The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - What law would have prevented the AZ shooting?

MLeake · January 10, 2011, 11:05 AM

.... but it wouldn't be too hard to come up with scenarios where cars and trucks inflicted a similar level of casualties.

Semi hit a school bus in Florida a couple years ago...

Old man lost control of his car in Chinatown...

Yet we don't see sustained yammering for enforcement on truck driver's work and rest periods, to prevent fatigue related accidents. We don't see sustained yammering for annual testing of people over a certain age for driver's license renewal.

(In fairness, we don't see recurrent testing for teenagers, either, and they are arguably more dangerous.)

If Loughner had wanted to create massive casualties at the rally, and could not have obtained a firearm, he could have just bought, borrowed or stolen a Ram 2500 duallie, and driven through the crowd at speed.

(Or he could have pulled an Oklahoma City bombing... all it takes is fertilizer and diesel fuel... are we controlling those items now? Are we all for propane tank and cell phone control? Killing large numbers of people is not a challenge. It just requires a lack of moral compass, or a degree of insanity.)

January 10, 2011, 11:05 AM	#50
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	They don't have the same emotional impact as shootings... .... but it wouldn't be too hard to come up with scenarios where cars and trucks inflicted a similar level of casualties. Semi hit a school bus in Florida a couple years ago... Old man lost control of his car in Chinatown... Yet we don't see sustained yammering for enforcement on truck driver's work and rest periods, to prevent fatigue related accidents. We don't see sustained yammering for annual testing of people over a certain age for driver's license renewal. (In fairness, we don't see recurrent testing for teenagers, either, and they are arguably more dangerous.) If Loughner had wanted to create massive casualties at the rally, and could not have obtained a firearm, he could have just bought, borrowed or stolen a Ram 2500 duallie, and driven through the crowd at speed. (Or he could have pulled an Oklahoma City bombing... all it takes is fertilizer and diesel fuel... are we controlling those items now? Are we all for propane tank and cell phone control? Killing large numbers of people is not a challenge. It just requires a lack of moral compass, or a degree of insanity.)