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krispos42

(49,445 posts)
24. My point exactly
Sun Nov 1, 2015, 09:36 AM
Nov 2015

Nearly all vehicular deaths are from accidents: human error or mechanical failure, often complicated by weather. A guy runs a red light and plows into a minivan. Texting while driving. Driving too fast for conditions. Badly-time medical issue (saw that one personally and helped the couple until firefighters could down down into the streambed). Blown tire. Engine fire. Suspension failure. Driving the wrong way down the highway. Rockslide. Bad lane change. Blinded by the sun.

Very few gun-related deaths are accidents. Most are suicides or homicides; a very small fraction are justifiable homicide (police or citizen) or accidents. And the accidents are, again, mostly due to human error, typically a handling issue. There are a very few cases per year where a gun spontaneously discharges without the operator directly or indirectly moving the trigger. They can happen, of course; older guns may lack modern hammer-blocking mechanisms to prevent discharge from a sharp impact. And all guns are mechanical devices, so the innards are subject to wear and the occasional failure. Taurus Manufacturing, a Brazilian gun maker, recently settled a class-action suit that claimed the safety mechanism of several lines of handguns were flawed and would allow discharges even with the safety on.

Because liability insurance doesn't protect the policyholder when the holder commits a crime, buying a policy for a gun is pretty useless. If I kill myself with my own gun, how and who can I sue? I'm dead and I only shot myself! If I murder somebody with my gun, my insurance company won't protect me because I committed a crime. If I am defending myself and accidentally shoot somebody... well, either I'm guilty of negligence, or my attacker is responsible. In either case, I don't think my insurance would cover me. Maybe an insurance expert knows more about that scenario, though.

So comparing guns to cars is a bad analogy in general. We register and tax cars because cars emit, as a routine and normal part of everyday use, pollutants that require mitigation and regulation. Cars, also as a normal part of everyday use, cause wear and tear on the public roads that were built for them. Cars are dozens of times more expensive than guns, and as such personal property are subject to taxes. My car costs me about $90 a year in property taxes. In addition, registration also provides a clear path of ownership of this expensive property for transfers. Unlike guns, it is difficult to operate an unregistered vehicle in public, and storing one on private land requires considerable square footage.


But let's get back to your post. Cars are allowed on all public streets. I do not see any laws barring cars within 500 feet of a school, for example. Or from houses of worship, governmental buildings, malls, cinemas, etc.

My comment about "assault cars" was a criticism of the definition of "assault weapon" commonly used in past, present, and proposed gun legislation. An analogy between "assault car" and "assault weapon" would go something like this:

An assault car is defined as a motorized passenger vehicle with two or more of the following features:

* Ground clearance of less than 3 inches
* A protruding aerodynamic device
* Tinted windows
* Rims more than 17" in diameter.


All owners of assault cars will have to register their assault cars by a certain date, at which point the registry will be permanently closed. After that date, owners of unregistered assault cars will have to either sell their assault car to people in other states that do not ban assault cars, or remove the banned features to make the car compliant. Assault cars that are registered cannot be sold or given to other owners in the state, even if that owner already owns other assault cars, nor can they be inherited by any state resident.




And yeah, it is the size of the tank. On a gun it's called a magazine, and there are several states that limit magazine capacity to an arbitrary number, usually ten rounds. Only one state, New Jersey, has its own ban on what goes in the magazine (they ban hollowpoint bullets). Yeah, there is a federal law that bans armor-piercing pistol ammunition based on the composition of the bullet, but outside of that it's a wide-open field.



I will also point out that nearly all states issue concealed-carry permits which require a background check, and often includes multi-hour training course (often by an NRA-certified instructor) followed by a written and/or practical handing test. Several states do not require a permit to carry concealed.

