David Frum has now made us all dumber for having read his piece....

[BaiHu]

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340961/david-frum-guns-robert-verbruggen

I'll highlight so you can prepare yourself:

1. So many gun accidents occur because guns almost never indicate whether a bullet is present in the chamber. A gun owner might remove the gun’s magazine and believe the gun unloaded, when in fact it still contains one potentially deadly shot. Why not require guns to be equipped with indicator lights?

2. Why not require that guns be designed so that they will not fire if dropped?

3. We have safety standards for every consumer product, from children’s cribs to lawnmowers, except for the most dangerous consumer product of them all. Not only that, Congress has actually immunized makers of that product against harms inflicted by unsafe design.

4. Gun makers often design their weapons in ways that present no benefit for lawful users but that greatly assist criminals. They don’t coordinate the issuance of serial numbers so that each gun can be identified with certainty. They stamp serial numbers in places where they can be effaced.

5. They reject police requests to etch barrels to uniquely mark each cartridge fired by a particular gun.

6. They sell bullets that can pierce police armor.

7. They will not include trigger locks and other child-proofing devices as standard equipment.

8. They ignore new technology that would render guns inoperable by anyone except their approved purchaser.

I swear I did not make the above up...the dude hasn't even ever seen a crime show??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3JzbWVDzac

[Tamara]

Frum?

tm;dr


("Too Metrocon; Didn't Read" :D )


EDIT: Okay, I at least read your bullet points. So, in other words, the stuff he said that wasn't pure Wolkenkuckucksheim nonsense was factually incorrect. (See #7 or #3, for examples of the latter.)

[NickA]

I especially enjoyed the way he blames "them" for stuff that's technically not even possible yet (guns that ID the user, barrels that mark each bullet), and ignores things that have existed for decades (drop safe guns, bullets that pierce body armor). Heck there were bullets that could pierce body armor before there was body armor.
Hard to be more clueless than this guy. And BTW I saw the same article on CNN, so this idiocy is getting spread far and wide, with nary a fact check applied.

[Suvorov]

Just another blatant example of those in the media feigning authority and writing about something in which they are totally clueless. They get buy with it because their target audience is just as ignorant as they are. Now this is totally protected by their Freedom of Press. Perhaps we should apply their line of thinking about guns to writing? Want to write about guns, then you must be a successful graduate of a Gunsite program or equivalent and be a qualified armorer in at least 2 common firearms.

It's just common sense. :rolleyes:

[ezthumper]

I have no words.

[Chris Rhines]

And to think, I've been taken to task (by Republicans, natch) for describing David Frum as an overly-credentialed moron...

[TCinVA]

Those with supreme confidence in their mastery of issues in the press rarely concern themselves with pesky old "facts"...especially ones that don't line up with their preferred policies.

[hufnagel]

lessee...

#4: my P30 has 3 places where the serial # is etched/engraved/stamped.... that I know of.
bottom line if you can mark it I can deface it... period.
(even if they get around to RFID tags for guns I'll guarantee you those can be rendered inoperable with some not too complex "hardware")

#5: I've love to see someone come up with a method for THAT... considering even the rifling changes slightly between rounds (and nothing a nice brush can't muck up for future comparison I bet.)

#8: someone watched Skyfall recently. that's all I'll say about that.

[BLR]

I get much criticism at work of this - but if we just had a nice, simple, practical test to pass on any given topic to demonstrate a minimal or even child like understanding of said topic, we could avoid much of the stupidity put forth in the internet and media these days.

Want to comment on drug use/discovery/etc? Cool, I have a little 20 question T/F test for you.

Want to comment on guns? Cool, I'm sure there are more than enough people that can/would write up a nice little test for you. That way you won't embarrass yourself in front of the world.

What the heck is metrocon???

[Chris Rhines]

I get much criticism at work of this - but if we just had a nice, simple, practical test to pass on any given topic to demonstrate a minimal or even child like understanding of said topic, we could avoid much of the stupidity put forth in the internet and media these days.

Want to comment on drug use/discovery/etc? Cool, I have a little 20 question T/F test for you.

Want to comment on guns? Cool, I'm sure there are more than enough people that can/would write up a nice little test for you. That way you won't embarrass yourself in front of the world. Demonstrating competency in a subject is racist. Besides, David Frum is smart! He went to Yale and Harvard Law! He was an advisor to the president! How could you even question the fact that David Frum, PBUH, knows everything about everything? You should just take your advanced degrees and your successful engineering business and crawl back into your little flyover-country hole, peasant!


What the heck is metrocon??? Seriously, I'm glad you asked! Metrocon is a portmanteau of the words "Metrosexual" and "Conservative." It describes a person who self-describes as politically conservative, but who exhibits a concern with image, appearance, dress, and style more typical of urban liberals. Metrocons can be found all over Washington DC, but especially between Dupont Circle and K Street NW in the lower 20's.

I'm not sure that the term Metrocon accurately describes David Frum, who is not particularly conservative, and usually appears to have purchased his suits at Target. But, it will have to do until a better descriptor comes along.

