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Given your screen name, F. Ultra , it is a staggering irony that you believe that the US would disclose a highly successful Top Secret intelligence program at the first success, and possibly render it either ineffective or subject to counter-measures.

Ultra was one of the most closely guarded secrets of WW2 and aspects of it weren't declassified until the 1970s. Strenuous safeguards were in place to prevent the Germans from having even a clue that their codes were cracked.

I don't think many people on Slashdot particularly care if anyone engaged is terrorist activity is caught before an attack, or maybe at all. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people deny that there are terrorists at all, or that it is all a "false flag," or that there have been no arrests, and so forth despite the fact that information is readily available. I'll post a list of fairly recent arrests and I have little doubt the next time the discussion comes up it will be more of the same. Disclosing an intelligence operation's role in capturing a terrorist group wouldn't be likely to change that. To get any real attention a terrorist group will have to destroy a city with a nuke. Then there will be discussions back and forth until somebody points out that there was a year with a higher number of fatalities in automobile accidents, and it will be back to business as usual:"Terrorism? Meh. They aren't killing me." Or maybe the ever popular, "we can't give in to fear," as in: "Now that the terrorists have nukes, we can't give in to fear by doing anything about it."

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Endin

Given your screen name, F. Ultra , it is a staggering irony that you believe that the US would disclose a highly successful Top Secret intelligence program at the first success, and possibly render it either ineffective or subject to counter-measures.

Ultra was one of the most closely guarded secrets of WW2 and aspects of it weren't declassified until the 1970s. Strenuous safeguards were in place to prevent the Germans from having even a clue that their codes were cracked.

I don't think many people on Slashdot particularly care if anyone engaged is terrorist activity is caught before an attack, or maybe at all. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people deny that there are terrorists at all, or that it is all a "false flag," or that there have been no arrests, and so forth despite the fact that information is readily available. I'll post a list of fairly recent arrests and I have little doubt the next time the discussion comes up it will be more of the same. Disclosing an intelligence operation's role in capturing a terrorist group wouldn't be likely to change that. To get any real attention a terrorist group will have to destroy a city with a nuke. Then there will be discussions back and forth until somebody points out that there was a year with a higher number of fatalities in automobile accidents, and it will be back to business as usual:"Terrorism? Meh. They aren't killing me." Or maybe the ever popular, "we can't give in to fear," as in: "Now that the terrorists have nukes, we can't give in to fear by doing anything about it."

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Endin

Given your screen name, F. Ultra , it is a staggering irony that you believe that the US would disclose a highly successful Top Secret intelligence program at the first success, and possibly render it either ineffective or subject to counter-measures.

Ultra was one of the most closely guarded secrets of WW2 and aspects of it weren't declassified until the 1970s. Strenuous safeguards were in place to prevent the Germans from having even a clue that their codes were cracked.

I don't think many people on Slashdot particularly care if anyone engaged is terrorist activity is caught before an attack, or maybe at all. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people deny that there are terrorists at all, or that it is all a "false flag," or that there have been no arrests, and so forth despite the fact that information is readily available. I'll post a list of fairly recent arrests and I have little doubt the next time the discussion comes up it will be more of the same. Disclosing an intelligence operation's role in capturing a terrorist group wouldn't be likely to change that. To get any real attention a terrorist group will have to destroy a city with a nuke. Then there will be discussions back and forth until somebody points out that there was a year with a higher number of fatalities in automobile accidents, and it will be back to business as usual:"Terrorism? Meh. They aren't killing me." Or maybe the ever popular, "we can't give in to fear," as in: "Now that the terrorists have nukes, we can't give in to fear by doing anything about it."

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Endin

Almost.
Does the FBI work through U. S. Attorneys?
Yes. Although the FBI is responsible for investigating possible violations of federal law, the FBI does not give an opinion or decide if an individual will be prosecuted. The federal prosecutors employed by the Department of Justice or the U.S. Attorneys offices are responsible for making this decision and for conducting the prosecution of the case.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/faqs

Local stuff is handled by a D.A. (District Attorney) or City. County, or State Prosecutor.

I agree his "insurance policy is useless... It's akin to soaking himself in a flammable liquid and threatening to light it. All he can do by releasing the decryption key is provide more evidence against himself.

that's quite possibly the honest truth since neither that "war" nor "terrorism" has been defined to any degree.

