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Arnie.d

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Join date
17-May-2005
Last activity
19-Apr-2015
Posts
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Post
#283464
Topic
Virginia Tech shooting
Time
Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
Originally posted by: Arnie.d
Originally posted by: Number20
Why has this thread become the anti-American rant thread?

I will tell you why it are often people from Europe who rant about America.

The truth is, we look up to America. When we look at America we see some things we would also like to see in Europe. I think a lot of people are (a bit) jealous of America.
So when you're big example does things that you wouldn't expect from it, or you don't want it to do you tend to be more angry than when Russia, or South American countries or China (from whom you know they are more corrupt, don't pay as much attention to international right, human right etc.) does something like that. You expect bad behavior from other countries but not from America.
Our expectations of the biggest western country are much higher than the rest of the world. Yes, everybody is bitching about Guantanamo although they know it is much worse in Chinese or Brazilian prisons. We bitch because the US of A is our example and we expect much much more from you than we do of other countries.


That's the best argument I've ever heard for strong criticism of America. Unfortunately, you're the only person I've ever heard it from. I see people on the internet all the time who operating under the conviction that America is an evil, horrible rat hole.

Maybe they don't fully realize it but I'm sure it's in the back of their minds somewhere. Being jealous is also a thing that's hard for people to admit.
Post
#283439
Topic
Virginia Tech shooting
Time
Originally posted by: Number20
Why has this thread become the anti-American rant thread?

I will tell you why it are often people from Europe who rant about America.

The truth is, we look up to America. When we look at America we see some things we would also like to see in Europe. I think a lot of people are (a bit) jealous of America.
So when you're big example does things that you wouldn't expect from it, or you don't want it to do you tend to be more angry than when Russia, or South American countries or China (from whom you know they are more corrupt, don't pay as much attention to international right, human right etc.) does something like that. You expect bad behavior from other countries but not from America.
Our expectations of the biggest western country are much higher than the rest of the world. Yes, everybody is bitching about Guantanamo although they know it is much worse in Chinese or Brazilian prisons. We bitch because the US of A is our example and we expect much much more from you than we do of other countries.



Post
#283071
Topic
Virginia Tech shooting
Time
Originally posted by: ferris209But Seung-Hui would have been taken out much quicker if a Professor or a student had been packing.
Yes he would have been taken out quicker. One of the first things I wondered was why nobody shot him. I already got my answer in this thread.
Originally posted by: Rob
Hey Arnie I know you want to be a good hippy and all, but you sound like a complete retard.

1. "Getting rid off all of the guns" is a silly and laughable fantasy which is not only juvenile, it's impossible. Guns will ALWAYS be available to criminals no matter what laws are in place. Technology simply cannot be erased, that's a fact. This particular fantasy is no more realistic than getting rid of all "sharp things". If you would like some historical perspective on this read a little bit about prohibition.

2. You do not have the right to decide whether or not I have the right to own a firearm. In theory, the constitution should completely protect me from your abounding fagginess and six year old intellectual capabilities.


Well rob, I'm not against guns at all. The right to carry is one of the things I love about America. I even started a thread once to talk about guns. I'm a gun lover. I just gave a few facts about gun related homicides in the US.
And why do you have the impression I want to be a hippy???

Originally posted by: lordjedi
How many of those were self-defense? How many were gang shootings? I think anyone that's skilled with a weapon can take out a lot of people. So ban the gun and he'll use a sword or long knife. Or maybe he'll just use his car. Or even a bomb. And even if you ban the gun, that's not going to stop him from breaking the law in order to get a gun. The point is, if he really wants to kill people, he's going to figure out a way to do it.

I don't really feel like looking up statistics right now, but I can assure you that firearms are used in self-defense far more than they're used for crime.

BTW, there were 16,972 alcohol related traffic deaths in 2005. Source NHTSA. That's out of a total of 43,200. So there were 118 vehicle related fatalities per day and of those 46 were alcohol related. Well, since the number of vehicle deaths is more than 4 times as great as gun deaths, I think it's time we ban cars. Afterall, if that many people are dying everyday, they're nothing but killing machines.

I agree with you.
Post
#283064
Topic
Virginia Tech shooting
Time
Originally posted by: lordjedi
Arnie: It depends on how you define killed. Yes, there are a lot of gun deaths each day. There are suicides, murders, accidents, self defense, and others. Millions of lives are saved each year through self defense uses of firearms. Hundreds or thousands are killed each year by suicide and murder. But if they didn't have a gun, they'd just use a different weapon, like a bat, crowbar, knife, or whatever else they could get their hands on.

