Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
How can it be that a man with a GUN walked into the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. and started shooting, when Washington D.C. has a gun ban? Did someone forget to tell this guy that guns were banned in the city? How can it be that Washington D.C. has one of the highest murder rates in the country when they have a gun ban? Puzzling, isn't it?
In 2007, Washington D.C. had a murder rate of 31 murders per 100,000 population, while Columbus Ohio, where law abiding citizens are not only allowed to own guns, but are allowed to carry them (either openly or concealed), has a murder rate of only 11 murders per 100,000 population! How can that be?
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
17y
Originally posted by MikeOH:
How can it be that a man actually carried a gun into Washington D.C. when that is illegal? I thought tough gun control laws prevented that?
Sorry, Mike, I gave you too much credit...
Let me explain:
We have things called "laws." Laws are created by the legislative branch of the government. They are intended to provide a framework for defining what is and is not acceptable in society within particular borders (for example, the DC legislature creates laws that are applicable to DC).
It is not the legislative branch of the government's job to enforce these laws. In other words, this branch of the government makes the laws, but they rely on another branch of the government to enforce the laws.
Specifically, it's the executive branch of the government that is tasked with carrying out the enforcement of laws that the legislative branch creates.
Now, keep in mind that the members of the executive branch are human, and therefore fallible. While they try to ensure that the laws are enforced wholly and substantially, including deterring those who might feel inclined to break the law, sometimes that enforcement occurs after a law has been broken.
In these cases, it is the executive branches' job to apprehend the person they believe has broken the law, and to hand that person over to the judicial branch of the government, which is responsible for determining if the person actually broke the law and then for doling out punishment.
So, as you can see, our system of government is designed to create (legislative branch) and enforce (executive branch) laws, but is not designed to ensure that these laws are never broken. If it were, there would be need for this third branch of the government -- the judicial branch.
I guess I had assumed you knew that (most of us do), which is why I provided a more complex answer above. Didn't realize we were stuck on the basics.
Let me know if I can answer any more questions, Mike! And don't worry, while I know it can be complicated ("complicated" means "hard"), I'm sure you'll figure it out!
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
No one on this forum can explain how a man with a gun could shoot someone in a NO-GUN CITY like Washington D.C.?
No one on this forum can explain why the murder rate in a NO-GUN CITY like Washington D.C. can be one of the highest in the US and 3 times higher than Columbus Ohio which allows citizens to carry guns?
Real Estate Investor · Member since 2008 · 340 posts · 34 votes
17y
Same goes for Chicago. Can't own handguns in the entire city. Also, crime has been going up in that city for the past two years, while most cites have seen a decrease in crime.
BTW, this happens at the same time that Chicago has instituted more street corner surveillance and red light cameras than any other major city.
So, using liberal logic, more city surveillance cameras have caused more crime in Chicago.
Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
17y
Mike, it is very simple:
EVERYTHING our government does is intended to benefit government and those that work in it. The days of by the people, of the people and for the people are LONG gone.
These laws were put into place for ONE reason and ONE reason only, so some scumbag could be elected into office, and it is that simple.
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
The cities with the highest gun crimes are almost all far left, liberal (socialist) cities. So, maybe it's the presence of liberals that causes all the violence.
Attorney · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
When I moved to Indiana and first walked into a gun shop, the salesman Bob (who has since sold me about 6 guns since I've moved here). Said, "Welcome to Indiana! The national average for criminals shot by citizens vs. criminals shot by police is 3 to 1. Here in Indiana it's 5 to 1. We don't mind you shooting criminals here. Now whatcha want? You want a short barrel rifle? How about a machine gun or a silencer, or both?"
Altus, OK · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 690 votes
17y
Originally posted by MikeOH:
Shana - you must be mistaken. I thought that taking away guns made us all safer. People don't kill people - GUNS DO!
When booze was taken away during the prohibition days did that stop people from drinking nope taking something away like guns,alcohol,etc only makes people want them more and more and use them more and more.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
17y
Originally posted by MikeOH:
How can it be that a man with a GUN walked into the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. and started shooting, when Washington D.C. has a gun ban?
He didn't. He couldn't get into the museum because there was a metal detector to keep idiots with guns out of the museum. So, instead, he had to shoot from the doorway of the museum.
Had it been legal for him to walk inside the museum with the gun, no doubt many more innocent people would have been killed.
And before you start attacking me for being liberal (I'm not, I'm Libertarian), I'm all for legalizing hand-guns everywhere...it's our Constitutional right to be allowed to carry guns, and if you haven't noticed, I'm a big believer in the Constitution...
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
17y
Originally posted by MikeOH:
How can it be that a man actually carried a gun into Washington D.C. when that is illegal? I thought tough gun control laws prevented that?
Sorry, Mike, I gave you too much credit...
Let me explain:
We have things called "laws." Laws are created by the legislative branch of the government. They are intended to provide a framework for defining what is and is not acceptable in society within particular borders (for example, the DC legislature creates laws that are applicable to DC).