[Silvershadow]

Seriously, I'm glad you asked! Metrocon is a portmanteau of the words "Metrosexual" and "Conservative." It describes a person who self-describes as politically conservative, but who exhibits a concern with image, appearance, dress, and style more typical of urban liberals. Metrocons can be found all over Washington DC, but especially between Dupont Circle and K Street NW in the lower 20's.

I'm not sure that the term Metrocon accurately describes David Frum, who is not particularly conservative, and usually appears to have purchased his suits at Target. But, it will have to do until a better descriptor comes along.

Urban dictionary has an interesting definition that expands a tiny bit on how you defined it:




Metrocons typically derive their worldview from some sort of intellectual reasoning, as opposed to soaking up the worldview from base emotions, reflexes and socializing with like-minded people, like hardcore people of other political orientations typically do. This makes them typically much more tolerant than other conservatives are, so metrocons are often viewed by hardcore conservatives as 'fake' or 'meek' or not genuine, somewhat similar to RINOs (Republican In Name Only), with an obvious difference, though: RINOs can be rural or metropolitan.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=metrocon

I love how pretentious that definition is....

[Tamara]

Metrocon: A large and serious-looking herbivore often found grazing the veldts of National Review, Fox News panels, and the Wall Street Journal editorial page. While hawkish on foreign policy and capable of mouthing all the proper social values shibboleths, they are generally fiscal moderates and only seem opposed to government power when it's Democrats that are wielding it. The easiest way to distinguish them from the carnivorous creatures they mimic and shelter among for protection is to ask them to count to ten. If they say "One, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," you've cornered yourself a metrocon. Frum and Will are notable examples, and the largest specimen in captivity is Krauthammer.

[Silvershadow]

Metrocon: A large and serious-looking herbivore often found grazing the veldts of National Review, Fox News panels, and the Wall Street Journal editorial page. While hawkish on foreign policy and capable of mouthing all the proper social values shibboleths, they are generally fiscal moderates and only seem opposed to government power when it's Democrats that are wielding it. The easiest way to distinguish them from the carnivorous creatures they mimic and shelter among for protection is to ask them to count to ten. If they say "One, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," you've cornered yourself a metrocon. Frum and Will are notable examples, and the largest specimen in captivity is Krauthammer.

You win.....



on a side note a metrocon is also one of the largest Anmie conventions in the country.....seems fitting

[NETim]

I'm not so sure they know about "four" either.

[Tamara]

I'm not so sure they know about "four" either.

They do, but only if you're not on drugs, or engaged in being swarthy in public.

[TCinVA]

Metrocon: A large and serious-looking herbivore often found grazing the veldts of National Review, Fox News panels, and the Wall Street Journal editorial page. While hawkish on foreign policy and capable of mouthing all the proper social values shibboleths, they are generally fiscal moderates and only seem opposed to government power when it's Democrats that are wielding it. The easiest way to distinguish them from the carnivorous creatures they mimic and shelter among for protection is to ask them to count to ten. If they say "One, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," you've cornered yourself a metrocon. Frum and Will are notable examples, and the largest specimen in captivity is Krauthammer.

Buckley they are not. Certainly.

[fuse]

Sadly I am going to need the counting thing spelled out for me.

[TCinVA]

Sadly I am going to need the counting thing spelled out for me.

Amendments. ;)

[LOKNLOD]

Sadly I am going to need the counting thing spelled out for me.

Skipped the 2...the 2nd amendment.

[fuse]

Doh

Roger

Was trying desperately in my head to line them up with elections or election years, somehow.

[Bigguy]

Skipped the 2...the 2nd amendment.

Ahhhh!
fuse, thanks for asking. I didn't get it either. Funny even after it's explained to me.

[Drang]

I'm not sure that the term Metrocon accurately describes David Frum, who is not particularly conservative, and usually appears to have purchased his suits at Target. But, it will have to do until a better descriptor comes along.
Sounds like the making of a contest!

[Nephrology]

Oh god. I read those bullet points you posted and nearly had an intercranial event. I'll send you the bill for the surgery in the mail.



Metrocon: A large and serious-looking herbivore often found grazing the veldts of National Review, Fox News panels, and the Wall Street Journal editorial page. While hawkish on foreign policy and capable of mouthing all the proper social values shibboleths, they are generally fiscal moderates and only seem opposed to government power when it's Democrats that are wielding it. The easiest way to distinguish them from the carnivorous creatures they mimic and shelter among for protection is to ask them to count to ten. If they say "One, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," you've cornered yourself a metrocon. Frum and Will are notable examples, and the largest specimen in captivity is Krauthammer.


As a current resident of the state of Connecticut, your post perfectly encapsulates why I am registered as an Independent.

[BLR]

You know....

Never mind....

The internet is being watched.

[NETim]

Oh god. I read those bullet points you posted and nearly had an intercranial event. I'll send you the bill for the surgery in the mail.





As a current resident of the state of Connecticut, your post perfectly encapsulates why I am registered as an Independent.

This "Independent" thing reaches far out into The Sticks as well. :)