The Republic Is Saved.

[spenser1058]

2 minutes ago, orange87 said:

I know they had a TV show and made music in the 60s. I only know that because my dad made us watch "old stuff" when I was growing up. I grew up in a very strict and sheltered Catholic household. It was enough to turn anyone into an atheist. lol The '87 in my name is the year I was born FWIW.

Actually more early ‘70’s but close enough. They were the follow up to the manufactured scandal that did in the Monkees about them not doing their own music (it was hardly unusual at the time).

[dcluley98]

Shouldna gone in that thread. . . 

Edited October 9, 2021 by dcluley98

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

Shouldna gone in that thread. . . 

In The Coffee House it’s like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates…

[jgardnerucf]

What a young buck! Oy! Lol!

[orange87]

President Joe Biden will be visiting UConn this Friday.

Article: https://www.theuconnblog.com/2021/10/12/22722326/president-joe-biden-to-visit-uconn-this-week

[spenser1058]

16 minutes ago, orange87 said:

President Joe Biden will be visiting UConn this Friday.

Article: https://www.theuconnblog.com/2021/10/12/22722326/president-joe-biden-to-visit-uconn-this-week

Joe’s a Blue Hen. Maybe UCONN can give them a go in football!

[orange87]

[spenser1058]

Hopefully one of these billboards will go up right next to the DeBary Diner:

Republican group erecting giant ‘Trump Lost’ billboards in Florida, elsewhere
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-republican-group-erecting-giant-trump-lost-billboards-in-florida-20211014-rrmjmkmgpzdszdtayo4ruteqva-story.html
 

From The Sentinel 

[orange87]

The United States has a death by firearm rate that is nearly double that of Mexico, and six times higher than Canada.

Here are some federal gun law reforms that truly would be common sense:

- Ban lead ammunition on environmental grounds.
- Close gunshow loophole and require all firearm purchases or transfers to go through a licensed gun dealer.
- Raise the age to purchase or possess any firearm to 21. (Even Donald Trump and the majority of Republicans support this)
- Require background checks to purchase ammo.

I personally think these are very reasonable reforms.

Edited October 15, 2021 by orange87

[spenser1058]

24 minutes ago, orange87 said:

The United States has a death by firearm rate that is nearly double that of Mexico, and six times higher than Canada.

Here are some federal gun law reforms that truly would be common sense:

- Ban lead ammunition on environmental grounds.
- Close gunshow loophole and require all firearm purchases or transfers to go through a licensed gun dealer.
- Raise the age to purchase or possess any firearm to 21. (Even Donald Trump and the majority of Republicans support this)
- Require background checks to purchase ammo.

I personally think these are very reasonable reforms.

I agree completely. It will also pass the GOP in Congress about the same time The Donald has an Infrastructure Week that actually does something.

If the NRA lobbyist in Tallahassee won’t even allow Florida to change its state bird to one that’s actually native to the state (she thinks the scrub jay is just a welfare cheat), I wouldn’t hold your breath for passing something that actually makes sense.

[orange87]

43 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I agree completely. It will also pass the GOP in Congress about the same time The Donald has an Infrastructure Week that actually does something.

If the NRA lobbyist in Tallahassee won’t even allow Florida to change its state bird to one that’s actually native to the state (she thinks the scrub jay is just a welfare cheat), I wouldn’t hold your breath for passing something that actually makes sense.

I meant these reforms should happen at the federal level. As for Florida, it's about in the middle for strictness of gun laws. Some liberal states actually have looser gun laws than Florida. Still, Florida has room for improvement.

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, orange87 said:

I meant these reforms should happen at the federal level. As for Florida, it's about in the middle for strictness of gun laws. Some liberal states actually have looser gun laws than Florida. Still, Florida has room for improvement.

Florida’s likely about to become worse (they got a little better after Parkland and PULSE). Things aren’t much better at the federal level and won’t be unless the NRA releases its hold on the GOP.

With increased restrictions on voting rights and a SCOTUS running to the right, sanity on guns is headed in the same direction as what Texas just did with abortion (I hope you like vigilante justice).

[spenser1058]

I was sad to see Gen. Colin Powell has passed at 84 from COVID complications. His service will long be remembered.

My condolences to his family and friends.

[jack]

On 10/15/2021 at 11:39 AM, orange87 said:

The United States has a death by firearm rate that is nearly double that of Mexico, and six times higher than Canada.

Here are some federal gun law reforms that truly would be common sense:

- Ban lead ammunition on environmental grounds.
- Close gunshow loophole and require all firearm purchases or transfers to go through a licensed gun dealer.
- Raise the age to purchase or possess any firearm to 21. (Even Donald Trump and the majority of Republicans support this)
- Require background checks to purchase ammo.

I personally think these are very reasonable reforms.

Those stats are misleading because we have a very high rate of suicide by gun. 

We still have a high rate of violence for a western nation but its the suicides that make it look so bad. 

[orange87]

12 minutes ago, jack said:

Those stats are misleading because we have a very high rate of suicide by gun. 

We still have a high rate of violence for a western nation but its the suicides that make it look so bad. 

