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NamefortheseThreads · 25/01/2026 17:17

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 15:09

Its funny how
"but he was carrying a gun"
is now seen as a bad thing by Republicans
who for years have shouted
"we need the right to carry guns at all times"

Yep.

NamefortheseThreads · 25/01/2026 17:18

SerendipityJane · 25/01/2026 10:37

Nothing will happen.

I agree.

RedTagAlan · 25/01/2026 17:37

Hmmm. From CNN:

"Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino said Sunday that Second Amendment protections do not apply when federal officers believe they are being obstructed or assaulted, even as he offered no evidence that Alex Pretti engaged in such conduct before he was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Saturday.
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Bovino said constitutional gun rights are void in situations he characterized as riots or attacks on law enforcement. “We respect that Second Amendment right, but those rights don’t count when you riot and assault, delay, obstruct and impede law enforcement officers and, most especially, when you mean to do that beforehand,” he said.
Bovino also claimed to support peaceful armed protest, saying, “I’ve done that myself and fully support that, but not when you perpetrate violence, obstruct, delay or obfuscate border patrol in the performance of their duties.”
He did not cite evidence that Pretti committed violence or interfered with agents in those ways, instead repeatedly framing Pretti’s presence at the scene as proof of intent."

They are totally tying themselves in logic knots trying to justify this.

And what is escaping me at the moment, is there is no mention of the "violent illegal criminal" they are out to capture/ pick up. My logic says that if this assignment was so important, they would have named who they wanted, put out wanted posters etc. Because this person must be captured surely, for the safety of society ?

I am also baffled as to how ICE know who they want, and where they are. After all, ICE are not an investigative unit. That's the local law that do that. And DHS say local law are not working with ICE.

This whole thing has more logic holes/ lies/ misrepresentations than a fundie young earth creationist article on evidence for Noah's flood.

persephonia · 25/01/2026 17:47

AcrossthePond55 · 25/01/2026 16:02

@walllaw

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/24/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/

Caveat; I always take these things with a grain of salt. A lot of gun owners either won't respond or will lie about guns in the home. People who buy guns for 'self protection' often won't admit to having them.

DH is a Democrat registered gun owner, he wouldn't have told the truth. I therefore lived in a gun owning household. I would have told the truth.

Before hand guns were banned in the UK my parents had them (licensed). But although they were registered legally, they absolutely wouldn't have told anyone else they had them. My dad's thinking being, if someone knows you have an expensive handgun then you automatically become a burglary target for someone trying to steal it.
That's probably less of an issue in the US where handguns are easier to get so criminals don't need to steal them. But I can still see the logic of people who don't disclose they have them if they own them for personal protection especially. So I can see how those surveys would be flawed.

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 17:51

I know people who legally have guns at home in the UK.
They stay EXTREMELY quiet about it.
Many shotgun collectors do not discuss it outsite tightly controlled circles.

Many of my US family have / had guns.
Again NOT a topic of general discussion.

persephonia · 25/01/2026 17:55

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 17:51

I know people who legally have guns at home in the UK.
They stay EXTREMELY quiet about it.
Many shotgun collectors do not discuss it outsite tightly controlled circles.

Many of my US family have / had guns.
Again NOT a topic of general discussion.

The Simpsons Gun GIF

Yes. That's what I was thinking. I suppose the "stereotypical" American gun owner I might imagine in the UK is the very vocal NRA bumper sticker, has gun ownership as a key part of their identity. But thats selection bias because the people who go on and on about it are the ones that were aware of. It makes sense there would be lots of people (like my family in the UK) who own guns but aren't like that.

RedTagAlan · 25/01/2026 17:57

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 17:51

I know people who legally have guns at home in the UK.
They stay EXTREMELY quiet about it.
Many shotgun collectors do not discuss it outsite tightly controlled circles.

Many of my US family have / had guns.
Again NOT a topic of general discussion.

Well, Repub Rep Lauren Boebert does not keep quiet about it. And there are loads like her.

Sensitive content
Blackmail, Bluster and Batshit Bonkers - Trump Thread #153
persephonia · 25/01/2026 18:01

RedTagAlan · 25/01/2026 17:57

Well, Repub Rep Lauren Boebert does not keep quiet about it. And there are loads like her.

Of course! But we know about people like her because she and they are very vocal. Quiet gun owners who don't make TikTok videos about all the guns they own are effectively invisible. So it looks like all gun owners are very vocal about owning guns.

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 18:04

persephonia · 25/01/2026 18:01

Of course! But we know about people like her because she and they are very vocal. Quiet gun owners who don't make TikTok videos about all the guns they own are effectively invisible. So it looks like all gun owners are very vocal about owning guns.

THIS
The vast, vast majority of US gun owners are low key.

There is a stat somewhere - will take me a while to re find it
that 10% of owners own around 60% of the guns
and that is based on sales and licence data

walllaw · 25/01/2026 18:07

RedTagAlan · 25/01/2026 17:57

Well, Repub Rep Lauren Boebert does not keep quiet about it. And there are loads like her.

And so far only one of the four kids has been charged with crimes. I think he ended up with a plea deal to avoid a felony, so I guess he can still own one. Cool.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 25/01/2026 18:08

walllaw · 25/01/2026 18:07

And so far only one of the four kids has been charged with crimes. I think he ended up with a plea deal to avoid a felony, so I guess he can still own one. Cool.

Is there anything to stop a criminal who isn't allowed to own a gun from simply using Mom's?

SerendipityJane · 25/01/2026 18:08

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 17:51

I know people who legally have guns at home in the UK.
They stay EXTREMELY quiet about it.
Many shotgun collectors do not discuss it outsite tightly controlled circles.

Many of my US family have / had guns.
Again NOT a topic of general discussion.