For it is the doom of men that they forget. -- Merlin, Excalibur

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) In General.--That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.

By their deeds you shall know them.

1996 Bin Laden's Fatwa - The following text is a fatwa, or declaration of war, by Osama bin Laden first published in Al Quds Al Arabi

1998 Bombing of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya

2000 Photo: USS Cole - Video: 2000: USS Cole Attack in Yemen

2001 9-11

2002 Bali terror attack

2004 Madrid train attacks

2005 London 7/7 Terrorist Attacks

2009 Now classified as "workplace violence" - Nidal Hasan Admitted Jihadist Motive, Ft. Hood Victims’ Attorneys Say

2013 Boston Marathon Bombing

Note that this is only a snapshot of attacks, and doesn't include the many attacks that occurred in the Middle East (except the Cole). It also doesn't include the many plots disrupted by the security services, or cancelled by the terrorists planning them. It doesn't include the many arrests for terrorism related activity, but snapshot of that over a short period of time is below:

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia betwe

One of the key fallacies of the "false flag" is that you can keep a big operation that kills lots of people secret in a free society. The 9/11 "Truthers" never really address that. Simply consider the fact that the CIA only waterboarded three (3) terrorists, the most recent of which was more than 10 years ago. Nobody died, nobody was injured. The hue and cry over it would make you believe it was still going on and the total was 30,000, not 3. There are plenty of other leaks that damaged national security of a similar nature.

Beside, there is no need to run a false flag terrorist operation. There are plenty of local volunteers, and foreigners willing to try. The real challenge isn't running a false flag, the real challenge is stopping all of the real attempts at a terrorist attack. Of course you know about Boston, but there is the following which will soon mean that the Boston bombing wasn't the first terrorist attack since 9/11, and the short sample after that.

With Nidal Hasan bombshell, time to call Fort Hood shooting a terror attack?

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top

One of the key fallacies of the "false flag" is that you can keep a big operation that kills lots of people secret in a free society. The 9/11 "Truthers" never really address that. Simply consider the fact that the CIA only waterboarded three (3) terrorists, the most recent of which was more than 10 years ago. Nobody died, nobody was injured. The hue and cry over it would make you believe it was still going on and the total was 30,000, not 3. There are plenty of other leaks that damaged national security of a similar nature.

Beside, there is no need to run a false flag terrorist operation. There are plenty of local volunteers, and foreigners willing to try. The real challenge isn't running a false flag, the real challenge is stopping all of the real attempts at a terrorist attack. Of course you know about Boston, but there is the following which will soon mean that the Boston bombing wasn't the first terrorist attack since 9/11, and the short sample after that.

With Nidal Hasan bombshell, time to call Fort Hood shooting a terror attack?

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top

One of the key fallacies of the "false flag" is that you can keep a big operation that kills lots of people secret in a free society. The 9/11 "Truthers" never really address that. Simply consider the fact that the CIA only waterboarded three (3) terrorists, the most recent of which was more than 10 years ago. Nobody died, nobody was injured. The hue and cry over it would make you believe it was still going on and the total was 30,000, not 3. There are plenty of other leaks that damaged national security of a similar nature.

Beside, there is no need to run a false flag terrorist operation. There are plenty of local volunteers, and foreigners willing to try. The real challenge isn't running a false flag, the real challenge is stopping all of the real attempts at a terrorist attack. Of course you know about Boston, but there is the following which will soon mean that the Boston bombing wasn't the first terrorist attack since 9/11, and the short sample after that.

With Nidal Hasan bombshell, time to call Fort Hood shooting a terror attack?

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top

One of the key fallacies of the "false flag" is that you can keep a big operation that kills lots of people secret in a free society. The 9/11 "Truthers" never really address that. Simply consider the fact that the CIA only waterboarded three (3) terrorists, the most recent of which was more than 10 years ago. Nobody died, nobody was injured. The hue and cry over it would make you believe it was still going on and the total was 30,000, not 3. There are plenty of other leaks that damaged national security of a similar nature.

Beside, there is no need to run a false flag terrorist operation. There are plenty of local volunteers, and foreigners willing to try. The real challenge isn't running a false flag, the real challenge is stopping all of the real attempts at a terrorist attack. Of course you know about Boston, but there is the following which will soon mean that the Boston bombing wasn't the first terrorist attack since 9/11, and the short sample after that.

With Nidal Hasan bombshell, time to call Fort Hood shooting a terror attack?

