|
jlf1961 -> RE: America’s Gun Madness, as Seen From Europe (10/13/2015 2:15:40 PM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: blnymph
quote:
ORIGINAL: LadyPact
quote:
ORIGINAL: blnymph
European boars are rather common in various parts of Europe
maybe one of the reasons why they are called European boars
If you should ever happen to find the time, I'd like to hear more about these. What are your personal experiences with them? Do they get to be about the same size as they do here?
From what I know about boars in America descending from rather a mix of spanish half-wild pigs and boars, the European boars in comparison are slightly bigger, hairy, living in family packs, recently losing their shyness towards humans, thus frequently migrating into cities (just like foxes do too), can be a quite a nuisance when they dig up your garden, have big teeth, are medium aggressive to humans but more so towards dogs, sows especially while leading their young can get rather dangerous and should not be approached or cornered. Many cities have professional hunters/wildlife managers who can be called if necessary.
Actually, the problem is feral pigs, domesticated pigs that escaped. Here in lies the rub, these animals get big, very big. They revert to the pre domesticated appearance within a generation, and then become a danger to everything.
I have seen feral hogs trip the scale at close to 700 pounds.
I have also seen a semi hit one and while the damn truck had to be towed, the freaking hog wandered away, probably to die from the injuries, but still.
What makes it worse is these things breed so fast they make rabbits look celibate.
Two others and myself have a contract of sorts with a local rancher. On our nights off, he actually pays us $500 per hog that we kill. For the most part, the boar meat is inedible for humans, we can get it processed for dog food, the sow meat is great when smoked or used as sausage.
But the problem dealing with them is simple, a bolt action rifle is just not fast enough. Hell, a semi automatic sometimes is not fast enough.
A couple of local game wardens have said that what is needed in some areas of the county is either a couple of guys with belt fed automatics, or about 30 hunters cornering a pack and just firing blindly into the mass as fast as they can.
But then pigs are naturally smart. And they learn fast. Hit a pack after putting out food for a week, and the trick wont work in the same location again, after a few times doing this, the damn things avoid areas being baited.
Traps have to be constantly changed in configuration as well.
I remember a short story I had to read for school lit class, "The most dangerous game" about a European who so tired of hunting big game, he bought an island and set up a system to lure ships in so they founder on rocks, then hunt the men from the crews.
I have come to the conclusion the author never dealt with feral pigs.
A few Texas cities have hog hunters on contract, Houston for example had a problem with feral hogs inside the city limits. In Texas, the hunting of hogs has become a booming industry.
Here in lies the tie in with the current gun debate.
Many of the weapons that people want taken off the market do have legitimate uses in dealing with problem animals. I am not saying someone needs an AR15 with a 30 round mag to hunt deer, but they do come in handy when dealing with feral hogs and other feral animals introduced to the US.
Of course, these same people believe that should the need be there, then special permits and processes can be applied.
Again, this creates its own set of problems, and it goes back to the same system that is supposed to keep people who cannot legally own guns from buying them at your local sporting goods store.
The NCIC database, and its supporting infrastructure.
Every gun regulation expert will tell you that until that is fixed, actually when it is properly funded, staffed, and supported, no gun regulation new or old has a snowball's chance in hell of working.
I have tried, repeatedly to point this out, and instead of it being addressed, the people wanting new gun regulations just ignore the fact and keep attacking the ones trying to explain the problem.
I can give you some good examples of that system failing, that involved mass shootings.
1) Virginia Tech.
Seung-Hui Cho legally purchased the weapons he used, at a store, and after they ran the check on him.
He also had a record of violence and was under psychiatric treatment for these problems.
That information was recorded, but, the data had not gotten updated on NCIC so everything that should have kept him from getting a gun in the first place failed.]
Result: 32 dead, 17 wounded.
2) John R. Houser
Denied a concealed weapons permit because of being accused of domestic violence and soliciting arson.
Judge ordered him into a psych hospital.
Weapons purchased in Alabama, legally, and all of the above should have prevented the sale.
NCIC did not have the updated information
Two people killed in a Lafayette movie theater
Dylann Roof
Charged with possession of an illegal drug, which should have prevented purchase until charge had been cleared in court.
Purchased gun legally because NCIC did not have the updated information which would have prevented sale.
9 people dead in a Charleston Church.
Jaylen Ray Fryberg, 15
Gun owner Raymond Lee Fryberg Jr., Jaylen’s father, was the subject of a permanent domestic violence protection order, which should have been entered into the federal criminal background database.
This protection order would have barred purchase of the pistol, however it was not in the NCIC database, therefore he "legally" was able to buy the gun.
4 dead.
Aaron Alexis, 34
Discharged from the military with an honorable, after showing a pattern of "misbehavior" as a reservist (which should have warranted a dishonorable) had a history of treatment for mental and emotional disorders, with indications of violence.
Was barred from buying an assault weapon for unspecified reasons, but was legally allowed to buy shotgun, which also should have been barred had all the information been on the NCIC and found during back ground check.
12 Dead at the Washington Navy Yard,
Now, with the clear failures in the system due to lack of updated information, which would still plague the system if new laws were passed, would it not be prudent, logical and ridiculously simple to fix the broken link in the system rather than passing more laws and regulations dependent on the same system that is not working now?
However, along with funding issues, there is one more, that is a key point in this system and its failures.
You see:
quote:
Although there are no mandates that require the entry of warrants into NCIC, law enforcement personnel rely greatly upon the use of the system as is apparent with the dramatic increase in transactions over the past 43 years. Even though participation in NCIC is voluntary—except for the entry of juvenile missing person records—once a record is entered into the system, the record must be maintained following the rules and regulations decided upon by the users through the CJIS advisory process. These policies—which include timely entry and timely removal, validation, second party checks, and hit confirmation—support the data quality and integrity of the system. The FBI’s CJIS Audit Unit conducts compliance audits of the law enforcement and criminal justice community to ensure users comply with NCIC, III, and CJIS policies and procedures. Likewise, states are required to perform audits of all of their constituent agencies.
Which brings us back to the "new and improved laws" argument.
All gun control requires, in its enforcement, information. Now, conservative and liberal lawmakers on the Judiciary committees which oversee this system and its utilization know this basic fact.
So, if Republicans and Democrats know why the present laws are not working (see bold text in quote) why then has there been no effort on either side to fix the problem?
There are a couple of theories, both of which sound conspiratorial in nature.
1) By not mandating that the information needed for proper back checks to be placed in the system, lawmakers basically have a ready made point to press during elections, i.e gun grab for republicans, gun control not working for democrats.
2) States' rights advocates for the Republicans (the federal government telling states what to do) and the bigger government needed for democrats (more bureaucratic red tape) and more regulations.
Now, while this flaw is known, has been known since the system went online, who has paid the price for the lack of information concerning the purchase or who can purchase firearms?
Certainly not the gun owners, or the law makers.
But, admittedly, there is a growing body count, which should not have happened with the current laws, had the proper information been available to the person who sold the gun.
The answer is not more laws, more restrictions but fixing the problems that exist now. Then, if necessary, look at new regulations should there be a need for them.
Of course, that is way too simple for humans to comprehend. The human race can, and does, complicate the simplest of tasks.
|
|
|
|
