Canada in all honesty.

In a somewhat unhinged press conference, National Rifle Association head Wayne LaPierre argued that instead of regulating guns better we should have a police officer in every school. He suggested we could pay for it by cutting foreign aid.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics there are 98,817 K-12 schools in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says cops make $55,000 a year. So we could put $5.4 billion as the low level estimate of the cost. Cops obviously have health care benefits and pension and disability benefits for police offers tend to be fairly costly so the real price would be higher than that.

At any rate, on both the policing side and the gun control side it would be a mistake to focus too much on spectacular school massacres. What happened at Sandy Hook was terrible, but at least 78 people have been shot and killed in America since then. If you want to regulate guns more strictly, the smart play is to focus on the portable concealable handguns that are widely used in those "ordinary" crimes and if you want to spend billions on hiring new police officers the smart play to focus on deploying them in the high-crime neighborhoods where most of the murdering happens. Obviously one would hope that a less-armed, lower-crime society would also feature fewer monstrous massacres as a side benefit but concentrating our policing resources on static defense of K-12 schools would be foolish.

Canada in all honesty.

I don't think* they had a "come to jesus" moment regarding guns though in the same way Australia did though. Still I am willing to look at the Canadian experience with regard to guns, no problem, though I still think we can ;learn from other nations including Australia.

* I don't know much about Canada, gun control, and rates of gun violence actually.

That is the point, isn't it? You shouldn't look for a come to Jesus moment, you should look at a country that hasn't taken such a divergence.

There are Canadians who are, culturally speaking, essentially American...

That is the point, isn't it? You shouldn't look for a come to Jesus moment, you should look at a country that hasn't taken such a divergence.

You pretended that Australia, a country with just 22 million people and vastly different demographics/culture/climate/geography, could be compared evenly to the US.

Matt Yglesias

Who in the world would even want the job? I suppose you get a pay hike, you get to go on TV, but you're doomed to be a failure.

Hmmmm.. Labatts vs. Fosters...

Whomever thought that the job description for Speaker of the House would become virtually identical to that of Miami Marlins manager?

Australia is probably a better match because of the single dominant English speaking protestant culture angle. And the Canadian frontier mentality is very different from the American/Australian one. Canada is the country of Peace, Order, and Good Government.

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. — The Blair County district attorney said that four people, including the alleged gunman, are dead after a series of shootings along a rural road on Friday.

The district attorney said the victims are one woman and three men, including the gunman.

Three Pennsylvania state troopers were injured. One was shot in the chest and had a bulletproof vest on; one was injured in a crash; and one was injured by flying debris. All three troopers are expected to be OK.


Courtney Brennan of WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh reported that the suspected gunman was “mobile” at one point and went up and down a rural road and shot victims.

Learning that Fosters basically doesn't exist in Australia was like learning that Santa Claus doesn't. And after I spent a good bit of time there, I'd say that Australia was even more like America than Canada. Except, there Right wingers aren't as paranoid about Big Government.

John Kerry's transition into Adlai Stevenson is now (nearly) complete.

A Belgian guy once explained to me that Australia = USA and New Zealand = Canada.

Does this mean we should expect Canadians to have tribal tatts?

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. — The Blair County district attorney said that four people, including the alleged gunman, are dead after a series of shootings along a rural road on Friday.

The district attorney said the victims are one woman and three men, including the gunman.

Three Pennsylvania state troopers were injured. One was shot in the chest and had a bulletproof vest on; one was injured in a crash; and one was injured by flying debris. All three troopers are expected to be OK.


Courtney Brennan of WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh reported that the suspected gunman was “mobile” at one point and went up and down a rural road and shot victims.

Does this mean we should expect Canadians to have tribal tatts?

A Belgian guy once explained to me that Australia = USA and New Zealand = Canada.

#4304 There was a major "come to Jesus moment" Google Marc Lepine or Ecole Polytechnique.

#4301 Foster if that's the only choice. But it hasn't been for some time.

Oh and either ahead of "Molson Canadian"

I'd be curious to hear precisely what changes Obamacare wrought on your life... I presume you had health insurance prior to 2010, correct?

Higher costs for worse care.

the nra is wandering in the direction of advocating for a national police force

that is the very thing that they warn about every time a democrat is elected as president.

it's one of their scare topics

i know, i am on the mailing list

I think it just means French-Canadian goalies should do some kind of ceremonial dance before each game.