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top

Still not true.

Because most companies do not subscribe to that level of detailed checking due to the cost involved.
In fact, unless you are applying for a very sensitive job for a Government Contract or something, no private employer checks court records.

Its just too expensive and error prone. How many Will Smiths do you think there are in the world
with a DOB that matches the actor? How many courthouses are there to check?

Its a site trying to sell a service, but I could have just as easily linked to the NCIC site itself, or
the FBI's page about NCIC.

Some Government Contracts require NCIC checks, but even these are not done
by employers, but by the appropriate government agencies.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8 "Rifles" do not kill more people then hammers, clubs or knives. Handguns, however, are a different story... I wonder if they classify SMG as handguns?

I never realized visiting a website required me to "sacrifice my freedom"!

O RLY? :)

The technology is technically possible. However, I have a few points to make:
1. Guns are currently purely mechanical. Adding ANYTHING electronic into the firing system is going to lower reliability. Remember, the most common police weapon(Glock) doesn't even have a manual safety switch. The recognition system would have to work 99.999999% of the time in a fraction of a second.
2. When fired, the firearm itself suffers a large shock. One 9mm handgun weighs 770 grams, fires a 7.45 gram projectile at 390 m/s. Laws of physics means that every time the handgun is fired it suffers a shock sufficient to move it back at 3.8 m/s, or 14 km/hour. That is NASTY to electronics, it's roughly equivalent to being hit with a hammer. It's mean to mechanical parts as well, but at least we've had hundreds of years of engineering to fix the issues.
3. Perhaps most critical, police officers are much more likely to be killed by their own weapon after it's been taken from them. 26 officers over 10 years. (or have others killed with their weapon if taken from them). Despite this, police organizations(departments, unions, professional) will campaign hard and long to exempt themselves from any such gun legislation. I believe that New Jersey already has a smart gun requirement on the books - but no gun manufacturer makes a firearm that meets the standard.
4. The common figuring is a lot like that of DRM - a 'smart gun' will stop a non-authorized person only on a tactical, immediate basis. Criminals will be able to bypass any protections on a long term scale(IE days) if they successfully steal the weapon, making any 'smart guns' of limited protection.

You mean like this ?

You seem to be throwing out these cardboard stereotypes about suicidal people, criminals, old people, everyone. There's such insane variety around any kind of label you can imagine and you seem to be ignoring all of it.

That is true. Even if Slashdot would be capable of providing enough writing space for a ten-volume manuscript, it is still necessary to have a better command of the subject. I am not a professional in this particular area and don't have access to specific, statistically significant cases. My opinion is based on personal observations and on what I read. My opinion may be right or wrong, but I have it and it's mine. And you have yours.

BTW, if your friend is depressed, I don't think you should give him a map to the nearest tall building. You are free to persuade him - and he is free to listen to you or not to listen. Usually people do listen, especially those who don't have physical, material reasons for their decision. (That's what I read!)

It doesn't matter how much you argue otherwise, crime is a symptom of youth and as they age people generally turn away from a life of crime.

... at least because they are not physically capable anymore of the exertion that is required to do it. Quite possible. Still, plenty of young ones around to ruin one's day. And not so young too - look at the FBI's list of most wanted criminals; most of them are well past their teens. (But, of course, those are unusually bad; statistically, they don't matter.)

However, it is easy enough to understand a reluctance to accept the casual and uncontrolled production of murder weapons.

Roughly 6% of murders are committed with fists and feet. Not only are such weapons produced in an uncontrolled manner, we even give out tax breaks to those that produce them.

When you get a tip about suspicious activity that might suggest a connection to Cthulu summoning, there probably aren't any undead bodies, and the police or security services can investigate in a calm, thoughtful manner, with all of the legal nicities that everyone here likes. So, which is your preference? Discovery before or after an attack?

Clever, I guess. Here is a list of arrests and convictions for terrorism related offenses. Do you think you can find something similar for Cthulu related offenses? I'll assume not, since that is make-believe, but the terrorists sitting in prison are real.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 2, 2011

San Diego: Woman Guilty of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

Nima Yusuf, 25, a resident of San Diego, pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization.

More here.

When you get a tip about suspicious activity that might suggest a connection to Cthulu summoning, there probably aren't any undead bodies, and the police or security services can investigate in a calm, thoughtful manner, with all of the legal nicities that everyone here likes. So, which is your preference? Discovery before or after an attack?

