwise.
For myself, that rifle would be a waste. I'm unwilling to lug it around, my osteoarthritis prohibits it. Firing it? Thanks, but no thanks. Did so earlier in my military career, now, I'm retired from that after damned near 28 years. Now, my back would hate me and I'd hate life after that much torque would be thrust into my spine.
Still, I know people who do compete with them and admire their precision.
I'd love to join them, but today, I've acquired way too many dings and dents to race in that particular class of race.
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John Ronkainen , as I said, thanks, but no thanks. I had more medals than my previous commanders and hence, declined wearing them, out of courtesy of the commander.
So, yeah, I really do have a drawer full of them and a few in a safe at a location I cannot discuss.
BTW, for the original posting query, yes, indeed, I've been personally present to witness the sale of an M2 .50 BMG machinegun, via class 3 procedures and requirements.
I also know of one locally for sale. While the notion of shooting a jackhammer and hitting a target is cool and a fine memory, I'll decline. The cost of ammunition is far too high to engage in that spine traumatizing sport of lugging that thing around.
I helped light infantry learn armored infantry, and hence, had to teach a large number of infantry how to handle Ma Deuce and attach her to her pintle. Wasn't a lot of fun, as I was beginning to age.
I'm retired now, with 27 years, eight months of service.
My knees are gone, my lower back is lojacked by itself away from my abuses, I don't have a single joint without osteoarthritis. So, no, I'd not want to lug that chunk of pig iron around.
Well, save if I were permitted to "present" the weapon to a village idiot, by dropping it carelessly upon his lap.
But then, I'd be obligated to call 911 for the femoral fractures.
Thankfully, the number of people I've barely considered doing that do are numbered on a single hand, with plenty of fingers left over to continue the daily activities of life.
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R3v0LuT1oNpRo , .50 BMG rifles have been on the civilian market for decades, zero crimes have been committed with them due to their incredible bulk and the expense of the ammunition.
As for fully automatic rifles and even submachine guns, one can legally purchase those, but the background investigation is the same as the investigation to acquire a top secret security clearance. To date, three crimes have been committed with NFA firearms, one committed by a law enforcement officer who shot up a drug house.
I'd say that out of the thousands of NFA firearms (what fully automatic is, as well as disguised firearms and destructive weapons (bombs, artillery, rockets (military type), that's exceptionally low.
Now, semi-automatic weapons are a different story. The overwhelming majority of those weapons are for sporting purposes, although the more portable models are indeed used in the commission of a crime, especially so for pistols.
I personally advocate for firearms to be stored in firearms safes, they're expensive, so treat them like the expensive investment that they are. I do.
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Alex Friday , well, it's true.
Amazingly, I've been married for 33+ years. Amazing, as the marriage has outlasted a 27 year, 8 month military career.
In that career, well, my knees hurt when moving, my back hurts to the point where I only write to it to communicate with it and it's taken to letting my right leg collapse without warning. My ribs on my right side hurt, about a hand width below the nipple, then take half of that down, due to an RPG sending something into my side ESAPI plate and it twisted.
That's a good thing, I ended up with a few broken ribs, but not a flail chest, which does really bad things to you, had the ESAPI plate not twisted. Things like sliced up lung, dead, trying to breathe through a lung full of blood that is now filling the operational lung thing, well, it gets unpleasant.
Hurting can be fixed when injured, dead, not so much.
Arthritis in the left shoulder as well, courtesy of a bad landing.
It's been 20 years since I could take a blood pressure, while holding the stethoscope with my fingers, without hearing "Earthquake in Sensoround", so I've had to palm it.
That is the short list.
Here's the funny part.
My wife doesn't have a problem with my purchasing a firearm to compete with or a couple for general recreational shooting.
She's never objected to my phenomenal number of field knives, combat knives, etc I've acquired over the decades.
Let's suffice it to say, many peers who served under SOCOM rather liked my collection, some surprised over choices of edged weapons until I demonstrated them.
So, yeah.
She'd leave me if I brought one of those home.
But then, I'd leave me too, leaving that big, heavy rifle lonely.
So, might as well leave it lonely at the gun shop and pick up something I might want to use.
Currently, that is an M1911, GI specification. Mine is actually worn down on the frame. Time for a new one to dress up slightly.
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@joehamill6743 which one is the "real original bible"?
As for his placing his hand on the bible, there is no Constitutional requirement for him to do so, one swears not on a book, but on one's own word of honor and if invoking a deity, then before that deity as witness of their word. But, the religious portions are not required by our laws and Constitution, that whole first amendment thing and all.
Then, it also comes to, which bible, as there are a few different versions, depending upon sect, as well as which transliteration was utilized.
As an example:
Catholic and Protestant Bibles both include 27 books in the New Testament. Protestant Bibles have only 39 books in the Old Testament, however, while Catholic Bibles have 46. The seven books included in Catholic Bibles are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch.
Which is fascinating, given that Protestantism sprang from Roman Catholicism, so one would think they'd share the same religious text.
But, history is always more complicated than that and the victors get to become the editors.
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Whenever the doomsayers go on about something this early in the campaign and well, it is early, it's the last months that count the most, I shoot them a picture of Truman holding aloft a newspaper with the headline, "Dewey Wins!".
For the historically challenged, we never had a President Dewey, we did have an elected President Truman.
That said, I know who I voted for in the primary, want to yank my candidate that I and the majority of the party chose, enjoy my vote for a party candidate I never heard of and is decidedly not a Democrat, as a return of the respect that was shown to my fucking vote. Don't be surprised then though, if my next Democratic Party vote is cast when the sun goes white dwarf.
I myself have a prediction, that the GOP will go the way of the Whig party before it - for precisely the same reason and in pretty much the same way.
