Drive-by shootings are just one symptom of the increasing lethality of firearms available to the general public. State and federal policies should focus on limiting the caliber and capacity of firearms marketed to the general public.
Violence Policy Center
July 2010
Drive-By America
[It’s statements like these that cause me to just shake my head. From the premise to the conclusion it simply doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like they know all the words but can’t form a logical thought with them. For example:
- What is the justification for the claim “of the increasing lethality of firearms available to the general public”? Shotguns and their ancestor the blunderbuss are probably the most lethal weapon available for individual use and they have been around for hundreds of years.
- How are drive-by shootings a symptom of increased lethality? I’m not sure I can even imagine a dataset that would make sense of that statement.
- Even if they were constitutional how would laws limiting the caliber and capacity of firearms marketed to the general public affect drive-by shootings? One person in the back seat of a car with two double-barreled shotguns loaded with buckshot could put 35+ pieces of high speed lead into the air in a remarkably short period of time. In countries that have repressive gun laws double barreled shotguns have always been the last to be banned. I can’t imagine this country would have a significant difference in the order in which such attempts would be made.
It reminds me of a conversation I once tired to follow. Things just weren’t making sense to me and I stopped them and pointed out that the most recent statement was completely at odds with previous statements which weren’t exactly clear to me either. I was told, “Oh Joe, it doesn’t have to make sense. We are just talking.” That was when I decided find a comfortable chair in a corner and take a nap until it was time to go home.
If the VPC weren’t trying to influence government policy they too could be ignored. As it is they need to be ridiculed and driven into political extinction.—Joe]
I think most people are ignoring them, and for good reason– the VPC is simply retarded.
Two doubles loaded with 9 pellets in each barrel is 36. I believe there are commercial loads with 12 pellets of 00, which I assume is the reason for the “+”. For those of you in Rio Linda (and the VPC) that’d be 48 projectiles resulting from four trigger pulls with two of great grandpa’s old pheasant guns. As one gun is being fired, the other can be reloaded by an assistant (unlatch, auto eject, dump in two more, snap shut) (faster than you can read that) making for a string of continuous fire until the ammo supply is exhausted.
And this is from the same crowd that says “semi-auto” only firearms are “more lethal” because you actually “have to aim” them instead of spray and pray.
You heard it here, the VPC wants restrictions removed from machineguns because they are safer than regular guns.
Are shotguns effective for drive-by shootings?
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/12/29/news/doc4d1c000de1c4a307082650.txt
http://www.8newsnow.com/story/2377492/drive-by-shooting-at-home-of-siegfried-roy?redirected=true
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/540222/Arrests-Made-In-Drive-By-Shooting.html?nav=510
http://www.fugitive.com/archives/4975
In the first story, I think someone with a rifle could have actually caused harm to more than just the trailer and the couch.
ubu52,
Almost for certain they were using birdshot instead of buckshot or slugs.
I’m pretty sure drive by shootings have been around since the gangster days of the thirties if not earlier.
Stan, think farther back than the “dirty 30’s”.
The ancient Egyptians executed “drive by” shootings, one man drove, while another shot arrows from a horse drawn chariot.
The statement makes just as much sense (i.e., none) if rewritten as follows:
~tongue-in-cheek~
After all, drive-by shootings require both something to shoot and something to drive. And it’s not as if I’m advocating a total vehicle ban; I just believe that reasonable vehicle control laws would reduce the menace of drive-by shootings. You know, things like banning high-capacity fuel tanks (why do you need more than one gallon?), large-bore engines (600cc should be enough for anybody) and automatic/semi-automatic transmissions.
~tongue-in-cheek~