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Art Vandelay

Certifiably Surly
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Posts posted by Art Vandelay

  1. Just now, jimmyjazz said:

    Perhaps I'm sensitive, as my nephew went to Academy, purchased a shotgun, and blew his head off.

    That is awful JJ. I am truly sorry to hear that.

  2. 1 minute ago, GW Hayduke said:

    I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a gun lol. I’m defining a problem in the US, high rates of firearm violence and high frequency/magnitude of mass shootings, and that we should take a multi-pronged approach to minimize and mitigate.

    One of those approaches has to do with how we regulate firearms.

    Gotcha. My bad for misreading that.

  3. 8 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

    I don't think you should be prevented from purchasing a handgun.  I do think it's reasonable to place waiting periods on all gun purchases so as to help mitigate sudden emotional states, etc.

    That's well meaning but it doesn't sound like there's any evidence it has much statistical effect on overall gun violence. There is however some evidence it has an effect on suicides. I think a more stringent background check, which could result in delaying a purchase, might be more effective than an arbitrary waiting period like 7 days.

    http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2015/apr/27/van-wanggaard/no-evidence-waiting-period-handgun-purchases-reduc/

    The study concluded that the law’s waiting period was associated with reductions in the firearm suicide rate for people age 55 and older, but not associated with reductions in homicide rates or overall suicide rates.

    Other research has found that people who buy handguns are at a higher risk of committing suicide during the first week after the purchase. For example, an article published in 2000 by members of the Firearm Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin said a Wisconsin study found a "sharp increase" in the risk of suicide within one week of a gun purchase.

    But a 2003 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that reviewed studies on the effects of waiting periods on violence found that some studies indicated a decrease in violent outcomes associated with the delay, while others indicated an increase.

    And a 2012 study by one researcher from the University of Cincinnati and another from Arizona State University found no statistical effects from waiting periods on gun crimes.

     

  4. 9 minutes ago, GW Hayduke said:

    You are correct. I believe the restrictions you mention are for the purchase of a handgun and for a concealed handgun license. Even so, it isn’t very restricted for handguns IMO. If you are a relatively normal person without a record, you can get a handgun. 

    No, those are all examples of restrictions for any type of firearm purchase, whether it's a handgun, a bolt-action hunting rifle, or an AR-15.

    The Brady Act mandated that FFL dealers run background checks on their buyers. At first, the law applied only to handgun sales, and there was a waiting period (maximum of five days) to accommodate dealers in states that did not already have background check systems in place. Those dealers were to use state law enforcement to run checks until 1998, when the NICS would become operational and come into effect. In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled against the five-day waiting period, but by 1998 the NICS was up and running, administered by the FBI, and applied to all firearms purchases from FFL dealers, including long guns.

    Wiki

    Also, why shouldn't a "relatively normal person without a record" be able to purchase a handgun? -- provided none of the other examples of restrictions I gave apply. That certainly describes me!

  5. 36 minutes ago, GW Hayduke said:

    My understanding is that the only restrictions to purchasing a firearm are age and felon status. That’s about as unfettered as it can be. Virtually anyone who wants a gun, can get a gun. And as you pointed out, this has resulted in a lot guns.

    This isn't accurate. Felony convictions are the most common reason for being denied a firearm, but you can also be restricted for misdemeanor domestic violence convictions (which should have prohibited the Sutherland Springs shooter from purchasing weapons), unlawful drug use/addiction, mental health, being a fugitive, dishonorable discharge from the military, open warrants, unlawful immigration status, etc.

    In fact, mental health care providers, police departments and family members can request for individuals to be placed into the NICS database for any number of documented reasons.

    I'm for strengthening background checks and making sure people don't slip through the cracks -- which is exactly what happened in some of these mass shootings -- but to say it's as simple as checking age and felony status is way off.

  6. 14 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

    There are plenty of great rock bands out there. You just won’t hear them on the radio. 

    This is of course 100% true. I guess I just lament the fact that you have to go searching for it, whereas when I was growing up all I had to do was turn on the radio to hear great rock music. The good news is it doesn't take too much effort to find it. In fact I get a lot of great recs from Shaggy/Surly.