The GOP's only strength currently is, "We have a Trump". To which I reply, "Oh? I thought the mindless beast wandered off".
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Nope, an exculpatory answer would be, "The lid fell off of a couple of boxes, saw shampoo and hairspray in one, a bunch of papers in the other, put their lids on, as it's his personal shit".
Bullshitting and outright lying just are shitty ideas, the former is even believable, as going through an employer's personal effects while moving them is really a bad career move.
Now, do I believe him at all? I might, if I was on a jury and not presented evidence supporting his viewing the contents in detail of multiple boxes, have to accept him at his word. But, I do, in my heart of hearts believe that he's more full of shit than a Christmas goose.
That all said, I'd obviously never work for Trump, as I like actually always getting paid. I also won't work for crooks, too bad for one's reputation in the end. That said, if somehow I fouled up and had his job and was moving shit tons of boxes and I saw marked classified folders or worse, the documents themselves, I'd have to make a telephone call to report the finding, as I still do hold a security clearance and rather value doing so.
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Perposterown , what you are speaking of is an NFA firearm (National Firearms Act), which covers fully automatic weapons, disguised firearms and destructive weapons (bombs, artillery, etc).
A Single Scope Background Investigation is performed before a tax stamp is issued so that one can possess an NFA weapon.
It's literally the same background investigation used to acquire a top secret or special compartmentalized intelligence clearance.
Neighbors, former neighbors, coworkers, former coworkers, family, employers, former employers are all interviewed about the one seeking the tax stamp (or security clearance).
Once one is cleared, there is no waiting period. What you think is a waiting period is due to the length, depth and scope of the background check.
BTW, one of the other authorities that can sign the application form is a judge. All that signature does is state to the BATFE that the community or county has not outlawed NFA weapons.
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Grammer Nazi , why stoop to ad hominem attacks, when well established facts are trivially available?
Such as, there have been precisely zero crimes committed with these rifles, partly due to their cost and largely due to their mass and length.
This particular behemoth weighs in around 25 pounds, without optics and magazine. Loaded and with the appropriate scope, it's around 40 pounds.
Its bolt action cousins start out at 45 pounds, adding 15 pounds for the scope an magazine.
Criminals want concealability, lightness, inexpensive ammunition and well, anything other than this shoulder pounder.
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While it's potentially useful against endangered rhinos, elephants and
tyrannosaurs, OK, the last is a joke, realistically, it's a useless
rifle for most.
It is useful for those inclined for super long distance marksmanship
and for the military, in niche positions.
As for the 5 foot tall woman, my wife is entirely 5 foot 1 inch tall
as is as inclined to abuse her shoulder as I am with that behemoth.
We'll stick with gentler weapons, like a 7.62x51 round.
Seriously, using that thing is akin to being jerked off by an elephant.
OK, not quite that bad, but, close enough for government work.
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Noliving , let's keep it apples to crabapples, shall we? The firearm vs car argument is a strawman.
So, let's see how many people in the US are killed by .50 BMG rifles in a violent crime or suicide vs how many people in the US are killed by violent crime or suicide with a handgun?
So, that would be zero vs thousands.
Meanwhile, there are hundreds of these rifles in use in competition every year, with hundreds more from other companies that make similar products.
You did make one error, these rifles were originally anti-tank rifles, until tank armor improved enough that they became anti-equipment rifles. It's only recently that they've been used as anti-personnel, save in highly limited special operations usage.
Of course, when an unlawful combatant (read; non-military, non-uniformed forces fighter) shoots at you with an RPG, protection under the Geneva conventions and the Hauge conventions is not present.
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Harri v'Jah , I know people who own one of these. Personally, not my cup of tea, the shove it gives is significant (thankfully, not as bad as it could be, due to the muzzle break).
None would consider shooting at anything other than paper targets, far, far away.
That said, you betray your ignorance, as shooting down an aircraft is extremely hard - even with a machine gun. For an example, look at WWII footage and see how many rounds are fired and most miss the aircraft, even when it's flying low or straight at the gun position.
Shooting at aircraft was trained in the military, where we estimated the velocity of the approaching aircraft and aimed football fields ahead of its projected path. We were also told that we'd likely not hit the aircraft anyway, but a small chance was better than no chance at all of surviving.
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OK, first, not every firearm is for hunting or self-defense. There are firearms designed for competition, some are also used by the military as sniper systems.
In this instance, the rifle is used by certain military units for long range sniper operations.
It's also used by civilians for 1/4 and 1/2 mile precision shooting competitions.
As for the suppressor, do learn a little about US firearms laws before you make an ass of yourself again. Suppressors, fully automatic weapons, destructive weapons (missiles, bombs, etc) and disguised firearms are NFA (National Firearms Act) weapons, alongside of short barreled rifles and shotguns. To be authorized to possess the tax stamp and hence, the device that stamp corresponds to, you have to go through the same background investigation as is used to acquire a Top Secret or Special Compartmentalized Intelligence clearance.
Needless to say, many will not meet the stringent requirements to be permitted to possess such devices.
Leaving them with a rather expensive rifle, optics and it should be noted, really heavy rifle, 25 - 45 pounds of rifle, plus optics and loaded magazine (figure 10 - 15 pounds there).
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Robert B , it still ends up around as loud as a .308 or so.
But, at the distance involved, well, the supersonic bullet impacts before the sound of the round firing arrives.
From a mile or more away.
What is greatly reduced is the 25 meter around and behind region of dust, leaves, dirt, sand, whatever isn't nailed down flying around for two meters or so around the firer.
Add in the reduced overall signature and add in "special" rounds available for the military, let's call this pretty much the silent wrath of an angry god.
Such as APDP and AP-I as sparse examples.
Or more simply, this veteran wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of a military sniper from our nation firing at him.
