In order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a re-read to refresh your memory! The vast majority of you are contributing in a healthy way, keep it up!
NOTE: When providing a source, explain why you feel it is relevant and what purpose it adds to the discussion if it's not obvious. Also take note that unsubstantiated tweets/posts meant only to rekindle old arguments can result in a mod action.
On June 20 2015 10:12 zlefin wrote: wei2: based on this data, switz is the closest first world country, with about half as many guns per capita as the US. The US has around 270 million civilian owned guns. Of course in Switzerland, it's a little unclear how many of those are truly civilian guns, rather than guns that they are assigned and allowed to keep at home as part of their militia system; it's hard to tell looking around a bit on the web.
If you're looking at the numbers on wiki, it specifically states that it isn't counting government provided weapons in Switzerland and Israel.
The one presidential candidate who cannot make a mistake did just that Friday.
Addressing Wednesday's massacre at a South Carolina church, former Texas governor Rick Perry referred to it as an "accident." His campaign quickly clarified that he meant "incident," but not before the apparent slip of the tongue sparked a social media backlash, inviting inevitable comparisons to the so-called "oops" moment that defined Perry's last bid for the White House.
The comment came during a TV interview in which Perry was asked about President Obama's response to the shooting, which left nine people dead at the historically black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. In a speech Thursday, Obama suggested more gun control might be necessary to prevent tragedies like it.
"This is the M.O. of this administration anytime there is a accident like this," Perry told Newsmax's Steve Malzberg in an interview published Friday. "You know, the president's clear. He doesn't like for Americans to have guns, and so he uses every opportunity, this being another one, to basically go parrot that message."
The one presidential candidate who cannot make a mistake did just that Friday.
Addressing Wednesday's massacre at a South Carolina church, former Texas governor Rick Perry referred to it as an "accident." His campaign quickly clarified that he meant "incident," but not before the apparent slip of the tongue sparked a social media backlash, inviting inevitable comparisons to the so-called "oops" moment that defined Perry's last bid for the White House.
The comment came during a TV interview in which Perry was asked about President Obama's response to the shooting, which left nine people dead at the historically black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. In a speech Thursday, Obama suggested more gun control might be necessary to prevent tragedies like it.
"This is the M.O. of this administration anytime there is a accident like this," Perry told Newsmax's Steve Malzberg in an interview published Friday. "You know, the president's clear. He doesn't like for Americans to have guns, and so he uses every opportunity, this being another one, to basically go parrot that message."
Yeah I posted that on the previous page, and Christie and Jeb weren't helpful either. Perry called it an accident and then said it was indicative of a drug problem -______-'
Rick Perry is a bit dumb... But we already knew this. He has a negative charisma value and will never make president because of that. He just has no clue how to get a point across without offending 3 out of 4 people listening to him.
My favorite part about the jab at Obama not wanting Americans to have guns is how inflammatory it's intentionally stated as. Obama has only ever really cared about semi automatic/automatic capable rifles with huge ammo modifications and that tends to be something I agree with. My father recently won an AR 15 at a raffle and put all sorts of mods on it to the point that, if he should so desire, could go to a street corner and end a lot of lives. I don't see any real reason for a civilian to own that sort of rifle. You aren't using it for home defense because a single miss with a 2.23 is not only going through your wall and outside but also through your neighbors wall AND THEN SOME.
but yea Obama means all guns. Yup. I'd like some honesty in my politicians but that's never happening.
My biggest issue of all is that you can buy any rifle/gun you want to without the slightest clue in how to use it. A concealed handgun license is only an 8 hour class and you don't even need a class to carry a shotgun or rifle around. People have zero training and any attempt to make it a requirement has people shouting about gun control and murica.
from the outside view, it looks like a cyclical thing, nothing is going to change and every few months another atrocity will occur, followed by outrage and plenty of talking heads. and eventually back to the start. it feels so ingrained...that i'm honestly not even shocked by this any more. all i think is "another one". it's quite sad that i've become so desensitised by these incidents
On June 20 2015 14:37 Doraemon wrote: from the outside view, it looks like a cyclical thing, nothing is going to change and every few months another atrocity will occur, followed by outrage and plenty of talking heads. and eventually back to the start. it feels so ingrained...that i'm honestly not even shocked by this any more. all i think is "another one". it's quite sad that i've become so desensitised by these incidents
For what it's worth even the most ruthless gangbangers wait for people to leave the church. Worst case they shoot people on the steps. But not even the most cracked out dealers shoot people in church
What happened in SC in the historical black church is only matched by the previous events at such places. People getting shot in church is rare even in America.
A South Carolina state representative says he plans to sponsor legislation in the next session to take down the Confederate flag that flies in front of the state Capitol.
“I had a friend die Wednesday night for no reason other than he was a black man,” GOP State Rep. Norman “Doug” Brannon told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Friday. “Sen. Pinckney was an incredible human being. I don’t want to talk politics but I’m going to introduce the bill for that reason.”
“I will pre-file that bill in December before we go back into session,” he added.
The flag cannot be taken down from the statehouse grounds without a change to state law, since it is protected by the 2000 South Carolina Heritage Act.
