Comments about ‘Utah gun sales rise following Colorado shooting spree’

Good

Good for whom? I'm always amused at how people think that all would be well if only everyone in every situation was armed and dangerous. Imagine, a bunch of people scared stiff, not necessarily knowing who's the perpetrator, with little training and no prior experience with real life and death situations, all firing at each other and anything that moves. Then imagine that you are a police officer, arriving in the midst of such a firestorm. The problem isn't too few guns, the problem is too many. But there is too much money to be made from scaring Americans.

@Midwest Mom

Imagine your house getting invaded and you are powerless to stop it. Then, imagine you are police officer and you are several minutes away and can't help the endangered family. Ideal scenario, isn't it?

Now don't get me wrong, guns don't guarantee things will turn out the right way all the time but they do level the playing field for the good guys--who otherwise would most likely just become "victims"--thankfully the Second Amendment protects people who chose to own guns.

Go ahead, be unarmed. That's your right. Just don't tread on me.

Before the uninformed go ballistic over the mention of "on-line orders" in the story, it is important to understand the way that works.

You don't "buy guns off the internet" and have them shipped to you directly.

You can order a gun from a company like Impact (or just about anywhere) and they will ship it to a licensed dealer in your area. You then have to go in to the local dealer and fill out all the paperwork, wait for and pass whatever background check(s) are required for your area, and only then can you take possession of a gun.

Of course, criminals don't bother with any of this stuff, they just steal a gun from some place (cop cars are favorite sources) or buy one on the streets from other criminals, just like they buy drugs, stolen cars etc.

I have not bought a gun in a while, so maybe it is time to get another one.... just to tick off a liberal.

@teleste

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever had a gun pulled on you and pointed at your face? Not in the imaginary Hollywood world, but the actual human world? Do you honestly think you'd have time to react and get your weapon from wherever it is and protect yourself?

I was held up in a parking lot by a kid with a real-live gun who came upon me so fast, that even if I would have had a weapon in my pocket, I could not have drawn it and fired on him before he could have fired on me.

Oh, and I am a combat-hardened military retiree with years of training and experience.

The real world where real-live weapons are used and real-live cover, concealment, and distractions happen make it almost impossible for a person to have the constant vigilance to prevent themselves from being a victim.

No one is trying to take your rights away. I'm just saying real-life doesn't mimic the vigilante Hollywood world at all. Good luck thinking that it does.

@chs 85

This is a "real-live" situation where a "real-live" gun was used. There was also a "real-live" man who had time to react. He was not a victim. Good luck having a victim mentality the rest of your life.

Look on youtube for "71 year old Man shoots robbers - Caught on tape". Desnews won't let me post the link.

chs, No one is saying we live in Hollywood. For every case that you describe where having a gun wouldn't have helped. There are as many cases where having a gun did help. Just the fact that a community is known for having guns in their homes after a disaster like a tornado, earthquake etc. Seeing people walking around with rifles or pistols in full view has proven to greatly discourage the low life opportunists from trying something.

Again, if you think that being unarmed and a helpless victim sounds safer in every situation then that is your right.

But as soon as people start talking about the general public not needing arms, I see someone trying to take away my rights. Because that's where it starts.

"Have you ever had a gun pulled on you and pointed at your face?"

Yes I have, it was pushed into my face and then I was pistol whipped with it. It was in a country with very strict gun laws (I know, can you imagine that!?!?), so needless to say I did not have a gun. As in the case you described, I would have had no time to react. fortunately for both of us the person on the other end did not really want to kill anyone.

Imagine that they had wanted to kill, but that they missed with their first shot, maybe even their second... With means to defend yourself, you would have a chance to do something other than stand there and wait for them to not miss.

Or you could disarm them with your bare hands like in an "imaginary Hollywood world."

“Every time there’s a tragedy, people get an increased sense of awareness that bad things do happen to good people,” Ball said.

Ha, Ha. What a bunch of garbage. The reason why gun sales increase is because people think the government is going to immediately pass gun control measures so they are rushing to get their assault rifles and high capacity magazines and bullets before they are gone for good. In reality, there isn't going to be any legislation to limit gun rights. That is impossible. The Democrats don't control all of Congress and many Democrats are from liberal states that love their guns besides also being controlled by the NRA. In fact, you would be surprised how many Democrats belong to the NRA and receive campaign financing from them. This panic buying just shows how unthinking and illogical the public has become over this issue.

Actually I see teleste and midwest mom as both right in each of these different circumstances. In the theater situation having numerous people drawing weapons and trying to take down the perpetrator with police showing up minutes or seconds away would not be a good thing. However, I also agree that an armed person in his home could protect his family from harm before the police's arrival. I would say the reality of the situation in America is that there are too many guns to try to disarm the populace. Those determined to kill will get guns. Thankfully, this is news because something like this tragedy rarely occurs. We can go to the movies thousands of times without fear of an attack like this. However, with any freedom comes responsibility. A tragic incident where a toddler was killed by a loaded gun also serves as a reminder. Our own freedoms are based on the responsible actions. Gun owners need to be responsible.

I do not think a person having a gun in the theater would of saved any lives but their own and here is why. My first instinct would to get down and stay there until the gun fire stopped. A handgun versus automatic assault rifle is a losing battle and the only way I would of returned fire, is if I new the gunman was getting close to me and was going to shoot me.

I think anyone who would immediately return fire would be asking for a barrage of bullets in their direction.

Shaun. I will take my chances on the barrage of bullets.
You all just don't get it. You live in a fantasy world.
I'm a clean cut, college grad, with a great life. I have 4 kids and a wife. I choose to take my chances protecting them in a horrible situation. I don't ever look forward to shooting anyone. But, if needed, I want the option.

@Aggielove. So you are saying that you would immediately return fire with your family by your side? I do not think a movie theater chair is bullet proof and besides it was probably still dark. I highly doubt that you could of effectively take an aggressive stance against the shooter, especially since you probably would only have ten or twelve rounds at the most.

A gun in my hand is better than a cop on the phone! What does a cop have to offer me or my family in event of a serious threat to my family? Another gun but his gun is probably several minutes away and mine is here already! I saw a sign on a gate that said, “We don’t call 911”. There was a picture of a gun barrel pointed at the reader and underneath the gun barrel it said, “Smile and wait for the flash”. The sign is in my opinion a very effective crime deterrent! If someone had had a carry permit and was armed in that theater in Colorado, many lives would have been saved! Now before you jump down my throat and say otherwise, it would have been the same outcome if an armed cop had been in that theater! Holmes would have been stopped long before he ran out of ammo and that would have very good thing for his victims!

Without some SENSIBLE control on weapons, this country is simply headed for some kind of mass tragedy when some untrained soul tries to be a hero.

Is that what it will take to wake us up?

Most people are shot by people they know. So I would suspect the prevalence of guns is causing more people to be killed then the number of heroes who are stopping a bad guy in the act.

@ Shaun
When's the last time you saw someone take 10 to 12 rounds and keep on coming? Sadly there are many like you that would hide and let innocent people get killed. Evil persists because good men fail to act.

@chs85 I love how you thinks that all situations are the same because that is what happened to you. Your statement implies that there is never a time where someone that is armed was beneficial?

30 days? THIRTY DAYS? I want my automatic assault rifle NOW! At least I'll be able to get the 100 clips I bought online delivered to my house by the time my rifle is ready for pickup.