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+jooper99 , go for it. I know for a pure fact, I'll take you down, along with 20 of your peers before you get a round actually in my area.
I'm former SF, retired military and feared by our enemies in our recent wars.
I'll let anyone talk smack. I'll not let anyone threaten life over liberty of freedom of speech.
Our very first amendment.
Or have you gotten even that wrong?
Or is free speech, the very fucking first amendment wrong in your fucked up world?
For me, I have an M1A, M14A4, assorted other equipment, including my favored M1911A1, largely uncustomized.
So, idiot may speak, others can educate, none may threaten, without reprisal.
The Constitution is my bible, none ever may force their nonsense against it, lest main force of military arms be brought against that.
For, my oath of enlistment lacked an expiration, only the term of service in the contract did.
jooper99
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+Caleb Whittington first, a drone can pretty much take out one target, Hellfire missiles are quite heavy. Let's say it's a single house, with a family in it.
That isn't genocide, genocide is an entire group targeted and killed off. The Jews in WWII, the Native Americans in the past century, those were attempted genocides.
A .50 BMG rifle or machinegun can take down a drone or even an aircraft, it's improbable as hell. Watch a WWII naval battle film some time and note how many hundreds of rounds were fired at Japanese "Zeros" and never damaged the aircraft, taking thousands of rounds to down a single aircraft.
The only way a Barrett or similar rifle could take out a drone is if its on the ground, once it's moving, you'd need a machinegun and a hell of a lot of cans of ammunition.
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Michael Coulter , at my stage of life, having served for nearly 28 years in the US Army and having fired an M82, along with pretty much every small arms and crew served field arms, thanks, but no thanks, not even for your .300wsm.
I'd prefer to avoid such abuse and will stick with .308, 30-06, 30-30, 45-70, etc.
But, I'll admit some surprise in the range you offered. For that round, the drop is predictable to 600 meters and frankly, I've long fired over that range with 5.56mm and 7.65, .50BMG was a bit longer, but not as well as the unit sniper.
I've even qualified with a non-zeroed, first met M-16, "Kentucky windageing like a motherfucker. Still qualified expert. It came down to a long range miss, shorter range off center hit and knowing the trajectory of the round/sight/mass and propellant load.
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Harriscandoit , first, your linked article provided nothing more than the fact hat US arms controls works. All were ar DEA agent paused whitest passing.
Now, I"ll provide one entry that has sensitive sources. A drug dealer that had DoD owned M2 .50 BMG machine gun aimed at the door. Each and every DEA agent paused, whilst passing the stolen military weapon.
Frankly, as one who has handle and used this particular class of weapon, it's not happening.
Foremost is, that of protected politicians, a range greater than a mile.
The precise range isn't even available to me, but, it's in excess of two miles.
Lacking is the experience in firing over long distances.
The reality of it is, firing over such an insane amount of landscape to exterminate a political leader is absurd. I couldn't manage that, none of my team snipers could dot that.
The target is, in the few scopes that work without being shaken apart leave that target a dot. Literally.
But, remove every threat, the US would starve to death, for US humanity couldn't even be allowed to cut a slice of meat.
For, humanity has turned everything into a weapon.
So, the "proper" course would be to ban humanity.
Or prohibit metallurgy and plastics.
The "Founding fathers" had a notion that thew populace could remove a soffllaw government.
Their intent was a populace equally armed to the scope of the3 military.
That desire is satisfied via the militia act of 1903 and our draft system..
I could go on at great length and great volume;
I'll; not, due to a dire NDA.
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Sam King , first, as a firearms owner with a full dozen firearms, I'll call bullshit on your strawman. A hammer, anvil or sledghammer do not operate over distance of hundreds, or even kilometers.
That said, precisely zero .50 BMG firearms have ever been used in a crime.
That is due to the incredible mass of the weapon.
I'll add a politician's argument that "you could shoot down an airplane" insults WWII veterans, who knew firsthand how hard it was to shoot down an aircraft aimed at them, with a hosing ammunition weapon.
The reliable fact that zero offenses have ever happened with a weapon that has peers going back to WWI will suffice, without calling peers with this weapon and a .22 or a household item that was also quite rare in use as a murder weapon, a knife was the most common household weapon.
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+Shinji Hirako which facts do you wish evidence for, child? The .50 BMG round? the SVD performance? Afghans and their apparently infinite supplies of RPG's? Russia Today being more full of shit than a Christmas Goose, embarrassing the US government through putting out more bullshit than the US government, already infamous for phenomenal output, being outpaced by RT?
Or infowars being bullshit on rye, calling itself a Reuben sandwich? No rye, no beef, no cheese, no sauerkraut, only shit.
So, which? I am perfectly capable of burying you with respected source links.
Which do you wish evidence for, child?
For, that is my real face and white beard, child.
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Actually, airmen is used to refer to all USAF military service members, not only pilots. No sexual determinism there, but man/men referring essentially in mankind and when speaking of the species, one typically won't refer to womankind.
Save when one's dealing with a medical issue that involves hormones or reproductive organs or mutual off duty private activities, that matter really shouldn't come up in civilized company.
But then, I'm just an aging US Boomer, trailing edge Boomer.
Just as "race" or ethnicity usually isn't something I consider, save for some cultural subjects or medical, such as if I'm preparing fava beans, specific groups would not usually be blindly given them, as in certain ethnic groups, there's a genetic predisposition for favism. Now, what was a fine meal dissolves their red blood cells and they're hospitalized in dire condition. Entertainingly, I'm of an ethnic group where favism may occur, but I don't have that enzyme deficiency and quite happily enjoy fava beans.
Note how vanishingly rare such needs are?
I use quotes on race, as there are only two races in my humble view on this planet. The human race and the rat race, not too fond of the latter due to their destructiveness to human foods, homes and a few diseases they may carry. Not too fond of the human race at times either, due to boorish, violent behavior. Usually the only time humans behave is during and after a disaster, but it seems that issue is being worked on in a deleterious manner of late...