It is not the legislative branch of the government's job to enforce these laws. In other words, this branch of the government makes the laws, but they rely on another branch of the government to enforce the laws.
Specifically, it's the executive branch of the government that is tasked with carrying out the enforcement of laws that the legislative branch creates.
Now, keep in mind that the members of the executive branch are human, and therefore fallible. While they try to ensure that the laws are enforced wholly and substantially, including deterring those who might feel inclined to break the law, sometimes that enforcement occurs after a law has been broken.
In these cases, it is the executive branches' job to apprehend the person they believe has broken the law, and to hand that person over to the judicial branch of the government, which is responsible for determining if the person actually broke the law and then for doling out punishment.
So, as you can see, our system of government is designed to create (legislative branch) and enforce (executive branch) laws, but is not designed to ensure that these laws are never broken. If it were, there would be need for this third branch of the government -- the judicial branch.
I guess I had assumed you knew that (most of us do), which is why I provided a more complex answer above. Didn't realize we were stuck on the basics.
Let me know if I can answer any more questions, Mike! And don't worry, while I know it can be complicated ("complicated" means "hard"), I'm sure you'll figure it out!
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
So, in other words, when the socialists pass their gun control laws, only the law abiding citizens obey. The criminals, being criminals, don't obey the laws and end up being the only people armed (other than the police). They then know that average citizens are not armed, which emboldens them since anyone they might choose to victimize will not have a gun. When an armed criminal breaks into their house in the middle of the night, the law abiding citizens don't have a gun to defend themselves and they call the police. In these situations, when dealing with an armed criminal, seconds can literally make the difference between life and death. "When seconds count - THE POLICE ARE ONLY MINUTES AWAY"!
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
17y
Guys -
Most of you know that I'm not a fan of the political discourse because it ALWAYS leads to name calling and other problems. Can't you guys discuss heated topics without the drama?
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 86 votes
17y
"When seconds count - THE POLICE ARE ONLY MINUTES AWAY"!"
What used to be minutes now turns into many more minutes, because most communitys have had to layoff large segments of their safety forces. In my town, we are down 15 police officers and 11 firemen. Where does that leave the average citizen? To defend themselves and it's not a very good time of year to be unarmed in the middle of the city.
Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
17y
Originally posted by J Scott:
Originally posted by MikeOH:
How can it be that a man actually carried a gun into Washington D.C. when that is illegal? I thought tough gun control laws prevented that?
...
So, as you can see, our system of government is designed to create (legislative branch) and enforce (executive branch) laws, but is not designed to ensure that these laws are never broken. If it were, there would be need for this third branch of the government -- the judicial branch.
...
J Scott,
In your earlier statement that I have cited, did you really mean to say this instead?
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
Very true Tom! Fortunately, preemption is the law of the land in Ohio and the cities can't take away your right to own or carry a gun. Unfortunately, Cleveland thinks they are above the law and are still trying to enforce their arcane gun laws. Cleveland is also suing the state, claiming that they don't have to obey the preemption law!
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
17y
Originally posted by Steve Babiak:
J Scott,
In your earlier statement that I have cited, did you really mean to say this instead?
Yes! Thank you for the correction...that is what I meant...
Of course, that's not completely true. We'd still need the judicial branch to *interpret* the laws to determine if they're legal and applicable, but for the most part, the judicial branch exists because the executive branch can't keep all crime from happening, no matter how hard they might try... :)
And, of course, a big reason the executive branch can't keep all crime from happening (as in Mike's example of not being able to keep people from illegally carrying guns in DC), is because of the Constitution. The executive branch is prohibited from infringing on some of your very precious rights (such as your right not to be searched without a warrant or probably cause), even if it might help them deter crime.
Attorney · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
Hey Mike. Did you ever see "Zoolander"? Remember the part where Christine Taylor's character makes a fecitious observation just to make a point and Derrick Zoolander (Stiller), as the clueless male model, goes into a completely unnecessary soliloquy refuting her observation because the original intent of making a point through a humorous observation just flew right over his head? You remember that?
But we'uns in Indianer and Uhia is jest knuckle draggin' meatheads who cant figger out stuff like dis.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
17y
Originally posted by Tim Wieneke:
Hey Mike. Did you ever see "Zoolander"? Remember the part where Christine Taylor's character makes a fecitious observation just to make a point and Derrick Zoolander (Stiller), as the clueless male model, goes into a completely unnecessary soliloquy refuting her observation because the original intent of making a point through a humorous observation just flew right over his head? You remember that?
Oh yeah, that was great...I'm laughing just thinking about it...
Of course, the movie would have sucked if all it was about was Christine Taylor making the same fecitious comment over and over and over and over again. The first time she said it, you would have just laughed, but then by the third or fourth time, you would have thought, "what a one-dimensional character who doesn't know when to stop."
Then you would have been mad at the writers of the movie for wasting your time.
But, luckily the writers of that movie knew that the same joke over and over is only funny the first time, and didn't keep repeating it...
That's why I love that movie...
I also love Ben Stiller...I get compared to him every once in a while; I presume it's for my sharp wit and great sense of humor...