Steve9347

I keep an aluminum baseball bat under the bed.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 12:18 PM) I'm fine making it more difficult to purchase guns. I'm fine having to take classes, be certified, wait longer periods of time, whatever. But once you start restricting my use of guns, in my own home no less, I think that goes above and beyond what is acceptable. What do you use your gun for?

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 10:54 AM) Turns out letting people organize into armed groups wasnt a good thing. Otherwise the mafia, latin kings and every other street gang would claim their rights were constitutionally derived. The world of the late 18th century is not comparable. Exactly. s*** written in 1791 should not be controlling us today.

Commentary and reasoning for the 2nd Amendment (Joseph Story - Commentaries of the Constitution) 1833 that dude knocked it out of the ballpark. Yet almost 200 years later we're still clinging to 2nd Amendment rights that were out of date in 1833. It's 2012. Drones can blow any person off the map from the other side of the country, yet people cling to an Amendment written for militias to rise up and carry guns to defend our country - not to defend ourselves if someone wants to steal our Slurpee.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 10:36 AM) The double edged sword of Democracy. But the days where a group of people with guns are going to stand up against the King and his soldiers are the past. Unless I can buy a nuke, I really have no way of stopping the US. It was nice knowing you, but after posting this on the interwebs, I fear you will disappear soon enough.

This all relates to 2012 in so many ways. During the first two decades following the ratification of the Second Amendment, public opposition to standing armies, among Anti-Federalists and Federalists alike, persisted and manifested itself locally as a general reluctance to create a professional armed police force, instead relying on county sheriffs, constables and night watchmen to enforce local ordinances.[90] Though sometimes compensated, often these positions were unpaid—held as a matter of civic duty. In these early decades, law enforcement officers were rarely armed with firearms, using clubs as their sole defensive weapon.[90] In serious emergencies, a posse comitatus, militia company, or group of vigilantes assumed law enforcement duties; these individuals were more likely than the local sheriff to be armed with firearms.[90] On May 8, 1792, Congress passed "[a]n act more effectually to provide for the National Defence, by establishing an Uniform Militia throughout the United States" requiring: [E]ach and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia...[and] every citizen so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch with a box therein to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball: or with a good rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch and powder-horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall appear, so armed, accoutred and provided, when called out to exercise, or into service, except, that when called out on company days to exercise only, he may appear without a knapsack.[91] The act also gave specific instructions to domestic weapon manufacturers "that from and after five years from the passing of this act, muskets for arming the militia as herein required, shall be of bores sufficient for balls of the eighteenth part of a pound."[91] In practice, private acquisition and maintenance of rifles and muskets meeting specifications and readily available for militia duty proved problematic; estimates of compliance ranged from 10 to 65 percent.[92] Compliance with the enrollment provisions was also poor. In addition to the exemptions granted by the law for custom-house officers and their clerks, post-officers and stage drivers employed in the care and conveyance of U.S. mail, ferrymen, export inspectors, pilots, merchant mariners and those deployed at sea in active service; state legislatures granted numerous exemptions under Section 2 of the Act, including exemptions for: clergy, conscientious objectors, teachers, students, and jurors. And though a number of able-bodied white men remained available for service, many simply did not show up for militia duty. Penalties for failure to appear were enforced sporadically and selectively.[93] None are mentioned in the legislation.[91] The first test of the militia system occurred in July 1794, when a group of disaffected Pennsylvania farmers rebelled against federal tax collectors whom they viewed as illegitimate tools of tyrannical power.[94] Attempts by the four adjoining states to raise a militia for nationalization to suppress the insurrection proved inadequate. When officials resorted to drafting men, they faced bitter resistance. Forthcoming soldiers consisted primarily of draftees or paid substitutes as well as poor enlistees lured by enlistment bonuses. The officers, however, were of a higher quality, responding out of a sense of civic duty and patriotism, and generally critical of the rank and file.[95] Most of the 13,000 soldiers lacked the required weaponry; the war department provided nearly two-thirds of them with guns.[95] In October, President George Washington and General Harry Lee marched on the 7,000 rebels who conceded without fighting. The episode provoked criticism of the citizen militia and inspired calls for a universal militia. Secretary of War Henry Knox and President John Adams had lobbied Congress to establish federal armories to stock imported weapons and encourage domestic production.[95] Congress did subsequently pass "[a]n act for the erecting and repairing of Arsenals and Magazines" on April 2, 1794, two months prior to the insurrection.[96] Nevertheless, the militia continued to deteriorate and twenty years later, the militia's poor condition contributed to several losses in the War of 1812, including the sacking of Washington, D.C. and the White House being burned down in 1814.[93]

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 10:25 AM) So saying that tighter gun controls can't possibly have prevented this tragedy or numerous others is, frankly, apologetic bulls***. Which is, frankly, all defenders of the 2nd Amendment have to go on.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Yup, seems applicable. My boss owning a semi-automatic assault rifle is certainly caused by his membership in a well-regulated militia. What the f***. No one even uses the word militia anymore, yet the 2nd Amendment is so powerful?