Can't we all just get along? Or are you all going to make me pull my finger?! ;)
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@Progressive_Canadian no, to me, I don't give a tinkerer's damn what organs one possesses. Is the individual competent in their duties? Are they physically capable of performing those duties or do they need to be reassigned to duties that they can perform? Those matter, not which organs dangle or not.
I actually do know how to fly certain aircraft. I'm also medically unable to do so, so I'd have to be reassigned to duties that I could perform, rather than try to fly the damned thing and turn it into a drill when my aorta exploded.
Anyone capable, competent and fit to fly, don't care if they can't reproduce, won't reproduce, reproduce by binary fission or budding, as long as they're fit to task and duty and competent.
I've served under male officers and female officers, what I paid attention to was their position and rank, not which specific sets of organs that they had. They were colonel or general, not a label indicating sex. And a bit of trivia, unlike the civilian world, their base pay was the same, plus longevity pay.
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@el_zirb not very idiotic of a war with Afghanistan for my cousins, who lost a father in the WTC.
Al Qaeda attacked multiple US embassies throughout Africa, claiming 1000 lives, then attacked the WTC twice, once causing a garage explosion and fire, killing 3000 the second time. After we paid them a courtesy call, that's often alleged to be ineffective, the most they've achieved is one attempt to ship a printer bomb to a US synagogue, one failed diaper bomb and one failed shoe bomb. I'd call that massively degraded - especially given the senior leadership having experienced severe cases of high velocity lead poisoning.
As for the Vegas attack, he suffered at least one, likely multiple TBI's (Traumatic Brain Injuries) and PTSD, was accused of infidelity by his wife (which can be instantly fatal to a security clearance and a 19 year military career, with full retirement available at 20 years). Hard to reintegrate someone that's still serving in SF into society, being busy doing all of those SF duties abroad and all. Taking care of those who have experienced TBI's would help, but that gets shifted to the VA and to hell with those serving as long as thy can still sort of function, largely due to budget and direction not being focused on those individuals by policy and that's guided by Congress.
So, the only thing I see coming out of this is more of the same, people thanking me for my service, while meaning "fuck you for your service, now drop the fuck dead".
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@Greg-io1ip I'll vote for NRA, but not the modern NRA, the one from the 1960's and early 1970's, before industry took it over because they supported the Gun Control Act of 1968. Until they abandon their con games and embezzlement and go back to sports and outdoormanship, I'll stick with CMP programs.
As for AIPAC, I still question and have been questioning for decades that odd allegiance that is over and above the allegiance to the nation they swore to uphold laws and protect by good leadership, of US leaders that hold greater allegiance to a sovereign foreign nation above the nation that they're supposed to be leading. It's one thing to be loyal to an ally, as that isn't expected to override one's allegiance to one's nation one is representing, it's quite another to sell out one's own nation's interests in favor of that sovereign foreign nation.
Indeed, in any other nation, that would be treason. We Constitutionally emasculated that charge and for good historic reason that's well exemplified by a failed former POTUS incessantly abusing the word.
A good example of proper loyalty to one's nation is FDR in WWII, while supportive of the UK, he did not suborn US interests in favor of UK interests. The closest that ever came to be was moving some operational dates forward, slightly prematurely, to take the heat off of the long suffering Soviets and that was strategically understandable.
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@rell127 well, we do have multiple parties, but the de facto reality of it remains an effective two party system, with a "progressive" party and "conservative" party, since day one of the republic. The other minority parties come and go, sweeping up dissidents and at least giving them some voice.
Of them, the conservative parties tended to be more fragile, as evidenced by the fall of the original Whig party and currently, with the fracturing of the replacement, Republican party. Time will tell if the party survives, but it's looking less and less likely minus a conviction and removal of one certain individual that's turned a circus into a cult.
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I'm truly astonished at the sheer volume of aviation experts here, proficient to mastery of both rotary wing and fixed wing, as well as ATC policies and procedures!
Why, however does the government get by without your expert consultations?
All here know well how easily one can see in pitch darkness, with city lights and dozens of aircraft flying about and can see better than puny radar!
All here know precisely how to fly at a fixed altitude, within a hair's breadth of a dime at 150+ knots!
And all here know how trivial it is to dodge anything whatsoever, using the might of the fighter jet performance of a UH-60 and CRJ 700, indeed, both capable of trivially outflying the best fighter jets on the planet!
And how long it takes to traverse one mile at 300 knots of mutual closure, given that was the distance at warning of a conflict!
Why, War and Peace was written in that eternity of ten seconds! The bible, even in less time!
So, do regale us further on your infinite knowledge and experience, as acquired on your Twinkie encrusted sofa, about all things flight and indeed, about your DIY brain surgical techniques you perfected upon yourself as you gave yourself mere flesh wounds.
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@jonathanvachondechevigny1020 first, you really should introduce yourself with the capslock key, it is your ally.
Second, there are no such words as treator or beging. I can only assume, grammatically, that you're attempting to use the words traitor and begin. Traitor implies treason, which is precisely and narrowly defined in the US Constitution as taking up arms against one's nation or giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
As there is no implication of taking up arms against their nation, that only leaves giving aid and comfort to an enemy in peacetime, which is a decidedly odd notion. Howinhell do you have an enemy when at peace? One can have an adversary, but that isn't by definition an enemy. When playing chess, my adversary is not my enemy to kill, just an adversary to defeat in that contest. One can have adversarial relations in many ways and still not legally be enemies, as there has been no declaration of war by Congress, as is required by our Constitution.