Gawker said this happened AT THE SAME TIME OF THE NRA PRESS CONFERENCE

Well, if this doesn't prove that the NRA is responsible for everything bad that ever happens with a gun, I don't know what does.

the nra is wandering in the direction of advocating for a national police force

that is the very thing that they warn about every time a democrat is elected as president.

Nihilism is boring...

The one difference that I do notice between Canadians and New Zealand is that Kiwis are a lot more nationalistic. I've yet to meet a non-cocky New Zealander.

#4296 (and others) The basic problem in terms of arguing with Ray is that at heart he doesn't accept arguments grounded in probabilities. Seriously, think about the way he responds -- it's pretty much always translating into certainty or can't be done.

It's not a "probabilities" issue. It's an issue where gun control has absolutely no relevance to the problem. Because someone who is so crazy that he will shoot up a school of kids will find a way.

The problem is, the NRA is just following suit. The anti-gun crowd is firmly entrenched in the "scare the #### out of the great unwashed" and is using the Connecticut tragedy as a leaping off point for their rights-grab. They feel the kids who were shot are perfect fodder for making guns and gun ownership out to be this evil specter from which all violence originates.

the NRA was simply taking a page from the other side's playbook. You see how rational debate is impossible right now. CNN baits people who are for liberty and rights onto their network to try to ridicule and demean their position and reasons. So rather than sit back in silence, just do what the ambulance-chasing progressives are doing. Fear-monger right back.

An Indiana man convicted of setting fire to a mosque in Ohio told a judge on Wednesday that he committed the crimes because Fox News and conservative talk radio had convinced him that “most Muslims are terrorists.”

Randolph Linn, 52, accepted a plea deal in which he pled guilty to all charges in connection to setting a fire in the prayer room at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo on Sept. 30. Under the deal, Linn is expected to serve 20 years in prison instead of 40.

Linn explained to the court that he had gotten “riled up” after watching Fox News.

“And I was more sad when Judge [Jack] Zouhary asked him that, ‘Do you know any Muslims or do you know what Islam is?’” one mosque member who attended the hearing recalled to WNWO. “And he said, ‘No, I only know what I hear on Fox News and what I hear on radio.’”

“Muslims are killing Americans and trying to blow stuff up,” Linn also reportedly told the judge. “Most Muslims are terrorists and don’t believe in Jesus Christ.”

Linn claimed that he had consumed 45 beers in the 6 hours before leaving his Indiana home to set fire to the mosque, which he had discovered while working as a truck driver.

After his arrest on Oct. 2, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ava Dusten said that Linn had told officers, “Fuck those Muslims… They would kill us if they got the chance.”

It's not a "probabilities" issue. It's an issue where gun control has absolutely no relevance to the problem. Because someone who is so crazy that he will shoot up a school of kids will find a way.

About what I expected, I guess. Like --- said, they went law 'n' order rather than armed citizen, and thus managed to reinforce the main argument of their opponents: that Americans are inept and incapable and not really to be trusted with guns unless they wear a uniform.

What a bunch of pussies. Let's not defend gun ownership on principle, nope, let's make complete asses of ourselves and scapegoat the media and fellate the police instead, that'll work.

He forgot to mention that last episode of The Walking Dead. The walker/biter apocalypse is pretty much the only reason I buy those mega packs of ammo.

7.5 beers a hour. For 6 hours. That just sounds exhausting.

Because someone who is so crazy that he will shoot up a school of kids will find a way.

In response to a recent increase in crime, Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill and Police Chief Todd Stovall offered residents at a town hall meeting Thursday night at West View Baptist Church what could be considered an extreme solution — armed officers patrolling the streets on foot.

Stovall told the group of almost 40 residents that beginning in 2013, the department would deploy a new street crimes unit to high crime areas on foot to take back the streets.

"[Police are] going to be in SWAT gear and have AR-15s around their neck," Stovall said. "If you're out walking, we're going to stop you, ask why you're out walking, check for your ID."

Stovall said while some people may be offended by the actions of his department, they should not be.

"We're going to do it to everybody," he said. "Criminals don't like being talked to."

Gaskill backed Stovall's proposed actions during Thursday's town hall.

"They may not be doing anything but walking their dog," he said. "But they're going to have to prove it."

Stovall said the foot patrols would begin on the east side of town and would eventually snake into the Pecan Grove area.

He said the police would follow where crime was taking place in order to snuff it out.

Normally, police would not stop individuals for simply walking on the street, but Stovall said the level of crime in certain areas and concerns from residents gave his officers the right to institute the actions announced at the town hall event.