NAACP President Cornell Brooks also called Friday for the flag to be removed. “We cannot have the Confederate flag waving in the state capital,” he said in a press conference. “Some will assert that the Confederate flag is merely a symbol of years gone by, a symbol of heritage and not hate. But when we see that symbol lifted up as an emblem of hate, as a tool of hate, as an inspiration for hate, as an inspiration for violence, that symbol has to come down.”
President Barack Obama thinks the flag belongs in a museum, White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters.
Mitt Romney also voiced his support for the removal of the flag, writing on Twitter, “Take down the #ConfederateFlag at the SC Capitol. To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred. Remove it now to honor #Charleston victims.”
A National Rifle Association executive in Texas has come under fire for suggesting that a South Carolina lawmaker and pastor slain with eight members of his congregation bears some of the blame for his opposition to permitting concealed handguns in church.
Houston-based lawyer Charles Cotton, listed as a national NRA board member on the gun lobby's website, made the comments in an online chat room he administers called texaschlforum.com, a discussion board devoted to gun rights and firearms issues.
In an online thread about Wednesday night's mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, Cotton said that one of the nine people slain, church pastor and Democratic state Senator Clementa Pinckney, had voted against legislation in 2011 that would have allowed concealed possession of handguns in restaurants, day-care centers and churches.
"Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead," Cotton wrote.
A National Rifle Association executive in Texas has come under fire for suggesting that a South Carolina lawmaker and pastor slain with eight members of his congregation bears some of the blame for his opposition to permitting concealed handguns in church.
Houston-based lawyer Charles Cotton, listed as a national NRA board member on the gun lobby's website, made the comments in an online chat room he administers called texaschlforum.com, a discussion board devoted to gun rights and firearms issues.
In an online thread about Wednesday night's mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, Cotton said that one of the nine people slain, church pastor and Democratic state Senator Clementa Pinckney, had voted against legislation in 2011 that would have allowed concealed possession of handguns in restaurants, day-care centers and churches.
"Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead," Cotton wrote.
All 50 states as well as the District fall short of the international standards for the use of lethal force by law enforcement, according to a report released Thursday by Amnesty International.
Unlike many countries, the review found that no state requires that the preservation of life be the priority that governs police use of force. International standards, outlined in the United Nations’ Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, state that deadly force should be a last resort.
“Police have a fundamental obligation to protect human life. Deadly force must be reserved as a method of absolute last resort,” said Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement. “The fact that absolutely no state laws conform to this standard is deeply disturbing and raises serious human rights concerns.
“Reform is needed and it is needed immediately. Lives are at stake.”
The federal government hopes new standards can reduce the impact of climate change by improving fuel efficiency and cutting carbon pollution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will propose standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles Friday that they hope will bolster energy security and spur manufacturing innovation.
"Once upon a time, to be pro-environment you had to be anti-big-vehicles. This rule will change that," said Anthony Foxx, U.S Transportation Secretary in a statement. "In fact, these efficiency standards are good for the environment -- and the economy. When trucks use less fuel, shipping costs go down. It's good news all around, especially for anyone with an online shopping habit."
The proposed vehicle and engine performance standards would apply to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, and all buses and work trucks for model years 2021 to 2027.
For the first time, the agencies are also proposing efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for trailers. The EPA trailer standards will begin to take effect in model year 2018 for certain trailers.
There is generally universal approval for the changes because most industry leaders were consulted before the standards were proposed, said William Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies.
Companies that would push back may do so because they weren't consulted, he said.
"They haven't worked as closely with the EPA as some of the others," he said. "Or they would complain about the cost and the extent to which they would have to implement the program in the timeframe established and they would probably complain that it's not necessary."
Becker said the devil is likely in the details of the standards and as they are rolled out, more organizations like his will have more questions for the EPA.
All 50 states as well as the District fall short of the international standards for the use of lethal force by law enforcement, according to a report released Thursday by Amnesty International.
Unlike many countries, the review found that no state requires that the preservation of life be the priority that governs police use of force. International standards, outlined in the United Nations’ Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, state that deadly force should be a last resort.
“Police have a fundamental obligation to protect human life. Deadly force must be reserved as a method of absolute last resort,” said Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement. “The fact that absolutely no state laws conform to this standard is deeply disturbing and raises serious human rights concerns.
“Reform is needed and it is needed immediately. Lives are at stake.”
All 50 states as well as the District fall short of the international standards for the use of lethal force by law enforcement, according to a report released Thursday by Amnesty International.
Unlike many countries, the review found that no state requires that the preservation of life be the priority that governs police use of force. International standards, outlined in the United Nations’ Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, state that deadly force should be a last resort.
“Police have a fundamental obligation to protect human life. Deadly force must be reserved as a method of absolute last resort,” said Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement. “The fact that absolutely no state laws conform to this standard is deeply disturbing and raises serious human rights concerns.
“Reform is needed and it is needed immediately. Lives are at stake.”
All 50 states as well as the District fall short of the international standards for the use of lethal force by law enforcement, according to a report released Thursday by Amnesty International.
Unlike many countries, the review found that no state requires that the preservation of life be the priority that governs police use of force. International standards, outlined in the United Nations’ Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, state that deadly force should be a last resort.
“Police have a fundamental obligation to protect human life. Deadly force must be reserved as a method of absolute last resort,” said Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement. “The fact that absolutely no state laws conform to this standard is deeply disturbing and raises serious human rights concerns.
“Reform is needed and it is needed immediately. Lives are at stake.”
EPT