Although, we'll really get into the weeds on one of my pet peeves on war and the dearth of declaration of such, while still engaging in massive hostilities. The last time we declared war was WWII and frankly, we've played quite free and loose with the Constitution ever since, skirting a duty of Congress while lives are lost... But, we're far beyond the scope of this discussion there.
One may betray a sworn oath, such as in these cases, sworn public servants betraying their position of trust by presenting fraudulent documents designed to usurp the very basis of our government, but that's not being a traitor, it's simply a betrayal of public trust and proof that such a person should never, ever be trusted again and that criminal charges for fraud, perjury, forgery and conspiracy should be filed, with additional charges applied under the discretion of the prosecuting attorney.
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Actually, yes. VP and cabinet inform Congress that POTUS is unfit medically for office. I recall one such advice given when POTUS went in for a colonoscopy procedure (think it included polyp removal), only lasted a couple of hours, but it's actually the procedure.
The 25th amendment, section 4.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB11131
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
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@maeburekaiser yeah, the awareness that she doesn't have artillery to bombard the "wrong" churches yet. Happened in Philly with a very similar crowd destroying the nation, the "Know Nothing" party. They imploded the conservative Whig party, causing everyone with two operational brain cells to form a new party, the Republican Party. The new Republican Party then picking a candidate that was unacceptable to the Know Nothings and when Lincoln was elected, well, a bit of a disturbance occurred.
That Know Nothing group stole a cannon from the harbor in Philadelphia and proceeded to bombard a Catholic church, school and residence hall for clergy. When the militia was summoned, the Know Nothings attacked and killed militiamen, causing the militia commander to summon the regimental artillery and ring the area with cannon.
Totally aware that they don't have cannon yet, but give them time and they'll convert by the sword and have our very own 300 years war.
In the nuclear age, I'm sure things will end well.
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@AureoleWebweaver so, we now have repealed the Constitution? Rights are administratively revoked on dislike of someone, all accusations, no matter how outlandish and wild are treated as true until proven false in the court of idiotic opinions?
For one thing, you've quite the uphill battle to repeal rights, as assholes like me won't allow you to - even if force is necessary. I didn't serve for 28 years protecting our laws and Constitution to consider it otherwise, I did swear an oath, my word of honor and while my terms of service have expired, my word of honors never shall.
For another, I'll be immensely entertained as you define these alleged war crimes. This should be immensely entertaining, as most people don't even understand what a war is, let alone a war crime. So, enlighten us all as to his mythical war crimes.
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The KN-23 is supposed to have a 200 meter CEP, so this would qualify as a gross violation of the prohibition on attacking noncombatants, as there were no military assets anywhere near that home. That sacrifices the Geneva Convention rights of captured Russian forces, as Ukraine is now permitted to engage in reprisal summary executions under the Geneva and Hague Conventions, to which Russia is a signatory of.
More telling is, Russia is using technologically inferior missiles from North Korea and Iran, proving even further how much of a paper tiger Russia actually now is.
Meanwhile, we now have evidence that the PRC is violating sanctions against North Korea and smuggling US technology into North Korea, opening them up for sanctions.
Boy, all of the bullies are screwing themselves this week, is this an early holiday gift to the West?
"Russia retains surprises", yeah, it'd be like the US firing missiles supplied by Somalia.
If Russia attacked a NATO nation, it triggers Article 5 and a full NATO strike with all options goes on the table. Russia nukes with tactical nukes, as they threatened in reprisal to conventional weapons, any fallout on a NATO member triggers Article 5 and NATO nukes back.
Putana's painting himself into a corner, pants down and bent over. It'd be far more prudent to withdraw his forces.
But, he won't and he'll escalate oddly, at least until the threat of a NATO reprisal grows sufficiently that he's forced to retire "for health reasons" to a dacha in the woods, to not be heard from again - assuming he doesn't fall out of a window in a windowless building.
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Without that shoe repair battalion, our soldiers would've been trying ineffectively to march across obstructions, minefields and through machine gun fire. Without the supply battalions, our troops would've been yelling bang at the enemy, rather than projecting rounds. As Patton learned the hard way, without fuelers, the tanks remain parked and immobile on the road. Without medical, our forces fear engaging out of concern if they're injured and no treatment is available.
Without the whole, one doesn't have a military force, one has a rabble. Rabbles don't win wars, they simply get mowed down by the professional forces.
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@Kryptzonl meh, one of my two kids checks in typically once per week, usually by MMS message, occasionally by voice. The other rarely does. The one that does has a regular job, the other is a medical professional with variable, long hours.
So, the chances of my waking up dead and undiscovered for close to a week is moderately high, given the fact that geographically I'm at minimum of two hours of hard driving away. Don't really think I'll care once I'm dead though, never had any buddies come back and mention how good or bad being dead is and well, only living people recommended dead to me and I suspect that they've not got my best interests at heart.
I look at it this way, my wife of over 41 years died coming up on 3 years ago. When I go, I'm most likely going to be dead for a really long time, so a few days or even weeks won't really matter much in the totality of that eternity thing. And as for my remains, use them for fertilizer, it's not like I'll be using the rotten, worn out thing for much. If anyone needs to find my bones after, well, the radioisotope signature is charactistic of the atmospheric testing era and confirmed still present in a gamma camera background scan. Based upon that background gamma scan, the age is easily enough calculated.
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As near as I can tell, the Constitution is unconstitutional, save if Congress legalizes it, at least for provisions and amendments and until legalized for each provision, is not in force.
So, what happens if Congress repeals legislation authorizing a Supreme Court? Is it then null and void? If Congress repeals all legislation regarding the POTUS, is that office then null and void? If the first amendment had no legislation, we can have only authorized assembly, press, religion and speech?
And apparently, if one state swings the vote for POTUS, that is evil - for the first time in US history. Guess we'll have to toss that state's electors votes out, along with that state from the Union or something equally absurd.