As I said, UK gun laws are too lax.

walllaw · 25/01/2026 18:14

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 25/01/2026 18:08

Is there anything to stop a criminal who isn't allowed to own a gun from simply using Mom's?

Hmmm. In practice, probably not. Legally, I don't know, owning neither guns nor felonious children 😅

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 18:16

SerendipityJane · 25/01/2026 18:08

As I said, UK gun laws are too lax.

Um no.
The people I know with gun licences have them for extremely good reasons.
One is the 'go to' marksman for runaway animals.
Others are linked to law enforcement.

The UK gun laws are pretty solid.
Its not the number of guns (see Switzerland) its the attitude to their use.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 25/01/2026 18:17

SerendipityJane · 25/01/2026 18:08

As I said, UK gun laws are too lax.

The gun-owners I know keep the guns locked securely in one place and have no ammunition available except at the club to which they go to practice for eg shooting events at the Olympics.

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 18:18

MAGAs are crowing on X about the fact that Tom Homan was awarded medals by Trump
and saying that these stats prove Trump Derangement Syndrome

Barack Obama’s ICE chief received an award for 920,000 removals.
Donald Trump’s ICE chief was called a Nazi.
It’s the same person: Tom Homan.
In 2012, Obama deported 409,000 people.
In 2025, Trump deported 290,000 people.

When acutually they show that militarising ICE has not worked
funny that

RedTagAlan · 25/01/2026 18:19

Talkinpeace · 25/01/2026 18:04

THIS
The vast, vast majority of US gun owners are low key.

There is a stat somewhere - will take me a while to re find it
that 10% of owners own around 60% of the guns
and that is based on sales and licence data

Yup. And that 10% are the most vocal about them.

As a wee add, CNN reports that MTG has waded in:

"Former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had her own highly public falling out with the president, has also questioned the administration’s narrative around the shooting.
Greene wrote on X that while she supports immigration enforcement, “I also unapologetically support the 2nd amendment.
Legally carrying a firearm is not the same as brandishing a firearm,” Greene wrote. “There is nothing wrong with legally peacefully protesting and videoing,” she added."

She will never get a Fox news gig at this rate.

MTG she who harassed David Hogg , accusing him of being Soros funded.

Nutters, all of them. Guns and Bibles, throw them into the mixer and a Republican comes out.

Video surfaces of Marjorie Taylor Greene confronting Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg with baseless claims | CNN Politics

Video surfaces of Marjorie Taylor Greene confronting Parkland shooting survivor with baseless claims | CNN Politics

Video of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronting Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg before she was elected to Congress went viral Wednesday amid an uproar over newly surfaced comments she made in 2018 and 2019 as reported by CNN’s KFile.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/27/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-david-hogg-video

persephonia · 25/01/2026 18:28

SerendipityJane · 25/01/2026 18:08

As I said, UK gun laws are too lax.

Really?
They banned hand gun ownership after Dublane and my dad was more than happy to hand his handguns in as most hand gun owners were. I don't think there is a huge problem with lawless gun owners (and the ones that are criminals don't have licences anyway). While there are crimes (robberies etc) using guns, very often the same gun will be used in multiple crimes and effectively shared by different criminals. That's not good obviously but it does suggest that illegal guns are in very short supply so current restrictions are working.
Legally owned guns (shotguns etc) are usually owned for a reason and very rarely used in crimes. So I would think the UK has the balance about right, for me at least.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 25/01/2026 18:36

Home-made guns such as some crims used to use are very good at blowing the hand off the person firing them....

NamefortheseThreads · 25/01/2026 19:33

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 25/01/2026 18:36

Home-made guns such as some crims used to use are very good at blowing the hand off the person firing them....

Edited

I’d say this is a metaphor for America at the moment.

shuddacuddadidnt · 25/01/2026 19:39

SerendipityJane · 25/01/2026 18:08

As I said, UK gun laws are too lax.

Respectfully disagree.
I have three generations of gun-owning close family. Guns kept in a locked cabinet and taken out for target shooting practice/competitions. Ownership is not talked about and trophies have been won.
Local farmer has a gun - I know because he threatened to shoot neighbour's uncontrolled dog if it worried his sheep.

AcrossthePond55 · 26/01/2026 01:52

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 25/01/2026 18:08

Is there anything to stop a criminal who isn't allowed to own a gun from simply using Mom's?

Nope. But most states have laws about how one must secure firearms. A legal gun owner can be prosecuted if their gun was used by a third party in a crime and the weapon was either not legally secured or they lent it but had or should have had knowledge that the borrower was mentally unstable.

These laws aren't new, but they were rarely enforced. We're seeing more and more prosecutions these days for unsecured firearms or in one case, the parents buying the weapon for a minor child they knew was unstable.

TemporarilyCantDoMyself · 26/01/2026 07:37

Very good opinion piece in the Guardian this morning from the POV of an American and asking for people to really focus on how dangerous the situation is. I'm not American but I agree. How that focus can be achieved is another matter, of course.
I was horrified yesterday watching both the Bovino and Walz press conferences, and the fact they were happening at the same time underscored what's happening; no attempt on the part of the govt or its minions to be helpful or cooperative, just to shout louder and put their 'side' (lies) over.
Very dangerous times.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/25/america-feels-like-a-country-on-the-brink-of-an-authoritarian-takeover

America feels like a country on the brink of an authoritarian takeover | Francine Prose

This is the news we should be paying attention to. At least for the moment, everything else is a distraction

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/25/america-feels-like-a-country-on-the-brink-of-an-authoritarian-takeover

Evenstar · 26/01/2026 08:09

He claimed it was standard Border Control attire after Gavin Newsom accused him of dressing up as though he had bought SS garb on EBay

Blackmail, Bluster and Batshit Bonkers - Trump Thread #153
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