Example: in 2005 there were 14.860 homicides in the US (got this from wikipedia). In 68% of the cases firearms were used (14.860 x 0.68)/365=27.68 deaths every day. That does not include suicide etc.
How many people do you think Cho Seung-Hui could have killed if he only had a crowbar, a bat or a knife? Fact is, killing is much much easier with a gun. If you end up in a fight and you get out of control people a more likely to get killed if you have access to a gun than other weapons like bats, crowbars and knifes.
Post
#283057
Topic
Virginia Tech shooting
Time
Originally posted by: JediSage
This is amusing coming from societies that live as quasi-police states.
Can you explain this in a bit more detail?
Originally posted by: JediSage
MY rights come first here, not the state.
Please refress my memory and tell me what rights Americans have concerning euthanasia, abortion, gay marriage, drugs. Stuff like that.
Originally posted by: sean wookie
Originally posted by: Arnie.d
32 people killed by the same person is indeed a lot, but isn't 32 about the average number of people that are killed every single day by guns in the US?


Americans sure are irresponsible with guns, one reason why I support gun control. Why does any one watch Fox News? It is just about the most baised of news channels.

Generally speaking I wouldn't say Americans are irresponsible with guns. I think most are very responsible. I just wanted to point out this happens every day but normally it's spread all over the country and not on one place with one killer.
Post
#283014
Topic
.: The XØ Project - Laserdisc on Steroids :. (SEE FIRST POST FOR UPDATES) (* unfinished project *)
Time
Removing "A New Hope" title from the LD footage is kind of dumb in my opinion. The text will start later than the original version, the format is different. You will end up with a non-existant weird version of the crawl.
I hope the XØ team will keep the "A New Hope" crawl (and maybe offer the option of the original one from the GOUT).
Post
#282903
Topic
Virginia Tech shooting
Time
Originally posted by: JediSage
Originally posted by: ADigitalMan
The serial numbers were filed of but I hope like hell ATF can identify its lineage. I'm optimistic they will.


Has this been confirmed by the police? Seems a little unnecessary given that he must have known if he didn't kill himself that he'd have been caught.

If the numbers are filed out doesn't it mean he probably got them illegally somewhere? No gun control law would have prevented this tragedy in that case, would it?
Post
#282163
Topic
Most Liberal and Conservative movies
Time
Originally posted by: ferris209
I am a living testament that you need to teach your children about firearms if you plan to have one around. I am a cop now and my Dad has been for 36 years, whenever I was about 4 or 5 years old, my Dad took his really big and shiny .357 Magnum revolver from his duty belt, took all the ammo out of it, and handed it to me. He said, "Now, look at it, pull the trigger, see how it feels, but it is not a toy so you cannot play with it because it can hurt you and other people. But if you ever want to see it, just ask me anytime and I will let you see it." That whole experience pretty much crushed any curiosity I had about the gun and made it just another thing I saw that I'd already discovered. It no longer had the forbidden fruit aspect tied to it because I knew if I ever wanted to see it, I'd just ask Dad. I even had him show it to some of my friends, of course that was after my Dad had called their parents and got consent, but seeing as how my Dad was the Police Chief of the city, they all took his advice that it was better to explain guns to kids than hide it from them. Later on, whenever I was about 9 or 10, I asked him if I could shoot it because I was curious about what that felt like. Within hours, we were in the woods and he was showing me how to load, shoot, and safely handle the weapon. That had a profound effect on me and I carry on those principles today on the firing range it is also one of my many fond moments growing up and a cherished father/son moment that I often recall. I also learned that the gun is a one of the most elegant, powerful, and potentially disastrous things created by man and it had to be respected. I am now a Police Officer and have to carry a gun and have few around the house as well, and I know I will do the very same with my children whenever the time comes.


That sounds like the way to go.
Maybe that's how people should teach their children about drugs also.

Post
#282161
Topic
.: The XØ Project - Laserdisc on Steroids :. (SEE FIRST POST FOR UPDATES) (* unfinished project *)
Time
Originally posted by: Red5
Originally posted by: zombie84
You can clearly tell the difference between the 1993 master and this unknown mysterious GOUT source as it has a slight chromashift or colour-bleed. The GOUT segment seems to been spliced in right after the fox fanfare and to the cut where you see the stardestroyer coming toward you. What really irritates me is that why did they not use a segment only a couple seconds longer so it covered all the space scenes until the first interior view of the Tantive ship for instance.


I thought they did. When the stardestroyer is flying towards you the starfield is different from the laserdisc isn't it? Or do you mean the tiny clip when the tantive is hit?
Post
#282139
Topic
Most Liberal and Conservative movies
Time
I've never heard of "American President" or "Dave"...
Why could Serenity be seen as conservative lordjedi? And do you think of X-men as conservative? I'm having a hard time comparing movies to political views. I never watch them in that way, searching for a political message. Especially sci-fi. Although Equilibrium got me thinking about government control a bit.
Post
#282038
Topic
BSG
Time
I started watching a week and a half ago and I'm at the beginning of season 3. I must say they keep it really interesting, it's not getting predictable. I miss the original music though. I loved that episode somewhere in season 2 (I think) when they play it at the end of the episode.

Did anyone ever noticed the Firefly spaceship in one of the first episodes of season 1? You can see it flying over the city from inside a building. I paused the picture and zoomed in. I would swear it was the Firefly.