Who Hijacked Our Country

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

When Stolen Guns Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Stolen Guns

Every time you think gun nuts can't possibly get any nuttier, they do.

Armatix, a German company, has developed a “smart gun” that can only be fired by the person who owns the gun.  As the linked article describes it, the company uses a watch that ties the owner to the weapon, called the iP1.  These smart guns are already being sold in parts of Europe and Asia, and the company has tried marketing them in the U.S.  It's not going well.

What could possibly be the downside here?  I didn't know gun owners were anxious to give their weapons away, or have them used after they've been stolen. Belinda Padilla, CEO of the U.S. division of Armatix, described the threats and harassment she's been getting from gun fanatics:

“It began with a few fuming-mad voice mail messages and heavy breathers.” 

After that, photos of her home were posted online: 

“In a crude, cartoonish scrawl, this person drew an arrow to the blurred image of a woman passing through the photo frame. ‘Belinda?’  ‘Is that you?’” 

The Oak Tree Gun Club in southern California was ready to start selling these Armatix smart guns, but then some people at Calguns,.net, an online forum for gun enthusiasts, found out about this and started making threats.  One of the more intelligent specimens at Calguns.net commented:

“I have no qualms with the idea of personally and professionally leveling the life of someone who has attempted to profit from disarming me and my fellow Americans.”

The Oak Tree Gun Club buckled under.  Not only are there no Armatix smart guns for sale at the club; the Oak Tree Gun Club is now pretending that they never had these smart guns on their premises in the first place.

Belinda Padilla said:

“Right now, unfortunately, these organizations that are scaring everybody have the power.  All we’re doing is providing extra levels of safety to your individual right to bear arms. And if you don’t want our gun, don’t buy it. It’s not for everyone...If they really understood our technology, they wouldn’t be afraid of it at all.”

The NRA's new expanded slogan is:  You can take my gun when you pry it from my cold dead hands.  And then, hey, knock yourself out.


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8 Comments:

Blogger Jerry Critter said...

I think we need an IQ test to own a gun. These gun nuts are too stupid to properly handle one. On the upside, the are more likely to shoot each other than an innocent bystander.

April 30, 2014 at 10:15 AM  
Blogger Grung_e_Gene said...

Stolen guns have to be replaced by new guns, and the reactionary NRA white power types love buying guns.

May 1, 2014 at 1:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

driving by a huge pasture in Solano country I see a huge billboard sponsored by the County Republicans quoting the 2nd Amendment. Like none other exist!

They are going to really miss Obama when he leaves office, he has caused more Gun Sales then probably any other president ever.
He hasn't passed any Gun Control but they keep selling/buying guns on the rumor.

Erik

May 1, 2014 at 3:29 PM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

Jerry: LOL. An IQ test would cause an instant huge reduction in the number of gun owners.

Grung: Good point. Along with generating mass paranoia to create millions of new gun owners, stolen guns are undoubtedly a source of gun sales.

Erik: Yup, they're gonna miss Obama. If someone like Rand Paul becomes the next president, gun sales will probably plummet.

As absurd as it sounds, a lot of gun people really do think the Second Amendment is the most important one, since the Second Amendment is the only way to enforce all the rest of the Amendments.

May 2, 2014 at 4:03 PM  
Blogger Snave said...

People always seem to fear things they don't understand.

The NRA used to be for sportsmen, and it used to be about things like gun safety and responsible gun ownership. In the old NRA, things like smart guns would have received a very favorable review.

But nowadays, even the term "gun safety" is enough to get some of these yahoos' dander up. Looks like the decline of western civilization to me...

May 2, 2014 at 9:38 PM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

Snave: I'm glad this story has made it to the mainstream news now. I didn't think it would get any further than Raw Story, where I saw it several days ago. Network TV news shows could have a field day with this if they wanted to: "Find out about the gun the NRA is trying to ban. Details coming up after these messages..."

May 3, 2014 at 3:35 PM  
Blogger Jerry Critter said...

It is in the interest of TV news to have people killed. They don't want to ban guns. When a sensational killing occurs, more people watch. Remember, the news department is now a profit center. That means, there number one objective is money (advertising), not news. Viewership generates revenue. Important news is secondary.

May 3, 2014 at 3:40 PM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

Jerry: You're absolutely right. Sad but true.

May 3, 2014 at 3:42 PM  

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