I'm well aware of that. Don't you think making it significantly more difficult for people to kill themselves is a very good thing?

[jack]

5 hours ago, orange87 said:

I'm well aware of that. Don't you think making it significantly more difficult for people to kill themselves is a very good thing?

Depends on what the proposed changes are. I'm not willing to violate anyone's liberty. 

What you propose above is not terrible. The gun show loop whole is the lowest hanging fruit. If you have the political will, it could be passed. Gun sales to 21 and up is out of the question. Unless we redefine what an adult is (joining the military, signing contracts, etc.) Background checks for ammo would need to be limited to handguns since you need to do the same to purchase a handgun. I don't have an opinion on lead and don't know how banning it on environmental grounds could work. 

[orange87]

3 hours ago, jack said:

Depends on what the proposed changes are. I'm not willing to violate anyone's liberty. 

What you propose above is not terrible. The gun show loop whole is the lowest hanging fruit. If you have the political will, it could be passed. Gun sales to 21 and up is out of the question. Unless we redefine what an adult is (joining the military, signing contracts, etc.) Background checks for ammo would need to be limited to handguns since you need to do the same to purchase a handgun. I don't have an opinion on lead and don't know how banning it on environmental grounds could work. 

I'm tired of people wanting to preserve anachronistic laws and customs that come at a huge human cost just so they can feel nostalgic.

The gun show loophole is low hanging fruit because it's such an obvious glaring danger that allows felons, domestic violence abusers and mentally unstable people to bypass background checks. Honestly, I think 2A advocates should pick their battles better. Why do they want those dangerous people to have access to firearms?

Raising the gun sales age to 21 is not unreasonable or out of the question. Quite a few states have already raised the age to 21 including Florida, and there are already some things that you're not allowed to buy yet when you're 18 like weed, alcohol and tobacco. People used the tired argument of "but I can join the military at 18" for alcohol a few decades ago. The U.S. government lowered the drinking age to 18 and traffic accidents and DUIs skyrocketed. There's (usually) a big difference in mental maturity between an 18 and 21 year old. One that can't be ignored when dealing with things like guns.

Edited October 18, 2021 by orange87

[JFW657]

7 hours ago, jack said:

Those stats are misleading because we have a very high rate of suicide by gun. 

We still have a high rate of violence for a western nation but its the suicides that make it look so bad. 

So then..... suicides are good?   

[orange87]

All states are now at least 40% fully vaccinated.
36 states are at least 50% fully vaccinated.
16 states are at least 60% fully vaccinated.
3 states are at least 70% fully vaccinated.
57% of the United States population is fully vaccinated.

[orange87]

Kyrsten Sinema's own staff are resigning because she's an "obstacle to progress." She painted herself as a progressive Democrat when she was running, and once she got in office she became Joe Manchin AKA a DINO.

Article: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/577775-five-members-of-sinemas-advisory-board-resign-call-her-one-of-the-principal?fbclid=IwAR2ZUJeUDDvwXH6F0Mzbp0PeWPw-mn-pdvUlbJAoiWew0oYTyXvJMWRCslk

[orange87]

As a former Trump supporter, I've looked into more liberal viewpoints recently, and I have some recommendations for the left to improve their messaging on two issues. Here's kind of an outsider's advice or a fresh set of eyes.

First, stop calling it "gun control." "Control" is a very harsh sounding word that can repel people. A much better phrase would be "gun law reform" instead of "gun control." Saying that you're trying to "reform gun laws" sounds helpful and productive and good, whereas saying that you're trying to "control guns" sounds invasive and harsh.

As for climate change. A common thing I hear is that people say is that "climate change may be real, but I haven't done enough research into climate change to have an opinion on it." There is a very simple and easy to understand metric to use when discussing climate change. CO2 PPM (parts per million) in our atmosphere. There's near universal scientific consensus that we need to keep the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels under 350 ppm. The most recent measurement by NASA has it as 417 which is the highest it's ever been on Earth. It's currently 417ppm, and we need to get it under 350 ppm. That's an incredibly easy concept to understand.

Edited October 21, 2021 by orange87

[jack]

On 10/18/2021 at 4:23 PM, orange87 said:

I'm tired of people wanting to preserve anachronistic laws and customs that come at a huge human cost just so they can feel nostalgic.

The gun show loophole is low hanging fruit because it's such an obvious glaring danger that allows felons, domestic violence abusers and mentally unstable people to bypass background checks. Honestly, I think 2A advocates should pick their battles better. Why do they want those dangerous people to have access to firearms?

Raising the gun sales age to 21 is not unreasonable or out of the question. Quite a few states have already raised the age to 21 including Florida, and there are already some things that you're not allowed to buy yet when you're 18 like weed, alcohol and tobacco. People used the tired argument of "but I can join the military at 18" for alcohol a few decades ago. The U.S. government lowered the drinking age to 18 and traffic accidents and DUIs skyrocketed. There's (usually) a big difference in mental maturity between an 18 and 21 year old. One that can't be ignored when dealing with things like guns.