Or wait for the decision, which is as often in divergence from the questioning as it is along the course of said questioning.
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@ConfiscatedZyra ah, Laws by Ronco! For a limited time only, this can be yours!
Then, you wake up and join the real world, where that is bullshit.
First, the statute of limitations expired for the assault, leaving only damages and libel, both of which he was convicted on and has to pay for. The criminal charges never could be filed, but the judge ruled that the assault was proven.
No change of laws required. The damages award part was expanded, not for some mythical limited time only by Ronco, but expanding the time farther, as laws can be changed to fit the time. Why, we even changed laws and now allow wimmin to vote, ding dang it!
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I'm reminded of an old strategy against our government, one originating back when I was just preparing to graduate from high school, which effectively did announce its intentions via lobbylist Grover Norquist's words, "My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."
Trump is doing his level best to accomplish both goals in one fell swoop, leaving only a monarchy that he's stuck sharing with Emperor Musk, who bought and paid for that Oval Office.
With each and every step deliberately designed to circumvent the entirety of our Constitution, leaving no branch unsavaged, until only an Imperial Office shall remain, with two madmen at the helm and a nation and economy in ruin, a population that's starving and homeless and entirely forgetting that said populace just so happens to be the most heavily armed populace in the history of humanity and that as proved in 1789 in France, a starving population, when confronted by indifference on the part of their rulers, tends to react in a manner deleterious to the health and welfare of said ruler and their supporters.
And this "honeymoon" ending abruptly with, "Let them eat brioche" (the actual alleged quote, cake being even farther out of reach than that rich bread that was already beyond the reach of those rising up in rage and hunger). And being defended by Chariles I's infamous attempted defense against a charge of treason against England, was, "the King can do no wrong". The king was promptly decapitated.
Thus, accounting for two European kings in as many generations.
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Overall, I think that our press is really failing badly on reporting this. The nation as a whole fails to comprehend the various grades of felony, the way sentencing is imposed regarding a multiple felony single event crime, hell, the difference between state and federal courts.
I've heard people suggest Trump be immediately taken to GITMO, for crying out loud! That's a federal POW holding facility for terrorists from the GWOT, not a state prison. The very notion of that is as foreign as if we tried to incarcerate him in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison, the old KGB prison. He's convicted on a NY state crime series that are rooted in one crime, just 34 different laws related to different aspects where he was, ahem, naughty. Class E being the lowest level felony NY has (didn't even know of different felony classes until today). No, we don't just throw people in prison, we have a judge sentence people appropriately and maybe they rate prison, maybe they don't and if you're not from NY, sod off. As a PA resident and native, not my monkey, not my circus, it's NY's business and since they don't meddle with PA business, I'll not meddle in theirs.
Besides, before the sun goes out, he'll eventually face his federal charges. The government has no choice or they'll destroy any possibility of retaining control of classified information.
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No, he's got worse than nothing, he's got a huge war bill that grows larger by the day, debts to Iran, North Korea and China for replacement missiles and drones and soon, he'll be scraping up WWII armor, as he can't get modern tanks off of the assembly lines and he's already using 1950's tanks up at a fast clip.
I mean, think about it, how desperate is he when he gins up an IRBM, duck tapes a MIRV bus onto it, launches it with dummy warheads that are only used to test ICBM armed MIRV bus/launch systems and entirely misses his target with it? Especially, given a MIRV can trivially be outfitted with conventional explosives if one has a few bucks.
I know, started my military career working on IRBM's.
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Meh, I can tell the difference, I'm a veteran as well.
Guns are used to protect oneself from the absolute tyranny of an unperforated center ring of a round paper target that's distant, the one most accurate wins a turkey or modest cash prize.
A brush is a wonderful tool, can clean guns, teeth, homes, spread paints, varnishes, stains and a whole host of far more useful projects.
And for fine artwork, if one's so inclined.
I do those as well.
I also still repair electronics for fun, rather than a living these days. Largely for friends and neighbors.
I also cook a lot, the majority of my food cooked from scratch, with plenty of pressure canning for preservation.
And I keep plenty of physicians company, since I'm getting older and issues incessantly crop up.
One can be broody or busy, I go for busy. Brooding tends to be destructive, I prefer to be constructive.
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Mine the shit out of the entry to Azov, bottling up ports Russia needs. Take enough east of Mariupol to make a no man's land, now a shit ton of forces are bottled up with no logistical supply.
The Russians can get those forces back once they withdraw to their own border. Otherwise, they're permanent guests, rather like some German forces that never left the region (such as one brew master, who came to not want to go back home, given he was doing better near Kyiv than he'd have ever done in Germany.
The rest, a slow, long bloodletting exercise. Make it about as popular as Vietnam and Afghanistan was for the invading nation.
"If they gas, they crossed a red line", because crossing that line meant ever so much in Syria. If they didn't gas our forces, we can't reply with our own WMD, so now we'll instead give up on a treaty nearly as old as I am? What'd be the next step, "Do it again and we'll nuke some random site"?
Because, nukes really calm things down every time, why they completely forgot about those two that got used in Japan, right? How about having an escalation and deescalation plan, rather than this cockamamie idea?
And maybe, just maybe, get advisors from anywhere other than the Old Soldier's Home.
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Had a 12th district Philadelphia Police Department captain pull this shit, drawing down on me, while I was assisting in the recovery of DoD property and in full uniform and had called in for PPD assistance.
The 12th district was well known to be a disciplinary district, basically corrupt cops soon to be prosecuted, the foul-ups on their way out, etc ended up assigned there.
What the good captain didn't know is that I was personal friends with the deputy police commissioner and after, discussed the matter with him. He investigated it personally, found numerous and increasing complaints of drawing a weapon against department policies and procedures, as well as increasing complaints of excessive force. A psych review found that basically, that captain was just burned out on the job. So, he got to patrol a desk until his retirement papers got filed.
