Here's The Answer: Ban Gunpowder

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
I see a lot of threads trying to figure out this gun problem.
Yes, gun problem.
I'm sure that if we could push a button and all guns would "disappear" from the earth, we would push it.
However, since you can build a gun out of anything, even print one, this will never be a viable option.
So...
Let's just ban gunpowder!
Only licensed "blasters" can get gunpowder.
Problem solved??

I know, I know, people will just make air powered assault rifles.
But these won't be so readily available to every run-of-mill medically-depressed, overly-medicated, loser-psychopath. Right?

I mean, I have a shotgun for coyotes and opossums - and of course intruders. But, I'd be down with trying to go with just arrows and samurai swords.

Then they'll just bring back "Greek Fire" from ancient Greece. (Look it up).

Unknown composition, burns forever.. even in water....

originally posted by: badw0lf
a reply to: Zelun

One. How would you cope in a world without guns? Or at least, easily accessible guns?

Thanks for writing back! Um, I'd say I'd feel restricted, in that I know there's a technology from which I'm restricted to posess

Do you feel you need it? Or can you somehow manage to survive, like some of us do?

I don't know. I haven't "needed" it yet, but I'd rather have it in case I do.

I've never had a gun that I've owned. I've shot them, but only at ranges here that allow you to do so.

Never once in my life needed one other than that. And I fail to see the need for them other than someone feeling better equipped in their less than well adjusted state of mind.

So, do you live in the US? I hope you don't take offense that I assume you don't. I know your handle is a Dr. Who reference which leads me to believe you're in the UK, but your avatar looks like a Waking Life reference, and Phillip K. Dick was a Californian, and he was SUPER paranoid. He certainly owned one or two. So I don't know. Relevance? There's a good chance that if someone enters my home with ill-intent here in the US that they've got a firearm, and I'd rather have a proportional or greater response to such a threat. I don't ever want to be in a fair fight, if I can help it.

Fist fight. Can you? Or is that fire arm how you settle an argument?
simple question... since we're not talking hunting.

ETA - that you say "use it in anger" is my entire point....

Yes, I can fight. I learned MAC level 2 during my time in the Army. It's kind of like Jiu Jitsu, but plus guns and knives, and more striking. The thing is, I'd really rather shoot the guy trying to kill me than grapple with him. Also, it may be a cultural thing, but getting into a fist fight is not a smart idea, legally or otherwise. I'm honestly not trying to sound like a macho-badass or anything, but elbows and knees are where you want to be, and that's really close-range, so I'd rather there not be any weapons involved so I suppose we can agree on that. Really, I think it's sort of a baited question. Obviously deadly force is a last resort, and you don't brandish a weapon unless you're willing to use deadly force.

Do...do you settle your arguments by duking it out? I usually just talk it over?

In 2014, according to the CDC there were 11,008 firearm homicides in the US. Rough estimates is around 300 million firearms in the US of which, around 7 million AR 15’s in that timeframe.

We know it is not the case due to multiple shootings, but let’s say one gun per kill. That would be 0.000037% of total guns used to kill. A step further, let’s pretend AR 15’s did all the killing again one gun per kill...0.0016%. We know both of those percentages were inflated by only assigning one gun per kill, yet ridiculously low percentages.

11008 people out of 318 million people murdered by guns. Less than 0.00004% of the total population, killed by a very low percentage of firearms even when purposely inflating the numbers of one gun per kill. Chance of winning the Pick 4 on a straight bet, 0.0001%. 2.5 times as likely to win $5000 on a dollar bet than being murdered by a gun.

Sorry but guns are not the problem. The fears are unfounded. Which means banning anything is unfounded based on an exaggerated fear of unlikely to occur numbers.

Very well then and a good morning to you all.
I awoke to read these pages of disgust and amusement over my “stupid” idea.

Does Anybody on ATS have a genius idea to stop the senseless slaughter of people by people with guns?
Because I obviously do not.

Gunpowder is mostly coal dust. And any kind of dust or powder will explode due to the high surface area/volume ratio. Even coal mines had coal dust explosions. Windmills were likely to explode as well if they didn't keep the dust down.

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein

Ha ha, nice try, even if they do ban gunpowder, in 1976 captain James Tiberius Kirk taught me how to make gunpowder from common elements and minerals! Thanks Captain Kirk!
youtu.be...

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
a reply to: scraedtosleep

yeah, but you can make bullets pretty easy. just need lead and oh yeah GUN POWDER

BAN GUN POWDER

you make no sense, ban gunpowder? please, that's one of the worst ideas yet. where do you weird people, and your ideas come from? It's not a gun problem, it's a people problem. but go ahead and ostrich your head in the sand. Hey while your at it, come up with one for world peace, I'd love to get a good laugh from that one as well......

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
a reply to: Subrosabelow

Those Amazon nutjobs are welcome to bring their frog tech over here and try something.
I will stab them in the cranium with a crazy straw.

Now I feel unsafe, and scared for my life, we need to ban "CRAZY STRAWS" immediately now. Just because of what you said. Is this some kind of troll thread, or are you just this stupid all the time OP?

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein


LMAO. I would pay money to see you with a samurai sword, fending off a coyote.

Almost as great as watching my crazy a neighbor jump off a moving trailer, barefoot, to try and stomp an opossum.

Priceless.

But no. No ban on gunpowder, thanks.

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein


Maybe we need to go back pre 80's when they closed all the mental hospitals, and actually lock crazy people up?
Even just for 6 month evals?

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
Very well then and a good morning to you all.
I awoke to read these pages of disgust and amusement over my “stupid” idea.

Does Anybody on ATS have a genius idea to stop the senseless slaughter of people by people with guns?
Because I obviously do not.

There is no genius idea to stop the "senseless slaughter of people by guns", just as there is no way to stop the world from turning or the sun from rising everyday. I understand your frustration with the senseless killings, but you need to come back down to reality a little son. but until we can completely eradicate mental illness, or everyone in this world is empathetic to people living violence free lives, this thread is a moot point.....