People from 1791 could not begin to comprehend the world as it is today. The fact that we blindly follow the 2nd Amendment "because 'Merika", while people continue to get killed at astonishing rates, is incomprehensible. And that tally doesn't even include Bushmasters sold at your local Wal-Mart.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 10:05 AM) The old ones not working anymore? Self-mutilating due to Chicago sports has caused me to run our of skin real estate. Perhaps burning will work.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:55 AM) The only defense needed is it is my right per the constitution to own a gun. You don't like guns and want to restrict that or outright take it away. If I want to legally by a Glock 19, I can do so. I should not have to prove to you, or anyone else, WHY I NEED it. I want it. I went thru background checks, waiting periods, have no criminal record, I got my gun. More paperwork than it took to vote. You want all these restriction on a right. Take away this one, and the next one becomes easier. Talking bad about the government? Well, we need to put a stop to that! You see it in dictatorships all the time, and even now in the UN where Russia, China and others want to seize control over what is on the internet as they are tired of their people seeing truth out there. Women vote now. Black people vote now. As far as I'm aware, you can't own slaves. Why are we clinging to an Amendment adopted in 1791. 221 years ago technology and the world were both quite different. I can't believe there are people out there with brains who don't understand how idiotic it is to defend buying a f***ing Bushmaster at Wal-Mart.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:59 AM) The mother herself screwed up here. he was removed from school because she didn't like the way the school was treating him. there are records of him having 'difficulty', and not in the learning sense. There is a person on record saying that he used to babysit the kid when he was 8 or 9 and was told by the mom to never turn his back on him. She knew even then he was a potential time bomb, but did nothing. There were signs, but the mother covered them up. Agreed. And then his access to her legally obtained guns turned a ticking time bomb into 20 dead kids and 6 dead teachers. Guns don't kill people. Easy access to them escalates a situation from bad to 20 dead children and 6 dead teachers.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:55 AM) The only defense needed is it is my right per the constitution to own a gun. You don't like guns and want to restrict that or outright take it away. If I want to legally by a Glock 19, I can do so. I should not have to prove to you, or anyone else, WHY I NEED it. I want it. I went thru background checks, waiting periods, have no criminal record, I got my gun. More paperwork than it took to vote. No one argues this, genius, hence why the thread you are in is about "revisiting" the 2nd Amendment.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:50 AM) You are aware that the current shooter did not acquire his guns legally, aren't you? So no matter what rules you had in place, he would have still got them. There ARE background checks, which stopped him from actually purchasing one himself. "He would have still got them". Ugh, first the typing, second - his mother had guns in her home obtained legally that she and her children shot with - had she been unable to acquire legal guns, this doesn't happen. Your failure to recognize that as fact borders on ridiculous.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:47 AM) sem·i·au·to·mat·ic [ sèmmee àwtə máttik ] 1. reloading automatically: automatically ejecting a spent shell from a weapon's chamber and replacing it with another round each time the weapon is fired 2. partially automated: operated partly automatically and partly manually 3. semiautomatic weapon: a weapon that is semiautomatic. One trigger pull, one shot NOT a machine gun. NOT an automatic weapon. MOST handguns and rifles sold are semi-automatic. Identifying guns with that phrase is meant only to instill fear or cause confusion with people that don't know the difference. Why do you keep repeating this? I f***ing know what semi-automatic means. You want to hunt? Re-load your f***ing weapon. If you can't hit your game on the first shot, learn how to f***ing shoot.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:56 AM) I just wish we would have folded earlier so we can get a nice draft pick. We NEED OL and LB, most importantly an Urlacher replacement. If the Bears do not address the OL, I might just look into new self mutilation techniques.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:48 AM) Playoff picture in the NFC is pretty crazy right now. Five teams are 8-6. I wish the Bears would miss the playoffs, but finishing against the Cardinals and Lions sure improves their odds.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 09:44 AM) Buy a Bushmaster at your local Wal-Mart! Because no home should be without one! Categorized as "hunting". The only thing you hunt with that is a human. "Man, the greatest game".

Buy a Bushmaster at your local Wal-Mart! Because no home should be without one!

Listen, making it illegal to have semi-automatic guns and handguns would, without a doubt, lower the murder rate in this country. Though the number would obviously be much higher, even just a 1% decrease in the murder rate in this country would be worth it. If you disagree, then you are pro-murder.

BUT HE STARTED IT!

Danario getting zero for me was painful.

Yeah, guys, the only travesty last night was that final PI not being called on Shields. But Alshon needs to find a way to be less obvious with the push offs or wait until he's earned some respect around the league before pulling stunts like that every time the ball is headed his direction. It was a penalty every time he did it, and rookies don't get away with that s***. Bears lose. Bears suck. Lovie will be gone. Cutler is 30 next year and has not developed at all since coming to the Bears for a myriad of coaching, scheme, talent reasons. They wasted a great acquisition, and hopefully the new regime can draft a QB and develop real talent around him at some point in the next 30 years.

QUOTE (flippedoutpunk @ Dec 16, 2012 -> 09:08 PM) hey im not steves friend, he doesnt even accept me on facebook I didn't see a request...