"This fear is what's given us the reason to do this. Once I have stats and people saying they're scared, we can do this," he said. "It allows us to do what we're fixing to do."

Stovall further elaborated on the stop-and-ID policy Friday morning, claiming the city's crime statistics alone met the threshold of reasonable suspicion required to lawfully accost a citizen.

"To ask you for your ID, I have to have a reason," he said. "Well, I've got statistical reasons that say I've got a lot of crime right now, which gives me probable cause to ask what you're doing out. Then when I add that people are scared...then that gives us even more [reason] to ask why are you here and what are you doing in this area."

Stovall said he did not consult an attorney before announcing his plans to combat crime. He even remained undaunted when comparing his proposed tactics with martial law, explaining that "I don't know that there's ever been a difference" between his proposals and martial law.

Stovall said task force members would not even be required to be looking for a specific suspect before stopping citizens on the street.

"Anyone that's out walking, because of the crime and the fear factor, [could be stopped]," he said.

Should an individual not produce identification, Stovall said his officers would not back down. Individuals who do not produce identification when asked could be charged with obstructing a governmental operation, according to Stovall.

"I'm hoping we don't run across [any] of that," Stovall said. "Will there be people who buck us? There may be. But we have a right to be doing what we're doing. We have a zero-tolerance. We are prepared to throw your hind-end in jail, OK? We're not going to take a lot of flack."

"They may not be doing anything but walking their dog," he said. "But they're going to have to prove it."

#4363 sounds like something written for The Wire.

Looking forward to #4338 being answered!

"To ask you for your ID, I have to have a reason," he said. "Well, I've got statistical reasons that say I've got a lot of crime right now, which gives me probable cause to ask what you're doing out. Then when I add that people are scared...then that gives us even more [reason] to ask why are you here and what are you doing in this area."

In 2010 the city violent crime rate in Paragould was lower than the violent crime rate in Arkansas by 32.87% and the city property crime rate in Paragould was higher than the property crime rate in Arkansas by 94.42%.

I guess it really is too much to ask that law enforcement officials know anything at all about, you know, the law.

7.5 beers a hour. For 6 hours. That just sounds exhausting.

"They may not be doing anything but walking their dog," he said. "But they're going to have to prove it."

"Well officer, I do have a dog on a leash."

Linn claimed that he had consumed 45 beers in the 6 hours before leaving his Indiana home to set fire to the mosque, which he had discovered while working as a truck driver.

7.5 beers a hour. For 6 hours. That just sounds exhausting.

A hefty male has about 170 ounces of blood in him. Linn drank 540 ounces of beer. This means that his blood was 317% beer.

One wonders what he might have torched had he consumed 45 Bud Cheladas (beer + Clamato juice, with salt and lime, and very popular in the Hispanic community).

"[Police are] going to be in SWAT gear and have AR-15s around their neck," Stovall said. "If you're out walking, we're going to stop you, ask why you're out walking, check for your ID."

I stayed overnight in West Memphis, for instance, earlier this year

John Bonham before he died consumed 40 shots of vodka in a 24 hr period.

45 beers in the 6 hours

Funny, I was just mentioning Wade Boggs in another thread.

I think Kerry will be a very good Secretary of State.

John Kerry's transition into Adlai Stevenson is now (nearly) complete.

I think Kerry will be a very good Secretary of State.

"[Police are] going to be in SWAT gear and have AR-15s around their neck," Stovall said. "If you're out walking, we're going to stop you, ask why you're out walking, check for your ID."

In fact - folks that have issues with some of Obama's more Bushian foreign policy choices really ought to be applauding this. Kerry has been relatively consistent as a critic on things like drone warfare and unilateral decision making (he just hasn't made a point of picking fights in the press with the administration). Keeping in mind that the SoS works for the President, not the other way around - I do think there's a very real possibility Kerry will be perhaps the biggest advocate for restrained and internationally respectful foreign policy we've seen in most of our lives.

Do you think that there would still be the same number of school shootings if there were no gun control laws at all?

The problem is, the NRA is just following suit. The anti-gun crowd is firmly entrenched in the "scare the #### out of the great unwashed" and is using the Connecticut tragedy as a leaping off point for their rights-grab. They feel the kids who were shot are perfect fodder for making guns and gun ownership out to be this evil specter from which all violence originates.

the NRA was simply taking a page from the other side's playbook. You see how rational debate is impossible right now.

Yes, or maybe a tweak in the numbers that amounted to a pimple on an elephant's ass.

How does "gun control" apply to this situation? The gun control laws kicked in -- and "worked." He found a way anyway.