Of  Blood and Tears

Actually, the answer to that question depends on the "assault rifle" you are referencing. I have known people to hunt boar and deer, as well as smaller game with a AR-15. And with some anything chambered in 7.62x35, the sky is pretty much the limit. (Same bore a .308, which is a hunting rifle caliber, and most certainly includes large game) The only AR style rifle I own is chambered in .22 LR, and I hunt paper with it (actually purchased to improve my range time for weapons qual, ala promotion points-- as it uses the exact same sights, and hold as the rifle I carry as a soldier).

It's is kind of like telling us all (from my own point of view) that we all have to give up sweets, because there are overweight kids that are, quite literally, killing themselves with them. I feel bad for them too, but I am not quite ready to give up my Java Monsters on account that some parent didn't do their job (and yes, that is very much the same thing. If one of my kids was a threat to the public, they's be doing some deep and heavy couch time or sitting in some other where that they need to be to keep themselves and other safe).

I get what you mean Partner. I hate that we've got this sort of thing going on as well, and I would certainly listen to something that had some potential of being a plan to deal with it, and hopefully put an end to this sort of thing. But you and I came up through a big boy world, where the I need a hug folk were scrambling ass to make plenty of room for whatever evil may come. I am not really trying to change your mind, but I will say that, as a soldier-- what really worked? Did ya all sit down and have a discussion, or did you come in hot, locked and loaded.

It's pretty much the same thing partner. When you wrote about Gaddafi, you were complaining and concerned about not having any bullets. It is the same sort of scenario, as in the same sort of people do the same sort of vile shit to get whatever it is that they feel the need to make happen. I don't really mind if you don't want your bullets back now. But I'd just as soon you let mine, and those I know to be responsible, and legal, firearm owners, be. There isn't any blood (including any animals) on any of my own personally owned firearms. Put to it, however unlikely that may be (I only have one school age child left, so the need for me to be hanging around any schoolyard, aside from hers is thin)-- if I were to get a clear shot on someone working out their personal difficulties in such a way as that, I'd be inclined to take it. I like that idea much better than merely being an involuntary spectator at such a horrendous event. "Oh no, this can't be happening" is not particularly effective in dealing with these types of situations, as should be abundantly clear to you.

Given that I do not carry (except when going to the range), this would obviously never happen. But we have both been in areas where firearms were either severely restricted, or out-right banned. What happened next? Their reasoning for the restrictions were very different, but uh... yeah, no thanks.

A bit of irony is that most of my firearms fall well within the newly proposed restrictions here in the States (the only real issue with my AR is magazine size). I know several other paper-killers that own the FN SCR rifle, several that own ARs chambered in 5.56/.223--as well as owning, and sometimes legally toting (C&C permit intact) pistols with hi-cap magazines.

So, I'll play your "dumb paranoid cunt", and this is not even really about a critique upon the write itself. But it is a honest reaction to the read. Nothing harsh or uncivil meant by it at all, save that at least on this point--we disagree.

Uley

Hi Uley,
Thank you for your well considered reply my friend. The poem was not intended to be an attack on gun owners nor indeed on the weapons themselves. I know that the vast majority of firearms owners are responsible folk who wouldn’t do any other human harm.
It always seems though that when these atrocities happen it’s mostly assault type weapons that are used with huge magazine capacity and high velocity ammo. As you will be well aware even a wound to the leg or arm by one of these powerful rounds can kill by shock alone, especially a little child.
I suppose my poem was a cry of anger and despair I certainly don’t have any answers to gun crime.
It does sadden me when I hear the old clichés being trotted out you know like:” It ain’t guns that kill people it’s people that kill people.” Like that makes it all right?
I know the ‘die hard red neck’ element is only a very small minority but don’t they make their voices heard out of all proportion to their numbers? Wow!
In my country of Britain we have the strictest gun laws anywhere in the world; we civilians can’t even own a hand gun for any reason
(Penalty 5 years)since the Dunblane massacre yet the nutters and the criminals seem to always be able to get hold of them and good folk like you who want to shoot targets are penalised for this.
So maybe not my best write or my best considered one either, just a cry of outrage at the horror of these little kids being blown away by some inadequate wanker.
Oh by the way when we shot antelope in Libya we used old .303 No4 Lee Enfield bolt action rather than the Self Loading FN type weapon. I found that because I only effectively had one shot so to speak that I took more care and as a result got a cleaner kill. I felt it was more sporting too giving the prey a fairer chance.

Thanks again Uley and a very happy New ear to you.