Clever, I guess. Here is a list of arrests and convictions for terrorism related offenses. Do you think you can find something similar for Cthulu related offenses? I'll assume not, since that is make-believe, but the terrorists sitting in prison are real.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 2, 2011

San Diego: Woman Guilty of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

Nima Yusuf, 25, a resident of San Diego, pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization.

More here.

When you get a tip about suspicious activity that might suggest a connection to Cthulu summoning, there probably aren't any undead bodies, and the police or security services can investigate in a calm, thoughtful manner, with all of the legal nicities that everyone here likes. So, which is your preference? Discovery before or after an attack?

Clever, I guess. Here is a list of arrests and convictions for terrorism related offenses. Do you think you can find something similar for Cthulu related offenses? I'll assume not, since that is make-believe, but the terrorists sitting in prison are real.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 2, 2011

San Diego: Woman Guilty of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

Nima Yusuf, 25, a resident of San Diego, pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization.

More here.

When you get a tip about suspicious activity that might suggest a connection to Cthulu summoning, there probably aren't any undead bodies, and the police or security services can investigate in a calm, thoughtful manner, with all of the legal nicities that everyone here likes. So, which is your preference? Discovery before or after an attack?

Clever, I guess. Here is a list of arrests and convictions for terrorism related offenses. Do you think you can find something similar for Cthulu related offenses? I'll assume not, since that is make-believe, but the terrorists sitting in prison are real.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 2, 2011

San Diego: Woman Guilty of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

Nima Yusuf, 25, a resident of San Diego, pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization.

More here.

When you get a tip about suspicious activity that might suggest a connection to Cthulu summoning, there probably aren't any undead bodies, and the police or security services can investigate in a calm, thoughtful manner, with all of the legal nicities that everyone here likes. So, which is your preference? Discovery before or after an attack?

Clever, I guess. Here is a list of arrests and convictions for terrorism related offenses. Do you think you can find something similar for Cthulu related offenses? I'll assume not, since that is make-believe, but the terrorists sitting in prison are real.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

Denver: Man Arrested for Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Jamshid Muhtorov was arrested by members of the FBI’s Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces on a charge of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization.

Baltimore: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center

U.S. citizen Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Maryland.

Washington Field: Man Pleads Guilty to Shootings at Pentagon, Other Military Buildings

Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty to damaging property and to firearms violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in northern Virginia between October and November 2010, and to attempting to damage veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

1.Tampa: Florida Resident Charged with Plotting to Bomb Locations in Tampa

A 25-year-old resident of Pinellas Park, Florida was charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack locations in Tampa with a vehicle bomb, assault rifle, and other explosives.

2.Baltimore: Former Army Solider Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

A man who secretly converted to Islam days before he separated from the Army was charged with attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and was arrested upon his return to Maryland after traveling to Africa.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 9, 2011

Seattle: Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Military Processing Center

A former Los Angeles man pled guilty in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle.

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending December 2, 2011

San Diego: Woman Guilty of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

Nima Yusuf, 25, a resident of San Diego, pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization.

More here.

Guns should be feared. If someone points a gun at you then you should be afraid, even if you have your own gun.

The proper object of fear here is the person pointing the gun. If someone seriously threatens to kill me, you bet your ass I'll be afraid, whether they have a gun, a knife, a baseball bat, or their own hands and feet. (More people are murdered via hands and feet than via either rifles or via blunt objects.)

Personally I think we are better off not living in the wild west, where our only protection is a revolver and our posse.

It is a fact of human existence that the only direct protection a person has against someone intent on violence is their own ability to use defensive force ("a revolver"), or the ability and willingness of others to use force on their behalf ("our posse"). That's true whether you live in ancient Rome, the Wild West (which was probably not as "Wild" as our mythology makes it out to be), a gang-controlled part of a city, or a low-crime gated community.

Indirect forms of protection, where we have socioeconomic, educational, criminal justice, and mental health care systems that don't lead to people developing along violent lines or make serious efforts at reform if they do, may have more overall impact. But when a crazed stalker breaks into your home, it's past the time where those can come into play.

