Targeted by Gun Nuts - LATimes

[Cassandra]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-price13aug13,0,4661455.story?coll=la-opinion-center

Although this may end up in the gun dungeon, it's really more about the hatred on RW boards, including the freepers.

"Plutarch and his freerepublic fellows Googled my story about David — and were encouraged when they came up empty because they were certain that "this remarkable murder" would have received massive media attention.

"I love to catch them lying!" declared "mad_as_he$$."

Lamentably, a double homicide by a friend or relative of the victims is an unremarkable news event in Los Angeles County, where 17 people, on average, are shot to death every week. The Times' and Daily News' stories were brief and buried on inside pages. Because the police took all day to notify our family, David's name did not appear in them.

No matter. The freerepublic.com gang Googled some more, LexisNexised, scoured The Times' archives for headlines, dug up Social Security records. They wondered whether David and I had different last names: A "rabid feminist" like me, of course, would never use her husband's name. But "Ghengis (Alexander was a wuss!)" surmised that David and I had different fathers because that was so "common in California in the '60s."
<snip>
I'd spent a week in the company of people with closed minds and cold hearts. And what saddens me most is that vengeful intolerance is all too common and leads people every day to reach for a handgun to kill people."

[Cooley Hurd]

1. K&R - this isn't a gun control story. This is a right-wing nut story!

:mad:

[Cassandra]

3. Unfortunately...

I have to dance with the title that brung me. (Not "have" to, since this isn't LBN, but that is the title).

[LincolnMcGrath]

2. K&R - this isn't a gun control story.

This is a right-wing nut story!

[Sparkly]

4. K&R -- This is a story about gun nuts

most of whom are rightwingers.

[DIKB]

5. Nothing is too low

for Freeper's. Notice how everything went quiet, no remorse, just move on to the next target to harass and call a liar. Claiming that "Liberals... are mean to their parents — mean enough to warrant homicide."

Jeez these people are sick. You'd think all the vile hate-speech, glorification of violence, and threats would have the FBI all over that site for "terroristic threatening."

[Boxerfan]

6. As a "Gun Nut" & a liberal I try & get through to these guys...It aint eas

I've been into target shooting since I was very young. I also live in a area where hunting & fishing etc... are a part of life & a treasured resource.

I personally fish catch & release & only shoot at paper targets. As of late as I frequented some of the better(target oriented) boards for technical information. Some of these have "off topic" sections absolutely FROTHING with RW hate talk.

Well, I post a lot there. I feel I can do better there than here-Target audience so to speak. As I'm also a enthusiast I can get a better "foot in the door". I ussually get banned but no bigs I just move on. There have been a few truly shining moments( I love to point out 9/11 fallacies-regarding metal fatigue & melting points. Most of these guys have worked with metal & once they realize the official story has NO basis in facts/science they start seeing things different).

Anyhoo, there are a few liberals out there who enjoy responsible gun ownership. And frankly, I trust myself to keep me & my family safe nowadays. Times are changing & unfortunately the need for self reliance/defense is very real. But responsible ownership is the key.

PS. I just won 1st overall in a hunter trophy competition (airguns) with a home tuned special. It's like golf for me,nearly impossible to attain perfection. You are always chasing a better set-up & score. I love it!

[Cassandra]

7. Congratulations on your win!

I had some target practice in summer camp years ago with BB guns and air rifles (larger pellets) but my eyesight made it hard to see the target so I switched to archery and enjoyed that through college. I have some relatives out west who hunt elk for their primary meat source and I have no problem with hunters who give the animals a sporting chance and hunt for food. Large cities, however, do need handgun controls.

[meldroc]

8. You're not the only left-wing gun nut!!!

I keep a 9mm Glock for self protection, and have a concealed weapons permit. Occasionally with family, I'll go hunting or skeet shooting, or otherwise have some fun with firearms.

Quite frankly, the Bush Administration's actions show exactly why we need the Second Amendment - not for sports or for hunting, and not even for protection against crooks, but as a last defense against tyranny. I don't want to get in violent altercations with our government, and I will take every measure to resolve grievances with the government peacefully and lawfully, but I will retain that final option to shoot back if men with jackboots kick down my door...

And don't think for one minute that the right wingers in power don't want to take your guns. Sure they take money from the NRA and talk like they're pro-gun. But Reagan and Bush Sr. were actually put on the record as being in favor of certain gun control measures. If the renewal of the Brady Act ban on "assault rifles" (read "guns with scary-looking cosmetic features") and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammo went through, Bush would have signed it.

And as the Bush administration continues to become more insular and more paranoid about terrorism, I have no doubt they'll conclude that guns can be used for TERRAR!!! It's only a matter of time before they start talking bans and confiscation...

P.S. You're absolutely right about the gun forums... I occasionally visit them. It's sad - there used to be more liberal gun nuts on those forums, and the politics were often of a libertarian bent that I see a lot here in DU, but now they're dominated by right-wing hate-mongers.

[derby378]

10. Actually, the term in question is "assault weapon"

An assault rifle is a military rifle that is capable of full-auto fire. Private ownership in the US has been heavily restricted since 1934.

An assault weapon, on the other hand, is a bit more murky. The term is one that has no actual, formal definition - even 18 years after Josh Sugarmann of the VPC invented it. A firearm is usually labelled an "assault weapon" if (a) it can accept a magazine that holds 11 bullets or more, or (b) it has certain safety and/or cosmetic features that some believe civilians cannot be trusted with, or (c) the name of the firearm happens to wind up on the verboten list of gun-control advocacy group.

Me, I'm glad the semi-auto ban of 1994 has gone the way of the Edsel, Milli Vanilli, and "new Coke." Now Democrats need to look forward instead of backward in order to secure victory in November. Ever forward...

[derby378]

11. I almost forgot...

...the one feature that all "assault weapons" have in common is that they are semi-automatic. That means one shot and only one shot per trigger pull. Just like a lot of deer rifles on the market today.

[MrBenchley]

9. Ah, those wonderful RKBA types

Gun rights is nothing but right wing craziness and racism giggling to itself under a new sheet.

[benEzra]

12. What'd she expect from Free Republic?

She should've visited the DU Guns forum, the High Road, SOMEWHERE besides freeperville...

[MrBenchley]

13. Who can tell the difference?