Its not about nossalgia, its about preserving liberty and following the constitution. 

If we are picking and choosing what you can or cannot do as an adult, we need to reexamine when you are an adult. You bring up joining the military which is still a perfect example of hypocrisy. You can join the military, invade another country and kill all that stand in your way but you can't buy tobacco. Guns, drinking etc. Its bullcrap. 

If the research says the brain is not mature enough to become a gun owner, we should not allow 18 year olds to join the military, sign contracts, get married, smoke, etc. 

On 10/18/2021 at 5:17 PM, JFW657 said:

So then..... suicides are good?   

No, but it is misleading. When a common person hears gun deaths, they assume murder. Murder and suicides are different problems. 

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, jack said:

Its not about nossalgia, its about preserving liberty and following the constitution. 

If we are picking and choosing what you can or cannot do as an adult, we need to reexamine when you are an adult. You bring up joining the military which is still a perfect example of hypocrisy. You can join the military, invade another country and kill all that stand in your way but you can't buy tobacco. Guns, drinking etc. Its bullcrap. 

If the research says the brain is not mature enough to become a gun owner, we should not allow 18 year olds to join the military, sign contracts, get married, smoke, etc.  

Unlike civilian gun owners, military enlistees are required to undergo a battery of mental and psychological tests designed to evaluate their mental and emotional competence. 

Only after and IF they pass those tests, they then undergo several weeks of intensive training on the use of the weapons they are to be entrusted with. 

Also, the only times they are allowed to carry and/or operate weapons, are during supervised training exercises and during actual combat. While on base during normal non-combat operations, no weapons are allowed to be carried by any member of any rank outside of necessary security personel.

The other stuff you mentioned re: marriage, smoking, etc., do not have potentially lethal consequences for others.

Start requiring every civilian gun purchaser to go through something similar to military weapons training and maybe I'd be on board.

But as it is, there are too many angry, pissed-off, anti-social jerks running around loose in society today, to continue allowing anyone who wants a gun to just go to a store and buy one like a toaster oven.

1 hour ago, jack said:

No, but it is misleading. When a common person hears gun deaths, they assume murder. Murder and suicides are different problems. 

Guns are still by far the weapon of choice for most violent acts, whether against others or oneself.

The argument against guns is not restricted just to others who become victims of their criminal use, but of those who use them to harm and kill themselves as well.

Certainly, if guns were to suddenly disappear, there would still be suicides.

But there wouldn't be as many.

Not many people are willing to jump off of buildings or bridges, etc., or stab or cut themselves with knives or jump in front of trucks, busses, trains, etc., etc., etc.

Those are gruesome, messy and not always successful ways to kill onesself compared to the quick, sure, neat and relatively clean method of putting a bullet through ones head.

[orange87]

3 hours ago, jack said:

Its not about nossalgia, its about preserving liberty and following the constitution. 

If we are picking and choosing what you can or cannot do as an adult, we need to reexamine when you are an adult. You bring up joining the military which is still a perfect example of hypocrisy. You can join the military, invade another country and kill all that stand in your way but you can't buy tobacco. Guns, drinking etc. Its bullcrap. 

If the research says the brain is not mature enough to become a gun owner, we should not allow 18 year olds to join the military, sign contracts, get married, smoke, etc. 

No, but it is misleading. When a common person hears gun deaths, they assume murder. Murder and suicides are different problems. 

Personally, I think the second amendment is antiquated and should arguably be repealed. "Because it's in the constitution" isn't a be all end all argument IMO. The second amendment was beneficial and practical prior to the 20th century. In modern times though, I believe the negatives far outweigh the positives. I wish people would stop beating around the bush about this, get over the initial knee-jerk shock and just be open about what needs to happen. Repeal the 2A.

Edited October 25, 2021 by orange87

[JFW657]

3 hours ago, orange87 said:

Personally, I think the second amendment is antiquated and should arguably be repealed. "Because it's in the constitution" isn't a be all end all argument IMO. The second amendment was beneficial and practical prior to the 20th century. In modern times though, I believe the negatives far outweigh the positives. I wish people would stop beating around the bush about this, get over the initial knee-jerk shock and just be open about what needs to happen. Repeal the 2A.

I am pretty anti-gun myself, but I'm not sure I'd go as far as an all out repeal of 2A.

I think what this country needs is a nice, long, moratorium on the manufacture and sale of handguns, rifles and shotguns.

And possibly a similar moratorium on the manufacture and sale of ammunition and the components necessary to make it.

The way I figure, the police take untold numbers of guns off the streets every day when they arrest criminals who use them. If no replacement guns are being pumped back into society, eventually the pool of guns flooding the streets is going to begin to dry up a little at at time until they start getting more and more difficult to come by.

The "law-abiding gun owners" we're always hearing about, will have their guns stashed away in their homes where criminals cannot get them. Especially if we increase the laibility for those whose guns get stolen as a resut of careless storage.

I think there are doable solutions but enough people have to get out of the way.

Until then, we're just going to keep on hearing about mass shootings like the one that happened just this afternoon in some mall.

I cannot even remember where, they are becoming so common.