Firearm Offences in England & Wales :
Data involves ALL crimes involving a firearm.
Page 23 of http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1109chap3.pdf
Page 5 of http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1210chap1.pdf
Page 55 of https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116483/hosb0212.pdf

Homicide :
It is accurate to state that in England and Wales "A separate offence is recorded for each victim of homicide, so that in an incident in which several people are killed, the number of homicides counted is the total number of persons killed". However it would appear that the FBI also records Homicides based on the number of Victims, not the number of people involved in committing the Homicide, so I am not sure how we are substantially under reporting the issue when compared to the USA.

England & Wales :
Footnote 1, page 32 : https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116483/hosb0212.pdf
USA :
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/violent-crime/murder
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8

Firearm Offences in England & Wales :
Data involves ALL crimes involving a firearm.
Page 23 of http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1109chap3.pdf
Page 5 of http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1210chap1.pdf
Page 55 of https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116483/hosb0212.pdf

Homicide :
It is accurate to state that in England and Wales "A separate offence is recorded for each victim of homicide, so that in an incident in which several people are killed, the number of homicides counted is the total number of persons killed". However it would appear that the FBI also records Homicides based on the number of Victims, not the number of people involved in committing the Homicide, so I am not sure how we are substantially under reporting the issue when compared to the USA.

England & Wales :
Footnote 1, page 32 : https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116483/hosb0212.pdf
USA :
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/violent-crime/murder
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8

Hmmm

Yes, it is accurate to state we have more recorded Violent Crime than you have in the USA. However I cannot help but notice, that you fail to qualify your statement by noting that the 2 countries use different methods to record/classify Violent Crimes. The following quote from the wikipedia article sums up the issue : "The comparison of violent crime statistics between countries is usually problematic, due to the way different countries classify crime. (1)"

I will leave it you to do the research into the differences in how our 2 countries record & classify violent crimes. I have provided links to both the FBI (2) and the ONS (3) report on Crime in England and Wales as starting points for your research...

Link :
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_crime
2. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/violent-crime/violent-crime
3. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_283456.pdf (page 16)

Respectfully submitted: Did anyone bother to read the FBI's actual testimony, which was linked in the WaPo article?

http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/going-dark-lawful-electronic-surveillance-in-the-face-of-new-technologies

Note the date of the testimony: February 17, 2011
This has been on the burner for a while now.

http://i.imgur.com/I1dF69f.jpg left of the screen with white hat

"For clarity, these images should be the only onesâ"the only onesâ"that the public should view to assist us. Other photos should not be deemed credible and unnecessarily divert the publicâ(TM)s attention in the wrong direction and create undue work for vital law enforcement resources." Source: FBI

Which part of that statement are you having apparent difficulty with? Please mod this person -1 without delay; The correct thing to do with images of potential suspects is to confidentially submit them to the FBI, not post them on the internet to encourage vigilantism. To borrow from the movie Serenity, "Do you know what a hero is? Someone who gets other people killed." Don't be a hero. Post it to the FBI, and let them do their job.

1. You responded to a troll with a long post.

It's a little known fact that an investigation of serial murderers has revealed that there isn't a single common motivation amongst them,

2. I find this link to be informative: Serial Murder - Multi-Disciplinary Perspective for Invesigators

Which is why, in the final analysis, stripping away people's rights and liberties will do exactly dick for prevention

3a. You responded to a troll suggesting that rights be taken away.
3b. You articulate so many ideas with fine phraseology, and then invoke "dick." Kind of a waste.

That's why people cry out for restrictions... not because they'll do any good, but because they feel a need to do something, anything, to restore their sense of personal power.

4. That is contradictory.

.

"This defendant participated in a fraudulent scheme in which he would either reap huge profits through the unauthorized purchase of approximately $1 billion of Apple stock or, if he faced huge losses, explain it away as simple human error"

how is this in any way different than regular financial trading? it seems to me the word 'unauthorized' was applied after the investment company decided this guy was a nuisance.

again:

"Risk is inherent in the investment world, but that risk should never be borne from the actions of investment professionals who choose to serve their own financial agendas rather than those of their client" stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Mertz.

if investment bankers didnt serve their own financial agendas im sure Lexus would be a far less profitable company and the hamptons would have a few less mailboxes. this guy wasnt arrested for anything as far as the FBI is concerned related to a specific SEC violation. i venture he was arrested for

But I'm sure there are dumb ones out there, especially domestic ones. ... Just because we don't hear about them doesn't mean they don't exist and don't get caught.

