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This American Life on guns.
- Thread starter PaulD
- Start date
I love This American Life, and am a huge NPR fan. My politics and stance on the second amendment don't dictate everything I enjoy.
This was... mediocre. A couple of the segments were quite good, a couple were bad. Keep in mind that this show is produced in Chicago, with the urban gang culture that entails. Segment 2 in particular features a gentleman that presents himself as practically a self-caricature.
This was... mediocre. A couple of the segments were quite good, a couple were bad. Keep in mind that this show is produced in Chicago, with the urban gang culture that entails. Segment 2 in particular features a gentleman that presents himself as practically a self-caricature.
rep308
NES Member
I caught the section on the guy who made straw purchases for cash. Here was some down and out guy who had a license and was asked to straw purchase a gun for a prohibited person for $200. He gained a neighborhood reputation as the guy to go to and for $50 to $100 he buy a gun. He ended up buying 60 of them over two years before the feds caught up with him. His total take was about $5K. He seemed real blase about the impact of his actions.
The reporter was reasonable, especially for NPR. They asked basic stuff, like did the gun shop know it was a straw purchase to which he answered no.
I didn't catch the whole segment but at the end I was thinking, how the heck could this go on for 2 years and 60 guns?
The reporter was reasonable, especially for NPR. They asked basic stuff, like did the gun shop know it was a straw purchase to which he answered no.
I didn't catch the whole segment but at the end I was thinking, how the heck could this go on for 2 years and 60 guns?
Heard that one on the air this weekend... For NPR (and Ira), it was surprisingly level headed...
What was missing on the interchange where he (the guy who got shot and is now an anti) says "you can't take one event and use that"...
The response should have been - "well then, what are you doing exactly?"
What was missing on the interchange where he (the guy who got shot and is now an anti) says "you can't take one event and use that"...
The response should have been - "well then, what are you doing exactly?"
Titan
Banned
What a bargain...$5k, eh?
That won't make a dent in the guy's legal bills by the time the feds are done with him.
Gasp - Did you just jump in without all the facts? Where's Half Cocked?
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
The guy in question was charged, convicted and served his time a while ago...
He was indeed "underemployed" an living off public assistance at the time. IIRC, this was in the late 80's.
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I listened to most fo the show...
... and I too was impressed on how balanced it was. It's not always the case with Ira.
Regarding the guy that did the straw purchases, I too was struck with how he could make 60 buys in 2 years and it not become an issue. I guess he spread the buys around the area. It was pretty disturbing though to hear his nonchalant attitude about drug dealers buying all of these guns he bought. He really didn't sound that stupid not to know they would eventually be used to kill someone. Just justifying making $5k for no effort... But, it bit him in the end (maybe literally) as he spent two years in prison for illegal dealing of firearms.
I also found it interesting that the cop who got shot and survived, and then turned into an anti, was saying you couldn't take one instance (Luby's shooting in Texas) as a good case for arming all law abiding citizens. He took his own one (no doubt very personal and painful) experience as an example why to make all guns illegal.
... and I too was impressed on how balanced it was. It's not always the case with Ira.
Regarding the guy that did the straw purchases, I too was struck with how he could make 60 buys in 2 years and it not become an issue. I guess he spread the buys around the area. It was pretty disturbing though to hear his nonchalant attitude about drug dealers buying all of these guns he bought. He really didn't sound that stupid not to know they would eventually be used to kill someone. Just justifying making $5k for no effort... But, it bit him in the end (maybe literally) as he spent two years in prison for illegal dealing of firearms.
I also found it interesting that the cop who got shot and survived, and then turned into an anti, was saying you couldn't take one instance (Luby's shooting in Texas) as a good case for arming all law abiding citizens. He took his own one (no doubt very personal and painful) experience as an example why to make all guns illegal.
Gasp - Did you just jump in without all the facts? Where's Half Cocked?
The guy in question was charged, convicted and served his time a while ago...
He was indeed "underemployed" an living off public assistance at the time. IIRC, this was in the late 80's.
Hence the likelihood that he received a public defender, at our expense. Which was my point.
What, if any, was yours?
Just adding some detail to the mix for the factually inclined. They gave his back-story including all the excuses for his blatant stupidity.
He commented multiple times that he didn't think his drug dealer acquaintances for whom he was buying were planning on doing anything bad, just dealing drugs and needed some protection "like any citizen."
![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
Guns don't kill people, idiots like that guy kill people. [sad2]
Did you hear their reports on both the credit crisis and healthcare? I found both very reasonable and the healthcare show actually argued against nationalizing it.
The show is usually fairly apolitical IMO.