Apparently, the poor behavior was a relatively recent trend, the psychologist suggesting it was indicative of burn-out and he'd also recommended his retirement - he had more than enough time in.
Worked for me, got someone that was potentially dangerous off of the street and fairly quickly, out of the department and he got to keep the pension that he'd earned.
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Nearly poached one gander. Aggressive as hell, charged cars and people, idiots still kept feeding the geese.
It charged my wife and kids, they got behind me and it charged toward me. Fortunately for it, it stopped just out of reach, figured out I wasn't going to back away and ran off for easier game. Had it continued, on first bite attempt, it'd gotten wrung and thrown in the back of the car for the dinner pot.
The rest of the flock was well behaved, so safe. Eventually, once that gander did disappear (not me, honestly), the township dispersed that flock. What that resident flock did to that small man made lake was horrific!
The township was idiotic too. Big sign warning not to feed the geese, right under it a dispenser one could stick a quarter into to dispense corn for the geese.
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@grimmertwin2148 no, it doesn't. It's still being worked on as a combined part of treatment for PTSD, along with traditional therapies to desensitize veterans to stressful stimuli.
When the hell are people in this country going to grow up and not seek a quick fix, magical pill solution to a complex problem?
To the OP, hard to address PTSD once it's fully established, one needs to address it promptly as it begins for full and rapid recovery and that's complicated when TBI's come into play, of which the Vegas attacker had suffered at least one, likely multiple. Helmets don't keep you from getting your bell rung good, they only keep one's skull intact. Ten helmets won't stop countercoup injuries or shockwaves from injuring a brain. And a TBI makes one more prone to PTSD that's likely incurable, as the brain has experienced significant tearing and other damage.
As for "his prescription", he's addressing what can be reasonably addressed. We can't rebuild brains, we can address the most common and harmful - those radicalized. When assessing which risk to address, one looks at rate of occurrence, annualized loss expectancy and a number of other factors. Part being cost of loss. Which cost our nation more? A dozen people mowed down, one shot and killed, two cops shot and wounded or one suicide with one injury to a bystander?
Sounds cold? Good, it's supposed to be, it's called using reason, not emotion. It's the most effective way to deal with complex problems, as emotion clouds one's thinking and colors perceptions, resulting in incorrectly addressing a problem and likely worsening the problem.
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@vanessarodriguez4259 rebuild and recover is exhausting at best when one's young. As one ages, it's double, triple and more tough to do until it's pretty much impossible.
Been through a bit of that myself and I'm just in my early 60's and reasonably fit.
In theory, one can build structures and even configure properties to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. In practice, nobody anywhere could afford such an insanely expensive thing. Not even the wealthiest or even the government, which is why nobody does build them other than for test units. Besides, who wants to live underground?
I'm in south-central Pennsylvania. So, winters can get a bit annoying to get around, since I'm stuck walking with a cane. As a result, I prepare a modest pantry with about a month and a half of food, largely dry goods and canned goods and a well stuffed freezer. It avoids me finding myself on my back, wondering why the sky is in front of me when it's icy out. That's actually come in handy, as I and thousands of others had our food stamps stolen via a skimmer ring out of NYC. Just reconstituted a gallon of dry milk last night, picked up some bread and eggs from the food bank and I've enough flour to make a half dozen loaves or so if I need them. Not a prepper, just creatively lazy and frugal. When weather is good, I'll walk the two miles to the market, load my folding shopping cart up, walk the two miles back. The river is literally across the street from me, but I'm on a high floor and at worst, were it to flood, which would take a hell of a lot, I'd lose what's in the fridge and freezer when the apartment building's utility level flooded. That's happened in the past, but it's basically a once in an actual century event.
I've lost everything I own twice, yeah, that's heavily wearing in the extreme, restarting life from scratch gets harder as one ages. So yeah, know where they're coming from. Hopefully, they find a place that's safe and secure and a bit better protected and affordable, as prices have been insane and growing worse from a mismanaged pandemic.
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@arronsmith4958 well, you see, ID's are like Harry Potter's magical marital aid, wave it around and magic, magic, magicky magic.
Because, it's magically impossible to have a falsified ID, whereas one's falsified ID automagically inserts one into the voter registration rolls via hand wave.
In other words, it doesn't have to make sense to Trumpites, who trust Ruskie bots over real leaders, written codified laws or the Constitution, only what the god-emperor Putin and god-king Trump insist is valid and the universe shall change its laws to conform to their whims by doublethink.
All fairly well covered in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Bought both of our kids a copy years ago, since schools discarded that as required reading.
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@vyomchauhan2931 no POTUS solves problems, they have advisors and staffers that are selected with detailed knowledge, well, save for one, who picked such people based on personal loyalty, to solve those problems properly.
A POTUS that is effective knows when someone that would advise them if a bullshitter, there are common traits in such people, not the least of which is a lack of detailed knowledge on the subject matter. So, a POTUS can at least ascertain that the individual before them that is speaking about brain surgery for all is full of shit by simply asking a few questions on brain structures that's basic high school science level. Then, they get shown the door and someone with a clue brought in. A POTUS decidedly is not an expert on brain surgery.
When those cues get missed, well, a POTUS gets advice from another Teller, who hawked an x-ray laser that had never worked, never could work and never can be made to work in a manner he was selling.
And when a POTUS thinks that they're experts in everything, we get told to drink bleach, show UV lights up our asses and take worm medication to stop a virus, despite that medication being useless against any virus.
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Someone runs up to them and says "Naughty, naughty!". Silently, without running. And perhaps speaker of the house or president pro tempore.
What's supposed to happen is impeachment and removal.
