How Many Bullets?
Terrorists proved on September 11, 2001 that guns are not necessary to kill 2753 people. Timothy McVeigh proved that a truck load of explosives can kill 168 people and injure 680 while destroying one third of building and damaging many others in Oklahoma City. A man with a knife killed four people and wounded two others in Los Angeles last week.
A weapon of mass destruction can be a plane, an automobile, a knife, a gun or whatever an evil person chooses to utilize at a certain moment.
By and large the weapon of choice has been an automatic weapon capable of holding a high-capacity magazine. Whether it was Las Vegas, Columbine, Charleston, El Paso, Dayton or sadly too many other locations to name, the weapon of choice has been an automatic rifle with high-capacity bullet magazines. A truck can kill people but normally you can hear and see a truck coming. A knife can kill people but not as many as a rifle with a magazine clip holding 70 or more bullets.
An evil person can walk into a church, theatre, Walmart or school and immediately have a couple of hundred people huddled together as a target. He doesn’t have to aim. He just points the weapon and pulls the trigger. The gun acts like a sprayer of bullets hitting people so fast that running or dodging is almost impossible. The shooter looks for scenarios where people are trapped with limited escape door opportunities. Thus a shooter with a bullet clip of 50, 70 or more has a potential of killing many people in just a minute or less.
This is why Congress must enact background checks, strict licensing for high powered rifles and limit the number of bullets a clip can hold at one time. However, here is the problem. What is the magic number? My ordinary pistols hold six shells and my automatic ones hold more so what is the magic number of bullets that Americans will be limited to in one clip? Will it be 10 or 15 or 20? Honestly, there is no right number because a skilled marksman will still be able to kill. The hope is that maybe the ending of one clip or emptying of one pistol would give someone a chance to tackle the monster if anyone is still alive. Hopefully someone in the room will have a gun and be able to stop the shooter.
I’m for limiting magazine capacity but it won’t eliminate terrorism and mass shootings. It’s a Hail Mary and our Congress has to do something but we have to do more. All gatherings must take security measures. Hollywood and network television has to change. Universal Studios/NBC television is the biggest hypocrite of all. They constantly bark gun control and are negative toward the National Rifle Association while coming out with a movie titled “The Hunt” which is supposedly about liberals hunting deplorables and killing them. This kind of junk is a huge part of the problem. Hollywood, the music industry and video games must dramatically change their tone. Barney Fife in the Andy Griffith show carried a gun but he never made any of us want to kill anyone or hate people.
Guns, knives, trucks and airplanes can all kill and there are many other weapons that will kill massive numbers of people. We can’t eliminate them. Our greatest need is a culture change.
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Glenn,
I want to correct the record on a few things. One is that the weapons you are referring to used in some of these mass shootings are semi-automatic. In the article you make it seem like they are full auto. Next they are magazines not “clips”. Third they don’t spray bullets per say. This sounds like again your speaking of full auto and gives a false impression. A semi automatic is a gun that shoots 1 bullet per trigger pull. A assault weapon is a weapon that can be fired as a semi-automatic or fully automatic. Part of the problem is terminology. Too many people use the wrong terminology and it gives people false impressions or ideas to what they believe are the facts. Words do matter. Limiting magazine capacity is a false argument cause with the right technique and practice a magazine can be changed extremely fast. Limiting magazine capacity will do nothing to stop the carnage. The problem isn’t a bullet, magazine, or gun issue. Its strictly a people problem.
so you can shoot 41 rounds in less than 30 seconds and kill 9 and wound 37
A regular Remington 1100 shotgun with double ought buck is far more dangerous of a weapon. In a closed in area a semi auto or pump shotgun is far more deadly. An semi automatic rifle is no where near as dangerous as a semi automatic 223 or 556 round, shot on at a time. People that know nothing about guns or don’t even have a gun shouldn’t be commenting on a tool they know nothing about. Plus outlaws will absolutely not follow any laws that may be enacted. Mass shootings get news, when the reality is pistols kill and wound far more people than semi automatic rifles. That’s a statistical fact. People get killed everyday in the inner cities but it’s not a hot topic for liberal politicians to grab onto. Get educated and get realistic. Also good guys with guns stop bad guys with guns, you dial 911, I dial 357.
Chris,
Your comment about “an semi automatic rifle” and a “semi automatic 223 or 556” doesn’t make sense. A “223” and a “556” are both rifles. Correct? Also, are you talking strictly about pistols or handguns? There is a difference, you know.
BTW-your last line doesn’t do much for the cause of honest, sensible gun owners. Just sayin’
It doesn’t make sense to you, because anyone that actually owns a gun knows that a 223 or 5.56 rifle are the primary caliber for a AR 15 rifle. A pistol is a handgun. What’s the difference in your opinion of a pistol or a handgun? The first line of your reply is a definite sign that you don’t know much about guns, because there isn’t a 223 or 556 semi automatic pistol. Just saying. Plus my last line was more of a joke than an idea.
Well Chris, you truly are the god of all things related to firearms. I bow down to your superior knowledge. FYI, I do own quite a few guns and I know full well what a .223 and a 5.56mm. It’s just that the wording of the first two sentences of your post make no sense. Not surprising though. You’re probably cruising Fallsburg right now, listening to Florida Georgia Line, drinking a Monster energy drink, with a “Keep honking, I’m reloading” sticker in your back window.
BTW,
“All pistols are handguns but not all handguns are pistols. … Pistol usually refers to semi autos, deringers, and single shots where revolver refers to a revolver (a handgun with a revolving cylinder that holds the bullets) but all are handguns, i.e. not shoulder fired like a rifle or shotgun.” Look it up.
A revolver is a pistol. Lol. I hate Florida Georgia Line. Call borders and tell them a revolver isn’t a pistol. Dumb arguments are a waste of time. Cruising Fallsburg? You’re probably sitting on your big rear eating a super sized value meal and drinking a large Diet Coke. Revolver is a handgun and not a pistol? Lmao. That’s a good one. My first line makes perfect sense to anyone that knows better. Joker
https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+a+pistol&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari. Here ya go….
Wow, your head really is thick, isn’t it? I know you can’t comprehend this, but I’ll try one more time…
“A revolver contains a revolving cylinder in which bullets are loaded. Revolvers usually hold six shots. The ATF defines a pistol as any handgun that does not contain its ammunition in a revolving cylinder. Most pistols have a removable magazine into which bullets are loaded.”
Not my words, the ATF’s words. Ask one of your teachers (or rehab advisors) to help you understand definitions.