Oh, they exist; we hear about them, and they get caught. From 1993 WTC Bombing (and other sites):

In the rubble investigators uncovered a vehicle identification number on a piece of wreckage that seemed suspiciously obliterated. A search of our crime records returned a match: the number belonged to a rented van reported stolen the day before the attack. An Islamic fundamentalist named Mohammad Salameh had rented the vehicle, we learned, and on March 4, an FBI SWAT team arrested him as he tried in vain to get his $400 deposit back.

Ok, in 2010, there were 30,814 firearm related deaths, of those, 19,392 are considered suicide. If someone wants to play around with the numbers, here is the link, provided by the Centers for Disease Control.

Your figures don't match up with the figures I got from that link (31,672 firearms deaths), which contradict other figures offered by the CDC, including their own "top ten causes of death" list.

Kinda shitty statistic system, considering they can't even keep them straight internally...

According to FBI statistics, there were 12,664 homicides in 2011 (a steady decrease over the past several years), 8,583 of which were "firearms related..." interesting side note, there were 1,587 murders with "firearms, type not stated;" more than rifles, shotguns, and "other" guns combined...

WTF? If it's not a pistol, shotgun, rifle, or 'other' type of gun... are people going around killing each other with cannons?

Since the main part of the current gun debate is regarding rifles, I feel it's important to point out that knives [1,694 murders], blunt instruments [496], and body parts (i.e., hands, feet, foreheads) [728], murdered more people in 2011 than rifles [323] did.

BTW, yes, you read that right - more people used their fists and feet to murder, than clubs and bats. Crazy, I know.

France already does require all drivers to carry breathalysers.

And 300 people, on average, are hit each year by lightning, while in 2011 8500 people were murdered with a firearm. So no, you are not more likely to be struck (even non-fatally) by lightning than murdered with a firearm.

Then it's interesting that many more people are killed with knives, hammers, etc. than with long guns, no?
It's fascinating then that we want to pass legislation restricting the right to own long guns, but there's not a peep about knives, hammers, etc.
Even more interestingly, there's not a peep about hand guns either.

For those that didn't know, long guns (including "assault weapons", assault rifles, machine guns, shotguns, hunting rifles, etc.) account for roughly 6.3% to 7.2% of all murders, whereas hand guns account for 47.3% to 53.7%. (About 17.9% of all murders are committed using knives, hammers, etc.) These statements are made based on FBI statistics from 2009.

Also, while I don't have the stats handy, I'd like to point out that a very, very large majority of these handgun crimes occur in urban, inner-city environments. That's code for "it's a black on black gang violence problem". I say this not to dismiss the issue, but to highlight the fact that any legislation proposed that intends to reduce the rate of violent crime should account for this fact.

People can of course kill people with other tools beside guns like knives, hammers etc but knives and a hammer primary purpose is not to kill people and you can't kill multiple people with them in a short period of time. Guns primary purpose is to kill people.

Per the FBI homicide statistics FBI statistics more people died in 2011 from blunt objects than died from rifles. I reference rifles because that applies to the Sandy Hook shooting which has sparked this topic

If the goal were to save lives, then certainly one would expect both both rifles and blunt objects to both received equal attention, because irrespective of the intended purpose both pose similar risks to the population. But 'blunt objects' are innocuous and mundane, and thus don't induce the feelings of fear that is cause by a rifle.

Many people can generally see no logical reason to own a gun, and thus don't believe it is freedom that should continue to be protected.

Many would argue that gun violence has become more pervasive, and I'd have a hard time arguing against that statement.

Why? It's quite easy to argue against such a statement: according to FBI crime statistics gun-related homicide rates are at their lowest level since 1964 (scroll down to get the normalized rate-per-100,000 people) and have been declining for years. You can get the raw data from the FBI directly, if you prefer.

By any objective measure, gun-related homicide in the US has decreased significantly even as the number of legally-owned guns in the country has increased. People may perceive that gun violence is increasing (and it may well be true in certain localities in the country), but overall that's not the case.

According to crime records, while there's been some year-by-year variation in the number of mass shootings and victims, overall the trend has been constant since at least 1980. Despite the enormous media attention they get, they are statistically very rare. Are there too many? Absolutely.

Good point.

Rosa Parks was able to organize effectively because of a coordinated radical movement in the U.S., which taught her how to organize. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_Research_and_Education_Center

That included a lot of socialists, Communists and union organizers. http://vault.fbi.gov/Highlander%20Folk%20School Sometimes the only newspaper that would cover their work was the Daily Worker.