  7. One time, the summer before Freshman year, when I was 14 I was walking from my friends house who lived about 20 minutes as the crow flies away, stoned at like midnight, in the year 2000. I would walk the sidewalk area, cut through a schoolyard and there was only one thoroughfare I'd have to really cross, Northwest Highway, and then I was home. Well a car pulled up next to me as I got close to Northwest highway and an older toughie looking guy rolled down his brand new camaro window and asked if I wanted a ride. I sheepishly said "nah" got paranoid and was freaked out because I was stoned to the bone. A few weeks later I'm in highschool and find out that guy was the most popular senior and he would have taken me to the beer store or something maybe.

    Stranger Danger really failed me that time.

    Yep. You could have been Mitch to his Wooderson. Be a lot cooler if you did.

     

     

     

  8. This is such a depressing thread. From dozens of great rock bands in the 70’s and 80’s to nada.

    Man, no kidding. I had the same thought. And it's only gotten worse the past 10-15 tears. I wonder if the pendulum will ever swing back towards pure, guitar-driven rock? You have young bands like Greta Van Fleet (and yeah, I know they sound like a Led Zep clone, but still) that at least give me some hope.

     

     

     

  9. Big Lebowski -- didn't hate it, was just underwhelmed. But I think I just wasn't paying attention that closely the first time. Now it's an all-timer for me and I can probably quote it as well or better than any other movie.

     

    Royal Tenenbaums -- again, didn't hate it, but because I loved Bottle Rocket and Rushmore so much, it felt like a let down. I still like the other two better, but RT is now a favorite.

     

     

  10. 8 hours ago, Catdaddyhorn said:

    All those words and still no apology from King. He even acknowledges that the cop was a victim, but fails to recognize his role in victimizing the cop by publicly accusing him of rape before he had all the facts.

    I’ve considered every possible angle here — and every time I end up in the same place — it makes no sense why someone would throw their life away — and damage someone else’s — like she has done.

    He is arguably more responsible for that damage than she is. Had he not blasted this story out prematurely, no one would even know the cop's name. instead, he received death threats. 

  11. Great question. Without doing a whole lot of thinking, Guns 'N Roses is the one that comes to mind.

    EDIT: According to Wikipedia they were formed in 1985. Dammit. I would've guessed 86.

  12. King posted this on his FB page earlier...

    Quote

    Today the Texas Department of Public Safety released this body camera footage of the traffic stop, field sobriety test, and subsequent arrest of Sherita Dixon-Cole.

    It does not appear to show any verbal threats, sexual assault, or police brutality of any kind.

    That's it. No apology for accusing someone of rape and blasting it all over the Internet.

  13. 17 minutes ago, AUS-97HORN said:

    yet another reason for ALL COPS to wear the damn things.    

    this is the part that I dont understand why the cops dig their heels in on wearing the body cameras. 

    for probably 95% of their interactions, its going to show the cop doing their job correctly.   of the remaining 5%, 3% are probably going to be a bit aggressive and iffy.... and then probably 2% are going to show some actual violations.  

    so the dirty cops get exposed, and maybe get booted, and it will reduce sheer number of lawsuits against the cops because the camera will most often show nothing going wrong.

     

    Agreed on all accounts.

  14. For anyone who's been following this case...TX DPS released the body cam footage overnight. She lied.

    Lawyer apologizes for falsely accusing trooper of rape

    Hours after her arrest, well-known civil rights activist Shaun King wrote on Facebook and Twitter, “This woman was kidnapped and raped by a Texas State Trooper.” King included a detailed explanation of the claims as explained by Cole and her attorney, Lee Merritt.

    King's posts accusing the state trooper of sexual assault were shared on social media nearly 80,000 times. They have since been deleted.

    This article, however, is still up: Shaun King: Will Sherita Dixon-Cole Get Justice?

    Way to wait for the facts to come out, dipshit. The trooper received death threats. But no apology from King thus far. Whatever credibility he had as an activist and "journalist" is done.

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