What used to happen was tar and feathering.
After all, it's an abrogation of a position of great public trust, once, there were consequences. Now, prostitution of one's high office is just business as usual for one major party, the one loudly proclaiming respect for law and order, but promoting violence and disorder.
Perhaps we should consider repealing the prohibitions against writ of attainder and corruption of blood. Violate your oath, lose everything you'll ever own and your heirs lose all possibility of inheritance. It discouraged anyone from following Robert E. Lee again and got the nation a fine plantation, which we call Arlington National Cemetery.
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@randywl8925 oh, so there's a qualification list now?
Do post it.
I know that I'm pretty much second place to not being POTUS ready, Trump being first, so, do give us all the qualification list.
For the record, met the SOB back around y2k, loathed him from that moment onward.
So, me for me and all for me is a suggestion for a starting point for an answer.
Not a handwave after statement. You're not Trump, nor am I, we qualify shit with facts, not wishing nukes kill hurricanes and that bleach drinking cures COVID.
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Odd, given how many European friends I have that hunt or compete in marksmanship competitions and the Olympic shooting sports seemed to not be lacking any European competitors as well.
I quite enjoy marksmanship competitions, precision marksmanship, not that silly shoot-em up nonsense. Won a number of turkeys and hams around the holidays, then the equipment gets cleaned and locked back in the safe.
Then, it's woodworking projects, largely repairing older wooden furniture items and refinishing them, cooking a lot of homemade from scratch meals and canning them, electronics projects, chilling with neighbors, helping out elders, etc.
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Well, that was interesting!
Heard gunshots, went outside to confirm, yep, 12 gauge shots being fired in multiple locations across the river.
A quick Google, it's opening day for pheasant season.
As soon as it was daybreak, either there were around 20 pheasants harvested or the pheasants were shooting back.
My bet's on loads of pheasants on people's tables tonight.
Ironic that the topic on guns comes up on opening day and I'd forgotten, as I've not gone hunting for years. Used to go for deer. But, usually by the time I got out to the woods, work schedule and all, the deer figured out what time of year it was and hopped a flight to the deer Bahamas or something.
Now, I'm just too banged up, herniated disc and all, to consider dragging 100 - 150 pounds of carcass through the woods, then home to butcher and I've not the freezer space for an entire animal. I'll leave that to the young'uns to do and just buy chunks of venison when I want it.
Open season for deer being the end of next month.
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@martinhumble I also am a competition marksman, pistol and rifle, precision marksmanship.
As in, pull any of that youtube yahoo high volume of fire crap on our ranges, you're swiftly trespassed from the range.
And your example fails in places like New Jersey, where you'd have outlawed hunting entirely, as they only allow shotguns to be used in hunting.
Although, I got my Pennsylvania shotgun serenade this morning, it's pheasant season and with the windows open, the fire from across the river is audible. Upside, they're sane in this area, it doesn't sound like the pheasant are shooting back. Can't say the same in some counties in deer rifle season, where in one county, it sounded like the Battle of the Bulge and tree tops were getting cropped above my head - I left for a saner county to not find any deer.
That remains an enumerated right. That said, rights come encumbered with duties and responsibilities and restrictions. I can't conspire to commit a crime being a speech related limitation, can't utter a false alarm and incite panic. Can't incite a riot. Can speak politically, can assemble peaceably (and assembling armed in my book is not peaceable assembly). We have reasonable restrictions on every right to ensure a peaceful, productive and happy society.
And as an owner of one and user of the military version for multiple decades, I do consider those AR's and AK's weapons of war. Want them, they got in a new chapter of the NFA, right up there with suppressors. Keep them for the confirmed sane.
Although, an AR is not some magical high power death ray, it's actually a varmint round originally. High power are battle rifles, which fire the equivalent of a 30-06 - enough to drop a grizzly, where an AR would only make a grizzly angry. Either one being decidedly unhealthy for humans though. Just a pet peeve, where some idiots in their ignorance make the damned things out to be death rays.
OK, that rant aside, "With great power comes great responsibility", wise words. I also use other words with a similar intent that'll become quickly clear. Firearms are expensive investments, especially high precision ones like mine. One doesn't leave investments in a sock drawer, one doesn't leave investments under a seat cushion, one doesn't leave investments laying on a table, one secures investments inside of a safe. That protects one's investments from theft and fire, as well as unauthorized access. One is also responsible for one's investments, go play with a financial instrument in an unlawful way, you'll find out in prison how you violated the law. The same should be true for one's investment in the form of a firearm, as it can cause harm at a much greater range than a mere bearer bond.
And I'm entirely reasonable, I entire advocate for the unlimited concealed licenseless carry of howitzers.
Anyone that can conceal between 3 - 10 meters of barrel that weighs 12 tons or more can carry whatever they want to. Anything else requires a CCW. Open carry, location dependent, as I've been where cottonmouths lived and wouldn't go near those areas without a rifle (just for its greater precision). Hell, Pennsylvania has always been an open carry state, save in Philadelphia, the state's only first class city (by population size determination), which only allows permitted concealed carry. Pretty much nobody bothers. The few that do are usually "I have a right to" and well, some folk wander around wearing Jesus Saves sandwich boards too, as long as they're not threatening anyone or trying to hurt anyone, a tiny few haven't caused harm yet.
And the howitzer crack is for a reason, I can be unreasonable, such as wanting firearm safes as non-negotiable for long guns, a similar, but smaller acceptable if bolted to the wall or floor or both for handguns. Don't make me park that howitzer on your foot. ;)
Because then, I'd have to buy one and parking for those is a real bear. :P
I did applaud recent events when parents were charged over allowing a minor child unrestricted access to "his" firearm (he can't lawfully own one and access is to be supervised per federal and most state laws). Rights get responsibilities, after all.
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