That being said, those states with more gun control laws generally have fewer deaths. Hawaii for instance has very little gun violence and has some of the most strict gun laws.

Idaho's murder rate is lower than Hawaii's (200.9 per 100,000 vs 287.2 for 2011); its gun laws are so weak that the Brady campaign gives Idaho 2/100. (For those outside the U.S., the "Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence" is a leading advocate for the criminalization of gun ownership; in their scale, a higher number means more legal obstacles to exercising the right of self-defense.) Mississippi has a murder rate close to Hawaii's, 269.8; it gets 4 on the Brady's scorecard.

Illinois gets 25 from Brady, and a murder rate of 429.3.

Brady's favorite state is CA, with 81 points; homicide rate 411.1. Texas gets a 4 from Brady, and has almost the same murder rate as California, 408.5.

The Bradys don't rank DC, but we know it has some of the strictest gun laws in the country; it has a murder rate of 1,202.1. (The cynic in me thinks this is why Brady doesn't rate it...) The lowest murder rate is Maine, 123.2, a whole order of magnitude less than D.C.'s rate; its permissive gun laws get a 7 on Brady's scale.

Across U.S. states, gun control laws seem to have no correlation with murder rates. The same applies internationally and across our own history -- the U.S. homicide rate has fallen 50% since the early 90s, the decline starting before the Brady bill and the "assault weapons" ban and continuing after the ban expired, while more and more states liberalized CCW laws and the number of guns in private hands increased.

Support is not writing a brief. Support is indicting the officers in question for Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. These officers deserve the same treatment Obama's DOJ gave Aaron Swartz.

I think fraud is simply in Florida's DNA.

South Florida, definitely. It's amazing how many scams come from South Florida. There are whole classes of fraud from there not seen much elsewhere. Timeshare-sales fraud, phony DMV fraud, and phony tax-preparer fraud are examples.

In terms of dollar volume, though, lower Manhattan is way ahead. The South Floriday operators tend to be rather low rent.

turn your router off, reconfigure it or replace it, go into paranoid mode, if the router does port forwarding take all port 80 and 443 attempts and direct them to your proxys:

http://tips.fbi.gov/
and
https://tips.fbi.gov/

set up a linux host, plugged in wired and an exception for the above rule, set up authenticated squid...

or just turn your router off for a while and go wired....

turn your router off, reconfigure it or replace it, go into paranoid mode, if the router does port forwarding take all port 80 and 443 attempts and direct them to your proxys:

http://tips.fbi.gov/
and
https://tips.fbi.gov/

set up a linux host, plugged in wired and an exception for the above rule, set up authenticated squid...

or just turn your router off for a while and go wired....

statistics are statistics

arrest stats
population stats

sad, but true: 11.5% of the population and almost 50% of the arrests. Now those statistics might be caused by racism, but it's not exactly racist to analyze those and display content based on them is it?

The UCR for 2011 show blacks committing more total murders than whites. IIRC, a large number of their victims were also black.

It's possible for groups to be disadvantaged on a nation basis while being advantaged on a per jurisdiction basis. If areas with larger black populations are harsher on crime in general, even if they are slightly harder on whites, while lily white areas are lighter on crime in general while still being harsher on whites, the national average would make it look like the system is harder on blacks. Anyone who doesn't understand what simpson's paradox is should not be making pronouncements based on national averages. If you really want, I can construct an artificial example to demonstrate this. There might be racism involved in why those jurisdictions are harsher on crime, but it's much murkier than the simple claims they are making.

Always be suspicious about broad claims based on national averages.

Maliciously overcharging someone to further a political career is legal? http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/color_of_law/color-of-law

Of course, I'm just an idealistic foreigner, in a foreign land, who believes in all that "truth, justice and liberty" stuff from experiencing American cowboy and superhero literature/cinema as a child, so... well... um... dammit.

Thankyou for the dialogue.

I think that about sums it up. There is no rational reason for XYZ at all in a domestic setting except for their own sake.

