Hixter

I just took a moment to think about what it must be like to be the friend, family member or bandmate of someone with a 20-year heroin habit. Every time they don't answer the door/phone or show up for band practice terrible thoughts must run through their minds. Poisoning is the leading cause of injury deaths in the United States and the majority of them are opiate deaths. They outnumber automobile deaths and quadruple the number of gun homicides every year, but there isn't much said about them. We really need to get a handle on the problem -- especially with prescription painkillers.

We must live on different planets.

Excellent analogy.

The election is still 11 months away. I doubt he'll still be in contention by then.

I wonder if WWII dog tags displayed the soldier's religious preference? I know mine did in the late 80s.

Exactly.

I get "glimpses" of them on the bottom of my shoes when I walk across my driveway without watching where I step.

Shootin' stuff! Not by this guy. Actually, you do. The typical AR-15 in .223 is about the bare minimum suitable for deer hunting, although a few states consider it to be too small for the job. Typical deer rifles are much bigger in caliber, size & weight.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly, and recently, affirmed that the amendment allows individuals to own firearms. They're a very popular and relatively cheap military surplus round. Like just about every other center-fire rifle cartridge, they'll easily penetrate typical police body armor. I surprised 5 of them when I opened my front door last night at midnight. They like my shrubs. Skeet shooting with a rifle would be ridiculous. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't choose an AR-15 (or other rifle) for home defense because the rounds are capable of exiting the building and killing people outsid

I can't imagine anyone using an AR-15 for any of those purposes other than target shooting.

Let's say that Donald Trump prepared a statement saying the he loved Mexican citizens. Would you discount his numerous statements previously given where he promised to deport Mexicans if elected president? Enough about your Before they try to ban it! http://www.newsweek.com/obamas-proposed-ban-green-tip-bullets-misfires-313453

He referred to "weapons of war" and it's clear what he meant. His statements and positions on "assault weapons" bans, handguns, semi-automatic weapons and Australia's gun confiscation are also clear. It should comes as a surprise that a politician can say "I don't want to take your guns" while also referring to taking your guns with a straight face. It's what they do.

The president was referring to so-called "assault weapons" in his statement. He's a supporter of the movement to ban them and such a ban would remove from the market America's most popular sporting rifle. Such bans already exist in several states, so if I were to cross into a place like California with my rifle I would be charged with a felony, jailed and would lose my right to bear arms and vote. All this for a gun that's no different than any other pistol or hunting rifle other than it looks like an actual military weapon. The president has also expressed his opposition to handguns and sem

Anyone who expresses a negative opinion about President Obama is not necessarily a Republican. Within hours of the incident, President Obama was indeed talking about grabbing guns.

I think you'll find that that's not true in many cases, including some of the things that have been mentioned in this thread today.

About as many as I *am* on the right. I'm not their spokesperson. My opinions are my own.

Ask "the right"?

I never said that. I said that a clinical diagnosis of mental illness is what determines that someone is mentally ill. You made the rest of that up.

I won't equate religious fervor or ideological commitment with mental illness without evidence of actual mental illness. A "normal" person who runs off to join ISIS or al Qaeda or Bolo Haram is not mentally ill. He/she is a religious zealot/extremist. An individual who goes on some sort of a murder spree may also be a zealot or extremist, but if it turns out that he/she has a history of mental illness, then I'll be satisfied with a description of "a zealot with a history of mental illness."

I can't see it happening. Ideology and mentall illness are not synonymous, even if there is some overlap in some cases.

I don't think that a medical professional would agree.

No, they are not. At least not most members of well-financed, well-organized groups that have tens of thousands of members and supporters.

If he's actually mentally ill, then the label is appropriate.

It's great stuff and I'm always pleased when it comes up on a random play of the USB drive in my car.