So... cars versus guns... bad analogy, yes?
If guns were as regulated as cars [View all] SecularMotion Nov 2015 OP
But, but, but, but safeinOhio Nov 2015 #1
Were cars and guns in the bible? JonathanRackham Nov 2015 #3
According to Ted Nugent it is. safeinOhio Nov 2015 #5
From the book of periodic mantenance. JonathanRackham Nov 2015 #19
... RKP5637 Nov 2015 #26
50- state reciprocity of gun licences krispos42 Nov 2015 #2
I don't see any problem with considering those suggestions SecularMotion Nov 2015 #4
"considering" (maybe) "once" (meaning after) discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #8
The constitutional right to keep arms is not unlimited SecularMotion Nov 2015 #10
"The constitutional right to keep arms is not unlimited" Nuclear Unicorn Nov 2015 #18
That's why it's up to progressives like you and I to fight for what little 2A rights ileus Nov 2015 #22
And there are numerous laws at the state and federal level discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #27
Cars do not have to be registered Duckhunter935 Nov 2015 #30
Well if you never take yer gunz out of your gun safe flamin lib Nov 2015 #47
You mean off my property, right? hack89 Nov 2015 #54
I a sure he misspoke, lol Duckhunter935 Nov 2015 #57
My car does not need to be in a safe Duckhunter935 Nov 2015 #56
There are some Islands and small villages safeinOhio Nov 2015 #6
Very poor analogy. A Simple Game Nov 2015 #13
My point exactly krispos42 Nov 2015 #24
Yeah, lets talk about it. beevul Nov 2015 #43
And if they were... discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #7
PEOPLE kill people. Guns are just the tool ..imho, we need to regulate the PEOPLE who own the guns secondwind Nov 2015 #9
We do regulate them. As the often repaeted statement goes... discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #29
I am a life-long gun owner... gregcrawford Nov 2015 #12
"gloss over the "well-regulated militia" part of the 2nd Amendment?" Nuclear Unicorn Nov 2015 #17
Your response is so full of holes it's only just barely worthy of a response. discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #28
Your incoherent response is hilarious! More, PLEASE! I do love a good laugh! gregcrawford Nov 2015 #35
I feel sorry for the sarcasm impaired discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #38
Regardless of that that dipshit LaPierre may be "glossing over," the RKBA is not dependent... Lizzie Poppet Nov 2015 #36
I can buy any car across state lines Duckhunter935 Nov 2015 #31
And the background check for that is... discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #32
I know, right Duckhunter935 Nov 2015 #33
I don't think the Turbineguy Nov 2015 #11
The intellectual dishonesty and bald lies of the gun lover and NRA are equal to what the GOP uses. Fred Sanders Nov 2015 #14
"In a well regulated militia there would be tons of restrictions on a killing tool" Nuclear Unicorn Nov 2015 #16
Would be "tons"? virginia mountainman Nov 2015 #34
Only about 4,000 state, local and federal laws about guns. flamin lib Nov 2015 #59
Ahh yes. Innefectual and inaccurate barbs... beevul Nov 2015 #44
Actually, the well-regulated Militia would be required to keep and train with the same jmg257 Nov 2015 #45
"Related documents and Militia Acts".....OF THE TIMES! Fred Sanders Nov 2015 #48
Well shit - of course "of the times"...hence the terms "the original constitutional intent..." jmg257 Nov 2015 #49
Methinks someone protesteth too much. Fred Sanders Nov 2015 #50
Na - not too much - I love the history! And the original jmg257 Nov 2015 #51
What would be the gun ownership equivalent of public transportation? Nuclear Unicorn Nov 2015 #15
The correct way would be to regulate cars like guns. JonathanRackham Nov 2015 #20
A one year waiting period TeddyR Nov 2015 #46
What other rights would you like us register with the State? ileus Nov 2015 #21
Two thirds of those so called "gun deaths" Kang Colby Nov 2015 #23
And moreover, the steps listed would be largely useless as suicide prevention. Lizzie Poppet Nov 2015 #37
We need a derpzy award n/t discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #39
^^ /this Lizzie Poppet Nov 2015 #40
Maybe a 'derpzy' smilie discntnt_irny_srcsm Nov 2015 #41
if you remove suicides, gejohnston Nov 2015 #25
If guns were like cars Silicosys4 Nov 2015 #42
No, many people don't get the consuming obsession with firearms... Human101948 Nov 2015 #53
Seems you don't know that many pro 2a supporters Silicosys4 Nov 2015 #55
Same here, I take all of my right seriously Duckhunter935 Nov 2015 #58
More than 90 percent of American households own a car while little more than a third own guns liberal N proud Nov 2015 #52
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