To get away from the "What would you do?" threads, let's talk about this issue I have been having since the Thursday night shooting.
Idiots. People who don't know jack squat. I work at a theater, so this topic is brought up many times a day by co-workers and patrons. I want to educate, but, alas, I am only one man in a world of idiots.
For instance, I had this conversation with a co-worker yesterday. I thought I was very civil, and plainly stated why he was wrong on each count. Until the end, when I was afraid I might not be able to keep it up.
Idiot: "Why do you need a gun that shoots 800 bullets a minute to hunt?"
Me: "The rifle was semi-automatic. One shot at a time."
Idiot: "Hunting rifles are ok, but the more powerful military type AR-15s should be banned."
Me: "AR-15s are not more powerful or deadly than my deer rifle. Less so in fact."
Idiot: "But how can you think buying a fully automatic machine gun over the counter is a right?"
Me: "You have to do a lot of paperwork, pay a tax, and be approved. It's not as simple or easy as the media would have you believe."
Idiot: "Why wasn't he red flagged buying ammo in bulk like that?"
Me: "Why would he be? Everything is cheaper in bulk."
Idiot: "I can't believe they sell bullets online, with no kind of check!"
Me: "You have a background check to buy the firearm in the first place."
Idiot: "Only the military needs thousand round clips like that."
Me: "It was a hundred round MAGAZINE. Not standard issue in the military."
Idiot: "If you need that army type gun to hunt, you must be hunting the bugs from Starship Troopers."
Me: "No, full auto for hunting is not only not practical, but also not legal. But AR-15s make great varmint, hog, and even deer rifles. They are customizable, easy to clean and take apart, and can be very accurate. All hunting rifles were originally invented for military use. Muskets, lever actions, bolt actions, semi-autos, and now, modern sporting rifles."
Idiot: "You hillbillies and your guns, why don't you come into the 21st century. It's not the wild west anymore. We're more civilized now. There's more police now than there was then, when maybe, yeah, you might need a gun because the next sheriff is 50 miles away and you got no phone."
Me: "I'm done talking to you about this. If I don't stop, things will become awkward."
We didn't speak the rest of the day.
Idiots. People who don't know jack squat. I work at a theater, so this topic is brought up many times a day by co-workers and patrons. I want to educate, but, alas, I am only one man in a world of idiots.
For instance, I had this conversation with a co-worker yesterday. I thought I was very civil, and plainly stated why he was wrong on each count. Until the end, when I was afraid I might not be able to keep it up.
Idiot: "Why do you need a gun that shoots 800 bullets a minute to hunt?"
Me: "The rifle was semi-automatic. One shot at a time."
Idiot: "Hunting rifles are ok, but the more powerful military type AR-15s should be banned."
Me: "AR-15s are not more powerful or deadly than my deer rifle. Less so in fact."
Idiot: "But how can you think buying a fully automatic machine gun over the counter is a right?"
Me: "You have to do a lot of paperwork, pay a tax, and be approved. It's not as simple or easy as the media would have you believe."
Idiot: "Why wasn't he red flagged buying ammo in bulk like that?"
Me: "Why would he be? Everything is cheaper in bulk."
Idiot: "I can't believe they sell bullets online, with no kind of check!"
Me: "You have a background check to buy the firearm in the first place."
Idiot: "Only the military needs thousand round clips like that."
Me: "It was a hundred round MAGAZINE. Not standard issue in the military."
Idiot: "If you need that army type gun to hunt, you must be hunting the bugs from Starship Troopers."
Me: "No, full auto for hunting is not only not practical, but also not legal. But AR-15s make great varmint, hog, and even deer rifles. They are customizable, easy to clean and take apart, and can be very accurate. All hunting rifles were originally invented for military use. Muskets, lever actions, bolt actions, semi-autos, and now, modern sporting rifles."
Idiot: "You hillbillies and your guns, why don't you come into the 21st century. It's not the wild west anymore. We're more civilized now. There's more police now than there was then, when maybe, yeah, you might need a gun because the next sheriff is 50 miles away and you got no phone."
Me: "I'm done talking to you about this. If I don't stop, things will become awkward."
We didn't speak the rest of the day.
