<font color="#ffffcc">I would have thought he would be scared in a Colonel sort of way, not a Major sort of way :D

Seriously. I live and work right in the middle of where these shootings are happening. Im no more scared than ever of being shot. The odds are so low as to be infinitesimal that any one individual would be targeted. Your just as likely to get struck by lightning, so why worry. Just be aware of your surroundings. Don't let the media get you worked up into hysterical fits.</font>

I dont think it is the scare for oneself... it is the scare for others. when there is a drive by shooting, the crowd can scatter and take covers. some can run, some can hide. normal firearms has a poor accuracy in untrained hands. it is crazy but less life-threatening. with a sniper rifle, thats a different matter

Groj, not only CAN i imagine footballhooligans with firearms, i also knew a couple of em. They're all behind bars now, but the fact that they exist remains. There are a lot more people in Holland that own pistols or rifles than you can possibly imagine. Of course that doesn't mean they put it in their pockets when they go out for a snack or something, but they ARE out there. Gunlaw or no.

That's funny, I've _always_ viewed it as abuse!

The government is supposed to protect me from violations of my rights - not be the prime violator of said rights.</font>[/QUOTE]Agreed. :D

and Magick: There are quite a number of people here who have the intelligence to realize that prohibition doesn't work, wether for alcohol, tobacco, drugs or firearms. As for helmet laws and seatbelt laws those are two prime examples of the national nanny movement.

Agreed again. :D

The number of people who find seatbelt laws silly (as evidenced on this thread) makes me wonder how it got passed into law (or stays that way).

As for the sniping wacko, I hope there is a pattern. Magick pointed out that you may not be able to see patterns until after the fact. Let's hope. Otherwise, it's incredibly more difficult to catch the guy.

Are we seeing the newest face of terrorism? Twenty terrorists plotting a large tragedy is one kind of thing to fear - but individual fanatics randomly causing havoc is quite another. I will be so very relieved if this does turn out to be your typical middle-aged mal-adjusted white man.

I'm all for the repeal of helmet and seatbelt laws. On the condition that anyone riding/driving without them has a filled out organ donar card. I am always happy to help St. Darwin thin the population and improve the gene pool.

Having survied two motorcyle accidents where wearing a helmet made the difference between surviving and dying I am astounded when people whine and bitch about helmet laws.

[quote]Originally posted by Timber Loftis:

Quote:

Originally posted by Night Stalker: Well, so much for not introducing the gun debate. Does that mean you can't outlaw something if it is considered a social ill? What about drugs?? A proactionary law (outlawing something seen as a social ill BEFORE it can be put to ill use) abounds in the law. Sorry, but if the government can tell you you must wear a seatbelt, it can certainly tell you you can't own a gun. (Note - I'm NOT saying it *should*, just that it *can* and *does* and it is not seen as abuse).

Slightly [img]graemlins/offtopic.gif[/img]
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Depends on who you talk to TL. IMNSHO I cant stand seat belt laws. And I find it incredibly offensive, as well as a violation of my rights, that the govt *tells* me that I *must* wear a seat belt. Same thing with helmet laws. If I choose to wear one then it's my business and noone elses. I happen to think that it is a gross abuse of power on the part of the federal govt. It's not that I object to wearing a seatbelt(I almost always wear one), I just dont feel it's the place of government to tell me what I can and cant do as regards my personal safety.
[img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

As for the sniper issue. I agree that it is completely heinous(sp?)! When they catch this SOB, I hope they string him up by his thumbs, do a few unspeakably vile things to him, then execute him. Unfortunately, I think Maryland is a 'No Death Penalty' state.

PS: To Grojlach...As a courtesy to other posters, could you not make comments patently designed to invoke the issue that you're supposedly 'not invoking'? It's petty and rude.

Erm...sorry...didn't see this before I posted. But, you're right.

Back on topic: I heard on the news that the boy who was recently shot was still in 'stable, but critical condition'. Thank goodness for small miracles. I hope he ends up being ok. *sends positive thoughts Maryland way*

[quote]Originally posted by Night Stalker:

Quote:

Originally posted by Grojlach: [qb]I'll refrain from introducing anti-gun propaganda into to this debate. ;) But it's terrible something like this happens, of course... :(

ive said it before, and i'll say it again. if you stop GOOD Americans from having guns, the only ones that would have them are the BAD Americans. drugs are illegal, yet people can get them pretty much anywhere. some guns are illegal, yet people own them. if this guy wanted a sniper rifle to kill innocent people, he would get one illegaly. he is killing innocent people, i dont think getting an illegal weapon will pose much of a mental delema. he is sick, plain and simple.

I dont see why we dont just get a professional group of CIA snipers to snipe this sniper... I mean.. like... get people on top of every tall building in the maryland/virginia area and wait for a shot to go off, the screams alone will point a man being within that distance then they just have to sweep the area from above and look for him... satelite tracking is good too... if someone can get the exact coordanents of the victim as they are shot and the angle of fire then one can angulate the height and direction which the sniper was at... and thus he can be tracked, and found quickly... escpecially if law enforcement and the national guard is posted in the right place at the right time in great enough number... unfortunelty these things are impossible to do and maintain ordinary life,[sarchasm] so I suppose i'ts beter to let a few more hundred people die then let hundreds of thousands of man hours go down the drain just to catch one man...[/sarchasm]

Frankly I think this guy is picking his targers, see how he is making his targets diverse? he's trying to kill one of everyone [img]tongue.gif[/img] His next target will probably be an african american little girl, considering... but then again we don't actually have enough information and evidence to truley say what he's aiming at, or if what he's aiming at has anything to do with anything at all... maybe he is unsatisfied that the yound boy he fired at didnt die and will try to finish the job later... who knows!?

I dont believe that is possible. you can possibly discern the shooter location by checking the impact, and the sound of the general direction of the gun shot.. like I said, this is not a combat situation, the shooter can blend in with the civillian after he makes the attack. and by the time the CIA snipers found out where the shooter was located, he would be long gone.