That is insane reasoning for banning people from owning something "just 'cuz"

2010 U.S. accidental death stats
Mortality
All unintentional injury deaths
Number of deaths: 120,859
Deaths per 100,000 population: 39.1
Cause of death rank: 5
Unintentional fall deaths
Number of deaths: 26,009
Deaths per 100,000 population: 8.4
Motor vehicle traffic deaths
Number of deaths: 33,687
Deaths per 100,000 population: 10.9
Unintentional poisoning deaths
Number of deaths: 33,041
Deaths per 100,000 population: 10.7

The NSC says around 600-700 died from falling on the job, you know, gainfully employed, contributing to the economy types. The other uh 25,000 ish may have been elderly falling and breaking stuff. I guess I could write them off entirely if you WANTED, they were going to die eventually anyway right? Errr... uhhh...
You STILL have twice as many people dying from falls than rifles. But.. we'd have to scrub that 323 number for old people not able to work to compare to the ~600 falling deaths one, and you know.. that just might be quite a few of those loonies whipping out hunting rifles as opposed to handguns.

2011 U. S. FBI Murder stats
323 Murders with a rifle

Hell, 8585 were murdered with guns in total... look at the above numbers again. Not trying to say murder is OK alright people? It's just that ignoring mortality statistics and then narrowing your laser like focus on one specific type of murder weapon as if it's worse than other kinds, is pretty silly.

Notice he wrote "rifle", not "gun," and that is correct. As you can see here, blunt objects (hammers, clubs, etc.) were used to kill more people than rifles from 2005-2009.

Or is it a country without very large population centers, mostly rural, where murder rates are statistically lower anyway, everywhere in the world. Except in their cities

I live in Arizona, where people carrying guns are not an uncommon site. I myself have carried into gas stations, drug stores, and banks without incident. I had a police officer pull me over to tell me my brake lights were out, I had a gun visible and he didn't ask me to take it off..

According to the FBI there were 339 Murders in the state of Arizona in 2011 (1). Google estimates the population of Arizona to be approx 6,482,505, so a per capita murder rate of 5.229
According to the UK's Home Office (2) there were 636 Homicides in England & Wales in 2011. Google estimates the population of England and Wales to be approx 56,050,000, so a per capita Homicide Rate of 1.134.

So despite the relaxed gun control laws and lower population density, the state of Arizona has a substantially higher Homicide Rate than England & Wales.

1. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-20
2. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb0212/hosb0212?view=Binary Page 16

Should be 'New York Passes Useless Gun Control Law', since nothing in the law will make any positive difference in crime rates, and will only impact legal gun holders. My prediction is that like Chicago, New York will continue down the path of passing more and more restrictive gun control laws, which make it easier for criminals to commit more crimes and serve only to continue to drive their violent crime rates even higher above the national average. Meanwhile, I live in a community of over 600,000 people in a state with very few gun control laws (Arizona) that has a violent crime rate almost have the national average. Where I can open carry into a bank (and have) and no one runs out in fear, the tellers smile, say high, and take my deposit as if nothing was wrong.

Because nothing was wrong.

According to the FBI there were 339 Murders in the state of Arizona in 2011 (1). Google estimates the population of Airzona to be approx 6,482,505, so a per capita murder rate of 5.229
According to the FBI there were 774 Murders in the state of New York in 2011 (1). Google estimates the population of New York to be approx 19465197, so a per capita murder rate of 3.976
According to the UK's Home Office (2) there were 636 Homicides in England & Wales in 2011. Google estimates the population of England and Wales to be approx 53,050,000, so a per capita Homicide Rate of 1.134.

So despite the relaxed gun control laws and lower population density, the state of Arizona has a substantially higher Homicide Rate than England & Wales. Arizona also appears to have a higher Murder rate than that of New York State.

1. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-20
2. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb0212/hosb0212?view=Binary Page 16

I wonder how many people are beaten to death every year with no weapon at all? Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that you can be compelled to purchase a product, I think every man woman and child should be required to own a pair of fitting boxing gloves. It's only a matter of time until the government can compel you to use the things it has compelled you to buy.

Why WONDER when you can KNOW? http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8 In 2011, the FBI stats say 728 were killed by such methods and another 853 were killed by methods not specified. If it is assumed that those 853 break down about the way the ones that are fully described broke down, the estimate would be about 775. That is 6.1% of all homicides.

There are roughly the same number of road deaths as gun deaths in the USA each year.

Annual motor vehicle traffic deaths: 33,687

Murders committed using a firearm, 2011: 67.7% * 14,612 = 9,892

Lowest estimate of number of defensive firearms uses per year: 108,000

Highest estimate of number of defensive firearms uses per year: 2,500,000